Story Behind the Felted Soap:
How Wool, Soap, and Sisters Built Twisted Purl
Ohhh boy! Twisted Purl’s journey is quite the story. What started as a yarn obsession way back in 2007, has grown into a powerhouse of two sisters, cranking out thousands of felted soaps, often weekly, to retail stores worldwide.
Located in beautiful downtown Conway, Arkansas, the Twisted Purl is a working studio creating Felted Soaps. This small, family owned business is crafting felted soaps that bring joy and color to your daily routine
The original Twisted Purl was formed in 2007. Cyndi was full blown into her yarn addiction. Fondly called a “Crazy Yarn Lady” by her sister, Meg, and happily embracing the nuttery. Cyndi wanted to see more color combinations and textures in the yarn industry. She dove into learning the process of hand painting yarn and fiber and then spinning fiber into handspun yarn. Next came felted soap.
Turns out people really love soap wrapped in wool and bonus, it’s pretty dang useful.
Even before Meg officially became owner of the Twisted Purl, she was always a part of the business. From raising an angora rabbit, for Cyndi to spin, to using her mad skills in making some pretty amazing handmade soap, for felting. Meg was always rooting Cyndi on and encouraging her next endeavors.
This was the time when The Twisted Purl was also a local yarn shop. Ahhhhh those were the days! But, those wonderfully wooly soaps were everywhere! The Twisted Purl was making soaps as quickly as possible, but there just weren’t enough hours in the day. The tough choice was made to close the locally loved shop and move forward with the soap empire.
In 2024, Twisted Purl was reborn, restructured, and revitalized when sisters Cyndi and Meg teamed up to build the next chapter together.
Cyndi focuses on the customers, shipping, scheduling orders, and all the beautiful online hoopla. She still brings that “crazy chaotic yarn lady” energy.
Meg streamlined the production. She created a system that works really well and is extremely scalable. She’s also one heck of a felted soap maker. She brings the much needed organization and structure that keeps the wheels from completely flying off.
Meg’s brilliance brings a lot to Cyndi’s creative savvy. Their partnership helped balance the workload, created much-needed structure, improved customer service, and streamlined the production process.
For the last few years, the shop has had a full time employee that Twisted Purl really couldn’t manage without. As if one Meg was enough!!!
Megs brings so much to the table. She’s a rockstar at production. Always keeps things moving through the system. Also, she helps keep new employees on task. She runs Big Bertha, the Drum Carder, like a total boss. Honestly, she’s absolutely amazing.
With there being two Megans, it’s fun to say you ran something by the Megs or you can say your new felted soap was probably made by a Meg. It’s a pure Meg-a-palooza around the shop.
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Here comes TROUBLE!!!
Meet Twisted Purl’s Head of HR
The Twisted Purl’s About Page wouldn’t be complete without the mentioning of Trouble.
Trouble is Meg’s husky. Most days she’s at the shop officially running the HR Department (HUSKY RELATIONS). She’s happy to work for a treat or two and keeps everyone smiling. Trouble is the best Husky. The absolute cutest thing ever is when Meg gets Trouble to sing. Their duet of ‘Home on the Range’ is just about as good as Hamilton on Broadway.
The team at the Twisted Purl is the heart of the business and part of the secret sauce in the Felted Soaps. Together, they make it work!
Every Felted Soap is still uniquely handmade by a real human, with real hands. No two are exactly alike, which adds to their popularity. You are supporting a family owned business and the Twisted Purl team appreciates you greatly.
Twisted Purl’s Felted Soap is now in over 1,000 shops. With at least one retail store in every US state, plus a few other countries. Wholesale is available through our website and also on Faire. If you’d like more wholesale information please click here. It’s pretty shocking when you think it all started from one felted soap being made.