Fire Ant Ranch

Has moved to Georgetown!

NEW address is:

170 Young Ranch Rd., Georgetown TX 78633

 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.`

Black Welsh Mountain Ewe Shetland Ewe Gulf Coat Ram

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 Georgetown to rival that chipotle sausage!

We’re holding at 15 cats at the moment.  All of them are indoors at the new place and we’ve built a lovely cat room/cat spa.

Going on five years now with Kenney, the dream dressage horse – a 16.1 hand bright bay Trakehner schoolmaster gelding.   He’ll get a lovely dressage arena over there, close to the house.  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.  There will be a dye area and a place for the felting machine as well.

I’ve published & sold designs in  Knitter's Magazine, Lion Brand Yarns and Knitter's Digest.  I also do custom knitting of Kilt Hose and other items of clothing and home décor.    My  beautiful old Gilmore 40", 4 shaft loom is still here. I'm still happily exploring twill patterns on it, using the shareware design program, Winweave.   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 I’m still playing with.

Please visit my CUSTOMER SHOWCASE PAGE.   l have 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.

 

 

Fire Ant Ranch Logo Knitting Ant   

Latest Georgetown, Texas, weather

The Shop Front is Open ONLY by Appointment – just email or give me a call to see if you can stop by – fiber shows, farm chores and equine activities notwithstanding!

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 include the Taos Wool Festival (which I am giving 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.

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!

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,

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 Germany.   OPAL is THE most popular of the self-patterning sock yarns!

 

 

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