What actually matters when picking a mill
You have bags of fleece and a long list of mills. Some are three hours away, some are across the country. Some answer the phone on the first ring, some take two weeks to reply to an email. How do you narrow it down without wasting a season on the wrong one?
Forget vague advice about “finding the right fit.” Here are the specific things to evaluate, the questions to ask, and the red flags that save you from a bad experience.
Start with what you need processed
Before you compare mills, get clear on your own situation:
- How much fiber do you have? Most mills require a minimum – commonly 3 to 20 pounds, though some accept as little as 2 pounds. If you only have 5 pounds of alpaca, a mill with a 20-pound minimum is not your mill.
- What fiber type? Not all mills handle all fibers. Many specialize in sheep wool. If you raise alpacas, llamas, or goats, confirm the mill has experience with your specific fiber – processing alpaca requires different equipment settings than processing Romney wool.
- What end product do you want? Roving for hand spinning? Yarn for knitting? Batts for felting? Different mills have different equipment. A mill that cards beautiful batts may not spin yarn at all.
- When do you need it back? Turnaround times range from 6 weeks to 6 months depending on the mill and the season. If you need yarn for holiday craft fairs, plan accordingly.
What processing actually costs
Pricing is the question everyone asks and few mills publish openly. Here are real ranges based on published 2025-2026 price lists from US mills:
| Service | Typical cost per pound | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Washing/scouring | $5 – $12 | Based on raw (incoming) weight |
| Carding to roving or batts | $11 – $27 | Wide range depending on whether washing is included |
| Spinning to yarn | $23 – $45 | Finer weights (fingering, sport) cost more than bulky |
| Dyeing | $10+ per pound | Plus setup fees; many mills price by quote |
| Full processing (raw to yarn) | $40 – $65 | Combined wash + card + spin for a worsted 2-ply |
A few things that affect price: alpaca and other exotics typically add $2 to $7 per pound over sheep wool. Finer yarn weights cost more to spin – fingering weight can be $5 to $15 more per pound than bulky. And many mills offer volume discounts starting around 10 pounds.
If a mill does not publish pricing, that is not necessarily a red flag – it is common in this industry. But you should be able to get a clear quote before shipping your fiber.
Questions to ask before you commit
Call or email with these questions. A good mill will answer all of them clearly:
- “What is your minimum order and current turnaround time?” – The two most basic facts. If they cannot give you a straight answer, move on.
- “How should I prepare my fiber before sending it?” – Most mills want skirted fleece in breathable bags (not plastic). Some want it washed, some want it raw. Get this wrong and your fiber may be rejected or charged extra.
- “Do you keep my fiber separate or blend it with other customers’ fiber?” – For small batches, this matters. If you want yarn from your specific flock, confirm they do batch separation.
- “What happens if there is a problem with my fiber?” – Good mills will call you before processing if they find issues (excessive VM, second cuts, felting). Bad mills will process it anyway and hand you back mediocre yarn.
- “Can I see samples of your work?” – Many mills will send yarn samples or have a gallery on their website. If the yarn quality does not match what you want, better to know before shipping 30 pounds of fleece.
Red flags
These are not deal-breakers individually, but pay attention if you see more than one:
- No communication for weeks after you reach out. If they are slow to respond before they have your fiber, imagine how it goes after.
- No clear pricing structure. “It depends” is fine for complex jobs, but you should get a ballpark before committing.
- Turnaround times that keep slipping. Ask other customers if the quoted turnaround is reliable. Fiber guilds and online communities are good sources for this.
- They will not send samples or show previous work. Quality mills are proud of their output.
- They accept every fiber type but specialize in none. A jack-of-all-trades mill may not handle your specific fiber as well as a specialist.
Small mill vs large mill
Neither is inherently better. Here is when each makes sense:
Choose a smaller mill when: You have less than 20 pounds, you want batch separation, you want custom blending or dyeing, you value a personal relationship with your processor.
Choose a larger mill when: You have 50+ pounds per batch, you need consistent results across large volumes, turnaround speed matters more than customization, you want lower per-pound pricing.
The shipping question
Shipping raw fleece is not cheap – it is bulky and heavy. A few options:
- Drive it yourself if the mill is within a few hours. Many mills prefer this and some offer farm pickup.
- Ship via USPS Priority Mail in large flat-rate boxes. This is often the cheapest option for 10 to 30 pounds.
- Use a regional carrier for larger shipments. Get quotes from UPS and FedEx – prices vary wildly by distance and weight.
Always use breathable bags inside boxes. Never ship wet or damp fiber. Label clearly with your name, contact info, and what is inside.
Start your search
Use our mill directory to filter by state, fiber type, and services. Check turnaround times and minimums on each listing. Then pick 2 to 3 candidates, call them, ask the questions above, and go with the one that gives you the clearest, most confident answers.