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.