Woolen Mill Tour
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| Mountain Meadow Woolen Mill is one of the few mills that processes wool from the raw fleece to the finished product of roving or yarn. |
The mill is small but inclusive: they process from fleece to yarn in the large warehouse building. I hope you enjoy seeing the photos from the trip.
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| Guild members began the mill tour by learning some of the background on how and why the mill was started ten years ago. Mountain Meadow Woolen Mill, Buffalo, WY September 16, 2017 |
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| The skirting process was explained |
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| Ben explained how the skirting process not only removes vegetable matter but also short cuts that can occur during shearing |
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| wool grease is a by-product of the scouring process. The equipment in the mill ranges in age and some machines were manufactured and/or obtained overseas. The machines often came without instruction manuals or the instructions were in Spanish or Portuguese. The mill had to be innovative to get the machinery running.
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| The pin drop machines have fine combs that separate the wool fibers. The wool is put through the process several times. |
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| The wool is guided through a pin drop machine |
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| drum carders |
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| spinning the wool onto bobbins |
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| one of the many boxes of wool being spun into yarn at the spinning machine |
The spinning machine was turned on during our Saturday visit, and Ben demonstrated how quickly a broken strand could be repaired.
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| Large bobbins filled with yarn |
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| Once the yarn is on the bobbin, it is skeined and then wrapped on cones. |
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| This machine wraps the yarn from a skein onto a cone |
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| Some of the yarn is also dyed at the mill, and the mill store has many gorgeous skeins for sale. Buyers can also purchase roving from a variety of sheep or exotic breeds. |
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| Finished wool items are also for sale (sweaters, hats, mittens, throws) in the mill shop |
So cool! You've had some really nice/fun excursions lately...I'm jealous - lol. So...did you purchase any yarn? I would have been unable to resist.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting! You go on some of the most fascinating excursions. I love seeing this story of the mill and yarn making!
ReplyDeleteWow that was awesome! Love the yarn displayed in the wheel.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I didn't realize there was anywhere in the US that wool went from fleece to yarn anymore. For 10 years early in our marriage we farmed/ranched and ran about 750 ewes and 50 head of cattle. I was always so amazed at how fast the shearers were and that the fleece would usually be almost in a single huge piece. And the sheep looked so embarrassed without their wool. We always kept brown or black fleeces in a separate bag and got premium dollars for the colored wool. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteWell, since I couldn't be there with you, it was wonderful to see your virtual tour! How interesting to see!
ReplyDeleteI hope you brought home some of that lovliness!
ReplyDeleteI made Fireman read the post. He was asking me about the process at the sheep and wool festival. Heck if I knew! So thanks Nancy
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! I am lucky enough to have been gifted a couple of skeins of their worsted, in a natural white color, and it is some of my most favorite yarn. Maybe someday we can get back to Wyo for a tour. Thx. --Tammy
ReplyDeleteOh thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this with us! I enjoyed it so much. As many times as I've been through Buffalo, and I was just there in July, I never knew they had this kind of a facility. Maybe next time I drive through I can stop and see it myself. Or maybe it has to be set up in advance? Anyway, I loved watching the process and the videos. Thank you again so much for sharing them with us. And now, tell us what did you go home with? :-)
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Betsy
What an interesting tour, especially with being able to purchase those lovely goodies from the shop.
ReplyDeleteI must have had a "Senior Moment" when I read your blog title - I was sure you had written Woolen Flour Mill and couldn't work out what you meant!
Wonderful. In years gone by I used to have my own spinning wheel and used to buy fleeces and spin the yarn from them. I really enjoyed the information you shared from you visit.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed that tour - thank you for letting us tag along! I found the process fascinating. We don't watch much television, but our entire family has always loved to watch "How it's Made".
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