Old Oaks Ranch

I’ve been here a few times — with and without my kids. I tend to judge stores by their quality of product and how well they interact with me AND my kids — not just me.
I organized a tour of homeschoolers for my first visit, and have taken my 4 kids back a couple of times. I have always experienced pleasant, friendly staff. No one has ever looked nervous that my kids were wandering around looking at the products — I have two girls and two boys and they ALL knit. Even the boys. There was none of the attitude I sometimes see — welcoming the girls but expecting the boys to start wrestling. My boys picked out yarn too, and not an eye was batted. In fact, they led my kids all around the store comparing yarns, answering questions, even showing a bit of needle felting.
On one visit we spent a good HOUR in this store — browsing, asking questions, browsing some more — and there was never a bit of impatience toward us.
Quality of yarn: I found there to be quite a good selection of yarn, roving, supplies, weaving, books. It is well organized and the products are nice.
The farm part: the homeschool tour itself was great, the farm manager was knowledgable and kind to the kids. The animals are well cared for.
The sculpture garden: these are art lovers, and I do feel the sculpture garden itself is absolutely worth the trip. There are tables set up amongst the trees and sculptures, where you can enjoy your lunch, listen to the water in the art pond, and relish being in the shade on a hot day. The landscaping around the art is lovely. The art pieces themselves are spectacular — hard to describe so I will try to find some pics and upload them. There are giraffes with women carrying babies, there are art pieces worked into the grotto/​water feature, there are unique works of art here.

I had high hopes for this yarn store. It was part of the Texas Hill Country Yarn Crawl. The scenery around this store is exquisite. It’s totally green. As we approached the store there was a cupcake truck outside and the people in the truck were friendly and warm and I expected the same of the people in the actual store. I was wrong. The store itself was nice. The yarn selection was ok. Nothing really special. Nothing I haven’t seen everywhere else. The woman who was in charge was NOT welcoming or friendly. When I go into a yarn store, unlike a say, hardware store, I expect to feel welcomed whether I’m shopping or just looking. The words were spoken but the feeling didn’t come across. Soooo mediocre yarn selection, unfriendly feeling atmosphere = Not going back. There is a sculpture garden in the front of the store that was worth seeing. Tho not worth a trip for that alone.

Its always something at Old Oaks Ranch, it might just be me, but I brought a friend with me this time and she got the snob vibe too. The best thing about this yarn shop is the bathroom. No kidding, I love the window, the great frame around the mirror and the soap is lovely. The staff always seems either snobbish or unable to engage. The yarn is nothing special. What they are famous for is Alpaca and they don’t seem to sell much of their own. When in the Austin Area and the Hill Country, I honestly suggest Gauge Knits and Lucky Ewe, where customer service and great yarn go together. May God bless Old Oaks Ranch out of business and fast.

I am not a knitter. My wife however is an avid one. Thus, I get to go to places that sell knitting things. She doesn’t Unilocal.I do. Hence my writing this review.
From my viewpoint: It was a nice drive out into the Hill Country. There’s neat sculptures, wildflowers, and a fountain to look at. There were chairs and a table I could sit and look at things on the laptop at while the wife shopped: 5 Stars.
From my wife’s viewpoint: They have a nice selection of wooden needles. Including circular ones that are large (Size 15+). Due to time of the season there weren’t a whole lot of local yarns available, but they apparently carry them normally. (Apparently Alpaca shearing had just occurred, but yarn was not ready yet.) Very reasonable prices. 5 Stars.

My home away from home. Wonderful vibe, beautiful inventory, endless avenues for fiber fettishists. And the staff are so real, warm and helpful. Nina, Renee, Sue Ellen and the others will make sure you have what you need and share a bit of knowledge at the same time. They introduced me to knitting and I’m addicted.
Take a Hill Country drive and treat yourself to a visit. The sculpture garden is so charming and inviting. You’ll come back, and often!

Love these fun little businesses — the ladies that own this place are so sweet. They have alpacas and make their own yarn. They also carry tons of beautiful silks, cashmere, cotton.. . you name the yarn fiber, they probably have it. You can weave, knit, spin, hook, crochet, dye, felt.. . or take classes and learn how to do any of those things. They also have ranch tours and a sculpture garden! They are open Tuesday-​Saturday from 10am-​5pm and they are well worth a drive up from Wimberly Square to visit!

This place is like a magic fairy land for fiber and art people. It’s a bit of a drive from Austin but once you turn into their driveway you’ll be greeted by unique sculptures and live alpacas. And possibly a donkey.
The women who run this are all incredibly nice and will help you with any questions you might have about yarn, especially weaving. There’s a back room in the shop dedicated to weaving and they will answer any question you might have about it. They are always willing to help you, and most likely have a class for you to learn more. Or will set one up for you. Trust me, these ladies are happy to help!
Their yarn selection isn’t huge but they do have some quality yarns, including mill-​spun from their own alpacas.
During the yarn crawl this and the tinsmith’s wife in boerne are always my favorites.