General FAQs
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Yes … but with one caveat. Not every colour we offer works on every base. Send us an email and we’ll discuss how best to accommodate your choice of fiber and colour.
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As a good meal is lifted by the right wine, the proper pairing of a base and a colourway requires some consideration. The right combination can produce a delicious result. For this reason, we carry a large variety of bases. Plus, we like a challenge! Sorted by Fiber our regular yarn bases include:
Non-SW Shaniko (US merino/rambouillet) in Fingersing, Sport, DK, and Worsted
non-SW Shaniko/Silk in Fingering
non-SW Shaniko/Cashmere in Lace
non-SW Shaniko Tweed in Fingering, Sport, and Worsted (multi-coloured nepps)
Non-SW Merino/Alpaca Tweed in Aran/Heavy Worsted
Alpaca/Silk/Cashmere in Lace
Alpaca/Yak in Lace
Alpaca/Nylon in Fingering
SW BFL in DK
SW Merino/Cotton in DK
Non-SW Merino/Alpaca/Nylon in Fingering
Non-SW Merino/Silk in Fingering
Non-SW Merino/Bamboo in Sport
SW Merino/Nylon in Fingering and Sport
SW Merino in Fingering, DK, Worsted, and Bulky
Our regular fiber bases for rolags and combed top include but are certainly not limited to:
Non-SW Shaniko Tweed
SW Shaniko
Non-SW Merino/Silk
SW Merino
SW Merino/Nylon
Corriedale/Alpaca
Silk
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Absolutely! The entire Ireland collection are custom dyes. This is the challenge part that we especially enjoy. Reach out with your colour/photo/memory inspiration and let’s chat!
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Soon! If this interests you, consider subscribing to our newsletter so you don’t miss our natural dye announcements. And even drop us a note to let us know you’re intersted.
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Our hope is that our products bring you joy and inspiration. If you’re unsatisfied with your purchase, please reach out and we’ll do our best to make things right.
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How quickly you receive your order depends on a few things; what we have already in dyed stock, how many orders we’re processing, and if we have inventory to work with. That’s not a great answer, I know, but it’s an honest one.
If we have your order in stock, it will be on its way to you via USPS within two business days, barring shop absences which we’ll let you know about.
If we are dyeing for you and have all materials at the ready, 2 business days is generally what we require to produce your order.
For now, all order ship USPS ground and shipping is calculated at checkout.
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We’re happy to video chat to help you see any of our products better or along side each other. Yarn and Fiber are an investment in money and time and we want you to be happy with your choices.
Yarn and Fiber FAQs
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Our 100% Fine SW Merino yarns, fibers, and merino blends are spun in Peru with wool from Peruvian Merino sheep. Though SW wool is designed to be machine washed, we recommend hand washing or machine washing gently in cold water to prolong the life of your garment and reduce pilling.
Superwashing can be a controversial subject. It’s a useful process to prevent shrinkage and felting and it can make wool softer and cooler for those who are sensitive to natural wool and live in warmer areas. But the process does currently use harsh chemicals and polymers and changes the wool’s inherent qualities.
There are more eco-friendly alternatives being developed and we’re excited to see those expand.
We encourage you to read more about the superwash process. https://farmfiberknits.com/what-is-the-superwash-process-and-what-does-it-do-to-wool/
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Our non-superwash wools and fibers are 100% US Merino and 100% US Shaniko wool, which is a Merino and Merino/Rambouillet blend from a farm cooperative in the NW. All of it is milled in North Carolina with a 19- 25 micron diameter, resulting in gorgeous, soft yarns and fibers.
These yarns and fibers meet all the responsible wool guidelines in humane, labour, and environmental standards.
More info on Shaniko wool here: https://www.shanikowoolcompany.com/
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This gorgeous, soft, drapey yarn is 75% Superwash Fine Alpaca from the Huacaya breed in the Andes Mountains of Peru with 25% Nylon for durability.
All of our alpaca is from this area, SW and non-SW.
Alpaca is a sustainable fiber with a low environmental impact. The fiber’s lack of lanolin allows it to be superwashed without the use of typical harsh chemicals. This yarn meets many environment standards: Oekotex, Blue Sign, and REACH.
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Our SW Bluefaced Leicester is 100% rare extra fine gauge British fiber. We obtain it through an exclusive buyer here in the US. Currently, we offer only a SW option but might expand that in the future.
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We have a few lace yarns that are lovely blends of fibers. Our baby Alpaca/Silk/Cashmere blend is made with 19.5 micron Peruvian alpaca, Chinese silk, and Mongolian and Chinese cashmere.
Our Alpaca/Yak/Merino/Silk blend has baby yak from Tibet and Mongolia and 18.5 micron South American merino.
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Our cotton blends feature Pima Cotton from Peru. Linen is grown and processed in Europe. Bamboo is from Italy.
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We currently offer occasional unique yarns in small quantities. These are described with the products as they aren’t staples of our product lines.
As we grow, we’re reaching out to local shepherds to offer small batch local yarns and fibers. Please stay tuned and consider subscribing to our newsletter for updates.
Rolag FAQs
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A rolag is a tubular fiber preparation constructed by layering small amounts of fiber across a metal-toothed board designed for fiber blending. There are many ways to remove the blended fiber from the board. Rolags are made by rolling the fiber around dowels while pulling it off the board.
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As with any fiber, you can do many things. You can felt with it, if the fiber content is appropriate for felting. You can spin it from end to end or pull it apart and rearrange it. Many people prefer to use rolags with their hand spindles because they’re small and easy to spin and because their rolled nature keeps them intact better than other preparations. You can also wheel spin. Or you can just admire them because they are oh so pretty!
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Keep spinning! Rolags, like any fiber, can be pulled apart and spun in smaller amounts. And they can be reattached to your spin as with any other fiber.
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That’s up to you and what you plan to do with your fiber. We sell Rolags by the ounce (about 28 grams). Think of Rolags as any other fiber, just in cute tubular form. If you want to spin a particular weight of fiber, consider purchasing that weight in rolags. But maybe try spinning a few first to see how you like it!
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Absolutely! Send us an email and we’ll let you know if we have the supplies and what the timeline will be to get your Rolags to you.
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You can spin from either end but we recommend testing each to see which one releases fiber more easily. Give each end a gentle tug, as you would when you spin, and choose the end which separates more smoothly. You can also switch the end you spin from at any point in your spinning.