Nicole Melton
Knot & Splice is USA-sourced handmade jewelry, textiles, and objects by Nicole Melton, a Florida Everglades native, multi-disciplinary artist, and designer. Nicole comes from a background in graphic design, photography, metalsmithing, and fiber art. She holds a BFA degree from the renowned School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).
Knot & Splice was founded in Chicago during the spring of 2012, with a firm belief in the values of handmade, quality American work. Early pieces included hand-beaded jewelry (inspired by Native American patterns) which quickly expanded to metalsmithed, hand-carved/cast, and U.S. stone pieces. After a serious spine surgery in 2014 (and chronic pain/neurological changes), Nicole is focusing on small thoughtful jewelry collections (that do not subscribe to a fashion calendar), one-of-a-kind fine jewelry, and textiles.
Knot & Splice jewelry is inspired by traditional Americana imagery, Spanish/Native American silversmithing, Victorian mourning imagery, traditional/folk arts, vintage/antique ephemera, and nature. Many one-of-a-kind stone pieces are modern/minimal in design to elevate the raw beauty of rare/collectible American-mined stones. Nicole’s fiber art and handwoven textiles attempt to capture liberated emotion through color and texture. Weaving is an expressive, meditative process that has given the artist a unique voice. Nicole began incorporating more 
experimental and traditional spinning into her fiber art practice in 2015 to further personalize her textile work. The mission of Knot & Splice is to support other U.S. companies, by sourcing all stones from American lapidary artists and collectors (Knot & Splice only uses U.S.-mined stones). All other materials are purchased from U.S. suppliers (especially recycled metals).
The fiber used in Nicole’s weavings includes: the artist’s own hand-spun yarn, U.S. sourced and/or locally-dyed yarn, small business yarn purchases, naturally dyed fibers, fair trade and vintage fiber, and repurposed/recycled or second-hand yarn/materials. Knot & Splice makes unique work that has been skillfully and lovingly crafted with American values—reflected in both material and design. Nicole makes every Knot & Splice piece by hand in her home studio now located in Kansas City, MO.
