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Fire
Ant Ranch Has
moved to NEW
address is:
Wool & Mohair prepared by a Handspinner!
Since 1992 and going
strong! Featuring fiber and fiber
products from Black Welsh Mountain, Shetland and Gulf Coast Sheep, mohair
from Texas Angora goats, and a few other favorites. What isn’t fiber from my years of raising
them comes from specially selected flocks I’ve known personally.`
The flock (sheep – all Black
Welsh Mountain) has been sold! And
they are going to CANADA – the BWM breeders are in desperate need of a
genetic infusion to their flocks. They
received one such infusion earlier this year from the Desert Weyr flock. Now they’ll have even more great genetic
material. I’ve had to purchase much more
wool than I ever could raise for a long, LONG time – a mark of success for my
fiber work. Since there are only so many
hours in the day and livestock husbandry is ALSO extremely time intensive, I
decided one or the other needed to go.
The fiber won out in this case.
A big THANKS to all of you who love my fiber and keep coming back for
more! Our favorite sausage is still
from the one and only Louis Mueller Barbecue place in Taylor, Texas! And it will remain our favorite as I
seriously doubt there’s a BBQ place in We’re holding at
14 cats at the moment, yes that’s one less – we lost our sweet Shadow last
month – the tumor had gotten very large so we let her go to kitty
heaven. All of them are indoors at the
new place and we’ve built a lovely cat room/cat spa. Kenney,
the dream dressage horse – a 16.1 hand bright bay Trakehner schoolmaster
gelding IS FOR SALE. He taught me a
great deal, and now it’s time for him to teach someone else. He is really wasted here with me because I
have no real ambition to show and he needs to be shown. He’s a sensitive boy and extremely
responsive to the aids. SO, we’ve got a new horse. A
young draft mare – Shire, named Kaylee.
She actually has been shown – to CTDS Intro Champion (walk/trot) in
2007! And she’s small enough that my
saddle fits her. And Sierra, the
Mustang mare, now has a gal friend other than Rhoda. The equines have a new very spiffy metal barn with stalls, and concrete
hay storage. My shop is out there in
the barn as well in a separate space. My beautiful old 40”Gilmore 4
shaft loom is still here. Oh yes, and
we can’t forget the Auto Knitter Sock Knitting Machine, or the Brother bulky
flatbed knitting machine, the mid-gauge machine, or the felting machine. Please visit my CUSTOMER SHOWCASE PAGE. I’ve got pictures of yarns and finished
items featuring Fire Ant Ranch fibers, many of which are prize-winners! Email me with what you’ve done with my
fiber and I’ll publish it there. |
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The Studio “Shop” is Open ONLY by Appointment and on a limited basis. Please email to see if you can stop by –
fiber shows, farm chores and equine activities notwithstanding! It probably
is actually easier to catch me at a show! And PLEASE FEEL FREE to shop via website and email at any time! Since my fibers and yarns are very much
handmade, ask about what’s available
when you get that creative fiber urge! I travel to more than a few Fiber
and Art Festivals during the year to market my finished goods,
equipment, fibers and handspun yarns. These festivals have included the Taos
Wool Festival (which I’ve given up now after a 14-year run – I want to
explore other areas of the country) and Best of the Southwest Fiber Arts
Festival in New Mexico, Estes Park
Wool Market in Colorado, Destin Spin
In, Florida, and various other regional festivals and retreats. I’ve published & sold
designs in Knitter's Magazine, Lion
Brand Yarns and Knitter's Digest, as well as other publications. I also do custom knitting of Kilt
Hose and other items of clothing and home décor. Your
Austin and Central Texas source for: Spindles from JONATHAN BOSWORTH and others, including
KOKOVOKO spindles. ERTOEL ROBERTA ELECTRONIC
SPINNER – That Australian Technologically Advanced Beauty of a
“powered” Spinner! Absolute BEST
Electronic Spinner on the market. STRAUCH Drum Carders, Hand Cards and really BIG Ballwinder
(these are fantastic), MAJACRAFT
Spinning Wheels and other fine Products , I still emphasize products I
would and DO use myself, and seem to be specializing in technologically
advanced spinning equipment that doesn’t look very traditional. That’s me, and that’s my taste. I’m always celebrating something
– ask about specials. AND also check the Fire Ant Ranch Collectible Items featuring the Knitting
Ant Logo! FARM FIBERS & YARNS My hand dyed and mostly hand
processed wool & mohair products (Austin
Batts, Ant Mounds and Ant Trails) are very popular. My mohair locks (Ant Mounds)
have many repeat customers who know that if a certain colorway hasn’t been
dyed up yet, they can request it. And
my handspun yarn, classic and exotic, is still popular. Knowing that something you’ve designed
yourself also pleases others is a really, really good feeling. I do carry at least once
commercial line of yarn: OPAL Sock Knitting Yarn from |
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