Shop History

Wild and Woolly Yarns has been serving the local community for upwards of 40 years . I arrived    in New Zealand from the North Of England in 2002, and frequented the Devonport store. I am only it’s third lucky owner. I was an almost daily customer, I am a wool addict. The owner uttered those immortal words… “you are in my shop every day why don’t you buy it off me?” The rest is history. I had a vision, I would turn the store into a sanctuary, surrounded by beautiful fibres, nothing novelty or tacky, or synthetic…Just stunning fibres, natural, pure, dye free, organic and honest.

I thought it would be only a few weeks to tidy and sort, it was actually 5 years before my vision came to fruition. My final vision was only realised in September 2017 when we relocated to the seaside suburb of Milford and turned a nondescript retail space into an extension of all my beliefs and the way I live my life. Carbon neutral paint, a sympathetic floor sand and wax, recycled shop fittings, a Formica 1960’s kitchen table as my shop counter, locally made chalk paint brings all the tables and chests together, recycled paper for our printing and of course, if you need a bag, ours are paper and have been for 15 years. It’s a shame its taken so long for other retailers (supermarkets) to address this issue. Don’t get me started.

So please don’t think I am an eco warrior and a ‘crank’ I am well turned out, honest, amusing, polite and funny. As I have aged and body parts start to drop and wrinkle, I find a sense of humour, and a new red lipstick are invaluable! Please indulge in my store.

Harry is my 'change of career' puppy (failed guide dog). He is normally fast asleep in his basket under the counter. In an emergency he doubles as a patient and friendly 'toybox'. 

 

Our Ethics

We are a contemporary wool shop with traditional values; these being Honesty, Simplicity and Sustainability.

In this fast-paced society where mass production is rampant, we think it is important to take time to indulge in the simpler pleasures. Knitting is a time-honoured craft that demonstrates love and care. Wild and Woolly Yarns is a store that reflects these same values. 

We aim to run a low-impact, ethical and sustainable store. 

All products are sourced as locally as possible. Here in New Zealand we are surrounded by beautiful products and talented designers, and this is something we wish to showcase. 

When something gorgeous is available from overseas (such as our Alpaca yarns) we ensure that the manufacturing process is sustainable and request delivery via sea rather than air freight to reduce our carbon footprint. 

When we moved to Milford we took the opportunity to furnish our new store in line with our low-impact philosophy. Our Lundia shelving units are recycled and made in New Zealand. The Paint+ paints we have used to colour our walls and ceiling are carbon neutral. All of our own patterns and shelf talkers are printed on recycled paper using vegetable based inks. 

Our new space in Milford has been created as a knitting sanctuary, somewhere you can enjoy spending time, tantalizing your senses and feeding your soul. Alongside our beautiful range of products I have displayed my favourite trinkets as an ode to a bygone era. I love my garden (as do many of my customers) and fresh flowers and plants are a feature all year round.

Most importantly, we only sell what we love, and we enjoy sharing this with our customers. We are here to guide you, listen to you, laugh with you and ultimately to help you chose a project you will thoroughly enjoy making as well as using!