PRE-PROCESSING INFORMATION

Skirting and Cleaning

Quality In is Quality Out

Please remove manure tags, clumps of felted fiber, hay particles, plus burrs, seeds, and second cuts.  If this is not done prior to shipping to us.. you will be charged an additional skirting fee of $3.00/lb for wool/mohair and $5.00/lb for alpaca/llama on the incoming weight.  We need to have properly skirted fiber in order to be able to process. 

NOTE:  Skirting your fleece for yarn processing is more precise than for rovings.  We need the very best of the fiber to make yarn.  Second cuts and a short staple length make for a poor yarn.  The mill's spinning machine can only have a deviation of two inches from the shortest staple to the longest staple, otherwise the short staple gets pulled through at a faster rate with no control and this causes slubbing.  Please be aware of the fiber loss when processing into yarn.

We reserve the right to refuse fleece that we feel is inferior to process. Fleece that is heavily full of VM, moth infested, moldy, full of dander or mostly felted will be considered inferior. The customer will make the decision as to the disposal or return shipping of the fleece.  The customer is responsible for the shipping cost, plus a inspection/handling fee of $5.00 per returned box.

Most dander cannot be removed from within the fibers. The hair shaft has grown through the piece of dried skin making it almost impossible to remove.  Extremely infested fleece will not be run through our machines.

If you cannot separate clumped or matted fiber with moderate ease…please do not expect our machinery to do it either. This type of fiber cannot be processed.

Sunburned tips, weak and stressed fiber or light mats can cause breakage during the picking and carding processes, thus causing noils. Suggestion...hand cut the sunburned dry tips off to get a better product before shipping.

Extra long fibers have the chance of wrapping and catching during carding causing breakage.   We reserve the right to cut extra long fibers to accomodate our machines.  Our three carders do best with staple lengths of 3 ”to 5 ”.  We do not cut Icelandic, Shetland, or Navajo Churro fiber.

WASHING:  We will always wash your fiber in a commercial solution made just for wool and exotic fibers.  PLEASE do not pre-wash your wool/fiber before shipping to us, especially if it is designated for yarn.

Please visit Mill Policy for more information on deposit and payment options.