Woollenstones

Meet Jan Barlow

Jan started Woollenstones after she went back to yarn aged around 22, after first working with it as a child, and soon developed a very keen eye for quality yarns. Starting off with just a drop spindle and no money, she set about buying small amounts of fluff and never looked back. 

Later, realising she was good at spinning, she invested in a spinning wheel and it all took off. She now spins on an Ashford, Kiwi 2 wheel, using merino and silk for the woollen yarns and cotton, bamboo and soya for the vegan yarns.

Jan particularly enjoys the mental health benefits of spinning. The calming effects and the looking back in time (Jan is an archaeologist by training) have gripped her as she works from her home studio, carefully helped by her feline assistant, Ruby, who is the chief wool sorter.