Hottest Item To Hit The Floor... Literally!

The100% cotton handmade swiffer cover available in my shop was featured on the front page of Etsy and in their environmentally friendly gift guide toward the end of October, and they've been selling consistently ever since.

Shoppers are finding this great alternative to the disposable covers and they're getting them two at a a time.  The covers can be made in nearly any color. Using this washable cover helps reduce waste but also saves you money by not having to buy boxes of disposable covers.  Even the off-brand gets pricey after a while. Also, wouldn't you actually use your swiffer if it you had a cover for it?

The Other Cotton

I crocheted like a woman possessed today, and I'm not done yet! But I pause now to introduce some of my new products. Today I finished up some bookmarks. I bought two skeins of ultra smooth yarn last month for swiffer covers, but thicker kitchen cotton makes stronger grooves for cleaning. The mercerized cotton is perfect for bead work and individual strands of tight stitches though!

My favorite bookmark is a belt type with a heavy gold heart at one end and an adjustable loop that fits around my book. I like that one for my big hardcovers but it is too heavy for my paperbacks. Today, I solved that problem with these universal bookmarks. They have beads on them for weight and style, and the strands are thin enough to work in any book.


I made a cute lariat last night of pink and green recycled cotton, and then I took it apart this morning to use as a bookmark instead. This is cute, eco-friendly and very easy to use.  Just drape it across the page and the flower peeks out the top and the leaf hangs out the bottom of the book.  No worries if you're using it in a very large book, it lays nice and flat.

As my experiments with cotton continue, I made something extremely unique.  Introducing a crochet scarf made of a corn and cotton blend yarn.  Yes, CORN.

The yarn is wonderfully smooth, soft and sturdy.  It came together into a huge 8-foot scarf that drapes any way you want it to.  It is one of my higher priced items, but it took a large amount of yarn to put this together.  I searched all over the web for days for something else like this and I came up empty.  I can say with confidence that this a unique scarf.

I wish I could be around when the person wearing it gets to tell people what it's made of!   I tried it on and I fell in love with it.  Soft, snuggly and sturdy, this is a great piece.

Weekend Deal

Weekend deals in Ollie's Boutique: 

25% off anything in the Fall line 10/2 - 10/4!

...including Candy Corn cotton housewares, Fall Colors cotton housewares, scarves, cowls and all Fall wearables in the Fall Colors section.

Just enter Weekend Deals in the message to seller at check out, and discounts will be refunded through PayPal.

Shop the Fall Line

Know Your Fibers

Gift giving occasions are approaching!  ...and the most appreciated gift is on that was handmade.  Knowing what your one of a kind gift item is made of lets you pass on important care information and gives you confidence in your presentation.  Be informed when you shop online.  Get the quality you're looking for in a knit or crochet item by knowing a few things about fibers.

Cotton Varieties

Cotton is sturdy, natural, eco-friendly, soft, and versatile.  The most common is kitchen cotton.  It is a standard 4-ply cotton that most people use to make their washcloths, puffs and scrubbies.  It is the most absorbent, which is most likely why it is called kitchen cotton.  Recycled cotton is made (although this may vary by manufacturer) from the scraps of cotton that are left over in a factory from, say, t-shirt production.  The texture of the recycled cotton I used to make lunch totes is more coarse than standard cotton.  It is great for dishcloths and tote bags.  Organic cotton is smooth and thick.  To simulate its texture, pull a cotton ball apart a bit and pat it down.  Feel the thick and thin variations and the silkiness of the fibers.  I tested organic cotton in a scarf and some body cloth sets.  This is the softest and thickest cotton yarn I have felt so far.  It is truly luxurious!  The drawback is the limited color selection and the cost of materials (very little cotton for a high price).  I like to keep my prices down for my customers.  If you would like something made of organic cotton I will be happy to work on a special order for you.

Most recently I received a shipment of a great corn and cotton blend yarn.  This is really thinking outside the box and combining some unconventional products to make something wonderful.  This particular brand is 67% cotton and 33% corn.  I made a regular dishcloth the same way I make all the others, but this one finished up with a delicate look. It's the kind of cloth you display in the powder room to add rich texture and character.  The corn-cotton blend is wound thinner than the others, but it is just as sturdy, soft, neat and smooth as the other varieties.  Because it is thin, it does take a lot more material to make a small product, but it is worth it.  You will love the weight and texture.

Plant and Animal Fibers

There are many other natural fibers to choose when you shop around.   Look for wool, alpaca, silk, bamboo and hemp to name a few.  You will also come across blends.  Some people are sensitive to pure wool and may find it itchy.  If you buy a 100% wool scarf, just layer it over your jacket or sweater, or wrap it loosely around your neck if you're sensitive.  Bamboo is usually mixed with cotton for a light and soft wearable blend. The one I like is 52% Cotton, 48% Rayon from Bamboo.  Alpaca comes from the coat of an adorable llama-type animal. Angora is the fur of the Angora rabbit and Mohair comes from the Angora Goat. Cashmere is also from a goat.  Cashmere is expensive because of the process of collecting the hairs. 

