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ANNOUNCEMENT
Policies
We are once again accepting new fiber! We are still operating on a waiting list basis (and the list almost instantly went out to 6 months!). Washing and picking only can be accommodated with no wait.
Please feel free to contact us to see what the current wait is!
NEW POLICY
We are also implementing a 25 lb maximum weight limit for orders. If you have more than 25 lbs to process, you will immediately be recycled onto the wait list until all of your fiber is done (each 25 lb batch will be billed and shipped separately). This will prevent the mill from being booked out for months at a time by very large orders, and will hopefully allow all of our customers to get finished product faster.
Looking for Yarn, Batts, Felt, and other fiber products? We will be increasing our offerings in our Etsy store https://etsy.com/shop/waitsburgwoolworks
We also have plans to add a store to this website; stay tuned!
About Us
Full Service Custom Fiber Mill
We process raw fiber into a variety of products, including roving, batts, yarn, and core-spun rug yarn.
The Process:
Once we receive your order, your fiber is carefully examined on our sorting table, then tumbled to remove loose dirt and debris.
The fiber then moves into the mill, where it is carefully washed and dried. The next step is the picker, where the structure is opened up, resulting in a fluffy cloud that is ready for carding.
The carding machine combs and distributes the fiber, aligning fibers and creating a "web".
The web can then be rolled into a batt, pulled into roving, or spun around a yarn core to create corespun rug yarn.
Roving can be used as-is for hand spinning, felting, and other fiber crafts, or it can be spun into yarn.
To make the yarn, the roving fist makes several trips through the draw table, which further straightens the fiber, and combines and stretches the roving into a consistent thickness. The roving is then ready to make a trip through our spinning machine, plying machine, steamer, and cone winder. The final step is to wind it into skeins, ready for use!
FAQs
1. How do I order?
First, please download and read our information and order form. Please contact us to discuss your order and timing BEFORE you send us fiber. We are currently operating off of a waiting list, with a 5-6 month wait time.
2. How long does it take?
Once we contact you from our waiting list, we will usually start processing your order within a couple weeks. Time to completion of course depends on your order size and products ordered.
3. What types of fibers to you process?
We are equipped to process almost any fiber, including long-wool sheep breeds (up to 3.5 inch staple), mohair, and alpaca. We recommend sending a test batch for Merino, Cormo, and other Merino-like fleeces, as these can be touchier to run (see our guidelines PDF). We do NOT de-hair, so double-coated breeds such as Icelandic will have both coats in the finished product, and hairy fibers such as Yak will be coarse.
4. Can you blend fibers?
Yes! We have merino, silk, and bamboo on hand for blending, including natural and dyed colors. We can custom order other fibers as necessary.
5. What forms of payment do you accept?
We can accept personal checks, PayPal, and credit cards.
No Plastic Packaging
Eco Packaging Alliance
Waitsburg Wool Works is excited to announce that we have joined the NoIssue Eco Packaging Alliance. What this means is that we are committed to sourcing our packaging from sustainable sources, and we are working toward all of our packaging being plastic free, recyclable, and compostable.
Why Care?
Microplastic pollution is one of the biggest threats to our ecosystem. As plastic waste breaks down, it becomes smaller and smaller, but never really goes away. These tiny bits of plastic are then consumed by small organisms at the bottom of the food chain, as well as larger organisms including humans. Many of these organisms, fish fry for instance, starve to death because they are full of undigestible plastic, and this lack of food then ripples up the food chain. Microplastics have been found everywhere from the top of Mount Everest to the deep ocean floor. For more information, this is a good science-based article (the last thing we need is more hyperbole!): Microplastics Are a Big and Growing Part of Global Pollution | The Pew Charitable Trusts (pewtrusts.org)
Why Waitsburg Wool Works?
Most of the fibers we produce in the mill, including wool, alpaca, silk, and bamboo are natural fibers that lend themselves to this movement. One of the larger sources of microplastic pollution is the breakdown of synthetic fibers. In contrast, natural fibers decompose and don't contribute to microplastic pollution. Since our product is already plastic free, we decided that our packaging should be too! We want to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.
Products
Want to Buy Waitsburg Wool Works Products???
Come visit our Etsy Page! https://www.etsy.com/shop/WaitsburgWoolWorks/
We are starting to offer a variety of products including yarn, batts, rug yarn... stock changes frequently, check back!