Our first EVER Staff Spotlight! We are hoping to put the shine on our hardworking, and ever so brilliant staff members here in the warehouse! Let’s find out information on our fabulous team who pick and pack your orders, answer your calls and emails and who you see popping up on our socials!
Hi Gemma (Gemjar!) 😊 How does it feel to be our first ever STAFF SPOTLIGHT?
Exciting, scary, slightly overwhelming 
How did you make your way to Wool Warehouse? Can you tell us a little bit about your current role?
My husband and I moved to Leamington Spa for his job. At the time I worked as a Freelance Stage Manager, touring shows around the UK and occasionally further. After a job where I was expected to do the work of three people for the wage of one, I decided to find something else. As a customer of Wool Warehouse, when I saw a job in Customer Service was open I applied immediately!
My current role is Query Queen, which is to say I am the head of both the Query and Stock Check teams. The query team are the ones that solve any issues with orders, finding items that have been misplaced in the warehouse or sorting any errors that inevitably occur in a working environment. We have 17 people in the Query team and of those five also make up the Stock Check team. Apart from running the teams, and doing rota’d shifts, I also spend my time assisting Goods In with some of the smaller accessory deliveries (eg. Emma Ball, Lykke and Hiya Hiya). When needed I also train new staff when they first arrive at Wool Warehouse, as well as new members to my teams. On the occasion I can also be found assisting Marketing in social media posts.
How long have you worked at Wool Warehouse?
I have worked at Wool Warehouse for 8 years 4 months. I started as Customer Service answering the phones, stepped up to be Dispatch Supervisor Maternity cover and was promoted to full Supervisor before the end of the cover. After the pandemic when we changed to shift working, I made a sideways move into my current position, which I love.
What was your favourite show you worked on?
This is such a hard question because I have worked on so many different shows. I most enjoyed working on shows where the target audience was children or families because children let you know how they feel very clearly. The nine pantomimes I have done, seven in Newbury, one here in Leamington Spa and one in Malaysia, were all particuarly memorable for different reasons but mostly the camaraderie of cast and crew stuck together for long hours during the Christmas season. When working on a show you don’t really get to spend time with anyone other than your colleagues so in a good group you bond quickly and spend a LOT of time together! Charlie & Lola’s Best Bestest Play was another highlight, a beautiful show with puppetery for the under 7s, we toured to a lot of seaside towns which meant lots of playing on the 2p machines on various piers up and down the country.
A series of outdoor shows I did for Newbury Corn Exchange had as the middle performance a piece of promanade theatre into a woods on midsommer night. Walking along the path ahead of the audience, giving my cast warning to be ready and walking towards the sound of drums was a magical feeling only enhanced by the actual performance itself. Then finally we have my time with the most famous name I’ve ever worked with, Scooby Doo. The UK tour was great fun, challenging in all the right ways and I got to drive the Mystery Machine twice a show every show (Interval and afterwards). This also lead to me spending eight weeks in Milan getting an Italian version of the show up and running which was more challenging but had the advantage of Italian food and my down time being able to be spent sightseeing.
What makes you LOVE your job?! I see you all over the warehouse, stock checking yarns, picking and packing, or in your office with the query team!
The query side I enjoy solving the mystery of why the product is not on the shelf where it should be (spoiler alert – sometimes it is!). The stock check side, I find counting items soothing and it is also great to know that by correcting stock levels I am either stopping future queries or finding stock for our customers to buy! Training people is also rewarding especially when they spread their wings and understand their new tasks without me there anymore.
Now I know you craft, but can you let us know what your favourite craft is!? And whilst we are at it, let us know your favourite yarn/fabric/needlecraft.
I do ALL the crafts! Well, a lot of crafts. I knit, crochet, sew (quilts, men’s shirts, dice bags), cross-stitch/embroider and generally have way too many projects on the go at one time. My favourite yarn to use, other than some pretty hand-dyed from indy dyers, is Scheepjes Whirls. It has such a lovely drape and whilst crocheting with it I always want to reach the next fuzz-buzz (fuzzy bit where the colour changes) so it keeps me going. Saying that I have been having fun using Yarnsmiths Snug as a Bug to crochet dk patterns to make giant soft toys.
And what is your favourite colour in Scheepjes Whirls?!
Green Tea Tipple – I have an amazing shawl I made with it when they were first released.
Do you have a favourite memory, or funny moment from work?
We don’t wear uniforms at work and, as long as it doesn’t impede our work or safety, we can wear pretty much what we want; so over the years we have had some great themed days. Obviously we dress up for Halloween, Christmas Jumper Day, Children in Need etc. but we have also had ‘dress like a pirate’, ‘wear stripes’ , ‘Pink Wednesday’, ‘wear sparkly things’ on 5th November, ‘crazy hat day’ and many more. Its always fun to see who has gone all out in their outfit (Jenny) and the creativity of co-workers who don’t knit or crochet but can make a magnificent construction to wear. Also during the Crazy hat day I served a customer in the, now closed, showroom and she did not bat an eyelid at the fact I was wearing a chicken on my head!
Oh, the showroom (RIP) Did you like working with customers face to face?
I enjoyed hearing about people’s projects and helping them find the right yarn or accessories. These days I like when people leave us little messages in the shipping note about their projects or just saying hello!
Whilst at work, what do you listen too/ podcats/music/ chattering of the warehouse…
At the start of my day I don’t wear any headphones so I can speak to my colleagues as we work but once it settles down I normally have headphones on. On the whole I listen to podcasts about Dungeons & Dragons which is one of my favourite non-crafty hobbies (although I am normally knitting or crocheting something whilst playing!). I have around four I listen to on a weekly basis which are mostly actual plays, so listening to other people playing. It is basically an improvised novel with some dice rolling. Other than that I listen to music either on my headphones or on one of the radios that play in the warehouse.
Three things you would love to learn/master/execute…
1) I would love to master quilting. I have made several quilts that I am pleased with but the quilting of them was basic and some (most) of my points weren’t perfect. Each quilt I have made has been better, technique wise, than the one before so I know its a question of practise!
2) Brioche knitting! I tried a while ago to knit a hat in brioche and it did not go well. Seeing Adam’s brioche cowl has made me want to try again, although this time I might start with something less fiddly than a hat!
3) Back to quilting! I plan to learn how to English Paper Piece as soon as I have a moment. I have a couple of Star Wars inspired patterns for cushion covers that I would like to make. First however I have a Christmas Tree pattern that is a little more straight forward to try first. I just need to find the time!
And finally, give us a crafting TIP!
My tip to crafters is make notes! Write somewhere what hook/needle size you are using for that project, or if it has just a bit of pattern that you can never remember and store it in the project bag. This also works for non-craft things too! The number of times I have put down a large project to have a mini-break from it and felt a sense of relief when I pick it back up and found I made a note of where in the pattern I was. Also project bags are essential. Mine range from Wool Warehouse organzas, tote bags, project bags I’ve bought and ones I’ve made myself. Very handy to have your project, notes, a few stitch markers and some small scissors all together ready to grab when the need arises.