ABOUT US
The Ladies at Llamas & Llambs
Nancy O’Connell is an accountant by profession and a partner of the boutique. She moved to Oregon in 1990 from Pennsylvania (home of the Amish Quilts sold here) with her husband, Tom, who was a llama rancher for several years in the Applegate valley prior to his death in 2001. Together they purchased the Plymale Cottage, renovated it and opened the boutique in 1995. Nancy is a knitter and a quilt collector and in addition to her interests in finance and retail business, she has a passion for the renovation and restoration of old buildings, especially in Jacksonville. She is a member of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and served as the Treasurer for many years.
Kathy Griffith is a talented weaver who has been providing woven products to the boutique since its opening and became a partner in Jan 2007. She has been weaving for 35 years and completes the special weaving orders for the shop. Since moving to Oregon in 1993 from Kona, Hawaii, she has been active in the Rogue Valley Handweavers Guild. She has displayed her work at the Grants Pass Museum of Art, the Black Sheep Gathering, Celebration of Fibers in Roseburg, Oregon and at numerous weaving guild displays. She is a member of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and the Women Entrepreneurs of Southern Oregon and currently serves as board secretary.
The Teachers
Terrie Henderson grew up in San Diego where she was a lover of beading, rock hounding, lapidary and music. She was a member of the San Diego Youth Symphony for 12 years. She moved to Oregon in 1990 and then learned to crochet, beginning with scarves and blankets. Wanting to incorporate pearls and beads into her products she started using upholstery thread for beaded crocheted necklaces. Then she switched to thin wire, finding the lacy effect of the crochet mixed with the pearls produced a Victorian look. She teaches these methods at Llamas & Llambs and also sells her finished products here.
Joanie Kintscher is a fiber artist and college instructor who recently moved to Oregon from the Napa Valley. On her six acre farm there she raised sheep, goats, angora rabbits, alpaca, llama, a Shetland sheep dog, a long haired cat and even silkworms, all potential fiber suppliers for her classes. Joanie taught all aspects of fiber production from animal husbandry to the cleaning, carding and spinning of fibers. Her greatest pleasure is sharing her fiber knowledge and she will be teaching knitting at Llamas & Llambs.
Cindie Kitchin has a degree in fine arts and concentrated on printmaking until discovering weaving and spinning. She was the first woman to win an award from the Nationals Building Congress (DC) for reconstructive art work for the Smithsonian A & I Building. She has taught numerous fiber arts classes and held workshops over the years and was published in Handwoven Magazine. She is an active member of the Rogue Valley Handweavers Guild, Saturday Handweavers Guild and Handweavers Guild of America, Northwest Regional Spinners Association and Pacifica Arts Guild. She sells her finished products at Llamas & Llambs and teaches classes in spinning & felting.
Marilyn Milton has been a knitter since her late teens. She became interested in spinning when she acquired her first llamas in 1985. She says that with good intentions she purchased her first wheel, a much used Ashford and took a class. It actually took another thirteen years to get serious about it but since has earned many awards for her hand spinning and finished garments. Marilyn teaches spinning, knitting and has judged fiber competitions nationwide. She is very active in the llama industry, running a herd of 40 llamas, participating in sales, shows and judging on a national level.
Nadine Purcell has been weaving since 1968 and teaches classes on a regular basis at Llamas & Llambs assisted by her husband, John, who also weaves. She has taught classes for the Southern Oregon Historical Society. She is a member of the Handweavers Guild of America, Complex Weavers and the Rogue Valley Handweavers Guild. She and John have displayed at many exhibits over the years and have won first place awards at the Association of Northwest Weavers Guild conferences.
Gogi Villanueva is an Oregon native. She is an elementary teacher by profession and also works part time in the boutique. She enjoys time with her five llamas, both in the barn and spinning their fiber in the shop. She has been knitting seriously for the past two years and has taught many of her elementary and middle school students to knit and spin and promotes knitting for kids at Llamas & Llambs.