Introducing…. Sarah Ritchie

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If you are a felt-maker in New Zealand, you probably recognise Sarah’s name and her distinctive style from Creative Fibre circles. Her jaw-droppingly beautiful, cubist-style needle-felted artworks have appeared on the front cover of magazines and in many exhibitions. We have felt (excuse the pun 😉 ) very fortunate to learn from Sarah and watch her work, and now you can too… Sarah is about to publish her first needle-felting book! It is packed full of tips, lots of “how to” information as well as 10 patterns and designs for you to follow and adapt to your own personal style and colour palette.

There is something for everyone, from curious beginners to experienced felters looking for a fresh creative direction.

This book is the result of Sarah’s own journey as a self-taught artist. After years of experimenting with wool, colour and composition, she developed a painterly style and soon discovered how eager others were to learn her techniques. Writing this book was a natural progression from offering kits and teaching in person, providing a way to share what she’s learned in a practical and approachable format.

Front cover of Needle-felting with Sarah Ritchie: Fibre painting pattern collection 1

Where can I buy a copy?

If you are coming to Woolfest in Auckland on 24th May 2025, you can pick up your hard copy and chat with Sarah in person. Alternatively, if Auckland is just a little too far to travel, you can download the e-book from Sarah’s website (www.sarah-ritchie.com) or purchase a hard copy from Amazon.


What makes ‘Needle-felting with Sarah Ritchie’ stand out is the combination of technical guidance and artistic encouragement. Rather than simply replicating each piece, readers are invited to adapt, explore, and make each artwork their own. It’s a book that doesn’t just teach a craft — it nurtures creative confidence.


I hope you enjoy it!

What Would You Have Done?

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I have a confession to make…. Actually 2 confessions, if I am totally honest….

The spinners among you will know all too well that spinning wheels are a lot like sheep, if you don’t get the tension just right they can be a little skittish, they need feeding (with fibre) and of course they are always happiest when gathered in a flock. 🙂 I suspect you already see where this post is headed….

My first, beloved wheel, is an Ashford Traditional fitted with a jumbo flyer. She is a lovely wheel. I have spent many happy hours learning to spin and making some (prize-winning) art yarns on her but I have been hankering for a e-spinner almost since the first time I plied 2 singles together.

Mr TB likes a good engineering challenge, so he offered to design and 3-D print an e-spinner for me. Three years later we are surrounded by various iterations of e-spinner parts but nothing that could function as an e-spinner.

Sexy eh?

In January a friend posted on FB that she had signed up to the Electric Eel Wheel Kickstarter for his newest e-spinner, the Fold. As the name suggests it is a decent size but folds down to make it much more convenient to travel with. I had to have one! So I signed up but soon realised I would have to wait until March 2026 for it to be shipped! Oh well, I’ve already waited 3 years for my first e-spinner, what’s another year? So I resigned myself to having an only child (wheel) for another year.

Phew! that’s confession #1 revealed, that wasn’t so hard but Mr TB was rather disappointed that I had given up on him producing an e-spinner.

Earlier this month was the annual Pukekohe Spin-in, I was trading at the event, and overheard a conversation about an e-spinner on the pre-loved equipment stand. The other traders were still setting up their stands and the doors weren’t due to open for another 30 min. I was just going to have a look, there’s no harm in looking right?

Ten minutes later I was happily putting the e-spinner through her paces in the hall kitchen, I was in love! I knew I was breaking the first rule of selling at craft fairs – “don’t spend more than you’ve earned”, but I didn’t care, she was coming home with me! 🙂

Next, to “sneak” my new purchase into the house….

Mr TB just rolled his eyes at me.

The first few evenings I had her sitting on the coffee table but it was a little too far away for comfort, so I started looking for a height adjustable trolley and came across various tables that are probably meant for people who are bed-bound. I ordered one and braced myself for the inevitable barrage of jokes from Mr TB, but as yet he’s not made any comment. I suspect he doesn’t realise what the table is…

It’s perfect for spinning with my feet up on the Lazy-boy in front if the TV and the castors make it a doddle to wheel out of the way when not in use.

I’ve only had the spinner for a few days but this was the first skein she has produced for me:

I am delighted with my purchase, she wasn’t cheap but e-spinners seem to keep their value on the second-hand market here. I will probably sell my Ashford e-spinner once the EEW Fold arrives. Mr TB thinks I’m crazy buying 2 e-spinners just a few weeks apart, do you think I made the right call?