Warm and Wooly Scarves

Helter Skelter Hand-knitted Scarves

These little beauties are lovely, warm, chunky knitted scarves,  They are made by me,  in front of the telly, with an enormous pair of knitting needles.

They are designed specifically for little girls and boys, aged 3 and beyond.  They're not too big, so as not to overwhelm those of smaller stature, but I've worn one myself and quite liked the dainty, mini-scarf look.

You can check them out at one of our upcoming craft fairs, where you might well get all your Christmas shopping done at once.  Wouldn't that be nice?

I'll be back to blog again in a little while about our Christmas plans and where you can find our stall in the near future.

xx Jane

Something for the Boys!

All too often, a shopper passes by our market stall, admires the pretty things we make for little girls only to announce, "I have a son.  What do you make for boys?".  

Now, both Sliz and I are mothers to little boys and we know how frustrating it can be to see lots of lovely things for the girls and nothing great for our sons.  We quickly realised that we didn't want to be the kind of label that produces only girly things.  

So, I offer to you, kind blog reader, the first of our outfits designed with boys in mind.  We think our karate tops worked out beautifully and just as good if you were taking your boy to a wedding as they would to a more casual affair.  We looked long and hard to find the right kind of fabrics for boys, which proved to be a real challenge.  We finally found a few fantastic ethnic style prints, plus some great vintage style fabric featuring classic cars and planes.

To match, we have these fantastic trousers that roll up to become a pair of shorts.  They stand alone, really, (although not literally) because they could be worn over and over with any matching shirt or bodysuit.  They are absolutely perfect for crawling, as you can adjust the turn up so that your baby's knees are covered, or not, depending on your preference.  The fit is lovely and roomy, so there is plenty of room for a nappy - cloth or disposable.  Both of us have a Helter Skelter baby who tested this trouser design for us when they reached crawling age and we give them a gold star for performance.


As with our apron dresses, layer the top with a long sleeved t-shirt and your shirt is as good to wear in the winter as it is in the summer.  As for the shorts, just roll the legs down and you have a pair of full length trousers.

Now that I've convinced you of their masculine charms, take another look.  They'd look pretty sweet on a little lass too, don't you think?  If only more girls' outfits could make that claim.

Sizes start at 3 months and extend up to 24 months.  Get 'em now on Etsy!  Sold separately.

E17 Designers Market

 Our apron dress and karate top @ E17 Designers

The best thing about selling our wares in a market environment is that we get to speak directly to our customers.  We learn what they like, they say lovely things about the stuff we've lovingly crafted and they give us the encouragement we need to keep everything going.

It is even more insightful to speak to our potential customers, the ones who browse but don't buy anything.  Understanding what makes them want to shop with us means making a more desirable range of items, which means our little business will thrive.

We met plenty of lovely shoppers at the E17 Designers Market  a few weeks ago.  It was a perfect late summer's day, bathed in sunshine and warm enough to wear t-shirts.  Plenty of people were out and about as part of Walthamstow's fantastic annual Art Trail, so there were loads of folks passing through the market hall.

Helter Skelter Jane at our stall

The atmosphere was boosted by a delightful performance form the Rose and Crown singers (who set up adjacent to our stall, so we had front row seats).  I remember enjoying their version of "Scarborough Fair" very much.  Also passing our stall were a steady stream of cafe patrons, who had discovered that a good cup of tea and a slice of amazing homemade cake were to be garnered from one of the hall's back rooms.

Sliz and I had a terrific day, making our most sales yet for a market stall.  We left the hall beaming with pride and bouncing with motivation.  We hope to be a part of many more E17 Designer events in the future.