FLEECE I N T H E GARAGE By Ron Pedder - Ariana Alpacas The final product
The Mesa Natural Fibre Mill It is time to fess up as John Tamihere would say. Yes, I have to admit that I have not done anything with my first three year s worth of alpaca fleece. It is all sitting in labelled sacks in my garage. When visitors ask the inevitable question; Why breed alpacas? I rave on about the special characteristics of these very special animals and try to explain that each alpaca has a unique personality. I assure my audience that these cute animals are not bred for the table and impress them with the prices that can be gained from the sale of quality females, while quickly assuring them that I am not in that league - yet! I try to avoid mentioning the fleece, but if pressed will vaguely mutter things like: It s a new industry getting established ; Alpaca numbers in New Zealand are reaching the critical level needed to support commercial fleece processing ; and Alpaca fibre is really sought after by all the spinners and weavers out there. But as I spin my spiel, I wonder; What am I really going to do with all those fleeces in the garage? The Belfast Mini Mill that Peter and Tessa McKay are using to process alpaca fibre has an interesting history. This effective collection of complex machinery was developed by Larry and Sheila Sutherland o n P r i n c e E d w a r d Island, Canada in the 1990 s. THE HISTORY Pete and Tessa The Sutherlands bred Corriedale sheep and had become frustrated by the challenge of getting their fleeces processed when their farm was so isolated. They shipped bales of their Corriedale wool to Alberta but did not get their own fleeces back as spun wool. Their return was a mix of fibre from many Corriedale farms. My problem has been that I am not sure how much preparation my fleeces would need before sending them off to be processed. I also have this rather romantic notion that it would be nice to have yarn processed from just my fleeces. I could then get someone to knit something that I could really claim as being from one of my alpaca. Never mind who the someone or something might be. I could imagine myself saying; You know, those baby booties come from the fleece of Mica over there? Thanks to Peter and Tessa McKay, I can now get Mica s fleece processed and spun onto cones, or into skeins or balls that can be 50gm, 100gm or larger if required. No other fibre will be mixed in to detract from the quality of Mica s best, and I can choose anything from 2 to 10 ply. If I want to be a bit more adventurous, I can get two fleeces (say a white and a brown) blended or I could supply other fibre, like silk, to be blended with my alpaca contribution. The opportunity to accompany Alan Skilling and Keenan Scott on a trip to Hastings earlier in the year, provided an ideal opportunity to check out the Mesa Natural Fibre Mill that Peter and Tessa McKay have installed in a new and spacious shed on their property in the Maraekakaho Valley near Hastings. Larry and Sheila were frustrated by this situation, especially as they felt that their commitment to developing a quality fibre product was being disadvantaged when their fibre was being blended with fleeces from many other farms. Larry s engineering background provided the skills and incentive for him to develop the machinery that a cottage industry could use to process the unique and super fine fibre produced by animals like alpaca, llama and the Canadian musk ox, and to ensure the purity of the product from these fibre producers. Commercial textile processing machinery is large and expensive. The Sutherlands were able to produce a mini mill that was just as capable as the large commercial processing plants, but also more efficient. Belfast Mini Mills are now found around the world, inevitably processing the specialist fibre produced by exotic animals such as alpaca. The Mesa Natural Fibre Mill is the only Belfast Mini Mill in New Zealand.
The sunny Hawkes Bay certainly lived up to its reputation on the day we visited Tessa and Peter. Paddocks were brown and the temperature was high. Heading out of Hastings we determindly resisted the lure of a number of vineyards and were soon being welcomed by Tessa and Peter at mill! I had expected one machine that carded and one that spun. What I got was a shed full of machinery, each piece with a particular title. Names like Fibre Washer, Large Carder, Skein Winder, Ball Winder and Spinner seemed somewhat appropriate and I could sort-of guesstimate their function. But what did a Picker, Steamer, Draw Frame or Large Fibre Separator do? And what about a Bump Winder? Tessa and Peter explained the purpose of each machine and then demonstrated them in action. The only fibre being used was pure alpaca (unless the fleece supplier had instructed otherwise) and a work card followed each fleece from machine to machine. This card ensured that each fleece was processed separately and that the processing requests that had been supplied were followed. Before entering the mill, the fleece is tumbled in the drum Keenan, Alan and I were impressed. Sure the processing costs were not cheap, but all Tessa and Peter require is a fleece that has been skirted on the shearing table. So there is no need to spend hours picking out grunge and guard hairs. At the current asking price for spun alpaca, you could cover your processing costs when you sell alpaca yarn that has been processed by Tessa and Peter at their Mesa Natural Fibre Mill. If you knitted up the fibre to produce a quality garment, you should be assured of a profit. The washed fleece is dried on a rack The fleeces to be processed are first washed
Above: Tessa feeds a fleece into the carding machine. Below: Pete explaining things to Keenan We can process your fibre, but unless you use it or sell it, the industry will be no better off. Peter Mckay Mesa Natural Fibre Mill The economics of processing costs v retail returns should also take into account the wastage that will result from processing a fleece. Tessa and Peter weigh each incoming fleece and base their processing costs on this weight. If your fleece is full of dust, debris, and guard hairs, you will still get a quality product of fine alpaca fibre, but you will have also paid for that unproductive component that arrived in your fleece but was not processed. Information provided by Tessa and Peter indicates that the average loss due to dirty and/or poor quality fibre averages 20% to 30% of the fleece received. However, this has ranged from 5% to 50%. therefore ensure a product that is more likely to return a profit when sold. The Mesa Natural Fibre Mill can process both huacaya and suri fleeces. Suri fleece staples, especially those from animals that have been shown, may need to be cut to ensure effective spinning. Cutting suri fibre can increase the wastage. As well as being able to process a single fleece, the mill can also cope well with larger orders. Over lunch, Tessa and Peter chatted about their mill and its potential for spinning all that fibre that all those alpacas out there are producing. So while the claim that a table-skirted fleece is fine, additional fleece preparation can reduce the processing wastage and As Peter explained, We can process your fibre, but unless you use it or sell it, the industry will be no better off. Instead
of fleeces in the garage, there will be balls of alpaca in the cupboard. We do not want that. If like me, you are concerned that alpaca that has been stored for a while may no longer be suitable for processing - then do the toughness test that Tessa suggests. Take a staple of fibre and give it a sharp tug. If it snaps, the fleece is probably too old or has been poorly stored. If the fleece staples do not snap, then your fleece should be suitable for the Mesa Natural Fibre Mill. Tessa said that she had processed fleece that had been stored for seven years and it, spun up great. If your stored fleece fails the tug test it is not worthless. It could still be spun (although the wastage will be greater), felted, or even used to fill pet duvets By the end of my visit, I could see the potential of the Mesa Natural Fibre Mill to actively support the alpaca industry at a grass-roots level. The Spinner There is now one less fleece in my garage. Mica s last clip was left with Tessa and Peter when Alan, Keenan and I left Maraekakaho Valley. Furthermore, I am now the proud owner of the first batch of Ariana Alpaca fibre. (Now I need to find a fine knitter!) The Mesa Natural Fibre Mill is sponsoring the Fashion Show at Alpaca Expo 07. Pete and Tessa will be at Expo so make sure you visit their stand.
FELTING The Mesa Natural Fibre Mill has a felting machine that can quickly turn your alpaca fibre into alpaca felt. Tessa and Pete are able to produce superb felts ready to be crafted into quality products. Their felting process is an ideal way to process coarser fibre and even guard hair. 1 2 Pete lays out the fibre and adds some detergent solution The felting press is closed 3 4 10 After the top is secured the fleece is agitated The final felt ready to be dried and trimmed