Hat contest winner

Hello Everyone!!!! This is the hat contest winner Shannon, in her baby alpaca fiber hat!!! This picture makes me so happy that I think I will have to do another contest soon!!! Right now I am busy working on Christmas presents and orders. You will see me post a few things from time to time, but part of the things I am making I cannot post for obvious reasons.... the people I am giving the present to would see it ahead of time. I think elements of surprise are still important at Christmas, at any time.... later today I will post 2 hats I have been working on. check back soon!

Hat number 20... Turquoise hat

Hello Everyone!!!!! Here is hat number 20. I did a different pattern for this one. I used a knit for one section and pearl for the other section. I think if I extend the hat and make the band smaller I could do a beret type hat....

This project has been so much fun. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. Thanks for following my project and for giving me suggestions for things I can do to improve the hats as well as ideas for things you want to see on my blog. I m going to post these hats to my etsy store tomorrow so check it out in a few days. www.vtwoolgatherer.etsy.com .

I will continue to do projects on my blog... so look for more posts to come.

If you want to order something for a family member for Christmas contact me, I can still take orders.

Hat number 19 Childrens stripe hat

Hello Everyone!!! This is the hat for today!!!! I felt like it was time to knit some more childrens hats, and so you will see some more of those on my blog even after the hat project......Check back tomorrow for hat number 20!!!!

Hat number 18... Blue Todler hat with buttons!!

Hello Everyone!!!! One of my blog followers asked me to make a todler hat for today, so I have done this. I thought I would make another hat from the blue yarn that everyone liked so much!!!! This one would fit a small todler maybe 1-2 years old. Tomorrow there will be a childrens hat posted that is tanish ( is this a word???) brown and cream colored. Can you believe I have already knitted 18 hats so far!!!

Hat 17 Knitted Alpaca Hat

Hello Everyone... This hat is made from a alpaca yarn, I liked it so much as a knitted hat that I just left it that way. This hat is really really light and super warm... I like it so much I think I am going to make one for myself to take with me for Christmas vacation!!! Only 3 more hats for the project... What do you want to see me make next???

Hat number 16, Day 16

Hello Everyone!!! Thanks for participating in the Free hat contest, and for sharing my blog information with your friends and family on your facebook pages. I announced the winner on my facebook, but I will announce it here also. Shannon Rothe Naugle has won the free hat from yesterdays post!!! Congratulations Shannon!!!! Shannon has asked me to make either a green or a turquoise hat for hat number 20, so be on the lookout for that!! I spent today adding extras to a bunch of the hats from previous days, I will post pictures of these on here when I get a chance to get some pictures!!! Too busy knitting!!! I took a readers suggestion and I made a scarf to go with this one!! I am also going to make some gloves and I am trying to figure out how to make a snowflake for one of the white hats.... any ideas?? One of my readers said to outline it in silver.... I am trying to figure out how to do this. Only 4 more hats.... I am going to miss making hate everyday, i guess I will have to think about a new project after this.... any ideas?? What do you want to see me make?

Day 15 of Hat project... Free hat day

FREE HAT DAY........

Brown and Tan baby alpaca hat!!!!! Will you be the winner tomorrow morning??

Hello Everyone...

I am excited about this hat for many reasons... first of all, it is made from the baby alpaca fibers I have been using throughout this project. Second of all I get to give it away to one of you!!! Thirdly... it can be worn by either a man or woman as I have tried to demonstrate here. This is the very last day to post on your wall to win the free hat. Check out day 6 and 7 ( current project) of my blog for contest rules Also if you get the opportunity check out my etsy store. www.vtwoolgatherer.etsy.com

Thank you for following my blog and sharing my project with your friends!! Good luck and I hope to see this hat on one of your heads soon!

Hat number 14... Blue Sky Hat

Hello Everyone!!!! Todays hat is a mens hat but could just as easily be a womens hat. It is made from Andes wool and is soft and warm. I was lucky to get my husband and my cat-baby to pose for me tonight!!! Tomorrows hat is the free hat for the giveaway. I will post it tomorrow but I will post the winner on Tuesday. Remember the winner gets to choose what color hat I make for the 20th hat!!!

Hat number 13... I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Hello Everyone!!!! Tonight I knitted hat number 13!!! One more week for the project....

