Precision Combing: Why Our Gill Box Changes Everything
In the worsted spinning process, there's a machine whose role is often overlooked by the general public, but is absolutely central to the final quality of the yarn: the Gill Box. This machine performs the step called "gilling" — the careful drafting and alignment of fibers before they proceed to the actual combing stage.
Specifically, imagine a slightly disordered fiber sliver, where some fibers point in different directions, some are shorter, others longer. The Gill Box acts like a giant precision comb, drafting this sliver while gradually aligning each fiber in the same direction, as if delicately brushing tangled hair until each strand is perfectly parallel to the others.
Our Gill Box, at the Lavaltrie workshop, is a Ramella, manufactured in Biella, Italy — a region whose name is almost synonymous, in the global textile industry, with excellence in fine wool processing. This machine achieves a fiber alignment level of between 95 and 100%, a precision that literally transforms the quality of the resulting yarn: the more perfect the alignment, the smoother, stronger, and more consistent the final yarn will be.
Why is this precision so important? Because it translates directly into your hands when you knit, weave, or spin with this yarn. Perfect fiber alignment means fewer snags, a more uniform texture, and a fiber that behaves predictably throughout your project — a significant advantage when working on a piece that requires hours, or even weeks, of meticulous work.
It is this equipment, combined with the expertise developed by Marcelo over his years of training and practice, that positions Makeloo Studio today as the only mill in Quebec — and potentially in Canada — capable of combining local wool and combing precision at this level. This is not just a matter of technical pride: it is the assurance for you that the yarn you hold in your hands has been prepared with the same care as that found in the best European mills, but with fiber born close to home.
Source: Makeloo Studio Laine Québec inc., internal production documentation (2026).