Custom Wool Processing

We are a family-owned spinnery located in the hills of Vermont Township in Dane County, Wisconsin. We have a picker, a four breaker 60 inch Davis and Furber woolen card, and a Whitin spinning frame to match. Our specialty is custom spinning of your wool into yarn. We provide wool processing services to customers from all over North America.  For information on how wool is processed into yarn, go here.   In addition to spinning, we offer carding services to turn your wool into roving for hand spinning, providing our customers with a variety of ways to enjoy working with or marketing your distinctive fleeces. You will always get your own wool back, and every batch of wool is handled separately unless you specify blending.

We can accept quantities of wool as little as 20 lbs. clean weight for the production of yarn or 2 lbs. clean weight for the production of roving. We specialize in small lots of custom yarns, generally less than 2000 pounds. We do not produce quilt batts, but will be happy to refer you to other close-by businesses that specialize in batts.  Shipping Information

Our spinning equipment is capable of spinning a wide variety of weights, twists and plies of yarns to suit both hand knitters and weavers.

Spinning into yarn is most economical if done in lots of 40 pounds of clean (washed) wool. We can do batches as small as 20 pounds of clean wool, but we have a minimum charge for the set up of the machinery for each batch. If grease wool is sent, we recommend sending 80 pounds because the wool can lose as much as 50% of it’s weight during washing.

We cannot spin wool longer than 5 inches stretched out even though we can card wool up to 6 inches long for roving. If you are in doubt about the 5 inch length, please measure. Also, we cannot spin slippery wools without adding crimpy wool to hold it together. Slippery wools include Romney, Lincoln, Border Leicester, Cotswold, Coopworth and other luster wools.

The finished yarn can either be wound onto paper cones for use on knitting machines or for weaving, or it can be skeined which is necessary for washing and dyeing. The washing removes the spinning oil and allows the yarn to regain its natural loft. You can do this washing step yourself (instructions provided), or we can do it for you. The yarn returned on cones still has the spinning oil on it which is desirable for use on knitting machines and weaving.

In addition to the losses in weight that occur during the carding process, there is an additional loss during the spinning process (generally 10%). Some of the spinning losses can be recovered and will be returned in the form of roving.

Because the goal of this service is to provide custom spinning, we encourage you to ask if you want something special done with your wool.

Shipping Information     Washing Services     Current Prices

3776  Forshaug Rd, Mount Horeb WI 53572, 608-437-3762

Please direct comments or questions to: Anne@blackberry-ridge.com