From Profit Taker to Profit Maker: Frivolous EWE Kathy Koning McClure
M
y life as a fiber seller began gradually and without much hoopla. It wasn’t so much a super highway to success as it was a narrow, winding path. A sheep superintendent at a county fair that I showed at regularly (the late Dick Getzelman, Bo-Peep Cheviots) introduced me to his new neighbor. That neighbor would change the way that I looked at wool. Natasha Lehrer Lewis had just started a fiber co-op in Illinois. She had one core belief, that all fleece had value. This resonated with me and became my driving motto. I had so much to learn but the co-op (and it’s members) taught me about fiber mills, fiber preparations, customer preferences, dyeing techniques and much more. I jumped in with two feet, seeing a unique opportunity and exciting future within the fiber community. I had success with fiber sales in the co-op but eventually realized that in order to continue to grow my own business, I needed my own identity. Frivolous Ewe was born six years ago. My first personal goal with Frivolous Ewe was to promote Montadale fiber. I have several other breeds of sheep: Wensleydale, Bluefaced Leicester, Lincoln, Merino, Rambouillet and Corriedale, all added to my flock after I joined the co-op in order to capture more of the fiber artists dollars. These are all lovely breeds in their own way but I am never shy about admitting that Montadales are my favorites. They are also the least known of my breeds among fiber enthusiasts. I am changing that one customer at a time. I primarily market Montadale wool
Raw Montadale Fleece (white)
Montadale Minute ♦ 28
in two ways: combed top and raw fleeces. My combed top is processed in a 100 year old, family owned mill in Frankenmuth, MI. There are many mills closer to me, including one only 15 minutes down the road, but Zeilinger Wool Company is unique in that they will produce combed top for small and medium sized producers like me. Combed top is the premium fiber preparation for handspinners. After the raw fleeces arrive at the mill they are washed and air dried. The fiber is pulled apart by a mechanical picker to remove any remaining vegetable matter. Next step is the carder and pin drafter, this separates and organized the fibers into a continuous web. The last step takes the prepared wool and combs it so all fibers are completely parallel to each other. Combed top makes spinning faster and can produce a finer and thinner yarn. My customers love it. It is sleek, uniform and so easy to spin. I sell my Montadale top for $3.75/ ounce undyed or $4.25/ounce dyed. In 2020 I sent almost 200 lbs. of Montadale skirted fleece to the mill to be made into top. After processing costs, I net about $15 per pound on my Montadale. My raw fleece sales continue to climb also. This year I have sold over 40 Montadale raw fleeces. I offer whole, well-skirted fleeces as well as Montadale Samplers. A Sampler is one pound of raw, skirted fleece and a one ounce ball of combed top. I have sold 27 sampler packs at $12 each this year. The folks who buy a sampler buy it to try something new at a reasonable price. Of those 27 customers, 11 of them (so far) have returned to buy a full fleece.
Raw Montadale Fleece (natural colored)
Montadale top (white) as it comes from the mill
