WHAT FIBRE PROCESSING SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?
We are a semi-worsted mill and we offer:
- Small Scale Scouring (Washing)
- Opening into ‘fluff’
- Carding into batts or sliver
- Gilling into roving
- Spinning into single or plyed yarn
- Winding into hanks or cones
- Needle Felted Sheets
CAN YOU PROCESS SINGLE FLEECES & DO INDIVIDUAL BATCHES GET PROCESSED SEPERATELY?
Yes, we can process single fleeces, and at all times all our customers batches are kept and processed separately from others. Traceability is paramount as your fibre goes around the mill, so if you provide the mill with any information (such as the animal’s tag number) at the time of sending your fibre, this then follows the fibre around the mill and is displayed on the final product labels returned in your product bags.
WHAT FIBRE LENGTHS CAN YOU PROCESS?
We can spin fibres between approximately 6 and 20cm (2.5″- 8″) in length (although 7.5 – 18cm (3″ – 7″) is preferable). This measurement of the fibre length is taken when the fibres crimp is stretched out taught. To get an accurate length of your fibre, take a few random locks of your fleece and keep teasing them out taught between your fingers until you just have a few fibres of the longest length, then measure these fibres against a ruler or tape measure when they are taught. Certain breeds might require shearing twice a year to achieve this, but please speak to us if you think your fibre is over 20cm long and we can discuss the options with you.
We can prepare and card fibres that are shorter than 6cm into Sliver or Batts.
IF I JUST WANT MY FIBRE PREPARED AND CARDED FOR CRAFTING, HOW CAN I HAVE IT BACK?
We do a lot of this for Hand spinners, Needle Felters & Quilters and offer a quick turnaround (usually 4-6 weeks). Your fibre will go though our opener before it is carded, as this will give you a far superior result to that of just carded fibre. Our carder will then be able to produce your fibre into COILED SLIVER or up to 100cm (40″) wide BATTS (Standard size is 60cm wide). or you could go on to have it turned in to gilled roving.
WHAT OPTIONS ARE THERE FOR MY YARNS AFTER SPINNING?
We offer finished yarn returned on cones, in hanks, or as twisted skeins. These can be either as oiled or rewashed after spinning.
WHAT ARE YOUR PROCESSING PRICES?
Please see our pricing page for full details. We charge per incoming kilogram of fibre weight so you will know the cost of your processing at the point of order. There is a quantity break discounts for larger orders requiring the same set up and finished product. To work out the price of your processing simply multiply the weight of raw incoming fibre you are sending (in kg) with the price against the product you want in the table, you do not need to add up the stages before the item you want in the table to get your final cost. If you want multiple products from a batch then we just charge on the percentage split of each product you require from that batch. We do not take a deposit, and all payment is made at the end on an itemised invoice prior to dispatch or collection of your fibre.
HOW CAN I BOOK IN MY FIBRE WITH YOU FOR PROCESSING?
Please fill in our Processing Order form on the processing order form page in the menu and return it to us, we work on a first come first served basis and you will not be added to our waiting list until we have received a completed order form..
HOW DO I SORT MY FIBRE BEFORE SENDING IT TO THE MILL?
After shearing please remove any bellies, dags, skirt, matted parts of the fleece, rooed fleece, vegetation or heavily stock marked areas. It is worth noting we do not give marks for presentation, so don’t feel you have to keep your fleeces intact, please work though them and simply pull out the good / bad bits of fibre as required. a ‘bag of good bits’ if far preferential to us than an immaculately rolled fleece that contains ‘rubbish’! Please do NOT wash or soak the fleece in any way.
WHEN DO I SEND YOU MY FIBRE IF I CHOOSE YOU USE YOU FOR PROCESSING?
We will be calling forward your fibre when we are ready to start processing it, which for carding only orders is often straight away, but in the mean time please ensure your fibre is well skirted / sorted and stored somewhere dry so it is ready when we contact you.
HOW DO I SEND MY FIBRE TO THE MILL?
You can drop your fibre off directly to the mill strictly by prior arrangement only. For sending fibre to us via Royal Mail or a courier, then most customers use household vacuum bags, bin bags or feed sacks, so they can squash / vacuum out as much air as possible, before packing the fibre in a cardboard box and sending it to us, thus making it cheaper to send. We will return any packaging of value to you with your finished products. Most importantly please make sure your name and contact details are within each box so we know who they belong to when they arrive.
WHAT IS THE WAIT AND HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PROCESS MY FIBRE?
We typically work on a 4-6 week turnaround for carding to batts, sliver and roving orders (for small scale batches, larger sized batches might be a bit longer depending on existing schedules).
For spinning orders we usually have a 6-8 month wait, but this can vary during the year, then it can take a few months to get processed around the mill depending on the fibre types and processes required.
CAN YOU PROCESS PRE-WASHED FIBRE?
Generally NOT, but by prior arrangement we might accept it for slivering only.
DO YOU PROCESS ALPACA FIBRE?
NO – We only process sheep wool. (We will not process separately or blend other species with sheep wool.)
CAN YOU BLEND FIBRES?
YES – we can blend wool fibres. You could have it back as sliver or roving if you do not require us to go on and further process it for you. Please note that not all blends are suitable, and often do not create the best end products, especially if the fibres being blended are of differing types / lengths etc. Please speak to us in advance if you wish to blend fibres and we can discuss your requirements with you.
DO YOU DYE FIBRES OR YARNS?
We do not offer a dyeing service, but can return your yarns ready for you to dye yourself.
DO YOU HAVE A MINIMUM ORDER SIZE FOR PROCESSING?
Our minimum incoming weight / charge for opening and carding is 1kg, and 2kg for spinning.
DO YOU HAVE A MAXIMUM ORDER SIZE FOR PROCESSING?
Whilst we can accept larger orders, we anticipate that initially the majority of our clients will be sending us 5-25kg per batch of fleece.
WILL YOU BE SELLING READY MADE PRODUCTS?
Not currently, but please contact us if you are interested in these.
CAN I STILL BUY RAW FLEECE FROM YOU?
YES – we are still selling our Dorset Down raw fleece as we have been for the last 12 years, for you to prepare and craft yourself, or we can process this for you in the mill.
DO YOU PURCHASE RAW FIBRE FROM CLIENTS?
We are not generally purchasing additional fibre from clients.
IS THE MILL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
NO – Due to the amount of machinery in the mill it will not be open for members of the public to drop in and see it in operation. Customers dropping off or collecting fibre are strictly by prior arrangement only.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION……….
Please contact us via email info@rampishamhillmill.co.uk or phone 07500 508080.