About Roxy Fibres
Hi, I'm Gillian, and I run Roxy Fibres in Aotearoa New Zealand.
I’ve been knitting since I was 8
Knitting has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I learned the way many Irish kids did in the 70s - by osmosis. In our family, making wasn’t a “hobby” so much as it was simply part of the fabric of everyday life: yarn in the house, needles in hands, and skills passed down in the everyday. Crocheting was discovered a couple of years later. That early start shaped how I think about yarn now. I’m drawn to pieces and colours that are made to be worn, loved, and lived in.
Why I started dyeing yarn
I began dyeing wool in 2016 for a very specific reason: I couldn’t find the exact colour I wanted to knit a pink cardigan. So I decided to make it myself.
What started as one problem to solve became the thing I kept coming back to: colour. I’ve worked with skilled wool dyers who’ve mentored me along the way, and I’ve learned a lot through trial and error in my own studio. Over time, dyeing has become my way of bringing together craft, patience, and a strong sense of “this is what I want to make next”.
My design approach: colour with an Aotearoa twist
I've always been someone who sees colour in the world first, then thinks: I’m going to recreate that and knit it into something meaningful.
New Zealand, and my home in the Hibiscus Coast, is an endless source of inspiration: coastal blues, pōhutukawa reds, moody skies, bush greens after rain, stone and sand, winter light. I’m constantly collecting those moments and translating them into colourways. Often, I have a specific purpose in mind, like “this would make a beautiful jumper for my grandson”.
That’s the thread that runs through everything I dye: colours that connect to place, memory, and the people we knit/crochet for.
Why Ruby is on the logo (and where she is not)
Ruby’s the new mark of Roxy Fibres: a reminder this yarn is made at home, with care, and a watchful muse on the stairs. While I don’t want Ruby anywhere near the dyeing process, Ruby watches from the top of the stairs while I work. Thank you to my son, Jordan, and our family friend Lisa for their help in revamping the logo to make Ruby feel included (from a distance).
A quick shout‑out to my husband
I also have the best husband in the world. Dave supports this little business in the way that counts: steady help, calm encouragement, and being the extra pair of hands when it’s busy. I genuinely couldn’t do it without him.
Where you might meet us
If you like seeing yarn in person (and I do too), you might run into us at wool markets and fibre events: including Woolfest in Auckland, Fibretron at Mystery Creek, and Capital FibreFest in Wellington.
What you can expect from Roxy Fibres
If you’re buying hand‑dyed yarn, you’re buying intention, not mass production. I dye in small batches, I pay close attention to how colour will behave when knitted, and I aim for yarn that feels distinctly New Zealand: grounded, natural, and made for real projects.
If you’re the kind of knitter/crocheter who chooses yarn because it feels like something - a place, a season, a person you’re knitting for, then you’ll understand exactly what I’m trying to do here.
