Fiber

Wool is a renewable resource and is a very durable product. We strive to educate the public on what it takes to process the fibers into gorgeous quality hand spun yarns that can make a wonderfully unique products. Wool is an extremely versatile resource; it can be wet felted and needle felted from roving, knitted, crocheted, woven, or used in a variety of needle crafts. It can be made into wearable products, home insulation, or home decor. The possibilities are endless.

Our fleeces are harvested annually via shearing and all fleeces are processed on the farm so we know what goes into the scouring of the fleece to the contents of the dye bath. Care is taken to ensure fibers are handled gently to ensure every skein is of the highest quality.

	Scouring Fleeces Once a sheep is shorn the fleece is taken to be scoured. This is an important step as it removes a lot of the lanolin and dirt that clings to the fibers with the lanolin. Depending on the need, some fleeces will get two scouring then a rinse.

	Drying Fleeces After the final rinse, the fleece is laid on a screen so the air circulates around it. The fleeces are turned so all the fibers get dried thoroughly. Depending on heat, wind and humidity and the density of the fibers, drying time can take a full day to a couple days to completely dry. If you store damp fibers, they could develop mildew and the fleece will be ruined.

	Separating Fibers When the fibers are completely dried, they are sent through a picker to separate the fibers and remove a lot of the vegetable material that may have gotten in there like hay or twigs. The outcome is light airy fluffy fibers.

	Carding Fibers Small amounts of picked fibers are sent through the carder. Carding makes all the fibers go in the same direction and removes even more debris that may still be in the fibers. The fibers may need to be carded several times to get them just right.

	Roving Carded fibers are called roving. Still more debris and double cuts are handpicked to make the roving as clean as possible.

	Spinning into Yarn Roving is then hand spun into two bobbins of thread which are later plied together to make a skein of yarn.

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