A weaver, by way of a shepherd's farm
From sewing at ten to a loom of her own
Carol's path to the loom wasn't direct, but looking back, every step led here. She started sewing at ten, drawn to the feel of fabric under her hands. Knitting came next, then spinning and dyeing, each one adding a new layer of understanding about fiber before it becomes anything at all. Weaving was the one that stuck. It's part art, part serious math, threading and counting and tension all at once, and Carol loves that it keeps her mind as engaged as her hands.
Long before any of that, there were the sheep.
Carol grew up raising bum lambs on her grandfather's Montana farmCarol's grandfather, Harry Austin, was a shepherd who spent every day of his life with his flock. His farm is where Three Bags Full gets its name and its roots. That early love of sheep never left her, and it shows up in the way she still works: fiber prepared by old-fashioned methods, honoring both the animals and the land they come from, long before a single thread hits the loom.
Carol doesn't take commission work. She's found that a piece loses something when it isn't entirely her own, shaped by the color and texture she's drawn to that particular week rather than someone else's spec sheet. Instead, each scarf, wrap, and shawl is a one-of-a-kind creation, built from a deep connection to Montana and to the craft her grandfather practiced with his flock every day of his life. It's slow work, it's grounding, and after more than a decade of sewing, knitting, spinning, and dyeing her way here, it's exactly what she was always meant to do.
Her work has been recognized outside her own booth, too:
Carol shows up throughout the year
Catch her at a Montana market or fair, or call or text her directly at 406-671-4932 to ask about a piece or hear more about how it was made.
Call or Text Carol