Huacaya and Suri Alpacas for sale, along with fine Alpaca items available from our store.
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Fiber Mill Analysis - Part 2

In response to the feedback we received on the research results we recently posted comparing fiber mills that cater to the processing of alpaca fiber, we have researched an additional 12 mills. Again, we would like to share our findings in the hopes that our efforts will be of value in providing a quick and easy comparison of mills. (See additional mills listed below.) Click here if you would like to review the analysis of the first 12 mills we posted in the Spring 2010 issue of the Diamond Digest.

(pictured left: Vintage carder at Bartlett Yarn Company of Harmony, Maine. Click here to view more photos of this vintage fiber mill.


The following fiber mills were picked at random. Diamond Triple C Ranch, it's owers, staff, and management, are in no way making a recommendation of, or promoting any of the mills chosen for our analysis, and assume no responsibility for any errors in this information. This was a time-intensive endeaver, and our intent is only to share the results with our readers who might value having this information presented in a format that makes for a quick and easy comparison of these mills. Please contact the specific mills prior to sending in your fiber to confirm these figures and terms.

If any other fiber mills would like to have their information posted to this forum, they may submit their information to us at info@diamondtriplecranch.com.

Still River Mill
Rach-Al-Paca
Carothers Country Fiber Mill
McClellan's Frankenmuth Wollen Mill

Royal Fiber Spinnery
Fantasy Fibers, LLC
Bear River Fiber Works
Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill

Fingerlakes Woolen Mill
Spinderella's Creations Fiber Mill
Zeilinger Wool Co.
Central Virginia Fiber Mill

PLEASE NOTE: In most cases, the price for ROVING includes picking, carding, drafting, and SPINNING would indicate the various processes to make yarn in different varieties. Plies are indicated for each mill. Usually WASHING is required and is an additional cost. Where there are exceptions, we have so indicated. Care should be given prior to shearing to clean the alpaca. Final results intrinsically depend on how clean the fiber is when sent.

 
 STILL RIVER MILL   
minimums:
  minimums not cumulative
roving:
   center pull bumps $1/lb
washing:
   $5.50/lb
yarn:
    
picking:
   picking/carding $12.50/lb; $50 min.
spinning:
   500-1000 yds $31.50/lb
1001-1500 yds/$34/lb
1501-2000 yds $36.50/lb
All spinning charges include picking, carding, spinning into singles, plying, steam setting twist, winding onto cones. Skeining & final cleaning was $1/lb extra
dehairing:
   $14/lb
plying:
   can make fingering, sport/DK, knitting worsted, Aran, chuncky or bulky yarns
carding:
   picking/carding $12.50/lb; $50 min.
add other:
    
drafting:
    
skeins:
    
address:
  210 Eastford Road, Eastford, CT 06242
terms:
   50% deposit prior to process; balance due on completion; 10% interest after 14 days
contact:
   sales@stillrivermill.com
860-974-9918
website:
   www.stillrivermill.com
 RACH-AL-PACA
minimums:
  no minimum; discount over 100 lbs.
roving:
    
washing:
   not as standalone
yarn:
   $30/lb; $32 cabled or suri
picking:
   not as standalone
spinning:
   $5/lb for center pull balls
dehairing:
   not offered
plying:
   no add'l charge
carding:
   $20/lb
add other:
   felting available
drafting:
   pindrafted at $20/lb
skeins:
   no set yardage for skeins or cones
address:
  18495 Goodwin Ave., Hastings, MN 55033
terms:
   50% up front, remainder due before product returned
contact:
   RachAlPacaFarm@aol.com
651-485-7916
website:
   www.rachalpacafarm.com
 CAROTHERS COUNTRY FIBER MILL
minimums:
  one pound cost
roving:
    
washing:
   $4/lb: 2 washes, 2 rinses
yarn:
    
picking:
   $20/hr
spinning:
   includes picking, carding & pin drafting
fingering/lace $24/lb; sport/bulky $22/lb
dehairing:
    
