Hi, my name is Ronda and I am so happy to finally start this website. I’m based in Colorado—born and raised—and I’ve had a love for fiber arts for as long as I can remember.

I first learned to crochet when I was about ten years old, taught by my grandmother and my aunt. What started as a simple craft turned into something I’ve carried with me throughout my life.

About 15 years ago, I discovered spinning when my family owned a few alpacas. While we no longer have the animals, that experience sparked a deeper appreciation for fiber—from raw fleece all the way to finished yarn. I still love the process of preparing fiber, spinning, and dyeing yarn, and seeing how each step transforms into something beautiful and usable.

These days, I spend my time knitting, crocheting, spinning, and experimenting with color through hand-dyed yarn. I also enjoy time with my grandchildren, who bring so much joy and inspiration into my life (you might notice a little nod to them in my avatar!). The little one is quite the character (obviously).

Through MS. Baum Designs, I’ll be sharing hand-dyed yarns, handmade pieces, and glimpses into what I’m working on behind the scenes. As things grow, I may also share patterns, tutorials, and more of my creative process.

Whether you’re here to shop, explore, or simply follow along, I’m so glad you’re here. 

 I decided to try something I’ve actually done before—without even realizing it had a name.
Fractal spinning.
After watching a few videos and learning more about the technique, it clicked that I had experimented with this in the past. I just didn’t know what it was called at the time. Now, approaching it more intentionally, I wanted to see what I could create with a planned color palette and method.
This skein—now named Aurora Fracture—is my first intentional fractal spin.

🎨The Color Story

For this yarn, I chose a range of about 12 colors, moving from deep black through rich blues, teals, warm golds, and into a soft cream. I arranged the colors in a specific sequence, repeating that order throughout the spin.
Looking back, I’m not entirely sure I love the exact sequence I chose. That’s part of the process, though—learning what works and what I’d change next time. I think future fractal spins will lean more into randomness rather than repeating the same progression. My instinct is that a more varied layout will create shorter color changes and a more dynamic finished yarn.
I’m already thinking about trying a palette of pinks, purples, and blues next.

🌀 The Fractal Process
For this spin, I divided my fiber into two halves:

The first half was spun as-is, following the original color sequence

• The second half was split again, and then split again, creating smaller and smaller sections of color

This creates that signature fractal effect—where the same colors repeat at different intervals, giving the yarn depth and movement when plied together.
After spinning the singles, I used a two-ply cake plying method to finish the yarn.

⏱️Time Investment
This was definitely not a quick project.

• Spinning the singles: ~8 hours

• Plying: ~1.5 hours

👉 Total time: nearly 10 hours for one skein
That’s a significant amount of time for a single ball of yarn—but also part of what makes handspun so special.

📏Finished Yarn Details

• Name: Aurora Fracture

• Yardage: 274 yards

• Weight: 113 grams

• Approximate weight class: Worsted

🤔 First Impressions
I’ll be honest—while I was spinning it, I wasn’t completely sure how I felt about it.
But once it was plied and wound up, it really came together in a way I didn’t expect. The colors started to make more sense, and the overall effect became much more cohesive.
I do think this yarn will knit up with longer color transitions—possibly even a self-striping effect—which I’m very curious to see. That’s part of the fun of fractal spinning: you don’t fully know what you’ve created until you start using it.

🌿 What I Learned
This project taught me a lot:

• Color order matters more than I expected

• Repetition creates longer striping

• Randomness might create more movement and interest

• Fractal spinning opens up a lot of creative possibilities

Most importantly, it reminded me how much I enjoy experimenting with fiber and seeing where the process takes me.

This is just the beginning of exploring fractal spinning more intentionally, and I’m excited to see where it leads next.