| Fleece to Yarn
You will need to have your
wool spun into yarn. Where you do this depends on where you live, how
much wool you have, and what kind of yarn you want spun.
- Where: You will save yourself some expense and trouble if you can
drive your wool to the spinnery. This also gives you the opportunity
of talking to the spinnery about the best design for your yarn and for
them to look at your wool. If the wool is damaged or has too much vegetable
matter in it they can tell you right then and there.
- How much wool: Spinnery minimums range from totally custom (one fleece)
to 100 lbs raw fleece to 300 lbs. washed fleece. Costs of spinning go
down dramatically as you have larger quantities spun.
- Yarn design: Most mills are spinning woolen system. Woolen yarn is
lofty and especially suited for knitting and most weaving. However,
there are a few mills out there that spin semi worsted yarn, which is
a stronger, more lustrous yarn.
- Scouring: Some mills scour, some don’t. It would be great if
there were some small scouring operations that could wash small (100
lbs or less) lots of wool. You can always wash your fleeces yourself
if you are using a spinnery that doesn’t offer scouring. Or, for
large lots, there is a scouring plant in Texas.
Here is a partial list of spinneries that I know about. ‘Mini mills’
seem to be opening around the country; I don’t have much experience
with them but you may also find one near you.
Green Mountain Spinnery
Putney, VT
800-321-9665
www.spinnery.com
Fingerlakes Woolen Mill
Genoa, NY
315-497-1542
www.fingerlakes-yarns.com
Ohio Valley Natural Fibers
Sardinia, OH
937-446-3045
www.OVNF.com
Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill
Mt. Horeb, WI
608-437-3762
www.blackberry-ridge.com
Zeilinger Wool Company
Frankenmuth, MI
877-767-2920
www.zwool.com
Stonehedge Fiber Mill
East Jordan, MI
866-536-2779
www.stonehedgefibermill.com
Cestari-Chester farms
Churchville, VA
540-337-7282
www.chesterfarms.com
Indigo Moon Farm
Somerville, ME
207-549-4591
www.indigomoonfarm.com
Harrisville Designs
Harrisville, NH
603-827-3333
www.harrisville.com
Still River Mill
Eastford, CT
860-974-9918
www.stillrivermill.com
Marathon Alpaca
Marathon, NY 13803
607-849-6628
www.marathonalpacas.com
Loch's Maple Fiber Mill
Springville, PA 18844
570-965-2679
www.lochsmaple.com
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