Farm fields to fiber fashion looks like this…
Our animals are adorable but messy! Before we have them shorn, it is important to brush them to get rid of any bits of hay or dirt (or poop) so our yarn remains soft and enjoyable to work with.
Next, the fiber is removed from the animals with a clipper. Don’t worry, this doesn’t hurt them! They would get too hot or their fleece would get matted if this wasn’t done routinely. Depending on the animal, they are either shorn once or twice a year.
Once the fiber is off the animal, we sort through it again to pick out additional dirt and debris. For our alpacas, we also sort the fiber by the part of the body it was removed from. For example, the “blanket” of the alpaca is the nicest fiber for yarn. We keep this separate from the neck and leg fiber. The less desirable fiber still works great for dryer balls or other projects! Not to mention our local birds LOVE making nests with any scraps from shearing day!
I do not take credit for spinning our fiber into yarn (That is an appreciated skill!), so we send our fleeces off to Mesa Trail Alpacas in Tennessee to be cleaned and processed. This is where I get to play around with blending our fibers together, or adjusting the weight/thickness of our yarn. Some batches I request 2 ply sport (thinner for more delicate yarn work) or maybe worsted weight (thicker for a warm hat) or somewhere in between. We can also have our fiber made into roving which works well for felting projects or could be used if you like to spin your own yarn.
Once we receive our yarn back, it’s ready to be used “as-is.” However, I typically use our Angora Goat (mohair) yarn for my natural dyes as this fiber works well for dying.
To prepare the yarn for dying, I first soak it. Once it’s fully wet, I add it to a pot of water mixed with a mordant (helps to secure the color to the yarn). I typically use Cream of Tarter or Alum (found in the spice isle at the grocery store). I allow the yarn to soak in this pot while I prepare my dye bath.
I do not use any chemicals in my dying process, so all colors are made from natural ingredients such as onion peels, red cabbage, avocado pits, dandelions, beets, black beans (the list goes on)…
I remove the yarn from the mordant bath and place in my dye bath. I allow the yarn to soak at least 24 hours, stirring it often to ensure all parts are submerged under the bath and soak up the color as evenly as possible.
After a good soaking, I rinse the yarn in cold water until it runs clear. Given the natural dye process (no chemicals) the vibrant bath water may be muted into a soft but delicate hue.
The last step is to air dry the yarn until it’s fully dry. At that point, it is ready for market and for you to use on your beautiful yarn projects!
