The Process: from Pasture to Product

Shearing -- the fiber farmer's harvest day !
Shearing is done with care to insure an excellent fiber yield efficiently
and of course with minimal stress for the goat, twice each year.

Skirting -- this is the process of the time-consuming task of removing
vegetable matter, second cuts and coarse fiber from the raw fleece
and selecting the very finest mohair locks for the mill or project.

Off to the Mill -- having been carefully skirted lock by lock,
my mohair is off to be scoured, carded with American-Grown Merino Wool,
and processed into roving or spun into Good Fibrations fine yarns.

Back from the Mill -- my mohair returns having been blended with Merino wool
and processed into yarns to be hand-painted, kettle-dyed or gradient-dyed.

Washing Out Spinning Oil -- the oil acts as an anti-static lubricant
that ensures an adequate frictional balance between the fibers,
and very importantly, helping to assure consistently spun yarn.
This must be washed out before dyeing.

Kettle-Dyeing -- this is the process of dyeing a single color.
The yarn is stirred constantly to assure consistent color absorption.
Skeins are tenderly washed to remove excess dyes, rinsed with conditioner
and hung outside right away to blow-dry in the sunshine.

Hand-Painting Yarn -- the process of painting two skeins at a time with
Good Fibrations unique dye recipes and microwaving each to seal the color.
Skeins are then washed & rinsed to remove excess dyes & hung to dry in the sun.

Skein Winding -- the meticulous process of re-winding each skein of yarn
to provide the customer with consistently tangle-free yarn.

Skein-Twisting -- as the process nears its end, each skein of yarn
is twisted with TLC and tied with the Good Fibrations signature tie.

Labeling -- each skein is labeled with information needed to start your project.
This includes the name of the colorway, the percentages of mohair and wool,
the approximate number of yards & ounces and my contact info.

And there you have it ! 
I invite you to browse further into the site to learn more about how my goats
are bred, born and raised on my 2 acre plot of paradise in Western North Carolina.
Visitors are always welcome -- the goats are always out and about,
the kettle-dyeing pot is usually simmering and the Yarn Shop in the Great Room
is open by appointment, just give me a heads up anytime, thanks !