Yarn or a Tale Spinning Fibers
Fine Natural & Hand Dyed Spinning Fibers & Handcrafted Goats Milk Soaps
8465 Fallahay Road, Millington MI 48746
Welcome to Yarn or a Tale! Please browse and enjoy your shopping experience and if you have ANY questions at all, feel free to contact me! I'm happy to custom dye more of a colorway for large projects or dye a particular colorway in another fiber so don't be afraid to ask :) I dye 8 oz lots of my colorways but if you'd like a pound or more, I'll dye your fiber in the same dyelot so that differences between 8 oz lots are at a minimum. This means that while each 8 oz lot won't match exactly because of the kettle dyeing process I use , the differences will be minimized because all the dye for your batch is mixed at the same time.
IF YOU PREVIOUSLY SIGNED UP FOR THE YAHOO FIBER NEWS GROUP, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BECOME A SITE MEMBER HERE INSTEAD. I HAVEN'T BEEN SENDING OUT YAHOO GROUP MESSAGES AND IF I HAVE ENOUGH MEMBERS SIGNED UP HERE, IT WILL BE MUCH EASIER FOR ME TO NOTIFY FOLKS OF NEW STOCK, SPECIAL SALES, ETC. YOU CAN SIGN UP BY CLICKING ON THE WELCOME/REGISTER LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LEFT HAND SIDEBAR FROM ANY PAGE ON THE SITE.
NEW FIBERS LISTED 11/17/09
WENSLEYDALE LOCKS ARE FINALLY IN STOCK!
(AND SO ARE NEW MOHAIR LOCKS!)
Lots of new roving and combed top colorways listed!. I've dyed up the last of the Merino x Rambouillet Combed Top so grab it while you still can. I've added some more romney/cotswold sock rovings, some new combed tops that are excellent for sock spinning (or anything else really!), and some new domestic merino combed top. I've also listed the first of a new "regular" fiber, Wensleydale x Dorset! It's awesome ~ you should try it :) You can find it listed with the Fine Wool Blends on the Hand Dyed Rovings and Tops page.
100% Suri Alpaca Swirl in stock now!
If you're looking for a bargain, you're a fan of long-draw spinning or want to practice your long-draw, and you need something that spins up FAST, check out LEAH'S SPECIAL BLENDS (psst...if you spin it worsted, I promise I won't call the spinning police!)
SOCK BLEND COLORWAYS ON SALE NOW!! These fibers are good sturdy medium wools that will give a lot of strength and long wear to your handspun and hand knit socks and they're put up in 6 oz lots so there's plenty there without having to worry about not having enough fiber or yarn for a big pair of socks. I've also added rovings dyed with a new technique called "Color Study Magic". These lots have longer color repeats and some of the color is more concentrated in certain parts of the rovings, meaning you can either spin them as they are OR study them and work with the repeats in your own way ~ tear them apart, sort them, spin them side by side, etc. Something a bit challenging for those that like to experiment and play with color in their spinning!
I have an Etsy shop for hand-dyed and handspun yarns ~ You can scope out my Etsy shop without leaving my site by clicking the new link to my Etsy store at the bottom of the navigation menu to your left. If you prefer to shop via Etsy, just click on the "Buy Now" link and it'll take you straight to Etsy. If you just want to browse, you won't leave this site. (Your purchases from the Etsy shop will be conducted through Etsy and not via the Paypal interface/shopping cart you're familiar with on the website although you can pay for your Etsy purchases through Paypal).
If you'd like to combine something from Etsy with purchases from this website, shoot me an email and I'll be happy to send an invoice via Paypal or I would also be happy to create a listing for you on Etsy so you can do all of it there :) I've included the shop here because Etsy is where I list my yarns and I've started to list my huge inventory of back issue knitting, crochet and spinning magazines there. I hope to include some of the vintage patterns and booklets I have as well as patterns there soon.
Please note: I list on both Etsy and this website simultaneously so fiber quantity numbers you see here on the website and on Etsy are the total of what I have available, meaning that if it says 8 oz on Etsy and 8 oz on the website, I don't have a total of a pound, I have a total of 8 oz. I update the two sites as things sell. This has always made me a little nervous but I sell too much on Etsy to close it down and I still have customers who prefer the website so have been hesitant to close it down either.
HAND CRAFTED SOAP SPECIALS!
BARGAIN BAR GOAT'S MILK SOAP CLEARANCE SPECIAL (while supplies last)!
4-5 oz BAR ~ $2.00
These are fantastic, hard, lovely bars of handcrafted goat's milk and shea butter soaps. I buy them in bulk from a wonderful lady here in the U.S. and they aren't sorted by scent. These are her "ugly" bars so they aren't perfect but they are wonderful . So, while I can't tell you what scent you'll be receiving, none of her soaps are heavily scented. They last a very long time and are rich, creamy and yummy. If all you need are a few bars, shipping may seem excessive due to the way the Paypal cart is set up ~ if so please rest assured that I will issue you a Paypal refund for the difference in shipping charges.
Mission Statement (sort of!)
I work at a local woolen mill here in Michigan (Zeilinger Wool Company) and as a result, almost all my fiber is processed here, in my own community. I have the ability to cherry pick the fiber from the ground up ~ I can purchase the quality fleeces I want and have them processed to my own specifications. Because of this, you may be surprised at the fineness of our Romney rovings or the softness of our Border Leicester.
I purchase fleeces from American and local (to me!) Michigan shepherds and farms, and have it processed into rovings here where I work. It's extremely important to me to be able to support the businesses in my own community and the shepherds here in my own state or in the United States. If staying in the fiber business meant having to sell imported goods, I'm not sure that I would make that choice ~ this is absolutely that important to me.
I realize that the imported commercial fibers are very popular with most spinners but I hope you'll consider trying some of the product produced here, in our own communities and on American soil. Not all wool is as next-to-the-skin soft as imported merino and superwash and BFL, but it ALL has a purpose and can be better suited for a variety of things in terms of how hard it wears, its luster, its ability to take dyes, and its ease of spinning and affordability. I guarantee you that socks spun from good old American Romney will outlast socks spun from superwash merino, hands down.
And we have much more than sheep's wool grown here in this country...we have alpacas and llamas and mohair goats and buffalo and pygora goats and angora rabbits, raised by people here in the U.S. and processed by mills, here in the U.S. So next time you're thinking about a spinning project or fibery splurge, I hope you'll take a few minutes to consider the fibers and yarns produced by your countrymen and women, your neighbors, and perhaps, even your own community :)
Important Shipping Information for US and International Customers
We've created a page for you to check your various options before shopping with us....please take a moment to read this page before shopping so that you understand your options. This is particularly important for INTERNATIONAL customers but US customers should also check their options as our shopping cart doesn't fit every purchase, particularly small items. These can be shipped for a LOT less than what the cart will insert.
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