When your fleece comes to the mill it will be weighed, tagged with your name, and the date I received it.

It will be washed in hot water and bio-degradable soap.  Then the water is extracted in a high speed extractor and then a hot soak to rinse. The wet fleece is spread on racks to dry for several days.

Carding occurs on my vintage carding machine that has 11 drums covered with metal teeth.  These teeth straighten the fibers so they are all going the same direction. We card fiber into 5-foot long, 18-inch wide batts for use in spinning, felting, and quilting. 

We can process most wool fiber.  Other fibers would need to be evaluated for  approval before you send or drop it off.

Fleeces need to be skirted before they come to me.  This saves you money as prices are based on weight. Please refer to my 'skirting instructions' below.

If you prefer to wash your own fleece please follow my 'washing instruction' below,to be sure it is clean enough to go through my carder.  If you wash your own fleece, I reserve the right to rewash any fiber that is not clean enough for my machine.  I will notify you first.

I will wash, pick and card your fiber or perform any of these services in combination or alone.

PRICES AND SERVICE INFORMATION

Custom Carding Services                  Wool                                Other Fibers

Wash/ Pick/ Card                          $ 8.00 p/lb                          $ 11.00 p/lb

Wash Only                                   $ 4.50 p/lb                          $ 4.50  p/lb

Pick Only                                     $ 3.00 p/lb                          $ 4.00  p/lb

Card Only                                    $ 4.50 p/lb                          $ 7.50  p/lb

FIBER SKIRTING AND WASHING INSTRUCTIONS

SKIRTING INSTRUCTIONS:
Spread your fleece onto a screen as flat as possible.  Go around the edges of the fleece taking off any manure, and dirty matted fiber.
Remove any areas with lots of materials ( hay etc); Remove all the hay and material you can from the fiber. 

WASHING DIRECTIONS FOR MY CARDING MACHINE
Fill a tub with 140 - 150 degree water.  Put in the appropriate amount of cleaner.  ( I use Planet laundry cleaner from most grocery stores.  I use the per/lb directions on the box)
Put the fiber in the tub and cover to keep in the heat.  Soak for 30 minutes.  Do not agitate the fiber as this could cause felting
Drain and spin in your machine on "spin only' cycle
Fill the tub again with 140 - 150 degree water.  NO SOAP this time.  Soak the fiber for another 30 minutes. Do not agitate.   Drain and spin again.
Spread the fiber on a towel or screen to dry  2-3 days.