The first time I held handspun yarn was when I really got it: Ah ha! THIS is what the fuss is all about. This is YARN. Everything about it -- the look, the feel, the fact that someone chose each colour, each strand of wool, put them all together in her own way, and created this beautiful thing for me to use to create something else -- all this meant creativity for me at the most fundamental level. And I knew, as I began to use more and more handspun yarn, that I wanted to play too. I wanted to create yarn that would go out in the world and be transformed in the hands of others.

Pretty soon I took a spindle-spinning course at the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild and was delighted to discover that I absolutely and positively loved it. A few spindles later my husband noticed a second-hand spinning wheel for sale and gave it to me for my birthday and I haven't stopped since.

After a couple more courses, lots of books, and through the generosity of the many fibre artists who share their craft through online tutorials, I learned more about spinning, dyeing, carding, combing, and washing fibre. I have found that I love every step of the process from buying the fleece raw from farmers straight through to gazing upon the finished skeins of yarn as they hang drying on the rack.

I love strong, bold colours, and I love the effect of mixing different varieties of wool together in a single yarn. Every kind of sheep seems to have its own voice and character speaking through its wool, with different textures, softnesses, lustres, and strengths, and I really enjoy watching them combine into something new.

For me, spinning is how I relax. The rhythm of the wheel, the rhythm of my hands working with the wool, the movement of the combs, the turning of the handcarder -- all these add to a peace of mind I find I arrive at through the process of creating. The anticipation along every step of the way -- how will this fleece look when it's clean, when it's dyed, when it's combed, when it's spun, when it's washed and dried -- adds an element of joy and satisfaction I don't get anywhere else. I love to spin and I always look forward to my next project.

My shop name was my original Etsy username - once upon a time, they had to be the same and were unchangeable. It's a reference to the Faroe Islands where my grandparents were originally from, descendants of the Vikings who originally settled there centuries ago. The Faroes have unique sheep that are the basis of an important wool industry, not to mention culinary traditions.