Silk is gathered from the silkworm cocoon and then processed into various grades of silk.  If you are concerned about the treatment of living creatures, you may want to reconsider silk.  According to a Wikipedia article,  "Commercially reared silkworm pupae are killed by dipping them in boiling water before the adult moths emerge, or by piercing them with a needle..."

The Details

All of these fibers, and more, can come pure or blended, woven thick or thin, hand dyed or commercially dyed.   I happen to be allergic to all of the animal fibers and I sneeze and my eyes water through the whole project, but I know someone out there will want a length of elegant mohair in their scarf.   Avoid animal hairs if you are buying a gift for someone you don't know very well.  Many fiber artists mix materials so check the product description for what they used.  You can also search in the crochet or knit category of a shop by fiber in the search field. The process of crocheting or knitting is sometimes reduced to making loops out of yarn or thread.  The artistry is in the use of colors and textures to make something beautiful and useful that I think you will like, and also some universal items for gift giving.  As a buyer, look carefully at the photos.  Click on them and zoom in to see the stitching quality.  Ask questions about an item if the texture or weight isn't obvious.  Ask questions. 

Buy Handmade

Handmade items are great to buy for yourself or as gifts.  When you wear a handmade scarf, cowl or shawl, people notice.  The craft[wo]manship, the texture and the one of a kind color and pattern combination sets you apart from everyone else.  You exude style, creativity and a confident personality with one of a kind pieces.  Most Etsy stores like to feature collections by color, material, style or season.  Find something to satisfy your shopping-lust by searching keywords and bookmarking your favorite stores.  You can search by color, technique, material or theme.  Don't be afraid to ask for something custom made.  If we can get our crafty little hands on the materials, most of us will put all other projects aside to make a custom product anyday!

I SEE YOU LQQKN

Ollie's Boutique is picking up more traffic.  Thanks for noticing!  
Today the Etsy Heart count is up to 48.

Thanks to all the Etsy shoppers who have added Ollie's Boutique to their favorites, and thanks to the Handmade Highway for featuring and Ollie product in the Autumn Housewares Gift Guide, and thanks to Risky Beads for tagging me in a blog post.

Here in Tucson we don't get the lovely seasonal changes most people associate with Autumn.  Instead, some of us fake it with excessive decorations.  In honor of everyone else's Fall transition, I am featuring the Fall line until Thanksgiving.  Further, I added in a few candy corn "flavored" items for October.  Take a look around and come back often.  I'm always making something.

My shipment of cotton & corn blend 100% natural yarn in lovely light blue, white and a light blue and green mixture has arrived.  It works up light and airy, silky smooth, soft and elegant.  But the corn based yarn will not steal the spotlight away from the Fall line just yet.

Say Goodbye To Sponge-Stink In Your Sink!

Spring cleaning gets a lot of attention, but what about Fall cleaning? Giving the house a good cleaning and a seasonal makeover is very important in the last quarter of the year. This is the busiest time of year when it comes to family dinners and entertaining in the home. From the Labor Day barbecue to the Christmas dinner, pay close attention to the details.

Here's another household helper that's both practical and decorative too. These cotton sponges are made with a double thickness but constructed in one piece. They measure about the same as a regular kitchen sponge, but they are much easier to handle and you don't have to worry about the cotton scratching your surfaces. There is no actual sponge inside, just two hard working layers of cotton stitching... wash, dry, reuse.

Use these for dishes, dusting, scrubbing, bathing, whatever you want.

Throw In A Towel

For a limited time, Ollie's Boutique will be featuring a Fall line of primarily cotton items. Sets will feature red, orange, yellow, brown, cream and white. The collection currently includes dishcloths/washcloths, dishwashing sets, kitchen or hand towels, floor sweeper covers and personal face washing disks.

The holidays are approaching (think Thanksgiving dinner), and what better way to impress dinner guests than with unique, quality decor down to the dishcloths and the floor sweeper. You will inevitably have to pay some attention to the dishes and minor messes while maintaining conversation without drawing attention to the chores of entertaining. When your guests notice the towel, the dishcloths and the coasters, you will boast, "I had these made for me." That's a great conversation.

Introducing the all cotton, all crochet, all handmade kitchen towel. The usual crochet dish towel or hand towel is actually a store-bought towel with a crocheted topper. I couldn't find completely crocheted towels anywhere. This is soft, durable, colorful, unique and just beautiful.

Fluff

I have enjoyed my cotton creations so much that I thought I would kick it up a notch and invest in some premium organic cotton. I envisioned something heavenly and earthy at the same time. I ordered a skein of each color of a certain brand of organic cotton yarn. The yarn itself is wonderfully soft and smooth. It is by far the softest cotton I have come across. If you pull apart a cotton ball and smooth it out a bit, that's what this feels like. However, I am sad to say it's a nightmare to work with.
I think it's the way it's woven that makes it so defiant. I attempted (four times) to make the same type of washcloth that I've made many times before, and the stitches look very uneven and haphazard. The washcloths are nothing close to identical, but they are similar enough to recognize them as a set. I threw in the towel (hehe) and decided to use the remaining six skeins to make three ultra soft scarves in unconventional color combinations.

