Wool Into Gold

Jul 7, 2011 by

When I was little, the tale of Rumpelstiltskin was one of my favorites… spinning straw into gold! Now, as an adult spinner, I think that turning raw wool into yarn is far more valuable to me. I have been busy today gathering together the threads that will turn approximately 15 pounds of Romney wool donated to the CSA by Mary (who also skirted the fleeces!) into skeins of yarn that can be dyed with the extras from my gardening and gathering efforts later this fall.

We are fortunate to still have Yolo Wool Mill operating in our fibershed/region, over in the Woodland area across the Sacramento Valley from me. I made contact with owner Jean, and will be dropping off the wool, while picking up fellow Fiber Trash Girl Rowen’s carded Shetland roving, next Friday. I promise to bring my camera, and report back to you!

My investigations also netted not one, but TWO alpaca spinneries in my fibershed, both much closer than the wool mill, though I don’t have any free alpaca fleeces waiting in the wings. Maybe next year! The two types of plants cannot readily interchange services, as the fiber types are different and machinery also set up accordingly. Therefore, it appears that our region has room for more fiber processing. I was greatly heartened to learn earlier this spring that the Fibershed Project is working to raise the funds to open a processing plant in San Francisco that would process wool and cotton.

The closest mill is Heart & Soul Alpacas and Spinnery, newly opened this year in Penn Valley, about a half hour to the west of me. Their website states “Our goal is to produce quality fiber products in a reasonable length of time” and they specialize in alpaca, pygora and other specialty fiber processing.

The other is called A Spinning Peddler’s Fiber Mill, and is located on the Foresthill Divide, between branches of the American River. Sherry McMorrow, the owner, raises alpacas, llamas, chickens and German Shephards, as well as spins, weaves, knits, crochets, felts, designs costumes, makes dolls, sews and makes socks on an antique circular sock knitting machine. She is set up to process all of the camelid fibers in an environmentally safe manner. The ranch/mill is also working on becoming energy self-sufficient.

I am hoping to be able to visit both alpaca mills later this season and post pictures.

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