mechanized anatomy of a replica Omega Constellation watches knitting machine

By Stephen RegenoldA million little needles work a million strands of yarn. Gears shift. Machine arms adjust and spin, the mechanized anatomy of a replica Omega Constellation watches knitting machine pulls raw yarn on one side and spits out a sock on the other.It is a Thursday afternoon in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and the factory floor at Wigwam Mills is buzzing with production, as it has for more than 100 years. Today, 250 people work at Wigwam, and the family-owned company funnels millions of dollars of payroll into the areas economy while producing upwards of 30,000 socks a day.Ive come to see Wigwam Mills as something of an archetype of a Made in the USA brand. In an era of a down economy, when seemingly everything is made overseas, domestic manufacturing can stand on a pedestal as a sign of hope.The outdoors industry, a multibillion-dollar engine, has no shortage of goods that come from abroad.

Four days into the journey, the boat is now more than 300 replica watch gift nautical miles from its San Francisco launch point and has endured some heavy seas and strong winds, as well as a tangle with a crab pot. You can follow all the action from the Plastiki site and de Rothschilds twitter feed.--Mary Catherine OConnor is a freelance writer, covering the environment, sustainability and outdoor recreation. The Good Route, her blog for Outside Online, is focused on the places where the active life and sustainability merge.Over the coming months, Outside will be posting interviews with adventurers, environmentalists, filmmakers, and others conducted by Mountainfilm. Many of the icons appearing at this year's festival have been featured in the pages of Outside.