How to get the new pattern: Mug Warmer - Wrap Style Cozy with Button Closure

This is an original pattern that I have for sale two different ways:

1. If you buy it through the Etsy shop I will email you the pattern as a PDF file. 
2. If you would like to download it yourself, it is also available at Ravelry.  You will need a free account to access it through Ravelry.  If you have trouble finding it, log into Ravelry and then follow this link:  Mug Warmer Pattern

Need more help?  Email me.

Gift Season Approaches

Looking at the current listings in the shop, you won't see many sets of items in color groups.   Now through Christmas Ollie's Boutique is focused on providing a variety of items people have most often purchased as gifts: Cozies, bath puffs, face scrubbies and Swiffer covers. Remember though, that anything can be custom made to create a set!

My mug cozies are unique, made specifically to leave space at the top of the mug for clean sipping, and they are made of a denser but soft stitch pattern for extra thickness. I had tested another pattern that I found but I had to push the cozy out of the way to make contact with the mug. To fix that problem I created an original design, the pattern for which is also available in the shop.

The apple cozies are now a little bigger for more versatility.  Fruit seems to be getting bigger and bigger!

A new addition thanks to my teen daughter is a slim iPod Touch cozy.  She and her friend give me the thumbs up on the size and usability. I'm letting her use it normally for a while for some wear and tear testing before I go full swing with them.  After a month of use far the cotton is holding up just fine.

I continue to offer bath puffs, washcloths, face scrubbies, bath mitts, and everything else I have featured in the shop in the past. If you don't see something listed, just ask and I'll make it for you. Chances are that I've got something in the works already that just hasn't made it to the shop yet!

Fresh Fruit

I love trying new colors but then I never know what to name them. Often, what they look like in person is much different than what I can portray in the photos, so I hope the names help give a clue to overall feel of the true colors.

My latest, Fruit Tart, looks lovely on my desk here, but the pictures leave out the subtle blends between colors. If you keep red berries with sliced bananas or apples, the red bleeds into the other fruit pieces. When I finished this set of items, I thought of a cream cheese tart with blueberries, strawberries and kiwi layered on top. This is gorgeous and I'll be sure to pick up some more on my next supply run.

In Global News...

Ollie's Boutique is rapidly becoming the place to shop for eco-consious consumers. The 100% cotton Swiffer cover found a three week slot in the Environmentally Friendly Gift Guide in October 2009, and two Etsy Finds email features in two weeks. Consumers are enjoying the many benefits of this reusable alternative to the usual disposable covers. They are saving money on refills and feeling good about reducing household waste. Everyone loves their Swiffer sweepers, but some of us want a "greener" way to use them. Ollie's covers are currently being used in the United States, Canada, Malaysia and Italy.

The crocheted covers are reversible and washable. Thanks to high volumes of communication with shoppers and window-shoppers alike, Ollie's Boutique is currently working to expand color options and sizes. New XL size covers are available by special order for the Swiffer Max for $12.50 each plus shipping.

Another hot, eco-friendly item is the cup cozy. Cup cozies are meant to replace the paper sleeves on to-go cups and reduce waste, but they also function as insulators for hot cups and cold cans, and they catch condensation on iced beverages in cold cups too. These are also reversible and washable.

As Earth Day approaches, take a look at your daily routine and find one small change you can make to reduce, reuse or recycle.