Split Rock Ranch...Where fiber is our passion and it shows!
We bought our first llamas in November 1996 and then moved to Split Rock Ranch in May 1997. I started working with the llama fiber and was immediately hooked! I have always been allergic to or sensitive to wool products but discovered it wasn't the wool, it was the chemicals used to process it. I started delving into other natural fibers, including wool, mohair, cashmere, alpaca, angora rabbit, camel, yak, silk, etc. I started out dyeing small batches of fiber using Kool-Aid and quickly graduated to using professional acid dyes and started dyeing roving, top, loose locks and yarns. I bought my first spinning wheel used in late 1999 and watched a couple of other people spin but was mostly self taught. Once things finally "clicked" for me, I was obsessed with spinning everything I could get my hands on, including dog fur! Then I bought an Ashford drum carder and started playing with blending different fibers together to take advantage of the different properties of each fiber - the final results being far more than the sum of its parts. I love to "paint" fibers on to the drum carder to create textural and colorful fiber art. It all came together and became a fiber obsession that I am very passionate about. I felt like I finally found my niche where I felt like I would never "work" another day in my life because I love what I do so much. I quit my "real" job in June 2008 to work our ranch and my fiber business full time. I have recently acquired a used floor loom and a couple of table looms and look forward to learning to weave.
