Leona-Jayne Kelly certainly knows how to spin a good yarn.
From tales of serial killers to circular needles, many of the true stories relate to her journey from the North East of Scotland to becoming a Dundee wool shop boss.
As anyone who has passed by her Fluph shop on Dundee’s Blackness Road will know, it’s the huge impact she has made on Dundee’s craft scene over the past two years which has made her name.
Since opening in 2013, her shop has become renowned for its eclectic window displays, from 3D cardboard sheep to a full on diorama of Super Mario Brothers, as well as welcoming some of Scotland’s finest talent in her workshop programme.
But amid the colourful cacophony of creativity, there’s a serious side to how Fluph came about as it was whilst suffering from depression as a student tha Leona, now aged 29, first took up knitting.
Explaining how she moved from just outside Fraserburgh to study at Dundee’s Abertay University, she says: “I studied for my BA in forensic psychobiology as I was a little bit obsessed with psychopaths, and really wanted to work in the prisons with serious criminals. I have no idea why, as it wasn’t until my second year that I discovered CSI! I graduated without honours and was panicking a little bit about what to do next, as it turned out that I really wasn’t an academic person.
“In the middle of my second year I taught myself to knit and my mum taught me how to crochet as I was so stressed out and suffering from depression. I found it really helped deal with everything.”
By the time she graduated she had begun sewing and a friend encouraged her to apply to Dundee College to study for an NQ in textiles and interiors. Loving every minute of it, she went on to study for an HNC, HND and ended with a degree in design and creativity through Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.
She specialised in textiles, with a module on business. By this time she had decided she wanted to open the shop, so she used the module to work on a business plan.
Now, working with her two spaniels, Arthur sand Oskar, the shop provides yarn and accessories to get people started on knitting and crochet or to just fuel the habit. And she is usually inspired by the brightest colours of yarn possible!
She adds: “We also runs classes throughout the year taught by some really awesome tutors on such things as darning, making things fit, adding beads and also straight up beginners classes. “We also have a knit night every Thursday evening 6pm-8pm where we all fight for a seat on the sofa and drink tea, eat cake and sometimes work on our projects, there has also been known to be alcohol….but shh! “ she laughs.
“Me personally I am forever knitting and crocheting, and sometimes sewing. I really like the process of working on something. It relaxes my mind and often helps me process things. Also having something hand made at the end is the best bit!”
Last July Leona launched her own hand dyed yarn exclusive to the shop called Rusty Ferret.
She dyes this in the basement and is currently working on building that up very slowly.
She adds: “My goal is to have a stand at Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2017. I always loved “puddling” as my gran would say. Basically playing in the sink with water. So I think the dying appeals to that part of me. Throwing colours in a pot and waiting to see what comes out. The brand started off as a bit of a secret as I was really scared of what people would think. But it has to be the world’s worst kept secret. People found out through my partner’s gran of all people! And the knitty community in Scotland are really good detectives….worryingly!
“It’s also really exciting to work with colours you have created and turn it into a wearable garment, And that whole sense of pride when someone tells you they really love the yarn!”
www.fluph.co.uk