plying:
   $2/lb
carding:
   $6/lb
add other:
   blending $2/lb
drafting:
   pin: $4/lb
skeins:
   skeining, washing $2/lb
address:
  23798 Whitman Deering Dr.,
Minnesota City, MN 55959
terms:
   contact for deposit; bal. due 30 days; checks, cash, paypal
contact:
   Lynda@CarothersCountryFarm.com
507-689-0800 or 507-689-2677
website:
   www.carotherscountryfarm.com
 McCLELLAN'S FRANKENMUTH WOOLEN MILL
minimums:
  SALE PRICES: raw to roving: 8 lbs. raw - $8.75/lb; 5 lb. prewashed - $7.75/lb
roving:
   raw less than 8 lbs. $12.25/lb
prewashed less than 5 lbs $12.25/lb
washing:
    
yarn:
    
picking:
    
spinning:
    
dehairing:
    
plying:
    
carding:
    
add other:
 blends with 25% or more wool will be charged wool price
drafting:
    
skeins:
    
address:
  313 Rosstall St., Frankenmuth, MI 48734
terms:
   pre-pay spring sale 3/20 - 6/1 ROVING ONY
contact:
   wool@FrankenmuthWoolenMill.com
website:
    
 ROYAL FIBER SPINNERY
Processing Options         1 .

2. 

3. 
Stockholder in the company - shares available for $1000 (min. 1 share): part-ownership and 10# fiber processed each year for five years.
Process in fiber pool yarn - $23/lb incoming weight. Deposit of $7/lb charged when fiber is entered, balance charged when yarn is withdrawn: fiber either Royal Platinum Alpaca or Royal Gold.
Trade your fiber for yarn - purchase order evaluates and uses $3/lb for white which can purchase wholesale yarn. No market or colored fiber.

Please check their website, as their rrequirements are very different from other processors in the chart. You will not get your same fiber returned.
address:
  815 Gavilan Canyon Rd., Ruidoso, NM 88345
terms:
    
contact:
   rdakan@royalspin.us
575-258-9276
website:
   www.royalspin.us
  FANTASY FIBERS, LLC
minimums:
  3 lbs. per batch
roving:
    
washing:
   $5/lb with other services; $7/lb without
yarn:
    
picking:
   $3/lb with other services; $4/lb without
spinning:
   includes blending carding
dehairing:
   call for price
plying:
   2-ply


3-ply		 500 - 1000 yds.  
     to 1500 yds.  
     to 2000 yds.  
500  -  700 yds.  
1000-1200 yds.		 $25/lb
$27/lb
$30/lb
$26/lb
$28/lb
carding:
   $6.40/lb
add other:
    
drafting:
    
skeins:
   worsted 200/yd; sport 300/yd; lace 250 yd; sock 300/yd Cones also available
address:
  9190 Centennial Lane, Canby, OR 97013
terms:
   15% off for quantities over 50 lbs.
contact:
   ffibers@web-ster.com
503-263-4902
website:
   www.fantasyfibers.com
  BEAR RIVER FIBER WORKS
minimums:
  no minimums but charted for 1 lb.
roving:
    
washing:
   $3.50/lb includes debris removal
yarn:
    
picking:
   picking/carding to make into roving $8.50/lb
picking/carding to make into batts $6.50/lb
spinning:
   n/a
dehairing:
    
plying:
    
carding:
    
add other:
    
drafting:
   blending, debris removal $4.50/lb first pass $4/lb additional passes
skeins:
    
address:
  PO Box 980211, Park City, UT 84098-0211
terms:
    
contact:
   fiberworks@rio-oso.com
435-657-0336
website:
   www.rio-oso.com
  BLACKBERRY RIDGE WOOLEN MILL
minimums:
  20 lbs. clean wt. yarn/2 lbs. clean wt. roving
$300 minimum charge for carding, spinning
roving:
  
washing:
   $4.75/lb
yarn:
  
picking:
  
spinning:
   single ply $5/lb; two ply $6/lb; three ply $7/lb
dehairing:
  
plying:
  
carding:
   $6.50/lb but must be 50% wool
add other:
   skeining to 4 oz. skeins $2/lb
drafting:
  
