Nebraska Wool Mill Open For Business

Nebraska Wool Mill Open For Business LIVESTOCK Sheep/Goats Kelsey Patton’s journey to owning and operating Nebraska’s first woolen mill The Fiber Mill began when she decided she wanted to knit at 13 That led to raising Icelandic sheep and learning how to spin and weave In 2011 she opened Spindle Shuttle and Needle a yarn shop By 2017 she was ready to diversify and in 2020 she and her husband purchased The Fiber Mill business Wellington Colo and its equipment relocating it to a remodeled creamery building in Stromsburg Neb After replacing the motor and other parts on the 1929 carder machine the mill was ready for operation in late 2020 Since then she and family members who work with the business have fine-tuned how they process wool and maintain equipment “There are so few of these old carders It can do 100 lbs of wool in a day so it’s productive ” Patton notes Because of its efficiency and because they are a new business The Fiber Mill can process orders in three or four months They’ve already developed a good reputation for quality work Like other mills Patton offers a variety of services - washing picking carding spinning roving batts and felting The business website includes pricing for each service She has milled fiber from many breeds of sheep and goats alpaca llama buffalo Angora rabbits and even muskox from customers all over the U S Each type of fiber needs to be treated differently based on its thickness and how greasy it is An average 7-lb sheep fleece nets about 3 1/2 lbs of fiber that can be spun into 12 to 14 skeins of yarn A common order is for 2-ply DK weight yarn at $36/lb Patton continues to sell yarn and other items at her shop along with working in the mill “My favorite part is spinning and it’s important for me to be involved as it’s the end product ” she says She also purchases fleeces for up to $1 50/lb for good fleeces New customers selling fleeces or who want wool processed must contact her ahead of time for an appointment as she is limited on storage space Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Kelsey Patton 214 E 3rd St P O Box 36 Stromsburg Neb 68666 ph 402-405-1971; kelsey@spindleshuttleandneedle com; www thefibermill com; www spindleshuttleandneedle com

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