Preparing Fibre After Booking

This guide explains how to prepare your fibre once your ADHCrafts booking has been confirmed.

Please do not post or drop off fibre until you have received booking confirmation and an agreed start date or delivery window.

This helps make sure your fibre is expected, there is safe storage space available, and your project can be matched correctly to your booking.

1. When to Use This Guide

Use this checklist after:

• your enquiry has been reviewed
• your project has been accepted
• your quote or next step has been agreed
• your deposit has been paid, where required
• your booking has been confirmed
• you have been given a start date or delivery window

If you have not yet reached this stage, please start with the enquiry process first.

Related guide: Start Your Fibre Enquiry

2. Do Not Send Fibre Early

Please do not send fibre before your booking has been confirmed.

Unplanned fibre arrivals can create storage problems and may increase the risk of damp, moth issues, mislabelling or delays.

ADHCrafts needs to know:

• what fibre is arriving
• who it belongs to
• what project it is linked to
• when it is expected
• how it should be stored
• what work has been agreed

Waiting for the agreed delivery window helps protect your fibre and the wider workspace.

3. Keep Fibre Dry

Fibre should be dry before it is packed.

Please do not send fibre that is wet, damp, mouldy or heavily musty.

Damp fibre can deteriorate quickly, especially if packed tightly or sealed without airflow. It can develop mould, mildew, fibre weakness, unpleasant smells and moth risk.

If your fibre becomes damp before sending, pause and contact ADHCrafts before posting or dropping it off.

4. Check for Moth Risk Before Sending

Please check your fibre for signs of moth activity before packing.

Signs may include:

• webbing
• larvae
• moths
• unusual dust
• chewed or broken fibre
• gritty debris
• weak patches
• damage spreading through stored fibre

Active moth risk can affect other fibre, yarn and textiles. If you suspect moth activity, please do not send the fibre until you have contacted ADHCrafts and discussed the next step.

5. Remove the Worst Areas First

You do not need to make the fleece perfect before sending it.

However, please remove any obvious unsuitable sections where you can.

This may include:

• very dirty dung tags
• damp or mouldy sections
• badly felted clumps
• heavily matted areas
• bedding-heavy sections
• sharp debris
• contaminated or unsafe areas
• sections with strong urine or ammonia smell

Removing the worst areas helps protect the better fibre and can improve the amount of useful fibre returned.

For more detail on suitability, read the Fleece Assessment & Processing Guide.

6. Keep Animals or Batches Separate

Where possible, please keep fibre separated by animal, breed, colour or batch.

This is especially helpful if:

• you have more than one sheep or alpaca
• the fibre comes from different animals
• some fibre is better quality than other fibre
• you want provenance kept clear
• you want samples from individual animals
• some fibre is intended for yarn and some for another use

Separate bags make it easier to assess and process the fibre accurately.

7. How to Label Each Bag

Each bag should be labelled clearly.

Include:

• your name
• contact details
• booking or project reference, if provided
• animal name, if known
• breed, if known
• colour or fibre type
• shearing date, if known
• approximate weight, if known
• intended use, if already agreed
• any notes about condition

Example label:

Customer name:
Animal/batch name:
Breed:
Shearing date:
Approximate weight:
Intended use:
Condition notes:
Booking reference:

Labels can be written on paper and placed inside the bag, with another label attached outside where practical.

8. What Details to Include With the Fibre

Please include a note with the full parcel or drop-off.

Useful details include:

• your name
• email address
• phone number
• return address
• booking reference, if provided
• list of bags included
• animal names or batch names
• agreed processing route
• any known concerns
• any special instructions already agreed

This helps prevent confusion if labels come loose or bags are separated during unpacking.

9. Packing Fibre for Postage

Your exact postage instructions may depend on the project size and what has been agreed.

As a general guide:

• make sure fibre is dry before packing
• use strong bags or packaging
• avoid over-compressing the fibre if possible
• keep separate animals or batches in separate labelled bags
• include your details inside the parcel
• seal the parcel securely
• use the agreed delivery service or postage method
• keep proof of postage

Please follow the postage instructions given with your booking confirmation.

10. Drop-Off Instructions

If you are dropping fibre off in person, please only do so during the agreed drop-off window.

Please make sure each bag is labelled before arrival.

If plans change, contact ADHCrafts before dropping off your fibre. Unplanned drop-offs may not be accepted if safe storage space is not available.

11. What Not to Send

Please do not send:

• damp fibre
• mouldy fibre
• actively moth-infested fibre
• fibre with sharp debris
• heavily contaminated sections
• fibre with unknown chemical contamination
• fibre that has not been agreed as part of the booking
• extra bags or animals that have not been discussed

If you are unsure whether something should be included, please ask before sending it.

12. After Your Fibre Arrives

Once your fibre arrives, ADHCrafts will check it against your booking details.

The fibre may then be assessed for:

• condition
• storage quality
• staple length
• staple strength
• vegetable matter
• matting
• second cuts
• likely processing route

If anything is significantly different from the information provided during enquiry, ADHCrafts may contact you before continuing.

Related guides:

• Fleece Assessment & Processing Guide
• Pricing, Yield & Fibre Loss Explained
• Deposit, Cancellation & Fibre Return Policy

13. Quick Packing Checklist

Before sending or dropping off your fibre, check:

• My booking has been confirmed
• I have an agreed start date or delivery window
• The fibre is dry
• There is no active moth risk
• Very dirty or unsuitable sections have been removed where possible
• Each animal or batch is separated
• Each bag is labelled
• My contact details are included
• The booking or project reference is included, if provided
• I have followed the agreed postage or drop-off instructions

Final Reminder

Please only send or drop off fibre once your booking has been confirmed and your delivery window has been agreed.

This protects your fibre, your booking, and the ADHCrafts workspace.