Fingerlakes Woolen Mill

Matt delivered two big runs of roving to the Fingerlakes Woolen Mill in Genoa on Friday after work. I am trying to find a local carding mill which would save a fortune in shipping (and lower my carbon footprint). "Jay" is a shepherd with his own equipment. I like the idea of supporting a Central New York shepherd - not that he needs my business. Anyone with a carding mill has more work than they can possibly use - the fiber-craft world seems to be recession proof thank Goodness. He has a year's wait on spinning yarn, and about three months on roving, but was willing to help me out as someone who is "trying to make a living" with their wool. Right on! I don't know anyone who uses him, but he is going to the Fingerlakes Fiber Festival in two weeks and is willing to bring my carded fiber to me there - saving return shipping. Jay specializes in angora, too! He is two and a half hours from here but only an hour from where Matt works in Syracuse. I sent him 60 pounds of wool, mohair and angora, the fruits of many weeks of picking, washing and dyeing. His roving consists of an eight inch wide sheet of continuous fiber. I was worried about switching mills, but I'm kind of desperate at this point. Frankenmuth in Michigan has another 50 they are rushing for me. That's a lot of wool to sell and now is the time to sell it. The fiber business is all about color and texture - hard to convey on the internet. Jay invited Matt in to tour his mill. He purchased giant old carding machines from New England mills and told Matt all about what he does with the wool. Jay maintains the machines himself and says they are a great deal as they can be purchased for as low as $5,000. A "Mini-Mills" carding set up is over $50,000 and handles smaller amounts of fiber. I have the perfect building for a large carding business. Right now I would settle for getting my Glimakra Swedish floor loom set up. Dream on...