Fiber from our Farm

Our hand-dyed rovings are created using the Mohair and wool fleeces from the animals we raise. Our Angora Goats are shorn in the spring and the fall as their fleeces grow 1 inch per month. Our Border Leicester sheep are shorn annually in the spring. We also purchase additional fleeces to blend with our Mohair. Each blend that uses fleeces from our critters will list the names of the animals who contributed their fiber.

At the farm we skirt each fleece, which removes dirty and stained wool. It is then washed using organic soap and citrus cleaner. Clean fleece is then dyed with color fast dyes. When rinsed and dry our fiber is sent to a fiber mill where it is picked and carded into roving.

Our Angora Goats are unique in that their fleeces come in a variety of colors and shades - Black, Grey, Silver, Brown, Taupe, Red and White. Mohair, the fleece from the Angora Goat is highly lustrous and strong, which makes our rovings brightly colored and sturdy when spun into yarn. For a little pizazz we occaisionally add some glitz or silk to our blends. Each colorway is a one of a kind and can not be produced in exactly the same way a second time.

Part of the uniqueness of each colorway is the grade of Mohair changes as the Angora goat ages. The finest and softest fleeces are from Kid Mohair, which is shorn from goats that are 6 months and one year old. Yearling Mohair is shorn from goats that are 18 months old. It is soft like Kid Mohair but has a little more strength to it. Fine Adult Mohair can be from a goat that is 2 years older on up, until the fleece is no longer garment quality.

We blend wool with our Mohair to increase the elasticity of our blends. Wool adds memory to the spun yarn so garments will hold their shape. Mohair adds sheen and strengh to the blend. Kid Mohair in high percentage is incredibly soft and excellent for close to the skin wear. Adult Mohair will contribute durability to a blend, which makes it excellent for spinning and knitting into long wearing socks.