This hat is made from fishermans wool. I usually only use this wool to make scarves and other types of things but tonight I thought I would try to make a hat from it!!! What do you think? This one has no band on it. I think I will make another scarf to go with this for when I put it up on Etsy. I would like to use dyes on these someday....What do you think. Any suggestions?

The Most Photographed time of the year... hat 12

Hello Everyone..... Let me explain. I was inspired by a piece Ellen Degeneres did on her website about " Worst photos people paid for." There were all these pictures of bad 80's hair... so this is my homage to bad 80's hair but cool current hats!!!!!! More tomorrow!!

Hat number 11... Pumpkin Pie

Hello Everyone!!! Happy Thanksgiving. This is todays hat!!! It isnt done because I havent added the button yet, and I want to felt it down a little more, but you can see the color and what I have started to do with it. This one is made from Andes wool, and it is soft. I think you will like it when it is done.

Hat number 10... Lavender Alpaca hat

Hello Everyone!!! This is hat number 10. It is the same type of wool that i have used for the past several hats, Baby Alpaca wool. I just love working with this material. It is so soft and so easy to knit with, and the hats are sooo soft and warm you dont want to take them off!! i havent added anything to this hat yet... I was wondering what my blog followers think?? Do you think I should leave this the way it is, or add some buttons and extras to it??

I want to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, and thank you for following my project. In honor of the pumpkin pie.... i will be knitting a orange hat tomorrow...

Hat number 9... Grey Alpaca Cloche

Hello Everyone!!!

Todays hat looks like a Scottish cloche. This is very heavily felted and is a very substantial hat. It is made from the same material I have been using for about half this project... a baby alpaca fiber. It is sooooo warm and so soft. I have been using a lot of darker colors for the last couple of days I am going to put some colors into the project for part of this week also. Soon you will see a hat from a burnt sierra color.... ( think back to the colors in your crayola crayon box......)

There is still time to enter the free hat contest, look back on Sundays Post, it will give you all the details.

If you get a chance check out my website www.thewoolgatherer.moonfruit.com . It has a link to my store.

I will be putting these things up in my store as soon as I can take some fabulous pictures of them.

I hope you are enjoying this project. Please feel free to leave comments on my page for suggestions or project ideas you would like to see on my blog.

Hat number 8...

Hello Everyone!!!

Welcome to my new Blog followers!! Today I knitted a alpaca hat, not the same type of fiber Ihave been using but something mult- tonal. This fiber is something I picked up a year or so ago, and I love knitting with it. I was almost sad when I finished my hat this morning. It has been a fast paced day so I have not been able to put up my post until this evening. My husband and I are babysitting a friends Brittany Spaniel dog, and he has needed a lot of excercise. Its probably good for me to get outside like this after sitting for so many hours knitting away!

If you do not know already there is a free hat contest going on. Please check out my last blog for contest rules and details. I want to clarify one of the rules I had on my last post. If you are not one of my "friends" my facebook page, just link up to my page and I will add you to my page so that you can qualify for the free hat contest. =) Please check all of the rules out to see how you can qualify for the free hat. You can look me up on facebook by my email: Hopeful_prayer@yahoo.com

If you have time check out my new store on etsy. You can get to my store by going to my website... www.thewoolgatherer.moonfruit.com and clicking on my about page. If you scroll down on the page you will see product pictures just click on one of the pictures and it will take you to my store. I have been so busy knitting today that I havent had a chance to put up the hats that I have been making on my etsy store.... I will do this so check back if you are intersted in one of these hats. Thats all for tonight!!

Hats number 6 and 7

Hello Everyone!!!

Here are hats number 6 and 7. I was working on hat number 6 last night and when I was mostly through with knitting it I dropped the skien on the floor and the whole thing got tangled in a terrible mess, this was about 11 pm. I decided to wait until I had more mental clarity... this am to try to get it untangled. So I woke up finished hat 6 and imediately went to hat 7.... and tadah its only 3 pm... i think this deserves a high five. My Aunt asked me if I still had my fingertips working.. I had to think for a second... but yes... and no I am not knitting any more this evening.

