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for you, and another that will do the
knitting, weaving, or sewing. Ask if
the mill will send you samples of their
products. Be prepared to purchase
these and pay shipping. In the end,
it is well worth it, since it is almost
impossible to assess the quality of a
mill’s work without being able to hold
the end product in your hand.
2. What is the mill’s schedule for
producing the product you want?
Large commercial-sized mills can
process thousands of pounds of fiber
daily while the smallest mini-mills
might be limited to 20 or 30 pounds
a day. The amount of fiber that the
machinery can handle, and the size
of the mill’s staff, will determine how
quickly your fiber can be processed.
In addition, the mill will have times
when there are a lot of orders waiting
to be processed and other times when
work is slower. Be sure to ask both
questions – how long will the job take
and how many jobs are ahead of
yours? It will not help you to send
your fiber to a mill that has a six-
month backlog of other jobs if you are
expecting the finished product to be
returned in a few weeks.
3. What are the costs for processing
and what is included in each step?
I have found that while the rates for
processing are somewhat similar across
the country, it is important to ask
what is included. For example, some
mills routinely wash fiber prior to
spinning, and there is an extra cost for
this. Some mills only wash the fiber if
you specifically request that step. The
sizes of skeins that are produced when
yarn is spun vary from 1.5 ounces to
7 ounces, so if you get a price for spin-
ning that is per skein you will want to
ask how big the skeins are. Does the
mill wash, stretch, or steam the skeins
after they are spun? If you are having
batts made up, what size are the fin-
ished batts? One mill may be quoting
you a price per batt for 24-inch batts
and another for 48-inch batts. The
more detail you get from each mill, the
more it will help determine where you
get the most return for your money.
4. When does the mill expect
payment?
Some mills will estimate the costs up
front and ask for payment in advance.
Some will ask for partial payment up
front and the rest at the completion of
the job. Some will bill you when the
processing is completed. Some take
checks and others require credit cards.
For your planning purposes, be sure
you know when and how you need to
pay for the work.
5. Does the mill staff have any sug-
gestions?
Fiber processors are professionals with
lots of hands-on experience. Through
the years, they have experimented with
more types of fibers and more process-
ing options than most of us ever will.
Why not use their knowledge to
improve your own processing venture?
Sure, you would love to have yarn
made from 100% alpaca, but depend-
ing on what you want to make out of
that yarn, an alpaca blend might be
more suitable. Fiber processors can
suggest the right weights of yarn,
appropriate blends, and discuss color
options with you. Don’t be afraid to
ask the pros!
6. How does the mill want the fiber
shipped?
Many mills have developed criteria for
fiber shipping, covering everything
from the size of shipping box to the
type of bag that is used inside the
box. The postal service has different
requirements than do private shipping
companies. If your mill is across a
national border, you will have customs
regulations to deal with. By asking
ahead of time, you can eliminate
delays caused by incorrect packaging.
I have found that there is no such
thing as too many labels when ship-
ping boxes of fiber. Placing shipping
labels inside the boxes as well as out-
side is smart in case boxes break open
or the original label gets smeared.
Boxes can get separated in transit.
Labeling boxes as “Box 1 of 3,” “Box
2 of 3,” etc., will help the mill to
know when all of your boxes have
arrived. Be sure to provide the mill
with your correct shipping address,
especially if your billing and shipping
addresses are not the same.
Your relationship with the mill that
will process your fiber is a primary key
to your success. In order to find a fiber
processor that meets your expectations,
you must know in advance what those
expectations are. The more time you
spend thinking about your goals for
fiber processing, and communicating
those goals to the staff at your mill,
the better the outcome will be, for
both you and the mill. In the end,
everyone wins when your beautiful
alpaca fiber is turned into beautiful
end products for a reasonable cost in
a timely fashion. You are happy, the
fiber processor is happy, and your
customers are happy… win/win/win,
through good communication.
Deb Hill, Cloud Dancer Alpacas, has been
breeding alpacas since 1996, first in Arizona
and now in Montana. After two decades of
small business and management experience,
Deb left the private sector and was elected to
public office in 2000. She served as a County
Supervisor for eight years, but has now
returned to the ranch as a full-time alpaca
owner. She can be reached at clouddancer@
infomagic.net or in care of
Alpacas Magazine.
Which mill is right for your fiber and your end products? Do you want your
fiber handspun and handmade? Or do you need a larger mill such as this to
create large numbers of items?