I am very happy with the first one in blueberry and sage. Again, the stitches didn't show up the way I wanted so I decided not to fight with it but rather to let it become the freeform scarf it wants to be. I love the character of this one. It screams handmade, custom, one-of-a-kind, quality and craftsmanship. It would sell well at a store like Anthropologie.

While visiting Anthropologie online, I happened upon their Cable Knit Ascot. Notice my two petite scarves along the same trend: one in purple and one in gray.

Clean Sweep

My Etsy showcase over the weekend was a great success. I had a lot of shoppers stop by my store and my Fall Colors Cotton Sampler made it into a treasury. Many thanks to Miriam of Australia for having faith in my products even though I do not yet have any customer feedback to go on.

I am continuing to expand my kitchen and bath line. I just ordered eight shades of yarn in a nice thick organic cotton. I should be able to have a few organic products up this weekend. In the mean time, I have discovered this floor cleaning tool cover. What fun, it looks and feels like a sweater!

I Heart You

I am very excited that my Etsy store is getting some traffic. Ollie's Boutique now has ten people that heart it and nearly a hundred views on most products (some of which have their own hearts). I am having so much fun developing Ollie's Boutique


While people browse I am busy building inventory. My biggest problem is sticking with one project. I picked up some wonderful shades of cotton yarn last weekend and I find myself bouncing around from skein to skein making dishcloths, washcloths and scrubbies, all of different sizes and textures. Some are done in straight rows, others with a more puffy texture, and still others have a finished edge.


In the mean time, I have continued using a crocheted cotton washcloth in the shower and a scrubbie to wash my face and I can't rave enough about what they do for my skin! I will never buy another washcloth or scrubber at the store again! Only crocheted cotton in this house from now on.

Autumn Scrubbie

These are neat sets that happened by accident, actually. I set out to make some dishcloths with the copper mesh scrubber attached in the center. I quit trying when I contemplated marking the scrubber into 40 even sections to make exactly 40 evenly spaced beginning stitches. I figured there must be another way to mix crochet and kitchen scrubbies, and then I found the pattern for this scrubbie cover. It's a great way to perk up your dishwashing experience while also being more effective.


The washcloths and the scrubbie cover are made of 100% cotton. The cloths are 6 1/2" square. I am really loving crocheted cotton cloths. I have been using my face scrubbies consistently and my skin is glowing again after a very long time. My dishwashing cloth impresses me whenever I use it. I'm so happy that something I made works so well.

Autumn Colors In The Kitchen And Bathroom

More Autumn color! I picked up some great cotton over the weekend in Autumn red, orange and yellow. Cotton is perfect for the kitchen and I have made dishcloths, scrubbers, hotpads. For the bathroom I've made 3" round face scrubbies. I tried one myself and I am amazed how well it cleaned and exfoliated without being abrasive. My skin was smooth and bright and the scrubbie was easy to hold.



Using 100% cotton as a washcloth takes a little getting used to. They are definitely not like those rags the stores sell. I am replacing all of my washcloths and dishcloths with these crocheted cotton alternatives.

Autumn is around the corner

Nearly everywhere but here in Southern Arizona, Autumn weather is right around the corner. Last night we had one of our summer rains, and this time it lasted all night and into the morning. The biggest surprise was the cool breeze that came with it. Usually the rains mean the same 'ol heat with added humidity.

On of my favorite things to do when the rains come is to sit out on the back porch and read a book or crochet. Last night I pulled a couple of balls of this gorgeous brick colored yarn and made a long, lush seed stitch scarf. With a really big hook and two strands held together I created a super thick but very soft unisex scarf.

I love this scarf. It is gorgeous, understated and classic. It goes with nearly anything and it looked great on my husband too.

Find this scarf in my store on Etsy

Grand Opening of Ollie's Boutique

Welcome to Ollie's Boutique, where I sell my handmade crafts.

Most women have a craft or hobby that they do well. I learned to crochet and knit from my mother who needed something to do when the weather was harsh and she was forced to stay indoors. Here in Tucson, the weather is rarely calls me outdoors for anything other than a swim in the pool. What to do in 113 degree heat? I sit in a comfy chair and create "fiber art".

I spend a lot of time hunting for patterns to try. I would love contributions! I am always amazed what a flick of a hook or a twirl of needle can do with a strand of yarn.

I used to make things for friends and family, but my favorites, scarves, are not very useful here in Tucson. So I decided to open a shop and hopefully pass on my completed projects to people who have use for them. I'm not in it for the money; my prices are cost based. If I spend a week on a scarf I won't charge any more for it than a one-day scarf made of the same materials. The higher priced items use either more costly materials or more in quantity than the lower priced items.

Everything is available for purchase at Ollies Boutique on Etsy.com, which I have attempted to link every which way all over all of my sites that are hopefully connected.