Fiber Farm Mill

  When the fiber arrives at the mill, we begin with a quick inspection, weighing and inventorying. All fiber must be free of heavy debris, infestation, or damage. The fiber is stored in our climate-controlled building until it is ready to be processed.

  Next, the fiber is lightly skirted if needed and placed in the tumbler, where it is turned to remove dirt and light debris, preparing it for the next stage. 

  Once tumbled, the fiber is soaked and then gently washed using our pure mountain spring water and gentle eco-friendly scouring agent.

After drying, the fiber is moved to the Picker to open up and separate the locks and further prepare it for carding.

 In this step, the fiber is processed through the fiber separator to remove most guard hairs and light vegetable mater. This results in a more consistent fiber for processing. Not all fiber will require this step.

The Carder is responsible for processing the fiber into a form that is ready for further processing. The main role of a fiber carder is to align fibers to create a uniform, smooth preparation known as a roving or batting. It also produces core spun rug yarn.

 The roving from the carder is then placed in the drafter, where the fibers are further aligned and stretched. This creates a finer from known as sliver, which is now ready for spinning.

The spinner takes the sliver and creates single plies of yarn. The thickness can vary from thread-thin to bulky, depending on the final weight and type of yarn needed. 

 The plyer takes one, two, three, or four singles and twists them together to create a strong, cohesive yarn ready for use.

 The final yarn is then run through the steamer to set the twist. The yarn can be wound onto cones or packaged into individual skeins/hanks. 

For non-spun applications, we use the wet felter to turn batts into thick fabric sheets. These sheets are versatile and can be used for various purposes, including: 

· Rugs

· Coaster

· Shoe inserts

· Trivets/hot pads

· Jewelry

· Purses

· And much more