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About Us
 Thanks for visiting our website! Rittenhouse Industries/Snuggle Wool is a woman-owned business committed to making quality, family-friendly lambswool products. I (Ellen) bought this business in 1996 so that I could put my sewing skills to use in a home-based business. My husband had a small home business and I wanted something at home that would allow us to work together and yet have time for family and fun.
My connections to wool go back to my own childhood, growing up on a farm in rural Kansas. My mother used a wool bunting to keep me warm when traveling and, as I grew older I slept under a cozy wool comforter on cold winter nights. My brother and I even hand-raised a lamb one year as children; it was one way we learned to care for and about animals. Some years later I used the same buntings my mother had for my brother and me to wrap my own daughters. The buntings always assured me that my girls would not kick free of their blankets during our daily trip to the post office in the mountains of Colorado, in those days before children’s car seats were commonly used.
Fast forward 25 years! After beginning the Snuggle Wool business, my girls and their families have learned to enjoy the comforts of lambswool. Recently they have been reminding me that those Snuggle Wool blankets, now 10+ years old, are beginning to show the wear of daily use. The youngest said “the wool is still soft and warm but the fabric backing is getting faded and very worn.” That must mean it is time to replace the blanket or put a new backing on it! In addition to using my blanket/throw year round I must tell you about my experience with the mattress pad. More than 10 years ago we had an unusually warm humid summer that often left the bed sheets feeling damp and clammy. I put a Snuggle Wool mattress pad on the bed and have not had a damp clammy bed again no matter how warm and humid the nights are. It even helped with the hot flashes!
Our business has grown through the years but we still maintain our home base with some products sewn under contract off site. Ruth K and Jean sew baby blankets from their workshop in Central MN. Ruth J spends a few hours a month keeping the office running more smoothly. Last but not least Jill P maintains this website and designs our advertising. Without all of their help I could not provide Snuggle Wool products and service to you.
My goal is to provide quality products without exploiting the environment (animals, energy) while treating others (workers, customers and myself) fairly. Even though the workroom is housed on the farm I will not operate in or as “a sweatshop” and will not accept that standard for anyone associated with Snuggle Wool! Like the lambs who get to “live and play another day” we must all help to sustain this world for future generations.
My best regards,
Ellen
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