Superior: A merino yarn.
Happy Goat Lucky Ewe Fiber Farm is located in Mason, Michigan. It was established in 1987 by Bridget Kavanagh, on what was originally the Dobie Farm, settled in 1836. Along with 50+ Merino sheep and a small flock of angora goats, the farm has been home to a pollinator sanctuary since 2018.
The fiber farm originally began in 1991 when “Grandpa Doc” gave Bridget’s kids (ages 4 and 3 at the time) an ewe lamb to bottle feed. They named the ewe Meryl Sheep (Sesame Street gets the credit), and she was the beginning of a love affair with fleece.
Bridget’s children are grown now, but she has continued to raise adorable sheep on the farm, producing incredibly soft fluffy merino fleece, and does sell starter flocks, along with much needed guidance and education, for the would-be fiber farmer.
I first encountered Bridget’s merino in a yarn produced by The Michigan Fiber Cooperative, as a blend of merino and alpaca in a worsted weight. After that yarn was no longer being made, I spent a couple of years wishing to create something like that. Then I had the chance to talk with Bridget at the Tip of the Mitt Fiber Fair and express how much I loved her fiber. We made a plan for me to purchase 100 pounds of her merino fleece in the spring of 2020. She was even going up to her sister’s near East Jordan and offered to transport it, a huge time saver for me between dyeing and parenting. 
I was so excited when the skeins were shipped to my doorstep and I could SQUISH it the first time. This sport-weight, 2-ply yarn is a real dream with its bounce, warmth, and amazing softness. It is ideal for against-the-skin wears and a joy to work with in every project I have knit with it. Fast forward, and I’m now on my third run of Superior from Bridget’s sheep, and I hope to never stop producing it.
Recently, Jill Bigelow Suttell released not just 1 but 2 new patterns designed with this delectable yarn: Code Breaker and Morse Code.
Morse Code is available in both a v-neck and crewneck pullover (above), and Code Breaker is the cardigan version (below), knit back and forth.
You can find the patterns on Ravelry, as well as Jill's Website here. These “sister patterns” use mosaic colorwork (slipped stitches) to create beautiful patterns in the knitted fabric. I opted for the V-neck and absolutely LOVE how it came out. It takes 8 skeins of our 2022 Superior (5 MC and 1 each CC), and just HUGS me in the crisp fall air. I’m already getting a lot of use out of it, and I’m excited to wear it all winter long.