Hat 6 is a Black and Grey Baby alpaca fiber hat... just like the one that I made on day 2, only it has a defined rim and a band with a flowery button. Hat 7 is a brown/yellow hat , it is made from 100 percent wool and it comes with a matching scarf!!! The hats will be put on my etsy store later tonight. If you would like to visit my etsy store you can do so by going to www.thewoolgatherer.moonfruit.com and clicking on my about page scroll down the page and click on one of the product pictures and it will take you into my online store. OK now onto the contest details!!!

Here are the rules:

1. You must be a "friend"of my facebook page.

2. You will get your name put in a drawing to win a free hat ( Day 15's hat) for every time you post my blog posts to your wall. It must be the current post that I have posted that day and it must be viewable to me. You can do this 1 time per day.

3. You must leave me a message on my wall to let me know you have posted each time you do this.

4. If doesnt matter how far away you live from me, I will send you the hat if you win it.

5. I will announce the winner on day 16. This person can choose the hat style and color for hat 20!!!

THIS CONTEST HAS STARTED NOW!!!! goodluck!!!!!!

Hat number 5, 2 toned green childrens hat

Hello Everyone!!!

Today I have felted a 2 tone greenish blue childrens hat. I am going to add some special things to it, but this has not been done yet as I am planning to add the extras to a few hats on Sunday. While this hat was felting I added a flower to hat number 4 at the suggestion of one of my blog followers, Michelle. I am glad I took her advice and I think it has added a certain level of charm to the hat that is was lacking late last night.

Tomorrow night when I resume knitting again I will post details about a free hat contest within my 20 hats days project. Look for details both on my blog or on my facebook page.

I will be adding the hats from this week to my etsy store on Sunday.

Yesterday I went to the local yarn shop and bought some more of that scruptious baby alpaca wool... this time I got a lavender, a two toned brown and some more of the black and grey. These will become hats in the days to come.... I am especially exctied about the light lavendar colored wool. If I have men following my blog also, I want to let you know that I have deliberately planned mens hats into this project... so be on the lookout. Here is the picture of the childrens hat and of the revamped red delicious hat!!! Enjoy!

-Cherie

hat number 4 ... red delicious!

Hello Everyone!!!

This is my 2nd day of late night knitting!!!! Today I made a hat based off of a hat I saw in a catalouge @ work. This hat is made from merino wool. It has no rim, and is totally different from the hats I normally make. I love this hat. It felted in such a unique way. It has a swirl type design on the hat from it twisting when I felted it. What do you think, should i add a cute felted flower to the side of this?? Any suggestions. I will be posting all of these hats to Etsy on Sunday, I will do this every Sunday through out the project. sha

Welcome to my new follower... i noticed i now have 10 followers on my blog!!!

Have a happy evening!!!

Tomorrows hat will be a childrens hat, part alpaca part merino, and it will be two shades of green/blue.

-Cherie

Hat # 3 Late night knitting!!

Hello Everyone!!!

Tonight I am up late knitting the night away!!! I had to work today so I starting knitting after my husband and I had dinner together. I had some beautiful maroon and tan with black and white flecked yarns to work with tonight. This hat is double thickness, and very insulating. I am trying to decide whether I am going to add any amazing buttons to this, or whether it should stay the same. Any suggestions?? I would love to hear them. For now I will let it sit.

Hat two day two... Black and Gray Alpaca

Hello Everyone...

I think you might find this amusing.... as I was finishing todays hat my husband walks in and is admiring it. I said to him that I would like for him to get a picture of me in it for the blog, and that I wanted to take a picture of him in it so that my blog fans can see that it is a hat that can also be worn by a man. So..... i took some pictures and I started to cook dinner. I noticed the house was awfully quiet, but I was busy so I wasnt paying much attention until my husband walks back into the room with a big smile on his face and a check written out to me!! He said he could not let anyone else have day two's hat, that its his.

I wasnt expecting that... Look at the big smile on his face!!!

I really like working with this yarn, it is a baby alpaca fiber, and it is even softer than the other alpcas fibers I am used to working with. ( which is pretty hard to believe!!). Because it is the most wonderful yarn ever I think I will buy a few more skeins for later in the hat project... be on the lookout..

