Meet the Mill Folk — Helena
Helena is our Mill Director, having taken over running the company from John and Juliet in 2022. She has been here much longer than that though, originally joining the company in 2017 to run the machines, but now has to juggle a lot more things!
Why did you decide to work at the Mill?
I used to work in very corporate office jobs for companies whose ethics I didn’t agree with, and I didn’t really enjoy the work or living in a city. So I upped and moved to the countryside to work with fluff instead! As a knitter and spinner, I was a customer of JAT already and asked if they might have a job for me and luckily they did… and the rest is history.
What is your favourite yarn or tops that’s made at the Mill? And why?
I don’t have a favourite! I work with so many of the ranges all the time in my projects (recently I’ve worked with Devon Naturals, Yarnadelic, some of our Aran and Silk Specials… My favourite single colourway is Exmoor Sock Mizzle (which is our customer favourite too, we sell more of this than anything else!), and my favourite range is probably Harvest Hues as I just really love the natural grey tone and fuzzy woolly feel of the yarn.
How would you describe your job?
Chaotic and varied. I used to run machines, pack parcels, and label yarn, but now I mostly work at a computer all day managing the behind the scenes stuff instead. I do still get to play with fluff though as I am involved in lots of behind the scenes colour and fibre blend development plans!
Any pets?
I have a black and white tuxedo cat called Joe who is 17 years old and has used several of his lives up (he has a torn ear, a scarred eye and no tail!) but is the purriest and dribbliest cat ever. He makes friends with everyone he meets, unless they are dogs or small enough to eat…
What do you get up to when you’re not at work?
There are a lot of board games and puzzles in my house, as well as a giant pile of knitting WIPs… and when the Devon weather allows I’m often out walking somewhere too.
Why do you like working at John Arbon Textiles?
It’s a really great team here that has a lot of fun together, and being surrounded by wool is always a bonus. I like that we’re a company providing a nice product that people create beautiful items with, which can also afford to be a good workplace that is fun to work at.
What is your favourite machine and why?
I like all the machines! The only one I really get to use anymore is Kevin though, as I keep an eye on him as he’s near the office, and I’m usually the last one out so get to shut him down each night too. I’ve worked on almost all the machines in my time here so I know lots of their personalities and quirks!
This post is part of our series introducing all the Mill Folk – please take a look at the Meet the Mill Folk tag to read more about all of us who work here!
