Washing and Carding Service

At Dakota Carding & Wool Co. we will help you hand spin fleeces from your own flock!  Using our 3 ton, 40" industrial carder we card your fibers into a web or cloud (no roving) using no carding oil.  Your fibers are returned to you ready for handspinning or for felting.  Our web/cloud preparation is fully carded and easy to spin (or felt) requiring no pre-drafting.  Many hand spinnners enjoy our carded wool preparation for woolen spinning, long draw spinning and even semi-worsted spinning of yarns.

Your fleece will be weighed dirty and washing charges assessed on incoming weight.

Carding charges will be assessed on clean, dry fiber weight. Shipping charges will be added to the final bill.

Complete this fiber processing form and enclose with your shipment.

Washing and Carding Services

Washing wool/mohair $8.00 lb.
Washing fine wool $8.00 lb.
Llama & alpaca, to wash $10.00 lb.
Rewash wool $8.00 lb.
Carding most wool fibers $10.00 lb.
2nd run for extra cleaning/more homogeneous blend $8.00 lb.
Alpaca/Llama carding $15.00 lb.
2nd run $13.00 lb.
Angora Rabbit/wool blends (up to 50% angora only) $20.00 lb.
Mohair blends 50/50 $13.00 lb.
Hand blending of color/fibers $5.00 lb.
Thrums carded, 3" or less, no knots $11.00 lb.
Dog Hair/wool blends (up to 50% dog down only) $15.00 lb.

What You Need to Know

  • We have no minimum size for an order but there is a $25.00 minimum charge.
  • You are guaranteed to receive your own wool back.
  • We wash your fleece using environmentally safe products.
  • We clean the machine between individual runs.
  • We will blend fine fibers or blend coarse fibers, natural & dyed color mixes.
  • We will card your leftovers together.
  • We will card each order individually.
  • We will card exotics – we will not card 100% mohair, 100% angora rabbit or 100% Suri, these must be blended with at least 50% wool or other fiber. At this time we are not carding fine bombex silk or suri alpaca over 5" no matter what the blend.
  • We will card color blends, very long or very short fibers and thrums.

Processing Sheep Wool, Llama, and Alpaca

  • Some facts and helpful hints based on years of experience in processing animal fibers.
  • Please skirt your fleece and make sure that it is not contaminated with plastic baling twine, hoof trimmings, sticks, stones, burdocks, wire, etc.
  • The cleaner you get your fiber before you send it, the cleaner you'll get it back.
  • We will only card <5" Suri Alpaca as a blend with sheepswool.
  • All fibers must be washed before carding. Either you can do it or we will.
  • Do not send tightly matted or felted fleece.
  • Shorter fleece, 4" or less, cleans up better.
  • The longer time the fiber spends on the animal the harder it is to card.
  • If an animal has been stressed or ill, it will show in the fleece. Check for break points and Scurf.
  • Scurf does not wash or card out and we will not card fleeces with scurf.
  • Guard hair does not card out entirely.
  • White, black or dark fleece shows remaining debris the most.
  • We do not use hot water or detergent on llama or alpaca.

How to Complete Your Order

  • Complete the fiber processing form and enclose with your shipment. Return shipping charges will be added to the final bill