Some artists discover their medium early in life. Others find it when they need it most.

For Raven Volos, fiber arts arrived during a deeply personal and difficult chapter of her life and became a way to literally stitch her life back together through healing, creativity, and identity. Raven is the maker behind Magically Ewe, a fiber and magic-based business in Elk County.

Originally from Stroudsburg, Raven moved to Ridgway in May of 2014. At the time, she was already working as a massage therapist, Reiki practitioner and teacher, and professional psychic and tarot reader, with more than two decades of experience. Life, however, had other plans.

After retiring from massage therapy in 2015, she became a mom and a stay-at-home wife. But she was still looking for more

“I still needed something to do, so I started figuring out who [I] was and during the years of self-discovery, in 2019, I found the weaving of fabric was a craft I loved and it all spiraled from there.”

A Creative Lifeline

In 2019, after years of infertility and pregnancy loss, Raven’s therapist encouraged her to find a hobby, something out of her comfort zone but familiar.

“I ended up getting a small toy loom from our local Goodwill and some crochet thread and began to weave my life back together.”

That simple loom would open a door for Raven and her craft very much, became a source of comfort and magic for her. She then started making on a simple rigid heddle loom and her love for fiber and looms quickly grew into something much bigger. During the isolation of 2020, Raven learned to spin yarn, explore new fiber techniques, and reconnect with her creativity.  In July of that year, she discovered, quite by surprise, that she was going to have another baby.

“When I spin on my wheel, it takes my whole body and mind. I zone out to the rhythm, the sound of my wheel chatting softly. It’s very zen.”

Following 2020 and all the exploration of her craft, Magically Ewe came together in 2022–2023, as Raven began merging her fiber work with her long-standing spiritual practice.

“Everything I make, I make magically just for you. Whether you come for a psychic service or a custom-made item…I mean that.”

The name itself carries layered meaning. Ewe refers to a female sheep, nodding to Raven’s love of wool, her identity as a female/non-binary business owner, and a bit of playful wordplay. (“Ewe” sounds like “you”)

Where Magic Lives in Everything

Alongside fiber arts, Raven has practiced Druidry and witchcraft since she was 12 years old. Under Magically Ewe, she offers tarot readings, astrology charts, Reiki, crystal gridding, home blessings, and other spiritual services.

Rather than keeping these practices separate, Raven allows them to inform one another.

“I make handfasting bands, blessed baby blankets, prayer shawls, ritual robes, altar cloths… anything you can put intention into using color, shape, and design.”

Some pieces openly carry spiritual meaning. Others are quieter.

“I can make a door tapestry for protection, or a plain simple hat that no one would guess you had me make with red and black for color intention for protection while running a trail. Everything I do is very intertwined.”

Building Community Through Craft

With a background in teaching and working with people Raven wanted to share her creative healing journey with her community. In July of 2021, she founded Yarn Arts Anonymous, a free fun-focused weekly craft group that still meets every Sunday in Ridgway at a local coffee shop—The Creative Cup.

“I made it for moms who needed alone time, folks who needed something more, and for mental health. I wanted a place where everyone, LGBTQ+ included, feels welcomed.”

The group has become a steady, supportive space where creativity and community go hand in hand.

Slow Fashion

Raven’s creative process is thoughtful, methodical, and unapologetically slow. A project may begin with inspiration from a color palette or an idea seen online, followed by hours (sometimes months) of gathering materials, spinning, math, sampling, weaving, washing, finishing, and pricing.

“They don’t call it Slow Fashion for nothing.”

Raven works primarily with natural fibers, sourcing alpaca fleeces from local farms. She processes the fiber by hand and hours are spent skirting, washing, spinning, dyeing (often with plants from her own dye garden), and transforming it into finished pieces.

Her work spans a wide range of techniques: spinning, weaving on multiple types of looms, knitting, felting, and machine knitting. The finished pieces include hats, scarves, shawls, ponchos, dryer balls, felted soaps, journals, and craft kits.

While Raven plans most projects carefully, she also leaves room for play, especially when spinning.

“I usually spin fiber the way it wants to be spun,” she explains. “Some things are best made that way.”

One of her most meaningful projects is a zero-waste, chronological shawl set created from every handspun yarn she made during her first year of spinning. “The fiber content is a Heinz 57 of fiber given to me, bought, rare, common, plants, wools, and more all mixed together”. This set includes 7-foot-wide (at the top) Tri Loom woven shawl, 102-inch-by-6-inch-wide scarf that was woven on the rigid heddle loom, and reversible loom knit hat.

“There was less than an ounce of waste from the whole project. I still wear them today, and people recognize me by those pieces.”

Joy & Challenges

Teaching is one of Raven’s favorite parts of her work. She offers fiber classes throughout Elk County and intentionally adapts her tools and techniques to be accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities.

“The ‘I got it!’ moment when someone finally understands…that’s my favorite, every time.”

She also enjoys watching people’s faces when they see her demonstrating spinning live. It’s something everyone is drawn to. “Older Women love that I keep a craft alive, young women are interested in learning, kids always tell me I’m Sleeping Beauty and men love the engineering and mechanics of it all.”

Running a handmade business, especially in a rural area, comes with challenges particularly when it comes to establishing yourself and your business and educating people on something that they may not have seen before. Raven has learned to create a variety of pieces for different types of people or at different price points, so she can provide something for everyone.

Looking Forward

Right now, Raven is spinning gray and pink yarn for baby items , a project inspired by her own rainbow babies. She’s also planning tarot events, teaching more classes, and letting her work evolve naturally. There are also future plans and dreams she is pursuing as she grows.

“This job allows me everything I love and do in one place with no pressure to be anything else but authentically me. As I change so, too, does my work. So many things become one-of-a-kind or a few-of-a-kind, and you’ll never find them anywhere else.”

Where to Find Magically Ewe

You can find Raven and Magically Ewe on Facebook and Instagram at @MagicallyEwe, where she shares upcoming events, fiber projects, and daily tarot pulls.
Yarn Arts Anonymous meets every Sunday from 10–2 at The Creative Cup Café on Main Street in Ridgway where all are welcome.

And if there’s one thing Raven hopes people take away from her work, it’s this:

“Please be kind to handcrafters, and understand how much real time, effort, and planning goes into making/creating/ crafting/ teaching you something…Value your time and efforts”

Be sure to check back next month as we continue to feature talented makers from across the PA Great Outdoors Region throughout 2026.