Meet the instructors

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Ellen Baize took up sewing, knitting and crochet as a teen but never dreamed of spinning and weaving wool from a sheep until her parents brought the first know flock of Shetlands to Texas in 1991. She took spinning, weaving and dyeing lessons from a master fiber artist, Anna Scott, and developed a passion for the world of fiber arts. Now as a shepherdess of Shetlands she loves breeding for lambs to sell, shearing her sheep and skirting fleeces to send to mills or to scour and spin. She keeps her hands busy with fiber arts projects using yarns hand dyed with natural dyes or yarns of many beautiful natural colors from her sheep. Knitting is a favorite pastime and Navaho style tapestry weaving an art form she is enthusiastic about sharing. Ellen loves to teach all ages the skills she has learned hoping that these wonderful arts will be preserved for future generations.

Abigail Carter learned how to knit & sew from her mother and spent class days annoying teachers by knowing the answer even when she was “goofing off” knitting with two pencils. She later taught herself to crochet, and enjoyed making amigurumi critters. For the last four years, she’s been honing her spinning skills, taught by a lovely friend, and is so chuffed with the hobby that she can’t wait to share her knowledge! When she’s not at the wheel or spindle, you might find her hoarding a growing stash of fibers in need of processing, weaving on vintage looms, fiddling about with woodworking, or teasing her gremlin cat, Roxie.

Shortly  after acquiring their land in 2007,  Lyn and her husband, Mark began  raising alpacas.  They added Gulf Coast Sheep in 2011.  Over the years Lyn learned to process the fiber from both the alpaca and sheep, and uses it in products she sells from her farm store. She offers lessons in knit, crochet, wet and needle felting, spinning and weaving, with a focus on classes for children.  While she still processes small batches of fiber herself, she also offers mill processed roving and yarn.  

When not working with her animals, or practicing her crafts, she runs the farm's 3 air bnb cabins and oversees the family insurance agency in Corpus Christi, TX.

Françoise, with a decade in the fiber industry as both a knitwear designer and design coach, blends her rich Franco-Māori heritage into her work, creating pieces that resonate globally through their beauty and narrative depth. Residing in San Antonio, Texas, she's not only a skilled creator but also a mentor, guiding others in unlocking their creative potential. Her multifaceted background informs her vibrant, textured designs and her approach to coaching, making her a sought-after voice in the fiber arts community.

Karen Davis has been a fiber enthusiast since 2000 and fiber artist since 2004.  She specializes in spinning, weaving, wet-felting and needle-felting with fiber from her own animals including alpacas, angora rabbits and llamas.  In addition, in homage to her Danish heritage, she creates one-of-a-kind Viking weave necklaces and bracelets with wire-wrapped semi-precious stones. Her love of animals and nature led her to a career teaching high school biology, specifically AP Biology.  She is happy to discuss animals and/or biology with you!!

Joyce started Needle Felting in 2008,  in 2010 she won Living Felt’s Alice in Wonderland contest with her psychedelic Cheshire cat, who glows under black light! She teaches needle felting and fiber art workshops across the country. Most recently she has become a Sarafina Certified Instructor and her original winged dragon tutorial,  “Here There Be Dragons” is featured on feltingtutorials.com a platform sponsored by Living Felt.  Joyce is known for her fantasy woodland style, her creations come live with their own whimsical magic. 

Joyce has demonstrated at various Renaissance Festivals and shows her creations at indie crafts throughout Texas. She is an instructor at DFW Fiber Festival and Texas Fleece and Fiber Festival. 

She creates her art near Bastrop/Smithville Texas and lives in the piney woods with her husband and a bunch of talented musicians, mini goats and a variety of animals.

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Julia Leksell owns Little Leksell Blossoms, a small family owned and operated farm located in Wilcox, AZ  She will be presenting crochet classes at Texas Fleece & Fiber Festival for the first time 2025

Sandy learned to spin while her husband was stationed in North Carolina in the early 90’s. A new acquaintance gave her two sacks of wool and loaned her an Ashford Traditional spinning wheel stating, “Anything you spin in 6 weeks you can keep.” It was a steep learning curve, but suffice it to say, hand preparation of fleeces was FUN!! Now she and her husband have a flock of Shetland Sheep and lots of wool to work with. She is excited to pass on the old fashioned way to prepare fleeces for spinning. 

Jennifer Nimmrichter is founder of The Sheepwalk Ranch which is home to Suzoo's Wool Works and The Sheepwalk Fiber Mill. She has over 14 years of experience as an indie dyer and fiber artist. The last 10 years have been dedicated to learning about fiber breeds, fiber arts and, newly added, how to process in the fiber mill. Her passion is for community based projects that help preserve the history of the wool and mohair industry in the U.S., working with heritage breeds and creating a cooperative that is community centric. Students and Fiber Producers can book time in the mill to get a feeling for what it takes to raise wool and how to make it sustainable for future generations.

   Julie and her husband, Joel own and operate Hummers Homestead Alpacas, a medium sized alpaca farm located in northern Bastrop County just east of Austin, TX. They have been raising alpacas since late 2002 The Plummers participate in showing alpacas at alpaca shows,  breeding and selling alpaca and also in processing and preparing the alpaca fiber for use.  They have been selling alpaca related products for  many years and just recently opened an alpaca store on their property.  

Andrea's art has garnered quite a bit of  attention in the Hill Country since she moved into the area.  Her work, 

"Reflections at the Water' s Edge", took first place in the Hill Country Arts Foundation Juried Exhibition in 2024. Much of her award winning artwork is created from locally sourced wool and has become a popular choice for many customers.