About Us
The Woolery was started in 1981 by Marianne deSalle Horchler. At that time it was based in Genoa, NY. Tim Horchler was working full-time for a national company based in Ithaca, NY. He switched to working part-time in 1987 and full-time with the family businesses in 1991. In 2001, Marianne and Tim moved to Murfreesboro, NC and The Woolery is now located on Main Street in Murfreesboro.
Marianne was born and raised in Liège, Belgium. Her native language is French. Growing up, she often imagined herself living in Paris and being a writer. She was fortunate to learn Latin and Greek in high school at the Institut Notre Dame de Jupille in a building with some rooms that date back to Charlemagne and in a park-like setting. She attended Liège University and graduated with the equivalent of a Master’s degree in Germanic Philology (English and Dutch literatures and linguistics). She met Tim while on an exchange trip to the US and Tim’s university. She worked at an embassy and for a French engineering firm before writing for several newspapers on a free-lance basis and then starting The Woolery. Beside her family, her interests outside the business include writing fiction and poetry, reading (fiction and non-fiction), science, movies, learning interesting languages (Mandarin Chinese for the moment), animals (including humans) and their behavior, psychology, education, flower gardening and anything intellectually stimulating and challenging.
Tim was raised in Ohio. Growing up, he often pictured himself as an FBI agent. He attended Kent State University (yes, he was there when...) and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. He worked as a policeman for 6 years before changing careers. His interests outside the business include gardening, woodworking, politics and people.
Tim and Marianne have 4 children: Andrew, Aliénor (aka Katee), LiQiong and JingLei (to read about our adoption of JingLei, see A Trip to China).
While in Genoa, NY, Marianne and Tim raised sheep (about a hundred at one time): Finnsheep, Finn-Lincolns, Border Leicesters and Merinos. Their son Andrew began raising angora rabbits at age 8 and he and Marianne soon had up to 150 rabbits to care for. Rabbits were being plucked every day of every week, weather allowing. When Andrew went to France during his senior year of high school, the rabbits were scaled down and eventually sold a few years later.
Marianne and Tim started Fingerlakes Woolen Mill on their farm in 1987. They created several lines of commercial yarn, Fingerlakes “Soft Wool”, “Unspun™” and “Angora Luxury” (the only American produced angora/wool yarn for the handknitting market). They also offered custom wool processing. Tim has perhaps washed more wool by hand than anyone else alive. When they moved to NC in 2001, they sold the mill to Jay Ardai and Suzanne O’Hara. In addition to The Woolery they also operate a wholesale business involved with importing of spinning and weaving products.
Marianne and Tim decided to move to a warmer climate after years of shoveling snow and staring at grey skies. They no longer raise sheep but have two dogs, an occasional cat, and tropical fish. The younger dog, Penelope, a friendly Newfoundland, accompanies Marianne to work at The Woolery every day. Alpha, the 14-year-old retired sheepdog stays home and gets to herd children instead of sheep.
The Woolery was started in 1981 by Marianne deSalle Horchler. At that time it was based in Genoa, NY. Tim Horchler was working full-time for a national company based in Ithaca, NY. He switched to working part-time in 1987 and full-time with the family businesses in 1991. In 2001, Marianne and Tim moved to Murfreesboro, NC and The Woolery is now located on Main Street in Murfreesboro.
Marianne was born and raised in Liège, Belgium. Her native language is French. Growing up, she often imagined herself living in Paris and being a writer. She was fortunate to learn Latin and Greek in high school at the Institut Notre Dame de Jupille in a building with some rooms that date back to Charlemagne and in a park-like setting. She attended Liège University and graduated with the equivalent of a Master’s degree in Germanic Philology (English and Dutch literatures and linguistics). She met Tim while on an exchange trip to the US and Tim’s university. She worked at an embassy and for a French engineering firm before writing for several newspapers on a free-lance basis and then starting The Woolery. Beside her family, her interests outside the business include writing fiction and poetry, reading (fiction and non-fiction), science, movies, learning interesting languages (Mandarin Chinese for the moment), animals (including humans) and their behavior, psychology, education, flower gardening and anything intellectually stimulating and challenging.
Tim was raised in Ohio. Growing up, he often pictured himself as an FBI agent. He attended Kent State University (yes, he was there when...) and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. He worked as a policeman for 6 years before changing careers. His interests outside the business include gardening, woodworking, politics and people.
Tim and Marianne have 4 children: Andrew, Aliénor (aka Katee), LiQiong and JingLei (to read about our adoption of JingLei, see A Trip to China).
While in Genoa, NY, Marianne and Tim raised sheep (about a hundred at one time): Finnsheep, Finn-Lincolns, Border Leicesters and Merinos. Their son Andrew began raising angora rabbits at age 8 and he and Marianne soon had up to 150 rabbits to care for. Rabbits were being plucked every day of every week, weather allowing. When Andrew went to France during his senior year of high school, the rabbits were scaled down and eventually sold a few years later.
Marianne and Tim started Fingerlakes Woolen Mill on their farm in 1987. They created several lines of commercial yarn, Fingerlakes “Soft Wool”, “Unspun™” and “Angora Luxury” (the only American produced angora/wool yarn for the handknitting market). They also offered custom wool processing. Tim has perhaps washed more wool by hand than anyone else alive. When they moved to NC in 2001, they sold the mill to Jay Ardai and Suzanne O’Hara. In addition to The Woolery they also operate a wholesale business involved with importing of spinning and weaving products.
Marianne and Tim decided to move to a warmer climate after years of shoveling snow and staring at grey skies. They no longer raise sheep but have two dogs, an occasional cat, and tropical fish. The younger dog, Penelope, a friendly Newfoundland, accompanies Marianne to work at The Woolery every day. Alpha, the 14-year-old retired sheepdog stays home and gets to herd children instead of sheep.
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