For the first step, we lay your fleece out on the skirting table to inspect the quality and condition of it, even if you have pre-skirted it. We make sure it is free from foreign matter (rocks, bugs, excess vegetation). We prefer that you do your own skirting, and if tell us it is skirted to your satisfaction, we will move it directly to the tumbler.
We strongly encourage you to skirt your own fleeces before sending them to us. For one thing, skirting is subjective. Some discard is obvious, like manure tags, short cuts, larger VM (vegetable matter - bits of hay and grass, stickers and burrs), but others are of second quality fiber, and this is where personal choice applies. We may take out that something you would leave in, and vice versa. Skirting also depends on your end use of the processed fiber. If you’re hand spinning, you may prefer a consistent softness and staple length – however some spinners, especially those producing chunky art yarn, may not be so concerned about this. Also, if you will be felting, the fiber length may not be as critical.
Second, since we charge by incoming weight, you don’t want to pay us for lost and discarded fiber, plus a labor charge for skirting it out! For example, if we spend 20 minutes to skirt and discard 16 oz., you’ve paid us $20 for that pound of lost fiber and $10 labor for the time spent doing it. But if you don’t have the time or inclination to skirt and don’t mind our fees, we will be happy to do it for you. We will discuss your end use, and skirt based on your direction and our discretion.
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