JUDITH GOODFELLOW
is the owner of Fine Fettle
Fibres, the yarn shop in
Felton, near Morpeth in
Northumberland. She has
long been a champion of
British wool, and her shop
is a haven for knitters seeking special yarns
and inspirational workshops.
How did you come to run a yarn store?
“I have been creative with yarn from
an early age. I come from a family of
needlewomen and my grandmother taught
me to knit before I went to school. After 25
years as a healthcare professional, I knew
I wanted to start my own creative business
while I still had the time and energy.
“I started making knitted accessories
at home, first by hand and later by machine,
and selling them locally. As my business
grew, I needed more space and, when the
possibility of a studio at Gallery 45 in
Felton came up, I jumped at the chance.
With space to offer workshops, and an
opportunity to sell supplies for knitters,
Fine Fettle Fibres began to take shape.
“Hand knitting has always been my
first love, creatively speaking, so about
three years ago I decided to turn the
business over completely to selling yarn,
patterns and other knitting supplies and
running workshops to share my love of
knitting and my experience with others.
I haven’t looked back since!”
What brands of yarns do you stock?
“My yarns are all either British or Fair
Trade, and they are all produced from
natural fibres (my one concession to this
is a small amount of nylon in some of my
sock yarns). My British suppliers are mostly
small, independent ones, but I do also
stock several of the pure wool yarns from
West Yorkshire Spinners, and the two
ranges from Rowan that are British-made.
“We stock Armscote Manor, baa ram ewe,
Barefaced, Blacker Yarns, Cambrian Wool,
Erika Knight, FeltOn Arts, The Fibre Co.,
Garthenor, Gathered Sheep Yarns, Ginger
Twist, Jamieson’s of Shetland, Jamieson &
Smith, Lancashire Farm Wool, Natural Born
Dyers, New Leaf Yarns, Queen of Purls,
Triskelion, Uist Wool, and Walcot Yarns.
Hopefully I’ve not forgotten anyone!”Which yarns are currently proving the
most popular with your customers?
“I have the full range of Jamieson & Smith’s
2 Ply Jumper Weight and Supreme Shetland
yarns and these are perennially popular, as
are my various ranges of sock yarn! At the
moment, I am also selling a good deal of
Manos Fino, including their delicious
mini-skein sets, Erika Knight’s new Wool
Local 4ply, and baa ram ewe’s Winterburn,
as northern knitters gear up for the winter!”What would you say are the highlights
and challenges of running a yarn shop?
“Spending each working day surrounded
by the very best in British and Fair Trade
yarn never fails to delight me. I love the
challenge of matching up patterns and
yarns for my customers, and creating
samples for the shop. I enjoy devising and
delivering high-quality workshops, and
seeing my customers grow in confidence
as they discover more about their own
creativity is deeply satisfying.
“These are challenging times for any
small business, though, and local yarn
shops are no different. Balancing good
service and choice for customers with
financial viability is never easy. But neither
is choosing what to stock when there are so
many fabulous small producers out there!”What has been your proudest achievement?
“I’m proud of all aspects of my business, but
the best moments are when I see someone’s
self-esteem rise through learning a new
skill and successfully creating something
they thought was beyond them.”Are you a knitter or crocheter yourself?
“I am an avid knitter! I love Fair Isle,
but also enjoy making innovatively
constructed garments. I need new
challenges regularly!”http://www.finefettlefibres.uk 01670 600001We meet Judith Goodfellow, a yarn shop
owner in Felton, Northumberland
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1 The Felton shop is a haven for local knitters
2 Twice-weekly Knit & Natter sessions are very
popular 3 Judith stocks a wide range of British
yarns 4 Recent workshops have focussed on
Celtic cables, brioche stitch, and steekingFine Fettle Fibres
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