Because initial washing is critical for quality products, we wash all fleeces sent us for processing.

We will process only well-skirted fleeces that don’t contain burrs, wood-chips, or other debris that would damage our machines. Please read our skirting and sorting (for wool) or Clip Care (for alpaca and llama) handouts. Speak to your shearer about avoiding second cuts – prevention of problems is best! Unprocessable fleeces will be returned C.O.D.

We can produce batts from almost any clean fleece; we can make roving from almost any clean fleece, but if the fleece has many second cuts, or the fibres are very uneven in length, it will not necessarily please spinners; we can felt almost any clean fleece, but fleeces vary as to how firm a felt they will produce. Merino-type fleeces felt best; long-wools generally felt well; Downs breeds usually make only a ‘soft’ fleece.

Fleeces to be spun, however, must be sound (not ‘tippy’ or ‘tender), and have few or no second cuts.

Tender or tippy fleece will break during processing, creating uneven fibre lengths which won’t spin properly. To check for tippiness or tenderness, take a thin lock of fibre (about 1/8 inch in diameter) and holding each end tightly, tug pretty hard. If the tip of the lock pulls off, your fibre is tippy. If some of the fibres break in the middle, so that the lock pulls apart, your fibre is tender.

Second cuts are short (up to 1 inch) lengths of fibre that are created if/when the shearer does his first cut too high in one place, and then goes back over the same spot to clip off the short bits remaining. Second cuts will turn into little ‘pills’ during processing into rovings prior to spinning, and then cannot be removed. The pills will create slubs in spun yarn. To check for second cuts, open up the fleece and look at the shorn side. Run your thumbs over the cut ends as if you were fanning a deck of cards.

As well, in order for us to produce an even yarn all locks to be spun in a single batch must be of approximately even length. Although we can spin many lengths of fibre, best quality yarn will be produced from locks ranging from three to five inches (Note: If all fibres are very even, we can spin locks a bit shorter or a bit longer.) Please measure a lock from your fleece (stretched to its full length) to ensure that the fleece can be processed properly at the Mill.

If we receive fibre for spinning, and find it is not of spinning quality as described above, we will do one of two things:

• If you have indicated an alternative processing choice, we will proceed with that choice.
• If you have not indicated a second choice, we will return the fibre to you at your expense (postage to be deducted from your deposit).

In addition: not all fibres are created equal. Fine, soft fibres make good fine yarns, but aren’t suitable for spinning into a heavy yarn (but fine singles can be made into a 3 or 4-ply yarn). Coarser, long fibres make great heavy yarns for outdoor sweaters, but if spun into fine yarns, will make string.

Please note that if you request a weight of yarn that cannot satisfactorily be made from the type of fibre you have shipped, we will either spin an alternate weight of yarn (if a second choice is indicated on your order sheet) or we will return your fibre as roving and charge for that.

We will process a job of any size; however, you should be aware that our minimum charge is for 5 lbs. finished weight per lot. (A ‘lot’ is defined as a batch of fibre which is to be processed separately from any other fibre, so as to preserve quality or colour, and/or because it is to be made into a distinct product.) Because there is a 20 to 50% loss in processing, depending mostly on how greasy a fleece is, it is to your advantage to send us at least 7-10 lbs. of raw fleece to make sure you will have 5 lbs. of finished product.

You can ship to the mill by mail, or bring your fibre in yourself. If your fibre is mailed to us, we will return it to you by mail and add the shipping cost to your invoice. If you bring your fibre to the mill yourself, we will notify you when your order is ready for pick-up. Because we have very little storage space, if you cannot arrange to have the completed order picked up within a week, we will mail it to you and include the shipping cost in your invoice.