Made By Alpaca People For Alpaca People
What do you do with your fiber?
Many people are getting there... and many more need to get there! What do you do with your fiber? Who have you used to process your fiber? What do you have made from it?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Maryann Marsh on -
This year we decided to have our yarn turned into roving. We had it turned into yarn the year before and between arts and craft shows, the farm store and selling on ebay, we did very well. I have not done anything with our roving to date but have plans to make rugs out of it, get a hold of some local spinning gields and hopefully make a profit, (not much but some.) I think with our seconds and thirds i may ship it out to the texas rug company and have them turn it into yard and make rugs for me. Have to look up the website but if anyone knows it faster than i can get back to look it up, POST IT! It is a wonderful way to use your seconds and thirds and the rugs that I have seen are very sturdy and great in diff. sizes!
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Permalink Reply by Mada Vemi Alpacas on -
Oh, this question has my name written all over it. :) On our farm we process all of our own fleece into end products before it leaves the farm. We shear, skirt, card, wet felt, needle felt, spin, crochet, knit, and teach lots of classes on how to do all of it yourself. It's not for everyone but if you decide you want to work with your own fiber there's lots you can do to increase the value of that raw fleece that's just sitting in your closet!
I don't even bother selling raw fleece because you can get so much more for it if you process it into something...value added products. Even if you simply card your fleece into batts or roving and sell that you've increased the per oz price you can get from it.
If you decide to have a mill spin it up into yarn for you it's best if you learn as much as you can about the fiber first! I can't tell you the number of people that choose to have yarn made but know nothing about yarn or the process of making it. Learn the difference between the weights of the yarns and what they are used for. Learn what steps are taken in the yarn making process so that you can understand the amount of waste you'll get and you'll be able to explain to your customers if you're questioned on the cost of your yarn. Learn to choose your fiber that gets made into yarn because not every prime bag makes great yarn. Make sure the mill understands what you want for a finished item. There are no set standards for the actual size of each wt of yarn so ask the mill for a sample of the wt you're interested in or send them a sample piece of yarn to show them the thickness you're looking for.
Most people don't understand that fleece has a shelf life or expiration date so to speak. Proper storage can help tremendously but most people don't store their fleece properly. If your fleece is in plastic bags stored in your garage, barn, or basement you're quickly approaching your expiration date. Get it out of there and process it before it expires!
Your fleece is your "crop" you spend good money harvesting each year and it should be treated as such.
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Permalink Reply by Maryann Marsh on
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ok miss "fleece queen" ;) How long is shelf life if not stored properly AND what is the proper way of storage?
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Permalink Reply by Mada Vemi Alpacas on
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Proper storage should be a brown paper bag or some other breathable material such as a cotton pillow case. The fiber needs to be able to breathe. Shelf life depends on lots of things and there's no set date of expiration. Avoid storage in damp areas like basements and humid areas like barns, garages, and attics. If at all possible a humidity controlled environment is best. Fiber should never be put away wet or damp. If you store your fiber with a bit of lavendar you'll avoid moth contamination.
Your fiber should be looked at for each animal. It's a window into what's happened on your farm for the last year. If you take that fiber and divide it up into 12 equal parts you'll have a months growth and will be able to tell what happened 3 months ago to make your animal's crimp get better/worse. If you make nutritional changes within the last year it's a great way to see if it's made a visible difference.
All crias that got weaned or animals that had any stress (shows, illness, changes of nutrition, etc) should be checked for fiber breaks. What you're looking for is a "flat line" or a missing crimp along the fiber. Sometimes the line is very distinct and sometimes it's very hard to spot. If you hold your bundle of fiber with each hand at the cut end and tip you shouldn't be able to easily break that fiber if you pull your hands in opposite directions. If it breaks mostly at the same spot along the fiber there's a fiber break. That fiber should not be used for yarn.
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Permalink Reply by Sue Ives on -
Hey Dawn...
I recently heard that in order to preserve all of the qualities of alpaca (or any other natural fiber- I think?) so that it does actually maintain heirloom quality, it needs to be processed within six months of coming off the animal. This comes from a textile expert over in England. That's a pretty big order for most of us.
My theory, not yet practiced :-(, is that we can probably gain a lot of shelf life with our fiber if it is washed prior to storing. What are your thoughts on that?
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Permalink Reply by Mada Vemi Alpacas on
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In an ideal world we would shear the animals and skirt the fiber on the same day then wash it all shortly after so that we cans store it "clean". Since my world is more chaotic than ideal, I have to admit I'm behind in my washing prior to storing goals. Heck, I'm behind in my skirting prior to storing goals at this point. I have a good excuse this year though...we're in the process of building my fiber studio so I have a place to get all this done without covering the inside of my house with fleece. I should be done by August 1st and after that I'm hoping to get back to a more full time schedule of working with my fleece.
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Permalink Reply by Maryann Marsh on
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who has got the "texas rug" website???????????? Have seen the final result of using 3rds for these rugs and they were nice!!!!! Would love to have one made!
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Permalink Reply by Merian Burkett on
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Permalink Reply by Theresa Reyes-Stassel on -
I have our fiber processed into yarn by Georgia Mountian Fiber. We tend to send it in lots of similar micron and color. They have mixed our prime white blankets with 20 percent silk. They also produced a "farm blend" for us of various colors mixed to create a heatherd grey blend. I have also hand needle felted hats. I tried my hand at dying and rainbow dying our yarn. I crochet and use the various yarns to produce scarves, hats, baby sweaters , coats and jumpers with matching hats. A local handspinner and I have an arrangement whereby they spin yarn for us in a bohemian art spun style with varying widths in the strand of yarn- nice effect! We split the yarn between us. That is just the beginning!
