The Journey Begins With a Little Shop

Santosha Fibreworks opens!

The last twelve years of my professional life have been devoted to fitness but somewhere in the last two, I found myself really grasping, trying to make it work.  The more I wanted it, the further away it slipped.

I finally realized that I was finding peace at my spinning wheel and contentment with my spindles. I was also turning out more completed projects than I had in eighteen years of spinning combined.

I was transitioning.

Happiness – or contentment – is greatest when my hands and my brain are creating something.  I pour all of my love into the project in front of me and make certain that things are just right for the person receiving the end result.  I can easily get so lost in fibre that I forget to start dinner or change loads of laundry around.  These are the joys and obstacles of working from home, but my husband, Jeremy, and my dad, Dan, are used to my imperfect housekeeping skills.

With a lot of encouragement and support from so many people, I decided to take my stepmother, Wendy’s, love of spinning and turn it into a fluff empire.  The winter was long and cold and dark as I worked through her collection and my collection and sorted the fibre out.  But it provided more than just physical warmth.  It gave me a sense of purpose again. Santosha Fibreworks had been in the concept stage for over eight months.  There was a lot to do, a lot of questions to answer and a lot of fear to get over, but it all came together.  Spring was going to be special this year.

April 1, 2015, and not a joke or prank in sight.  What a lovely – if chilly – day for an opening. Fresh white daffodils from my dad graced the butcher block counter beside a pitcher of spindles and made it feel like spring inside.  Wendy would have been pleased that one of her dreams was coming true.

I have a small shop at the back of my house with a bookcase of fibre ready to spin, learn to spin kits and the basics to get you started.  As the weeks go on, I will be adding some knitting and crocheting tools also to help you with “from fluff to finished” projects. There are hand dyed and hand blended batts of wool for you to sink into and a beautiful selection of natural coloured wool rovings from my little Shetland sheep.  When you are ready to start spinning, I am here to guide you.

Santosha means contentment and the word has its roots in yoga.  After a rough couple of years, I found that the consistency of spinning and meeting with my yoga mat sustaining.  This has left me content with my life, and contentment feels good.

My goal is to bring my love of yoga and fitness to my little corner of the fibre arts world.  I want to create beautiful items that wrap you in contentment. Follow my journey and embrace Santosha.

Namaste and happy spinning!

Rebecca