farm & fibre Mill
Custom Milling Services
As owners and operators of Twin Pines Alpacas FIbre Mill we understand the dedication and hard work involved to achieve a successful annual fibre harvest. Our mill specializes in alpaca fibre processing, and our experience will help you get the most from your fibre harvest. We treat your fibre like our own - every step of the way.
We do not offer sheep wool processing as we prefer to keep our mill equipment free of lanolin buildup.
Our Experience
Our mill operator (Barb) is both an alpaca farmer and textile designer, holding advanced certificates in camelid (alpaca) fibre sorting and grading. Barb's education and experience will help make the most of your annual harvest.
Our Mill
Our textile mill has processes thousands upon thousands of pounds of raw fibre; and, incorporates over 12 steps using specialized textile milling equipment to transform your luxurious alpaca fibre into finished products. Our mill offers a range of products including: yarn (variety of styles/weights), rovings, batts & insoles.
Our Services & Products
Our service will transform your raw fibre into finished products. We offer fibre preparation, dehairing, blending, product manufacturing finishing and packaging. When you place your order we consult with you to optimize your choice and use of your fibre harvest.
Fibre Preparation Tips
Here are some tips to help you prepare your fibre for our mill.
Shear
Quality fibre starts on the farm with clean bedding and feeding stations to keep the fibre clean. Work with an experienced alpaca shear to plan your harvest; ensure your herds' fibre is not wet/damp due to weather; prevent contamination of fibre harvest with waste and short cuts; collect, label and store dry fibre with moth prevention in mind.
Skirt
Skirting fibre is an easy and important skill to learn in preparing your fibre for the mill. A well skirted fibre is uniform in length, free of vegetation, excessive dirt and coarse hair/fibres. With practice a well skirted blanket will take just 15 minutes to complete. The time you invest to skirt well, saves you money and pays off in the quality of the finished product.
​
Record
Keep track of the weight, colour and staple length of each blanket or neck cut to be milled. Milling fibre requires both a minimum and uniform staple length; and, sufficient incoming weight to make a desired product. We will review your information with you to help you make the most of your harvest at time of order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to your commonly asked questions.
Price
Our mill pricing is simple, competitive and straight forward
with no hidden or extra fees.
​
Our mill offers a variety of finished products including yarns, rovings, batts and felt insoles. A minimum of 10 lbs incoming weight per order is required. Your fibre can be processed individually or batched - as long as sufficient incoming weight is available. Dehairing coarse fibre and blending with our in-house selection of natural fibres is recommended to produce a superior finished product.
​
Service Time
Average turn around time is sixteen (16) weeks and may vary based on your order.
Every mill order is scheduled on a first in - first out basis.
This means we will process your order until it is complete before we start the next order. Your payment of the required deposit on time secures your place in our production schedule.
​
Drop Off/Pick Up
Take advantage of our fibre drop off/pick up service to save on shipping costs.
A date will be scheduled to drop off your fibre at our mill once your deposit is received.
When your order is complete a final invoice will be issued for balance owning. Any balance owning must be paid in full within 30 calendar days before finished product is released. We will coordinate a date with you to pick up your finished products from the mill.
Ready to Place an Order?
A little bit of info goes a long way to get you starting to milling your annual fibre harvest!
Email Your Order Request
To get started email us at twinpinesalpacas@gmail.com and provide your:
Contact Name/Farm Name
Full Mailing Address
Email and Phone Number
and for each item to be milled list the:
Estimated weight of fleece (lbs)
Type of Fibre Cut (Blanket/Neck)
Dehairing Service (Yes/No)
Bending Service (Yes/No) and
Product Desired
Confirm Your Order Details
Once we receive your email, we will respond within 1-2 days. We may ask a few clarifying questions and/or make recommendations based on the information you provide prior to finalizing your order details. You will receive an email from us with your order details for you to review & confirm. A deposit is required in advance to secure your place in our production schedule.
​
​
Pack & Label for Drop Off
We provide information on how to package and label our fibre for receiving at our mill. Your support helps us to keep everyones incoming fibre tidy & organized on our end; and ensures your fibre is securely store on site. A date will be coordinated with you soon after your deposit is received for dropping off your fibre at our mill.
Quality All the Way
"I'm new to farming and Barb helped me to understand what is important in preparing my fibre; and explained my choices. I was pleased with the service and my products were beautiful!"
Repeat Customer
"My yarns and rovings were lovely. I want you to know I am coming back next year with even more fibre to process! Thank you!"
Always Learning
"Barb's knowledge of fibre, her willingness to offer recommendations for milling are truly appreciated. She is able to answer my questions and took the time to explain so I coud learn and understand.”