[Ziptie]

So we have about 3 gallon Ziploc bags of wool. I would like to send it some where to turn it into yarn. So...Where to send it? What is a good blend? Plus all the other questions that I am too new to know to ask?:spinsmiley:

We have black Satin Angora and a White French. I plucked and cut the hair but just put it all into one bag.

 

[7thswan]

Zilingers wool in Frankenmuth Michigan will do it. I would add wool to the mix.

 

[KimTN]

That is actually a very small amount of fiber. You should look for a local spinner that would be willing to spin that up for you. Look for a local spinning guild. They can blend in some wool or not. I have spun pure angora and the yarn turns out nice, but doesn't have much of a memory. If you go 25% angora and 75% wool, you would get a nice yarn. Make sure to buy some very nice wool though.

 

[7thswan]

Here is 2 examples of fibers I have had mixed,origionaly large batches over 5 lbs. The one on the left is what we call a 3 way swirl. It has beige wool, brown alpaca and white Angora. The one on the right is a mix of brown wool alpaca and white Angora. They spin up far differently looking but both feel wounderfully soft. The process is diffrent to get these different mixes, so ask the Mill of your choice what diffrent processes they do.

 

[hotzcatz]

http://www.zwool.com/fiber-processing/pencil-rovings-pindrafting/ They have a $14 per pound price to make it into rovings but not all the way to yarn (I didn't check to see if it met the minimum amount to spin into yarn) and they suggest adding sheep's wool. Probably a smaller mill would be a better choice.

You could try Gurdy Run Mill, although I don't know if they have a minimum amount or not. Generally I'll send them five or six pounds of angora fiber at a time to be spun.

Depending on how tightly the bags are packed, you may have a pound of fiber more or less so finding a mill that will do a small quantity will be one of the hardest things. Not all mills like angora, either, especially if it is to be spun 100% angora so almost all of them will recommend adding other fibers. Depending on the mill you may have a choice of fibers.

There is also usually a several month wait between the time the fiber is sent to the mill and it returns back as processed fiber.

Are there any fiber mills near you?

 

[Wind in Her Hair]

Blue Hills Fiber Mill has no minimum and they do angora rabbit.

http://www.bluehillsfibermill.com/11401/19701.html

 

[Ziptie]

Hmm..I know of one around here but have not meet anyone that has used them, so I am leery to try them.

I was hoping for a place that would spin it into yarn.

I am not sure what to use the yarn for yet.

I don't have to send the fibre off yet. We now have five more baby angora bunnies.:shocked: I just thought it wasn't good for the fibre to be sitting in plastic bags.

Thanks for all the places I will look them up.

 

[Wind in Her Hair]

Blue Hills CAN spin it into yarn. Look down the page to see their prices.

SPINNING FEES AND INFORMATION

Spinning charges are based on finished weight and include machine picking, carding, drafting and Plying.
- A separate fee for washing of $2.75 per pound for wool and $3.00 per pound for fine wool and exotics will be charged based on the incoming weight. These charges also apply to fibers that must be rewashed.

FIBER ** 2-3 ply yarn ** Washing Charges are not included in these prices, see above.

Bulky Sport/Worsted Fingering/fine

Wool $15.00/lb $16.50/lb $19.50/lb

Fine Wools $16.00/lb $17.50/lb $20.50/lb

Wool/exotic blends $17.00/lb $18.50/lb $21.50/lb

100% exotics* $18.00/lb $19.50/lb $22.50/lb

Dog or 100% angora rabbit*** n/a $24.50/lb $27.50/lb

ngora rabbit can sometimes be spun at 100% and this price applies, Angora rabbit blends will be charged the exotics blends price. Contact us BEFORE sending these types of fiber.

- Individual spinning batches under 1 pound will be charged for 1 pound finished weight. With processing you will lose some fiber so use your judgment as to whether or not it's worth even spinning.
- Individual spinning lots of more than 25 pounds (finished) will receive
a 5% discount on spinning.

Fiber must be a minimum of 3 1/2 inches and a maximum of 7 1/4 inches in length. Please be sure to check the length of your fiber
before sending it for spinning. Use a ruler and stretch the staple out to measure accurately. Thank you.
​

Also, I have been warned not to leave the fiber in plastic bags where it can't breathe and it becomes compacted. :nono: I don't know who told me that but I am pretty sure her name is Marchwind!

 

[hotzcatz]

I dunno, there's plastic bags, big plastic jars and glass jars of angora fiber all over the place here. Angora doesn't have any lanolin, so it unsquishes pretty well. But that's just for me, YMMV.

Hmm, there aren't that many mills that will do 100% angora, maybe I'll try sending some fiber to BlueHills and see what happens. Have you used them before WIHH?

 

[Ziptie]

I think I would like to blend it maybe 50-50. Those prices seem really high..ouch...

Question if I am going to have the fibre blended does it matter if it isn't 3 1/2 inches long?

 

[hotzcatz]

Usually blending will help shorter fibers, so if you have it blended 50/50 with wool or silk, then it should spin up better. You'd have to ask the mill for specifics, though.

 

[Wind in Her Hair]

I have used that mill, Hotcatz, and was very pleased with the turn-around time, the price, and the quality of workmanship.

Ziptie, if you compare that mill's price to other mills, you will find they are at least $2 cheaper per pound on about everything they do.

 

[hotzcatz]

Oh, Queen of Enablers; with your royal endorsement, I shall now gather and send fiber to Blue Hills. Even with the Canadian Production Wheel here from yet another Queen of Enabling Royal Endorsement, the bunnies are still too prolific.

 

[Kasota]

Oh, Queen of Enablers; with your royal endorsement, I shall now gather and send fiber to Blue Hills.

:hysterical:

I confess to having some similar thoughts...

 

[lexierowsell]

What kind of wool would one want to blend w angora?

Hotz- wanna let some processed come to Texas?

 

[Wind in Her Hair]

lexierowell, the blend I just finished spinning is 50/50 cormo/angora and it is very nice.

 

[hotzcatz]

I send it to a mill that adds in Merino and silk. It's lovely stuff when it's done. I should put a link on the website for selling it, I suppose. So far most of it has gone to the local farmer's market and is carried in one store in a small town. There's a knitting tour on a cruise ship showing up in November and they will probably buy some. Then there's a tour bus full of folks who knit who will show up in February. In November, the bunnies will go to the sheep farm, but the tour bus is coming to visit the bunnies.