About
Juneau Woolies started out of my love for rabbits and discovery of spinning and dying fibers. From there, it sparked all kinds of colorful yarns. I was dying yarn in my kitchen and quickly outgrew it. Now I have studio space with the Heads in the Clouds Collective, in downtown Juneau at the Articorp building. I live on the land of the Aakw Kwaan, in Juneau, Alaska which inspires many of the colors I make.
Please bare with me as I take this first year to get colorway collections set, try new techniques, and make mistakes, and selecting the best bases. Being a single parent, and sole owner of this endeavor means your yarn may not always get shipped in a timely manner. I do my best to prioritize your purchases, sometimes life just gets in the way.
Over time I have been losing my hearing. Now, I wear hearing aids and communication has become more challenging. Juneau Woolies was a way for me to rely more on my eyes and hands than my ears and still get a paycheck. And if you plan on calling me, maybe opt for email or text first :)
Thank you so much for Supporting Juneau Woolies! Every penny goes towards supporting me, my child, 3 rabbits, a small flock of quail, and my obsession with fibers. It would not be a success without you!
FAQs
Where do you sell yarn?
I sell online, at local markets, and now some yarn can be found at Changing Tides in Juneau. Through the Heads in the Clouds Collective, I am able to offer in-person shopping opportunities on a limited basis.
The studio is located at 418 Harris St. Room 403. It’s tricky to find if you’ve never been there. There are several entrances to the building. Once you get in, find the stairs and go up! We’re on the top floor, room 403.
Is all your yarn handspun?
I love to spin yarn. It is a very slow form of art. When I sell hand spun yarn, it will be clearly labeled as hand spun. I would love to hand spin everything but it comes down to time.
Where does your wool/yarn come from?
Each hand spun skein is sourced from animals whose names I know. I purchase from a small sheep farm in the San Juan Islands, WA. They are my dad’s neighbors. They take great care of their sheep! Other fibers come from my own rabbits, or are carefully sourced.
Most of the hand dyed, pre-made yarns come from Knit Picks. They take great strides to sell ethically produced fibers. If you would like to know more about what that means and what certifications they have, please check out their website: https://www.knitpicks.com/learning-center/about-our-yarn
I also get some of my yarn from Cascade Yarns in Washington. They are family owned and operated.
Do you offer wholesale pricing?
I do! If you are purchasing more than $300 worth of yarn, please contact me to discuss wholesale. I want to support other makers out there! I also offer wholesale to retail venues.
Where else can I find your yarn, do you have a store?
Right now I make everything at home and sell online and at local markets. At the time of writing this I do not yet sell anywhere else.
Artist Statement
I am Tess Olympia, owner of Juneau Woolies. I am a queer, hard of hearing, independent, single mom, full of mom jokes. An honored guest on Tlingit Aaní. I make art because I cannot not make art. It takes a certain amount of obsession to be an artist. To be obsessed with one drawing, one painting, one skein of yarn, long enough to study it, re-do it again and again and finally complete something that is never really done. I draw, paint, make music, spin fibers, dye fibers, felt fibers, knit, sew, sing and dance. Obsession and curiosity keep me going. Scientific and unscientific exploration. I did this, this is what happened, but what if I tried this next time?
The way ink flows across a page or runs from water, the way watercolors and gouache paints react, the way dye sticks and sometimes doesn’t, or a totally unexpected color appears when mixed, or heat is added. These things make me more curious. The more I know, the less I know.
There was a time in my life, years, where I stopped using almost all color in my art. I only used black ink, black pens, black paint. It took some healing before color started to make its way back. It was when I discovered spinning that color reached the pages of my drawings. When I spin yarn, I feel like my hands have done this thousands of times before. Something deep in my bones understands this process. When people see me spin, they can’t help but become curious as well. It’s very calming. I sometimes imagine all my stress spinning right out of me.
When I dye wool, it comes to life. I love the way vibrant colors meet, sometimes blend, overlap, or create a new depth. I make colors and blends that I don’t like, that I think are ugly or unpleasant. And I know that someone else probably will enjoy it. And then I try something new to see how that may turn out. The possible color blends are endless, rainbows of opportunity. Can I recreate a purple cabbage color? A carrot? Or the color of muskeg or highbush cranberries? At a recent market, people reacted to all the colors, saying how fun and vibrant they are, a feast for the eyes. I have to agree. The best part is that yarn is a useful item and can be knitted, crocheted or woven into something new. Adding color is just the beginning.