address
Windameer Farm
9085 Mathews RD.
Portland,NY 14769
Phone # (716)952-9324
Fax #(716)792-4318
Doll Hair Start to Finish
First, we start out with our very lovely Angora Goat Camellia. (Lot # 72). Camellia is in with her friends in a stall about 15’x10’ for the winter. The Goats have free access to minerals and fresh water, and are fed two times a day.
Summer time the goats are out to pasture and are not fed, they still have access to their minerals and water. (Sometimes, I let them out to wander the yard to get a treat. We also give them apples from the apple trees here on the farm; they like that.)
Camellia is sheared two times a year from six to eight months apart, depending on how long her hair is. For this she is put into a stand, and I hand shear her with scissors. (You may be thinking scissors, why those? Well I’m only 5’2” and have small hands the hand shears are too big for me to use and the electric ones are heavy and awkward.) This takes from 1 ½ to 4 hours depending on if the goat and I are having a good day.
Next, I take the hair and weigh it.
I separate the locks for washing.
Now I wash the mohair. To do this I set up a wash bath this is very hot water over 155 degrees. With dish soap in it, the hair is set in to the bath and gently
pushed down if needed. Then it is let sit for about 30 minutes.
I take the mohair and set it aside, and run the rinse bath. This is just hot water no soap. The mohair is then put into the rinse bath and let sit for 30 minutes.
(The wash and rinse is repeated until the water is clear)
I dry the mohair.
When dry I take it all and comb it out. I do this by hand with a flicker brush to remove any vegetable matter and get the locks ready to dye. (This takes about one hour per ounce)
The hair is weighed out into one to two ounces, and it is ready to dye.
Dyeing the mohair I set up a dye bath in a stainless steal pot it is brought to a slight boil then turned off. The hair that has been put into a bag for dyeing is set into the dye. I let it soak for about 2 hours; sometimes over night.
I take it out of the dye bath, and I rinse it still in the bag with warm water then put some soap on it and re-rinse it until the soap is gone.
I then squeeze the water out. In addition I take the hair and put it to dry in dehydrator.
I separate, weigh, mark the doll hair, and put it up for sale after it dries. (Picture is taken if I don’t have one of that color in natural light)
(Above is our Cocoa Brown)
Please also keep in mind I am a single mother with a 2 year old. Therefore, I have a very full life.
Thank you,
Windameer Farm
Jolen
