All yarns used in the making of a Wild Hair Fibers blanket are processed at The Wool Mill in Belgrade, MT, with wool sourced from local Montana flocks. After careful selection of fleeces based on color, strength, and quality, the raw wool undergoes washing to remove grease, dirt, and impurities. This step ensures the fibers are clean and ready for processing.
The cleaned wool is then carded, where the fibers begin to be aligned and more dirt and vegetation are removed. Next, the carded roving is pin-drafted into a sliver, a continuous strand of nearly parallel wool fibers ready to be spun into yarn. The spinning mill simultaneously drafts out the sliver and adds twist, creating a single strand of yarn. Two or more of these strands are then twisted back on themselves to form the final yarn. The yarn is then wound into skeins of a measured length, ready to go on to be dyed, if desired, and woven.
Once the yarn is spun and dyed, the loom is prepared for weaving. The warp yarns, which must be very tightly spun and strong, are stretched from front to back of the loom and each strand is threaded through the shafts and reed of the loom. Then the weaving can begin. The weft yarn is interlaced back and forth between the warp yarns in varied patterns and designs. The weft is firmly beaten into place, entirely covering the warp yarns which serve as the structural foundation of the piece.
Every step of the process is focused on creating a high-quality and functional final product .
I hope your one-of-a-kind saddle blanket will accompany you for many miles in the saddle!