Perfect for Valentine's Day: Cozy Cowl in Antique Rose Lambs Wool

I do a lot of my supply shopping on Ebay and on one of my last yarn expeditions I came across a great shop selling a discontinued yarn in tiny batches. After my first order arrived and was even better than expected, I went back and ordered the yarn in three additional colors. Those haven't arrived yet, but the gorgeous, antique rose was my first choice and I knitted it up into a beautiful button-up cowl.

The yarn is 30% lambs wool and 70% acrylic, making it super soft and warm but easy to care for. It's not as bulky as the ever-popular Lion Brand Thick & Chunky Wool-Ease, but it's even more cozy and soft. I wish this yarn hadn't been discontinued, because I would buy it in bulk!

Take a look at the beautiful cowl I was able to knit from this amazing yarn.



I found the wooden buttons at a local vintage shop that benefits the Helping Hands Charity organization. They were all dried out and dull, but a thorough application of Old English returned them to better-than-new condition and brought out the fantastic carving and grain detail of the wood.



The brooch was crochet from a lambs wool and acrylic blend yarn in charcoal gray before being embellished with a small, pink and ivory cameo button, upcycled faux pearl beads and gold-toned chains (also found at the Helping Hands store). I then affixed the entire rose to a piece of heart-shaped black, stiffened felt (made from post-consumer recycled bottles), and a hinged pin-back so you can affix the brooch to the cowl as you please, or anything else, like a jacket, purse, or sweater.

This cowl is so cozy, soft, and classy I really wanted to keep it for myself. It would make a perfect gift for the special lady in your life, whether she's your mom, sister, girlfriend, best friend, or wife. This cowl will take you through the entire year. Pair it with your coat and gloves during the cold months or use it as a capelet while out on the town during the spring and summer months to protect against the evening chill.

I hope you'll go check it out on my Etsy shop.

Hats for Halloween!

Halloween is already on it's way, and if you're from the northern half of the planet your Halloween is probably going to be a bit on the chilly side. I'm sure mine will be!

Helping your child stay warm and stylishly costumed on Halloween can be difficult, especially when most costumes are made from cheap fabrics that aren't made to retain heat so much as prevent fires.

Here are some great hats for your little one to trick-or-treat in this Halloween!



The Little Ladybug Beanie is made of ultra-soft acrylic yarn and sports little green button eyes, antenna, and freehand crochet detail. Your little one will look wonderful in her ladybug costume with this hat to top it all off.



The Skully Aviator hat is made of super soft materials, is knitted by hand with freehand crochet detailing and will be a favorite for the cold season, before, during, and after Halloween.



The Stegosaurus Beanie is knitted with a "tail" flap on the back that extends the line of "plates" running in a ridge down the center of this super-fun hat. The eyes are hand-sculpted of polymer clay and sealed with a glossy protective coat for that scary-dino shine!

I also sell hats with mohawks, teddy bear ears, and can make a variety of other animal or even costume themed hats.

Please be sure to check out my stores on Artfire and on Etsy. Different specials are running on each.

Also know that I can happily take custom orders at no extra charge.