29/09/2026
We were so saddened to hear of the passing of Tannie Diana van der Walt, founder of SPiNNeRiN.
For many years we had the privilege of referring our guests from all over the world to her beautiful shop in Benoni. What a gem of creativity, warmth and organization - with her ossewa and antique sewing machines.
Our deepest condolences to her daughter and the whole SPiNNeRiN family. She leaves a beautiful legacy of stitches and stories. She will be dearly missed. 🕊️
Remembering Our Founder, Diana van der Walt
SPiNNeRiN began in 1995 as a small, home-based shop in Kempton Park, born from Diana van der Walt’s profound love for hand embroidery. Her dedication to teaching and sharing her craft saw the shop expand to Uncle Tim's in roughly 2002, where she introduced quilting into the fold. In 2004, she established the shop at our current premises, creating a space for multiple teachers to share their expertise. In 2015, Diana brought her vision to the wool and yarn community by introducing d’Wolhuys with her daughter.
Though officially retired, her enduring passion for Counted Threadwork kept her in the classroom, inspiring students until the very end.
Diana laid a beautiful foundation of creativity, relaxation, and community. We will miss her presence, stories and jokes/witty remarks dearly, but we take comfort in knowing she is surely stitching the finest embroidery on the wings of the angels.