20 hats in 20 days day 1

Hello Everyone!! Welcome back for year two of the hat project! I hope you are as excited as as me !!! This year I have a website, and a etsy store. You can access my store through my website by visiting the about page and clicking on one of the product pictures. My website address is www.thewoolgatherer.moonfruit.com. It isnt too late to sign up to have your own hat made in the project, or to give me feedback on the colors and types of hats you would like to see me made during the project. You can either post your coments here to the blog or you can post them on my facebook page!!! Above is todays hat which I made this morning and is currently sitting on its adult hatmold!! Todays hat is a purple hat with a handmade felt rope rim on the outer edge. The wool is Andes wool from Peru. The rope is made from raw wool that is local. Check back for another hat tomorrow!

A Hat fit for a cold winters day

It feels good to be working on projects again!!!
This last week I made a Turquoise and Grey hat for a customer. It is made from very soft wool of the Andes that comes imported from Peru.
Let the project season begin!

Baby Hat

Hello, it has come to my attention that this picture did not upload on my last post, here is the felted Baby hat. -Cherie

Let the felting begin!!!!

Hello Everyone,
I have not been working on projects for the last 6 months because I have been ill. I have been on many medications that make me sick to my stomach etc..... I am feeling better now and I am back to work on projects. These are two projects that I was comissioned to do. A very soft and warm baby hat and some potholders. I will be doing the 20 hats in 20 days project again this year, only this time in November. I will post information about this next week on my blog. This year I will have a etsy store and a website. These two things will be up and running by November when I start my hat project. The purse I was making in the demonstration will be continued shortly. I will post pictures so you can see the rest of the process and how I make a purse from raw wool. Glad to be back again. I am sorry it took me so long to get back to the blog. I hope you will all continue to follow my projects in the months to come. Thanks -Cherie

Purse project to start in May or June, more info to follow

Hello Everyone!!
I am still working on the purse from the last post... I hurt a muscle in my back while I was in Maine and it is healing so I will be able to finish the purse soon. I will let you know when the project is back in progress so you can follow the rest of the tutorial. When I am making my own piece of fabric for a purse such as this one I have to do a lot of rolling of the fabric by hand, which is going to hurt my back if I do it right now. I saw my DR a few days ago, I should be feeling better soon. I am knitting right now until I can go back to my raw wool felting. I am looking at starting a new project in May or June. 20 purses in 20 days!!!! I should be feeling better by then and should have no limitations. Right now I am working on some prototype purses, so you will see those posted on here as I get them done, as well as the hand felted purse I will resume working on. By the time the new project starts I will have a etsy store set up to attach to my blog so that if you want to purchase one of the purses and you are not local you can do this from my etsy store. If you would like to sign up to have a purse made especially for you in the project contact me. Leave a comment on my blog with your information or leave a note on my personal msgs on facebook.
I am attaching some of my most recent projects to this post.

Purse on hold... waiting for my sock knitter to arrive

Hello Everyone!! I intended on posting yesterday as planned but I have not been feeling well the last couple of day so alas I have not worked on the purse. I wanted to let you know that I have purchased a antique sock knitting machine. I am waiting for it to arrive. It is coming to me from french speaking Canada. It is coming via ground mail so I wont see it for awhile, but when it arrives I will start my sock making frenzy.... Have any color suggestions?? There is also a business in town that is considering showing felt artists work, and I am considering being a part of the little gallery. I will keep you updated on this as I am pretty excited about the possibility.

Day 1 purse making. How a raw wool purse is felted tutorial

Hello Everyone!!! I have started on a large felted purse. For those of you that have been following my blog, this type of felting may be new to you, but this is what I have mostly been doing previous to the hat challenge. The type of purse I am making requires me to make my own hand felted fabric from raw fibers. For this purse I am using sheep's wool which is pictured above and alpaca wool . The sheep's wool is used as a reinforcement. It creates a stronger thicker wool, but the alpaca wool is softer and has a more pleasant texture. You can see above what it looks like in its cleaned raw state.


Pictured here are a set of carders. I take the hairs and "card " them. This is like brushing your hair when it is tangled. I am trying to put all of the strands in the same direction so I can lay them out on my mat for felting.
THE CAT FOUND MY WOOL BOX!!!! This happens to me frequently.....
Here is what the wool and alpaca fibers look like after I have carded them. The wool is on the left and the alpaca is on the right.
This the first layer of wool. The hairs are all layed out in on direction overlaping
This is a picture with three layers felted together, except the back row. I took the picture this way so that you could see the contrast . I have " pre" felted this with a felting needle. You do not have to do this step, but I prefer to have an idea of how the fibers will look before I work on felting, I can also correct my mistakes if any at this point. Once I start felting the process is not reversable. I like to keep myself in check all the time. I am very very careful with detailing.
This is a picture of me with the pre felt fabric. This is to give you an idea of the size of the piece I am working on. It will shrink by about 30 percent. The next post will be on Wednesday and I will show you how it becomes felt and I will put the designs on the front of the fabric. It is going to have black and Red/brown designs on it.

