# question for ya'll



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i seen a post on here and i cant find it now....i think it was WIHH...they sent their fleeces off to be spun.i know many of yall spin it yaselves.but where do you send them to?what is the cost and shipping both ways?is it cost effective?

thanks for any information.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

elkhound, I used Blue Hills Fiber Mill and I actually only had them send me back roving from my clean fleece. You CAN have a mill spin your yarn for you. And you can decise what kind of yarn or yarns you want spun from your fiber. 

Cost depends on what all you have the fiber mill do for you. Obviously, it is cheaper to send only clean fleece but if you choose to send unwashed fleece, you will be paying more for THAT added cleaning process and the cost of heavier dirty fleece is more than lighter-weighing clean fleece. (I like to clean my own fleece gently, so that was a step I did - which saved me some money in the long run.)

Blue Hills Fiber Mill is the most economic mill that I have found. Some mills have a weight requirement - Blue Hills does not. 

One additional thing to consider is the cost of shipping. One of the reasons I chose a mill in an adjoining state was to reduce shipping costs. Many people actually hand-carry their fleeces to a LOCAL fiber mill to save that expense. Others "hand it off" at fiber festivals where the fiber mill might have a booth. 

Here is Blue Hills Fiber Mill's price page:

http://bluehillsfibermill.com/11401/19701.html

here is another mill in Minnesota so that you can compare prices. 

http://northernwoolenmills.com/#!/3/Services___Pricing/7

Hope that helps!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

thanks a bunch WIHH...i appreciate the information.i am just being curious about an aspect of homesteading i am totally clueless about.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

watch out, I was clueless too when I just drifted down into here to see what was going on. I was amazed that modern people could actually knit socks - something really USEFUL - and that folks could take the fleece off of a sheep and make something out of it. 

amazing

:bow: :clap: :bow: :clap:

Some of us use lots of elbow grease and we invest some sweat equity into what we do- others like to skip the grungey part and spend their time and effort on the delicate art of intricate fiber work. 

These guys and gals do everything from make their own socks and shoes and sweaters and shawls and hats and mittens and gloves and historical woven belts and decorative braids and bags and rugs and curtains and washcloths and ...oh my. 

This is an inspIring place and the homesteading spirit of "I can do that!" is alive and well.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Ya, I think Elk needs to learn to knit.Then spinning, then the sheep.....besides that beautiful pup there looks like it would have some nice "fluff" each spring.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

:happy2:
7th, I totally agree!!
Maybe we should do some "encouraging"?????:hobbyhors


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

my buddy forerunner is the cause of it all....lol...he has me building compost piles by the dump truck load and i seen his handy work here awhile ago.....elkhound says i must resist....i must resist....it may be futile .....roflmao...i started darning socks back in winter it may be on now....lol


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Ah HAH!!! Now the truth comes out. Forerunner is at the heart of this. I am not surprised!! :hysterical:

Welcome to one of the premier enabling groups on the internet. A group of truly amazing people from all walks. I stumbled in here a while ago when I was an innocent crocheter of baby blankets, scarves and dish cloths. They lead me down the garden path...they really did. That was one drop spindle and two spinning wheels ago...not to mention other delights like carders and combs...knitting needles...and bags of wool...


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

If you can darn socks, Elkhound, you can knit them, too! And, if you make the yarn for your socks, you'll be able to pick the best and warmest fibers. When you make yarn, you can think of what you want for your upcoming project and then make that yarn. Much nicer than trying to find exactly the yarn you want from whatever meager (yet frequently expensive) offerings are available at a yarn store. 

Depending on how many fiber critters you have as well as what kind, you may need help in processing all the fiber. And a fiber mill can do all sorts of different levels of processing. You can choose between just having them clean it. Or clean it and card it into batts or bumps so you can spin it later. Or have it completely spun into yarn and either delivered on a cone or in a skein. Some mills will even dye the yarn, too, although that's not typical.

Fiber mills aren't usually really fast, though, it's frequently quicker to process your fiber yourself. Well, to get it started processing at least, the fiber mill can probably finish it quicker. So, sometimes it's nice to send the fiber out, sometimes it's nice to spin it yourself. Depending on what type of fiber and how much of it, it would probably narrow down the mill you're looking for. 

Anyone know of any fiber mills in or near Nevada that can handle Merino wool by the truckload? My Merino friend is relocating to Nevada and he doesn't know of any fiber mills there who would like to work with Merino fleeces.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

hercsmama said:


> :happy2:
> 7th, I totally agree!!
> Maybe we should do some "encouraging"?????:hobbyhors


Oh Ya. And Elk can do it all I'm sure, I've seen some of his haniwork, I get the sence he likes having"projects".


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

So, Elk....

Have you been looking at spinning wheels online? 

Just curious....:whistlin:


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

How about_ plans_ for spinning wheels online? That's even better than darning socks!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Elk, if you are interested, yet intimidated by trying knitting, go to walmart. I got my daughter a round knitting loom for Christmas last year. Instructions were as clear as mud and she was having a hard time figuring it out, so I got on YouTube, learned how to use it so i could teach 
her.
One thing led to another, it was easy, and something to do on long cold winters days. Wife got interested in it too, next thing you know we have close to a dozen different plastic knitting looms.

I can use those and make a thick stocking cap in a couple of hours or less, and in a few hours, can make a pair of super thick and warm sock type slippers. Currently working on two different blankets, when time allows and the weather prohibits being outside.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Elkhound, not trying to hijack your thread, but I wanted to post a few pictures of the things i was talking about. And seriously, these looms are very easy to use, pretty much just a series of wrap yarn around a peg, then pull a previous loop over it, and repeat. As I mentioned, there are tons of videos on YouTube showing step by step instructions, as well as different stitch styles.
The partial sock slipper still on the loom shows how simple it is, I hope. 
Also a pic of a completed sock slipper.
Then a pic showing a single square of a blanket I'm working on, then a pic showing multiple squares. I have a few more to make, then will sew them all together with a heavy needle and matching yarn.













Sorry about the image sizes, I can't edit anything in Photo bucket from my phone.
And I'm really not trying to hijack your thread, just want to show you what can be done with no proper training, a little time, and boredom that needs killed.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Ok, for some reason it copied the wrong links and i just duplicated two pics, here are the other two pics i meant to load....I hope.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

DixieBeeAcres, hijacking threads is one of the things we do best here! People don't mind...it sends us off into all kinds of great directions!


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