Mixing up my YARNS

Just a brief post today.
I have placed large orders for hemp yarn and other natural sustainable yarns and I feel the need to work with my overflowing yarn inventory. Justification is the magical word!
I mixed a few unusual yarns and worked the combinations into new tam hats:
Avocado green chenille, regular worsted weight brown yarn and an extra strand of novelty yarn held together with the main yarns.
Same here, ice-cream colored feminine tam: pink chenille, cream and brown acrylic and the fuzzy extra strand.
A custom order, hope my customer will like it. Dark brown 100% hemp, warm brown cotton and terra red cotton. 3 different textures and different thickness.
Another scrap patchwork tam. You can tell I can't throw out materials and will use every decent length strand of yarn. The fuzzy brown yarn ties the colors together into a more coherent weave.
For this longer sock tam I have used copper red and black acrylic, combined with a strand of
terra red cotton yarn. It adds to the touch of the material and makes it super sturdy, but yet soft.
This tam is earthy in mainly green and brown acrylic, but spruced up with a "ribbon" (synthetic) yarn which features several pretty pleasing colors like gold, rust red, purple in a beautiful tie-dye effect.
Some of these tams are already for sale on my website and in my Etsy store, some still need to be uploaded.
My computer works slowly these days (or the cable) and a lot of times I just walk away from it to do other things because it takes forever to upload pictures.
Planting seeds into starter plant pots, walking my dog...and crochet. Besides other things:)

Bringing color into my crafting life

with this "traveling gypsy" skirt. Please disregard the chaos in my sewing room, I am in dire need of a renovation. For this 4 tiered skirt I have picked some of my brightest fabrics from my stash and have cut larger patches to make it pop. I hope to finish it tonight. When it's freezing, cold and grey outside we just need to create our own colorful experience, voila.

I also finished a few more smaller tams. I have had a lot of requests for smaller sizes tams and have taken this into account. I will offer a wider variety of sizes from now on.

Brown, solid, simple and beautiful, a custom request.


My latest favorite color combination of sea blue and toasted almond, available on Etsy

Another tam made with hemp and virgin wool. This time I have tried a few tricks gathered up on the internet to get rid of the "sheepy" smell. Dish washing detergent to wash out the excessive lanolin (which causes the smell) and then a bath in hair conditioner since wool basically is similar to hair. It added a nice softening touch to the material, but now it smells "washed", not sure where I will list it yet. I have not quite figured this material out, but I like the look of the yarn very much. But how do you explain what a sheepy smell is, how intense, or how my conditioner smells, since we all have a different sensitivity and dislikes?

Spring cottons are coming --- and a great trip to the thrift store

I made these 2 tams for a very nice repeat buyer as custom orders. I especially love the lime with blue crochet tam. I wish it would finally warm up, it was a grey cold day, again.
But I rewarded myself with a trip to the thrift store today. My o my, I haven't even unpacked yet, but I am especially happy these book finds. 75% off.

The huge "Alternative medicine" is a thick hardcover 1997 edition and was only $2.35
(I prefer alternative health treatment methods if possible and have had good results for myself)
"Search for personal freedom" $0.80. A huge philosophy/art/literature/culture volume.
Craft book from 1975 $1
Mother Nature's Secrets for Thriving Indoor Plants 1975 for $0.15
A vintage ceramic strawberry tray (without picture) for my son's girl friend who collects vintage strawberries=$2.
Too much to go on about, I had a blast, and carrying my loaded bags across the street to the parking lot is my only limit.

Tam for starter dreads or short hair

Variety is key. I made a smaller tam design to accommodate those buyers who have just started out growing dreads or who don't have a lot of hair to tuck into their hat. This hat style will be ideal to offer in custom colors.
(Design of the day Feb 2008, something new and fresh every single February day).
BTW, we have 75F today, gorgeous day outside. I ran across town, got a hair cut, bought alpaca wool and snacks.
Tomorrow the forecast has announced snow, so, I better enjoyed it while I can:)