THE HANDSPUN JOURNEY

It started with a skein of wool.

While I was visiting the sheep and wool center in Ireland, I found two beautiful skeins tucked away in a little room. One was an oatmeal-colored Dorset handspun wool with a soft, uneven texture that immediately caught my attention.

​

I met Gladys there and told her I had chosen one of the skeins. She was genuinely excited and thanked me for choosing it. She had spun the wool herself and was learning more about spinning and felting.

​

I brought that skein home with me without knowing what it would become.

​

For a while, I simply let it be. Eventually, I knew it wanted to become a bag.

​

The wool became a larger crescent-shaped crossbody, keeping the natural irregularity and softness of the handspun yarn. I paired the warm oatmeal wool with a pale cottage-blue strap, a little reminder of the water I had been surrounded by in Ireland.

​

The bag is fully lined with a zipper closure and brass D-rings. It carries a leather Crochet by Natalie Lucille label on the outside, with the Wanderlust & Wool label inside.

​

What makes this piece special to me isn't just the bag itself. It's the journey of the wool. Gladys spun it by hand in Ireland. I found it, loved it, and carried it home across the Atlantic.

Then I spent time with it until I understood what it wanted to become.

​

One skein. One spinner. One journey across the Atlantic. And now, one little piece of the journey to carry with you.

Made slowly and intentionally by hand, one stitch at a time.