Little Red Riding Scarf...

Hello Everyone...
Today I felted a red scarf to match the hat I posted on here last time. This has been a long process and a good learning experience for me. I used some innovative techniques along with some traditional wet felting techniques to make this scarf. This was so long when I first began that it was my length 5 feet 3 inches, and it was pretty wide also. This is what it felted down to when I was done with it. It is super strong and super warm. I hope it keeps the new owner super warm for the rest of this winter and the winters to come.
I am making a purse next... starting on Friday look for those pictures.

Back to the knitting again!!! The super post.

Hello Everyone!!! I am back to knitting again. I took a little break after the challenge, but I still was knitting hats. I made 2 hats yesterday for a order. The black one that you see above was ordered without trimmings. My husband made me a new hat mold from a wonderful piece of cedar, so everything smells amazing when I am molding the hats.
This is a red hat that I made for the same order. I decided to just pin everything onto it before sewing it down. The button I pinned on is a suggestion I have to the client, because I think it looks the best out of all of my buttons on the hat.

This is different order that I fulfilled. I decided to ribbon on the band of this one for a different style.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE WEARING THE HATS THAT I MADE FROM THE CHALLENGE
Do you remember this hat from the challenge? Here is its happy owner.
This hat was not part of the challenge but was a gift to our dear friends who have just had a little Baby boy.
Here are two sisters with their hats. Do you recognize these hats from the challenge?

Well I will be working on a scarf and a felted hat next. Be on the lookout for those things this week and next. I will try to at least put something up every week if not more. If you are wearing a hat from the challenge and I don't have a picture of you please email it to me so I can post it on my blog and in my portfolio!!! Thanks for following my blog. I have been getting suggestions from you and I will be working on the things you suggested between my orders!!
ALSO>>>> One of my friends and Blog followers has posted a new website with her vintage inspired clothing on it. It is marvelous and I would encourage you to go on over there and check her blog out, and join in on the fun. Her website address is below.
http://www.vintagebybeatricewinter.blogspot.com/
Thanks!!

Day 20, Hat 20

Hello Everyone!! I hope that you have enjoyed following my project! This is hat 20. It is a pink cloche with a beautiful vintage inspired floral button. The button was given to me by a friend and I could see that it belonged with this hat. I have decided that I will do this project again next year, most likely in November instead of January/February. I will continue to make hats and purses, and clothing throughout the year so please continue to visit my blog on a regular basis for project updates. As promised I will also post a little about how I make the hats. As you may or may not know I also felt fabric from raw alpaca and sheep's wool. I do all of this by hand right from the raw fibers, with no knitting involved. You will see me making some purses in the upcoming weeks, as well as some more of the hats like the ones I have been making during the Hat challenge. This blog is for you as much as it is for me. If you can think of something you would like to see me try to make just drop a comment and I will respond.

Day 19, Hat 19...

Hello Everyone!!! This is a hat I made today that is a hat that was custom made for a child/ early teen. I have been waiting to use this cute heart button, and the girl that this was made for adores hearts!!! What do you think?? I really like this hat in particular...

Day 18 hat the rest of hat 17 and hat 18

Hat 18
Hat 17

Hello Everyone...
Thanks for your patience. The Camera is back up and running. I have a camera that runs on a special battery that has to be recharged on a special charger... it ran out of juice on Friday.... but all you would have seen would have been half a hat. .... The blue and gray hat is hat 17 and the purple hat is hat 18. Hat 18 needs to have its detailing added to it. As always when I have this done I post the picture again so you can see the alterations and how it completely changes the hat. The picture was taken tonight and the purple color just isn't cooperating with my camera. You will see the true colors when I re-post it. Both of these hats are hats that I have made from orders... See you tomorrow when I make hat 19!!!!