From Fleece to Yarn ~ Tour of a Fiber Mill

[@beccab888]

Great video thank you!

[@JohnlynHD]

Totally mesmerised by the whole process. Very informative. Thanks 🙏

[@sammalvs]

Tha has cured my curiosity! Thank you for this amazing informative video!

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

You’re welcome 😊

[@skitzochik]

would have liked to see all the machines running

[@maureni2792]

Hello from Latvia! Thank you for all that amazing information. I'm just planning all things and expenses that I need, to start my own small alpacas farm (3- 4 alpacas at the beginning). So I wonder-could you say, approximately, how much yarn can get from 1 alpaca? Thank you so much....

[@denisewoodside6858]

I love informative stuff like this! I'm guessing they must dye there as well?

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

😊 I can’t say for sure but their own brand of yarn is dyed

[@CallOfDuty_MayaTV]

Thank You for sharing this interesting video

[@bethstubbs9460]

This is a great video series for me as I am such a newbie. Whiy would there be dust in the fleece after you washed it?

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

Washing opens up the scales on the fiber to release the dirt. If the animal came from a dusty environment and/or was not skirted and prepared well for processing, washing alone will not get it all out.

[@ellieisbusy]

Question: are you sure it’s roving they make? Looks more like wool top, but since they mention not being completely woollen or worsted, I’m left wondering... Thanks for sharing, it’s always a pleasure seeing a mill in action!

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

I'm sorry it has taken so long to respond. I have been off of KZbin recently. This particular mill only sells roving and not combed top. Actually, most artisan mills are not able to produce combed top due to the equipment needed. I can see how the sliver can be mistaken as top when seen in the video.

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

I'm sorry it has taken so long to respond. I have been off of KZbin recently. This particular mill only sells roving and not combed top. Actually, most artisan mills are not able to produce combed top due to the equipment needed. I can see how the sliver can be mistaken as top when seen in the video.

[@ellieisbusy]

​@@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch thanks for replying! That's very interesting. Here in the UK we've a few artisan mills that produce wool top, I wonder if it has anything to do with how many still have old (as in, over 100 years old) equipment over here...

[@indigenousspinster_6665]

Roving is made by carding the fleece, Top is combed

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

Unfortunately, there came a time when a lot of the U.S. fiber processing moved overseas, leaving little of the equipment behind. It has made a resurgence of domestic processing difficult, even though there is a demand. There are some places but not that many. That is why the mini mills / artisan mills have become popular. But they do have their limitations.

[@tehanu3]

How do I find extremely cheap mill machine? Cheapest I’ve found is 125,000. Too much for me. I am trying to make my dream of having a fiber mill come true.

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

Are you in the U.S.? Contact the Artisan Fiber Mill Network.

[@tehanu3]

Butterfield Alpaca Ranch yes I am in the US. I will try to look it up....?

[@TindragontrailcottagesAu]

What do you use as the conditioning anti-static spray?

[@Skrimpish]

Little over half a mile spun a minute

[@mdrony-oh6yw]

What is the price of fleece?

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

There are a lot of factors that go into that answer. Check Etsy

[@danilbrat2149]

20 minutes of reading what is written on the screen? You know what a VIDEO is, right? :-)

[@ButterfieldAlpacaRanch]

I warned you in the beginning that there would be subtitles. If you don’t like them, you didn’t have to WATCH the video.

[@janeharris6405]

It makes it accessible, another way of accessing the info'.