OUR PRODUCTS
YARN
A recent comment from a customer:"I really like the yarn, it knits really well and it is a pleasure to work with nice wool." - Joe
To produce an excellent wool yarn, you need : 1) healthy, quality animals , 2) good nutrition and preventative care and 3) covered fleeces. Your choice should not be how cheaply the item can be purchased, but between good and best.
Our 100 % Merino wool yarn comes in the natural shades of the sheep. White is the normal, typical color of the animal. The dark brown and "grey" shades are from a recessive gene and are uncommon. We have worked hard to increase the numbers of these animals; because the colors are beautiful. We also wanted to have color without chemical dyes. We currently have it available as a 2 ply in either skeins or cones. The cones are great for knitting machines, or weaving, since the spinning oil which remains on the yarn, will allow it to glide more easily. When you have completed your project, wash it in a gentle soap, and the fibers will fluff up to their appropriate size.
Skeins:
NOW BACK IN STOCK: Cocoa & Espresso yarn !
9 wpi. Gauge on US 7 to 9 needles, 4 inches = 16 stitches/26 rows
$10 each for cocoa, espresso, and creamy white.
COCOA & ESPRESSO and LACEWEIGHT are $12 each. The laceweight has 250 yards per skein (2200 yards per pound)
ESPRESSO
Now, before your click away from the page saying "wow, that is so expensive", let me tell you the story of the wool process from sheep to yarn.
1. It takes one year for a sheep to grow a fleece. A ewes fleece weighs from 8 to 10 pounds, a rams 12-15 pounds. ( Merinos unlike other breeds usually have only a single lamb, more rarely twins.)
2. A shearer, comes to your farm, to "shear the sheep" or remove the wool. Its an all day affair, requiring the help of many people. The sheep have to be caught, their coats removed ), the tossed parts (top knot, belly wool) picked up, the clean wool whisked away and labeled, the floor swept, and the "naked" one let outside. Now, the shearer charges for each animal shorn; one price for ewes, another for the rams. ($) Merinos have neck folds, unlike other breeds, which makes the task more difficult, so the price is higher ($). Prices have also increased because of the distance traveled and increased fuel costs. ($)
3. Now your piles of fleeces, need to be "skirted". You place the outstretched wool on a screened table. You begin at the tail edge and walk around the fleece pulling off the outer 2-4 inches. You are removing dung tags, leg wool and stained wool. You also remove the heavy areas of vegetable matter around the head. Now you fold in the sides to the center and roll it up from tail to head. Done. Repeat with next fleece.
4. If you have more than 10 animals you will probably send it to a mill to have it "processed". You bundle up the rolls, pack in boxes and ship it out. ($) Because Merino is very fine and has a higher grease content, it cannot be sent just anywhere. There are fewer mills today and some don't have the necessary machinery.
5. At the mill there is a minimum amount of pounds that will be accepted or additional charges are added. ($) It will be washed, twice or more for Merino ($$) (you lose up to 1/2 the raw weight on Merinos) , picked ($) carded ($), combed (for finer wool) ($)and then spun.($) There is a set up charge for the spinning equipment. ($) If you want more than 1 ply wool, there is a charge for each additional ply ($). If you want the yarns made into skeins instead of cones, there is another fee. ($) Then it is shipped back to you. ($)
6. Now, we love what we do and are not complaining. But, did you know that most farmers need to have jobs outside the farm to keep things going? We do not include in the cost of the yarn, the daily raising of the animal itself. This would be breeding stock($), feed- including corn (which has doubled in cost with ethanol production ($$), the health of sheep- vaccinations, worming, foot care, etc)($), sheep coats to keep the fleeces cleaner (several for each animal) ($$). The cost of fiber shows and transportation and advertising ($)
You can purchase directly at http://www.marvelousmerino.com, www.localharvest.org
or email me directly and we will send you an invoice with PAYPAL susan@fleecewoodfarm.com.