Debbie Judd: Crafting Community
Sometimes, innovation looks like a robot or a new AI tool. Other times, it looks like yarn.
In this episode of Six Degrees of Innovation, I sat down with Debbie Judd, the managing director of Wool on the Exe—a community fibre arts hub in Exeter that’s far more than a yarn shop. It’s a social enterprise, a lifeline for connection, and a shining example of what happens when local resources, creativity, and care come together.
We spoke about Debbie’s journey of midlife reinvention, the origins of Wool on the Exe, and how knitting circles can strengthen communities, reduce isolation, and spark social change.
A Midlife Reinvention
Debbie’s story starts at age 49, when she felt trapped in a life that no longer reflected her values. Instead of settling, she walked away. She left her job, her house, and even her marriage, joining AmeriCorps in Arizona to work on substance abuse prevention.
There, she learned about asset-based community development (ABCD)—the practice of using local skills and resources to solve community challenges. She also discovered the transformative power of women supporting each other.
Love brought her to Exeter, where she saw the same potential: to use fibre arts as a tool for connection and change.
From Knitting Groups to Neighbour Works
Her first UK project grew out of a simple question: what if beautiful British wool could be combined with local knitters’ skills to support charities?
The result was Neighbour Works, which provided knitting kits to community groups, paid a share of sales back to their chosen charities, and boosted self-esteem by showing knitters their work had real value.
As Debbie explained, “The hardest part was convincing knitters their work was worth £35 or more. Once they saw people buying it, the boost to their self-esteem was miraculous.”
This was just the beginning.
The Knit Stop: Knitting as Wellbeing
Through partnerships with healthcare professionals, Debbie helped launch The Knit Stop, a project exploring the therapeutic benefits of knitting in groups. Funded by the People’s Health Trust, Knit Stop placed knitting circles in neighbourhoods with fewer opportunities for wellbeing.
Over two years, the project flourished—culminating in a joyful day where 90 handmade cushions were placed on Exeter’s High Street trees, a public celebration of community creativity.
The Knit Stop has since expanded to schools, where knitting and weaving sessions give secondary students—and even younger children—space to connect, focus, and belong. “It’s not just about the knitting,” Debbie said. “It’s about showing up, having a place, and feeling comfortable.”
Wool on the Exe: The Trading Arm
With all of this community energy, Debbie wanted something sustainable—something that didn’t rely on grants.
That’s how Wool on the Exe was born: a community interest company (CIC) and trading arm. The shop sells yarn, runs workshops, and generates the revenue that funds Knit Stop groups, school programmes, and outreach projects.
The walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling colour, but what really makes the shop hum is its role as a community anchor. During the pandemic, for instance, Wool on the Exe launched Zoom knitting groups, click-and-collect yarn packs, and a collaborative knitted “tree” made of community-contributed squares. These projects kept people connected during isolation and reminded them they were part of something bigger.
Beyond the Shop: Knitting as Activism
Debbie is quick to point out the long history of fibre arts as a form of quiet activism. From suffragette sewing circles to modern-day “craftivism,” knitting has always been a vehicle for gathering, sharing ideas, and making voices heard.
In Exeter, this spirit lives on. Wool on the Exe is now part of efforts to transform a bleak flood defence wall across from the shop into a pocket park, complete with dye plants for yarn. It’s a collaboration that blends environmental care, local pride, and fibre arts—proving that innovation doesn’t always come with a screen or a patent.
Building Something That Lasts
Debbie is candid about sustainability and succession. Wool on the Exe now has a strong team who are keeping the vision alive. For her, the mark of success isn’t just what’s happening now, but what will endure: “It’s so important to build something you can leave behind.”
Measuring Impact: From Blankets to Belonging
While Wool on the Exe has sent thousands of handknits to charities and hosted nearly 2,000 drop-in visitors, its true impact lives in the stories of people who find friendship, solace, and confidence in its groups:
The woman who joined a Zoom circle during lockdown, never speaking, but faithfully logging in each week because it gave her a reason to connect.
The secondary school student who discovered belonging through knitting in the library.
The pensioners who saw their handmade hats and scarves valued, not dismissed.
These are the metrics of community.
Closing Thoughts
Wool on the Exe is proof that innovation isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. By combining local resources, creativity, and care, Debbie and her team have created a model of community enterprise that sustains itself while lifting others.
If you’re ever in Exeter, step inside Wool on the Exe. Yes, you’ll find gorgeous yarn. But more importantly, you’ll find a space woven with connection, creativity, and hope.