Frequently Asked Questions

CAN I PROFIT FROM OWNING ALPACAS -Yes you can. We are the proof that your small business dreams can happen and be profitable. We recommend develop a set of goals and shoot for the center. We started during 2006 with an empty hay field and a new found discovery of alpacas. 4 years later our farm consist of 2 locations, 100+ alpacas, a substantial breeding business, on site fiber mill and a ever growing fiber business.

WHAT IS YOUR TURN AROUND TIME? -Probably the most asked question at the mill. Our turn around time is currently 14 months. Fiber that arrives at the mill will be placed into our processing schedule. We will make every effort to produce your fiber product in a timely manner. We can not apologize for being busy ! It is a testament to our fair price, quality product and good business practice.

CAN YOU PROCESS MY ORDER FAST SINCE I HAVE A SHOW COMING UP ? -Sorry. We can not move your order ahead. We will not rush your order. We will not put someone ahead of you nor put you ahead of someone else. WHY ? Because every time we have ever tried to provide a customer with a rush order it has turned out bad. You will not like your yarn if it is rushed. You will have to much waste. Your yarn will be to slubby. It happens every time we try to bend over backwards for someone who has not planned well enough to meet the needs of the demand. Normally this occurs after a person keeps 2 or 3 years of fleece in storage. Why when it could have been in the process from the get go. It is easier to store finished product than it is fleece. We offer a variety of products so you will not have to have all yarn, all felt etc... mix it up a little and get your fiber out of storage.

Customer service is something that we take very seriously. We want to provide you with the best service possible. Please understand that it takes time to process fiber on a cottage industry level. Rush orders will still take time. Rush Rush orders will never turn out well.

WHAT SIZE YARN DO YOU RECOMMEND? -This can depend on what your using the yarn for. If your knitting a fine lace shawl then you should go with a smaller, lighter weight yarn such as 2 ply finger. If your crocheting a nice warm and heavy blanket or sweater maybe a bulky yarn would work better for you. Our most requested yarn is a 3 ply universal sport weight yarn. Some call it "worsted weight". This yarn is so versitile that it can be used for that fine shawl, nice sweater, hat and scarf set or maybe the wonderful lap blanket. This is the most sought after yarn in our store, markets and by our regular mill customers.

Our final and most experienced recommendation is to let your fiber speak for itself. Don't attempt to make it into something it is not. The fiber will process nicely in accordance to what it wants to be. If you have a fiber that makes perfect 2 ply, don't try to make it into a 3 ply because all you will end up with is a 3 ply that does not look as good as the 2 ply would have.

DO I HAVE TO CLEAN MY FLEECE PRIOR TO SENDING IT TO YOU? -Yes. You should lay your fleece out and skirt it prior to sending it to the mill. Remove any unwanted fibers, heavy dirt and veg. matter. Shake as much dirt out of the fiber as possible. You can bag it from here, add a fiber form or note requesting how you would like the fiber to be processed and ship it to the mill.

95% of the fiber sent to our mill is un-skirted. It is full of dirt, hay, VM, poop and even a few padlocks ! That's fine because we will skirt it prior to processing. You are not doing yourself justice by sending un-skirted fiber to any mill. You will end up a lot of waste so why pay to ship all the dirt and debris. It is not cheap to process fiber why increase the price more ?

CAN I HAVE MY WASTE FIBER RETURNED TO ME ? -Yes. You have to specify this on the order form otherwise it will be mixed with other waste removed from the mill. We do not let fiber build up in our work area as it creates a hazard while working. Simply state on the fiber form that you want your waste and we will be more than happy to ship it back to you.

MY FIBER IS FROM A BLUE RIBBON AWARD WINNING ALPACA SO MY YARN SHOULD ALWAYS TURN OUT PERFECT. -Not necessarily. Just because your alpaca won a award at an alpaca show or even a fleece show doesn't mean it will be "perfect" yarn. There are a lot of factors that play into what makes a nice yarn. Consistent fiber lengths, type of dirt or bedding material used, health of the alpaca (sometimes showing a lot is unhealthy) causing fiber breaks and other environmental conditions will all effect your fiber and the end product it produces. Some of the nicest fiber can be found on fiber alpacas that are let to live normal alpaca lives without dragging them to the show ring ever month during the fall and spring.

CAN WE VISIT THE FIBER MILL? -Yes. You are welcome to visit us and we will be more than happy to show you our small farm operation. It is a great time to see our perspective on this growing cottage industry. If your new to fiber farming your visit will be very educational and entertaining. If you are an established farm your visit to our farm will be worth while also as we offer services to help your farm grow and your business flourish.