We announced our purchase of Abundant Earth Fiber's mill equipment at the end of January, and one month later it was safely at it's new home at our mill in Mount Vernon!
There's a lot that goes into moving and setting up this type of machinery; it's quite heavy and awkward, so we hired an expert team of riggers who showed up with all the trucks and forklifts and knowhow it takes to settle each piece into their new home.
Omega Morgan out of Mukilteo carefully loading and strapping the equipment for it's journey up Whidbey Island, over the Deception Pass bridge, and through the valley to Mount Vernon.
We borrowed a big box truck as well to move all the peripherals - so many boxes of gears and tools, shelves and small machines that make the mill go. Getting it all moved and sorted took a bit but it's all coming together, with not a lot of room to spare!
Before...and after!
Once the equipment was settled in, we contacted our wonderful electricians who spent and entire day wiring, rolling out conduit, and customizing our setup. We're so grateful to the experts who made this all possible, and to our wonderful supporters who helped us pay for some of it! The whole move and set-up is a significant upfront cost, and during the move we hadn't been able to process much, so their support was instrumental.
Finally, before Lydia and Alan (the previous owners) rolled out of town on their own big adventure, they came up and helped us dial everything in to ensure everything was running smoothly. Anna has spent years working with this type machinery but there's still a learning curve to get things operating the right way.
Anna's first sample run to dial things in - it turned out wonderful!
Making our very own yarn finally...it's pretty much a dream come true. We've had a chance to make a very special first blend which we'll have at some upcoming events. Each batch will be small, from carefully selected fleeces, to ensure success. As we get better with the machines, we'll unleash our creativity and open up processing for customers - which should be very soon!
If you haven't already signed up for our Mill Services Newsletter, now is a great time to do so. That's where we'll announce as soon as we're ready to take on custom processing. In the meantime, we'll keep practicing away, work on getting some new products ready for upcoming shows, and marveling at our new equipment. Thanks to everyone who's purchases and donations have made this all possible!
