We can provide you with the following services:

SKIRTING: We strongly recommend that you skirt your fiber before you send it to us, after all, why pay to ship material that will be thrown away? Bear in mind that any matter that is in your fleece may still end up in your roving, batting, or yarn. However, if you wish it we can skirt your fleece for you. Please be aware that fiber with excessive amounts of VM (vegetable matter) or other contaminants will be refused and may be returned at the owner's expense.

SCOURING: We wash your fiber in a 120-160 degree bath (depending on the fiber type) with environmentally friendly biodegradable soaps and rinse it thoroughly. This primarily removes grease, oils and dirt. Elements such as vegetable matter, or worse, bits of poly bailing twine will still reside in the fiber. The fiber is then spun out and dried. Very greasy or very dirty fleeces, as well as some very fine wools and some exotic fibers may need additional scouring. After rinsing we dry the fiber on racks. Be aware that an average of 30 percent and up to 50 percent of the starting weight can be lost in processing.

PICKING: The dried fiber is run through the picker which separates and opens the tangled locks. If you desire, we can also blend in another fiber at this stage.

CARDING: After picking, the fiber is fed into our carding machine. Here is where most of the vegetable matter, second cuts and other contaminants are removed. As the fiber runs though the carding machine locks are completely separated and the individual fibers are aligned creating a neat and orderly batt or roving. We can also blend as the fiber enters the carding machine. Occasionally a particular batch will benefit from two passes through the carding machine. Our carding machine is engineered to retain as much fiber as possible; however there is always some loss of fiber in the carding process.

Batt dimensions are: 24" x 48" and we typically make them about 1 pound which, depending on the fiber is about 3 to 4 inches thick. If you desire a different weight or thickness please note it on the order form.

PINDRAFTING: As the next step on the path the spinning frame our pin drafter further aligns the fibers and attenuates the roving. The pin drafter can also be used as a final step in preparing roving for hand spinning.

SPINNING: Here we spin your carefully prepared fiber into a yarn of your choosing. Our spinning frame functions best with fiber between 4 and 10 inches, with a little wiggle room either way. Shorter lengths may be spun in an appropriate blend. we generally give the finished skeins a final rinse or steaming.

CONE WINDER/ SKEIN WINDER: Yarn comes off the spinner and is wound into skeins. If you wish we can wind measured skeins. Yarn can also be wound onto cones. We usually do cones by weight.