Carding

Carding Services

New – We now offer combed top to the list of processing services!! Please see below.

Prices are subject to change without notice.

Turnaround on roving, batts and combed top (not to be spun) is approximately 4 to 6 months. If you’ve asked what the turnaround is and have been given an estimate, it is just that, an estimate. There are many factors that can alter the time frame, employee problems, machine problems, life in general, etc. We work very hard to get products out in a timely manner but sometimes things happen. Please be respectful of others who have things they want processed. Please try to plan ahead, it is unfair to jump ahead of fiber that is already here. If you absolutely have to have it by a certain time, it may take having my employees working overtime to do it. That cost will be added to your bill.

Please call (231) 536-2779 to be sure of current rates, or email: . Please make sure the subject line says
something like “fiber processing question” so it won’t look like spam and be
deleted by accident.

Note: Emailing is the fastest way to get in touch with someone. We are in the office from 7 am to 3 p.m. M-F.  If you try to call and you can’t reach us, we are either with customers or running machines and unable to hear the phone.  Send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.  Our email address is:

Processing charges (other than spinning) are on incoming weight of fiber. No minimum, although under one pound of fiber in a batch will be charged as one pound.

Processing fees are due upon completion of each batch (if more than one is sent). Failure to pay within 30 days of notification that processing is complete, and payment is due, will result in batches being considered abandoned. Thus, forcing us to sell it to recoup processing charges. Our employees do not work for free.

Processing Services & Prices

Skirting

Fiber must be skirted before sending.  That means pick out dung balls, vegetation and anything you do NOT want in your finished product. It doesn’t automatically come out in the process.  If we have to skirt your fleece, you will be charged a skirting fee of $30 per hour.  No charge if less than 15 minutes.

Please do not send in fiber that has burrs or wood chips in it.  We will NOT process it and you will be charged the shipping to send back.

Washing charges (if you want your fiber washed but not processed further):

• Wool – $6.00 per pound
• Fine wool and mohair – $7.25 per pound
• Exotics – $5.50 per pound
• Rewashing fibers sent as washed – $7.00 per pound

Note: Prewashed fiber must be grease free, or it will have to be rewashed. See explanation on rewashing below. Please do not send washed fiber that has been rinsed in hair conditioner or fabric softener, or they will be rewashed. See explanation below.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND FIBER THAT HAS MOTHBALLS IN IT OR HAS HAD. WE CAN’T PROCESS WITH A MIGRAINE.

Carding your raw fibers into batts or roving (includes washing and picking charges)

• Wool – $10.45 per pound
• Wool that you have washed and which doesn’t need rewashing – $9.95 per pound
• Fine wool – $11.45 per pound
• 100% Exotics – $11.45 per pound
• Exotics with at least 15% wool added – $10.95 per pound

*Exotics include mohair, llama, alpaca, angora, dog hair, camel, fine wools which need special care, etc. Call if you’re not sure. *Some exotics need a small amount of wool added to process properly. We reserve the right to add wool if necessary, unless you specify in your instructions not to.

Fine wools include quite a few breeds such as: Merino, Cormo, Correidale, Bond, Rambouillet, Polwarth, Targhee, and some crosses of these. Sometimes fleeces on the coarser end of the range for the fine wool breed may process OK. Charging a finewool fleece as an exotic will be at our discretion, based on our experience.

Studies show that 40% of all fibers break during the carding process.  There is no way around that.  If that breakage causes pills and you don’t want that in your yarn, you should have us comb it.  The number of pills may totally depend on the type and quality of the fiber being processed.

Additional Processing Services

We are proud to announce that we can now make your fiber into combed top!!

• Combing of your fibers – $11.00 per pound added to processing charges. Raw weight minimum 10 pounds. Combing of fiber sent already washed – $12.00 per pound added to processing charges.
• Pin-drafting Wool – $5.00 per pound added to processing charges
• Pin-drafting 100% Exotics – $6.00 per pound added to processing charges
• Pin-drafting Exotics with at least 15% wool added – $5.00 per pound added to processing charges
• Pencil roving – $5 per pound added to processing charges. We don’t make a true pencil roving. Our pencil roving is just a smaller version of our regular roving, requiring a lighter feed on the carder.
• Second carding for best blending of different fibers or colors – $5.50 per pound added to processing charges

Wool for Blending:

• Wool – $10.00 per pound raw plus processing cost (if we have any, otherwise you may need to supply the wool for blending)
• Merino top $18.00 per pound, white – dyed $18.00 per pound

Rewashing Wool

Sometimes wool comes in already washed. I must check the wool to make sure it is completely grease-free. If it isn’t free of grease, I must rewash the entire fleece. Otherwise the lanolin coats the teeth of the carding cloth and inhibits the fiber from being carded properly.

Our carding prices are based on “incoming weight”. If you send us 10 pounds of raw wool you’re charged on that amount, but after washing there’s probably only around 1/2 to 2/3 that weight to pick and card. If you send us 10 pounds of washed wool and we have to rewash it, the cost and time is the same for washing, but now we are picking and carding nearly the whole 10 pounds. If we didn’t charge extra for re-washing, we would be picking and carding as much as twice the amount of fiber for no extra charge. I hope this explanation clarifies the additional charge for re-washing.

Hair Conditioner or Fabric Softeners

When sending washed fiber, do not rinse in hair conditioner or fabric softener. They only coat the fiber and leave perfumes that I am allergic to. I will “condition” the fiber before processing with the best conditioner of all, good old water, mixed 10 to 1 with a water soluable anti-static oil. Clean fiber without oily residues processes the best. If you feel the need to cut the soap, use a little vinegar in the final rinse.

I raise animals also, and expect some vegetable matter (VM) in the fiber, but fiber with “a lot” of VM will be an additional $5.00 per pound to help cover the cost of reclothing the carding machine prematurely. Fiber with excessive amounts of VM will be refused and will result