Bollicine

I cannot remember when it all started, perhaps as a child, watching my aunt knit and crochet. She was tall, gorgeous and the yarns came alive as she knit effortlessly. Beautiful coats, dresses, everything she made. I was 6 and wanted to be just like her – she was my idol! My father was an amateur photographer who could have easily traded in his pharmacist’s mortar and pestle for the darkroom. He had an incredible eye for color, proportion and design and I was an avid ‘student’. He took, developed and framed his own work and when he died, I inherited his negatives and a large compilation of his pictures. I was also blessed to have inherited his “eye”.

I began knitting as a child. Then, in the ‘70s I sold imported fabrics, and moved on to designing ultra-suede diaper sets. Don’t laugh – I cautioned buyers about lack of washability!! Late ‘70s through early ‘90s found me in the corporate world, but I broke free and returned to knitting felting, ceramics, mixed media and finally designing scarves, purses, hats, and shawls (in ‘90s). Although it feels like I’ve been in business forever, officially TootsieP Yarns was born in ‘2000.

Yarns can easily become an addiction, and I’ve been very fortunate to have found wonderful supporters for my yarn addiction. Through them I offer you luxury fibers ~ both commercial and hand dyed. Trendsetter, Prism, Cascade, Silk City Fibers are some of the companies I work with. I selected them because they share my passion for fibers and a commitment to customers. I will also share yarns from my secret stash, saved and hidden for years, as well as incredible hand dyed fibers by the most talented women dyers from Drop Spindle, Chasing Rainbows, Oak Grove Studio and Prism.

Boxes of Eye Candy, that’s what my sweater kits have been dubbed. It’s my current passion; combining yarns by color and texture and packaging them together for you. You are the artist who will take these palettes of fiber and create your own unique work of art. I offer these palettes of gorgeous color and texture beautifully packaged in several forms: embellishment fiber packets, small scarf kits, medium “inspiration kits” and large sweater kits. You’ll see the kits in my eBay store and on my website, as well as a sampling of the garments they create. I’ve had a great time putting them together and offer them, like gifts, to you the creative artist. At a recent show in Pasadena, CA., a customer purchased a sweater kit to hang on her wall. She didn’t knit, sew, weave or do any craft. She just loved the color combination. Apparently it complemented her décor. Wow!! That’s a story!

It’s your choice: a kit, a ball of luxury yarn from Trendsetter or from one of the family of companies from Cascade, a wonderful skein of hand dyed yarn from inspirational dyers, a hank of Prism Stuff to coordinate with other hand dyed fibers from Prism, or a cone of yarn from Silk City Fibers. Wait! I’m certainly not forgetting you hand dyers. I love offering you great undyed fibers, at incredible prices. Wholesale and retail dyers welcome – large and small, I work with all of you. Rayons, Rayon blends, Bambu, Cotton, Nylon, Wool blends, Mohair. These quality, gorgeous fibers come alive in your creative hands.

Yarn is yarn is yarn!! Whether you knit, crochet, weave, quilt, sew, embellish note cards, scrapbook, dye, and are just looking for the next ball of yarn that you can’t live without. You’re my kind of artist and we share a common love ~ YARN!

Someone once asked me, “What are you going to do when you grow up?” You’re looking at it! As much as I love working with yarn, I love talking about it. In person or electronically, so call me, text me, write me. And share my passion.