We have tons of beautiful yarns which we sell to local artisans as well as using for my own stockpile for crafts I make and sell. I plan on donating our fleeces this year to the AFCNA, the Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America, so as not to waste it by letting it just sit around.
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Permalink Reply by Theresa Reyes-Stassel on
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These are some of my products. I am into tri-loom weaving using our millspun yarns- some of which I hand dye. I also am wearing a hand needle felted hat in my primary photo.
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Permalink Reply by Janet Tapply on -
From: Kevin Tapply
Date: November 16, 2008 10:13:30 AM MST
To: jtapply@airmail.net
Subject: RMWC Intro
These past few months, Janet and I have been conducting research to determine the best way to expand our Alpaca enterprise beyond that of a seed stock producer to develop a commercially viable business utilizing the fiber of these wonderful animals. We thank you for answering our fiber survey. While we did not get the total overall number of responses we had hoped, your answers helped us a great deal to understand many factors of this important decision and gave us the direction needed to help us make our critical investment.
We carefully examined many aspects of the “Alpaca Fiber Business” and finally settled on a short list of three possible investments; either developing a fiber conversion mill (spinnery), or creating products from a commercial knitting or commercial weaving venture. We have chosen to develop a business based upon the commercial weaving of alpaca and other natural fibers. We selected weaving for it’s versatility in creating the greatest number of products capable of reaching the broadest segments of the market for natural fibers in North America. We have reserved the business name “Rocky Mountain Weaving Company” with the Colorado Secretary of State.
Once we knew where we wanted to go, the next step was to determine the best way to get there. There are essentially 4 critical elements in the process of manufacturing woven products; the design of the final product, access to raw product, conversion of the raw products into suitable yarns and threads, and last but certainly not least the actual creation of the products on a loom. Lets look at each of these;
Design of the Final Products
Products that can be woven from alpaca fiber stems from fine broadcloth to course rugs and it was not easy to decide what products to begin with. Our decision was in part guided by the realization that we are not yet “weavers” and the simple fact that we need to begin at a place that is reasonable for us to learn as we go. After consulting with several skilled weavers we have chosen to begin with manufacturing blankets and sofa throws. We will begin by creating four designs that are unique to us and exemplify the quality of our North American Alpaca industry. When we have mastered the production of these products we will expand the operation to other areas as commercial demand dictates.
Access to Raw Products
We are fortunate to live in the Rocky Mountain region where the highest quality North American alpacas are bred. With an estimated 300+ breeders in this region we can purchase quality raw fiber from “growers” located within a reasonable distance from our point of production. We will contract with Growers to purchase suitable alpaca fiber every shearing season. Will work work cooperatively to ensure that we receive the quality fiber we require and pay a competitive per pound price to the grower.
Conversion of Raw Product into Suitable Yarn and Thread
There are two spinneries located within a reasonable distance of the point of production that will convert the raw product into the yarn that we need to weave our blankets.
The Loom
We have purchased a 60” Industrial Dobby Loom (IDL) manufactured by AVL Looms of Chico California. http://www.avlusa.com/index/products/looms/idl/. The IDL is a pneumatically operated Industrial loom, selected for it’s level of automation, speed of production, and the versatility of the products which can be manufactured. The IDL will be in full production in our studio by Christmas.
We have established a goal to reach the ability to begin limited scale commercial production in one-year. In order to begin production next winter we will need to utilize the fiber grow in the 2008-2009 fiber growing season for our yarn production. This is good news for interested breeders as we will be able to contract with you for fiber that meets certain quality standards. We have not completely finalized these quality standards as this time, however if you would like to get ready for this we can give you some basic information that should help guide you this growing season;
We will purchase skirted, clean prime blanket in grade four and above.
We will likely be utilizing four basic colors in our products; white, black, brown, and grey. White and black must be true colors with no color contamination (no dark fibers in the white and no light fibers in the black). Brown and grey will be a blend of the different shades in each color category. (Brown will be a blend of medium-dark fawn and light-medium-dark brown. Grey will be a blend of silver and rose grey)
We emphasize two characteristics are imperative; Strong (not tender) fiber and clean fleeces. We will rigorously test all fiber submitted for strength.
Fleeces must have only a minimal amount of vegetative matter that can be easily separated in the conversion process.
We have not yet determined the price we will pay for the fiber, we do feel confident however, that we will pay a fair market price for fiber that meets our quality standards. If you are interested in working with us in this way please let us know right away so that we can include you in our network of growers. More information about this program will be distributed in the coming month.
We are still working on the strategy for distributing our products. We envision that these products will carry a high degree of value association and be sold as “heirloom quality”. It is likely that we will begin marketing these products in the spring 2010 alpaca show season by attending show events in the Western US. We will create a network of stocking dealers who can carry a minimal amount of inventory and will participate in a e-commerce sale and ordering system.
We are very excited about this new business and the role it will play to bring a greater awareness of the benefit of alpaca based products to the North American consumer. We will be hosting an open house later this winter so that you can see this amazing IDL loom and to discuss our plans with us. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to share ideas you have, please do not hesitate to call us. We can be reached at the numbers listed below.
Thank you,
Kevin and Janet Tapply
dba Rocky Mountain Weaving Company
Fossil Ridge Alpacas LLC
Windsor, Colorado
(970) 686-2202 (farm)
(970) 396-7792 (Janet mobile)
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Permalink Reply by Dena Kotka-Holtz on -
I'm very interested in what your doing and will want to check it out more later! It sounds like a fun venture.
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