Crooked Fence Mill
from fleece to forever
the reading room

Fiber Education

Take your time. Every page here is written the way we'd explain it if you were standing in the mill with a cup of coffee.

sorting by staple, crimp & micron

Fiber Grades

Grading is how we judge a fleece: how long the locks are, how much crimp they carry, and how fine each fiber measures. Together these tell us what the fiber wants to become.

Staple length

The length of a single lock from the sheep. Short staples (2–3 inches) card beautifully into woolen yarns and batts. Long staples (4–6+ inches) make silky, strong worsted-style yarns.

Crimp

The natural wave in the fiber. High crimp = loft, elasticity, and warmth. Low crimp = drape, sheen, and durability.

Micron

How fine each fiber is. See the Micron Guide for the full picture.

How we grade at the mill

  • Prime — clean, uniform, next-to-skin soft. Deserves worsted spinning or fine roving.
  • Everyday — good hand, some variation. Perfect for sweater yarn, DK, worsted.
  • Character — rustic, some VM, mixed staple. Beautiful for batts, tweed yarn, or outerwear.
  • Utility — coarse or short, ideal for felting, rug yarn, or dryer ball fiber.
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