Your own yarn from your own flock.
As part of our commitment to small scale sheep and fiber producers, The Green Mountain Spinnery provides a custom processing service. We enjoy working with fiber producers to design yarn particular to their unique fleece and fiber considerations. We can card and spin as little as 35 lbs of raw fleece or 20 lbs of scoured fleece. For lots weighing less than 20 lbs, after scouring, you can purchase enough additional wool from us to bring the scoured weight to 20 lbs. The following information details the basic variables involved in creating a custom yarn.
Contact us at 802.387.4528 to discuss your custom processing plans and to schedule the delivery of your fiber. We are currently unable to receive fiber that has not been scheduled ahead of time. David Ritchie (david@spinnery.com) and Andy Earle (andrew@spinnery.com) are the primary custom processing contacts at Green Mountain Spinnery.
Order custom spinning sample card here.
Production Information
Process: We work with our customers to design yarns which enhance the characteristics of the fibers used. The quality of the yarns is directly related to the quality of fiber provided. We are known for producing excellent light weight, worsted weight, and bulky yarns, either plied or unplied. Our method of hand scouring takes particular care of the fleece and fibers. To minimize our use of petroleum products, all scouring is done with vegetable oil- based soap. No chemicals are used for moth- or shrink-proofing, or for removing chaff.
Fleece Requirements
The best quality yarns are made from fleece and fibers which are:
- clean and free of chaff, burrs, tags
- well-shorn with few second cuts, and short belly wool discarded
- staple length from 2.5 to 5.5 inches
- stored dry, preferably in burlap bags, cardboard boxes (NO PLASTIC GRAIN BAGS)
- free of moths & moth damage; NO mothballs
- a blend of fibers not too coarse or slippery for our machines.
Please send us a small sample of your fleece to help us determine if we can process it effectively. We reject fleece that does not meet the above specifications.
Color Consideration
Call for free natural color blend samples showing different percentages of white and colored fleece. Many customers choose to dye their own yarns.
Fiber Blend Considerations
The producer may blend wool with mohair, angora or other precious fibers. Our sample card shows several of these special blends. We can blend up to 40% wool / 60% mohair or alpaca, depending on the grade and staple length used. We can produce wool yarns with percentages of other natural precious fibers, and are happy to cost estimate these special lots separately.
Contact Information for Custom Processing
UPS Shipping Address: 7 Brickyard Lane, Putney, VT 05346
USPS: PO Box 568, Putney, VT 05346-0568
Email: David Ritchie (david@spinnery.com) and Andy Earle (andrew@spinnery.com) are the primary custom processing contacts at Green Mountain Spinnery.
Phone: 802.387.4528
Fax: 802.387.4841
Download a PDF of our May 2024 Custom Processing Price List
A Good Return: The average custom process return is 55 lbs of finished yarn / 100 lbs raw fleece. The return percentage is affected by the grease content and cleanliness of the clip. Selling Your Yarn? If you plan to sell your yarn through a retail outlet, here are some pricing guidelines. The Spinnery retails its 100% wool worsted weight for $15.00 per 2 oz / 140 yard skein and its 30% yearling mohair/70% wool worsted weight for $16.25 per 2 oz/140 yd skein.