skeins:
   washing skeins $3/lb; $7.25/lb for added wool
address:
  3776 Forshaug Rd., Mt. Horeb, WI 53572
terms:
   check, money order, m/c or visa; storage fees & late payment fees apply
contact:
   Anne@blackberry-ridge.com
website:
   www.blackberry-ridge.com
  FINGERLAKES WOOLEN MILL
minimums:
  3 lbs. fiber
roving:
   <4 lbs. $24/log; >4 lbs. $6/lb  Must have at least 50% wool; INCLUDES PROCESS TO ROVING
washing:
   <3 lbs. $7.50/lot; >3 lbs. $2.50/lb
yarn:
    
picking:
    
spinning:
    
dehairing:
    
plying:
    
carding:
    
add other:
    
drafting:
    
skeins:
    
address:
  1193 Stewarts' Corner Road
Genoa, NY 13071
terms:
   50% deposit; balance due upon completion
contact:
   yarn@fingerlakes-yarns.com
315-497-1542
website:
   www.fingerlakes-yarns.com
  SPINDERELLA'S CREATIONS FIBER MILL
minimums:
  2 lbs./batch; $3/lb fibers up to 7" long; 3-4 month turnaround
roving:
    
washing:
    
yarn:
    
picking:
    
spinning:
   2-ply yarns/lb - huacaya: worsted $23.50; sport $26.50; fingering $29.50; lace $32.50; suri: worsted $25.50; sport $28.40; fingering $31.50; lace $33.50
dehairing:
    
plying:
    
carding:
   $6/lb huacaya; $7/lb suri
add other:
   volume discounts: 10% > 15 lbs., 15% > 50 lbs.
drafting:
    
skeins:
    
address:
  1640 South 600 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84105
terms:
   no deposit; accepts visa, m/c, check, paypal or cash; no fiber returned until paid in full
contact:
   spinderellas523@msn.com
801-669-0563
website:
   www.spinderellas.com
  ZEILINGER WOOL CO.
minimums:
   
roving:
   includes spun, twisted, coned yarn:
1-ply   to 49 lbs. $7.45/lb; 50-100 lbs $7.20/lb;
           >100 lbs. $6.90/lb
2-3ply to 49 lbs. $8.90/lb; 50-100 lbs. $8.55/lb;
           >100 lbs. $7.80/lb
4-ply   to 49 lbs. $9.25/lb; 50-100 lbs. $8.70/lb;
           >100 lbs. $8.15 lb.
washing:
   $4.95/lb
yarn:
    
picking:
    
spinning:
    
dehairing:
    
plying:
   fingering wt. 1,2,3-ply add'l $2.30/lb; 2 oz. skeins $4.20/lb; 4 oz., 8 oz. 1 lb. skeins $3.90/lb; rewashing $4.85/lb
carding:
   25 - 49 lbs $8.25/lb
50-100 lbs. $7.25/lb; >100 lbs $6.75/lb
add other:
    
drafting:
    
skeins:
    
address:
  1130 Weiss St., Frankenmuth, MI 48734
terms:
   30-50% down payment; $20/mo. storage after 30 days
contact:
   zwool@aol.com
1-877-767-2920
website:
   /www.zwool.com
  CENTRAL VIRGINIA FIBER MILL
minimums:
   
roving:
   specialty brindle $1/lb; $13/lb based on incoming weight
washing:
   $5/lb
yarn:
    
picking:
   skirting, washing, picking, carding $13/lb
spinning:
   bulky 3-ply standard $20/lb; sport 3-ply $22/lb;
fingering $24/lb
dehairing:
    
plying:
   4 oz. skeining plus final wash add $2/lb
250 yd. skeins $1.75/lb
carding:
    
add other:
    
drafting:
    
skeins:
   fibers available for blending
address:
  110 Welsh Run Road
Ruckersville, VA 22968
terms:
   50% deposit; payment due upon pickup or shipment
contact:
   Mary or Mark Kearney
CentralVaFiberMill@gmail.com
website:
   www.centralvirginiafibermill.com