WArM AnD FuZZY Scissortail Yarn and Fiber Mill serves a variety of clients
This is the cold time of year when hand-knit sweaters , mittens and scarves feel and look good on those wearing them . From the pastures where wooly sheep , alpacas and goats graze to a jaunty knit hat on your noggin is a long journey through many hands .
One of the critical stops along the way is a fiber mill where the animals ’ fibers are cleaned , processed and turned into the yarn that knitters use to make our soft and comfy socks , cowls and gloves . There are only a few of these mini factories in Oklahoma and one is Scissortail Yarn and Fiber Mill , 119 N . Crawford in Norman ’ s downtown arts district . It ’ s owned and operated by Betsy Morehead . She ’ s a former practicing attorney who has been in the fiber mill business for two and a half years . Along with a workspace for fabricating the yarn Scissortail also has a retail store up front that sells finished product to hobbyist knitters . “ We ’ re a fiber mill first and foremost which means taking in raw fiber ,” Morehead said .
“ Then we clean and process it , getting it ready to spin into yarn for people . We mainly do that for people who bring us the fleece .”
That would be farmers and ranchers across the country who raise hairy beasts such as alpacas , sheep , goats , llamas and Angora rabbits .
“ We get fiber from California to Maine ,” she said . “ Quite a few are here in Oklahoma because I belong to the alpaca club . Typically out of state customers ship the fiber here to Norman .”
Story and Photos by Doug HILL
Shipments can be as large as 1200 pounds of wool but tend to be under 20 pounds . Presently Scissortail is the only independent yarn store in a town with hundreds of dedicated , some might say zealous , knitters .
“ I have both yarns produced in-house and some that ’ s commercially produced ,” Morehead said . “ I ’ ve done a few craft events here to help get the word out that we sell high quality yarn here for
Betsy Morehead tumbling animal fi ber to remove dirt before its further processed .
Norman ’ s knitters .” Before opening the mill Morehead was a hobbyist who processed fleece at home for fun . Sixteen years at a law firm wasn ’ t fun anymore and after that oil and gas work proved volatile . Morehead now loves the creativity involved in operating her own fiber mill . She ’ s never raised the livestock that makes her business possible but loves the fuzz that comes from them . Processing all that fluffy stuff involves a lot of expensive equipment . Scissortail has a fleece tumbler to shake the dirt free from the fiber , a washer , opener , fiber separating machine , carder , draw frames , comb winders and a wet felter among others .
“ It ’ s all made in Prince Edward Island , Canada by Belfast Mini Mills in a town called Belfast ,” Morehead said . “ It ’ s meant for use as cottage industry equipment for people who have alpacas and a barn . Two or three employees can run the whole thing .”
All the machinery has to be thoroughly cleaned after each use to avoid the different colors of fleece getting tangled up with each other . Morehead ’ s two mostly part-time employees are experienced fiber mill hands who know how to operate the equipment .
“ I bought all the Belfast Mini Mill equipment second-hand from a couple in Kentucky ,”
16 NormanMagazine . com | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2022