The dashboard has been removed from the cab and the heater as well. Each item has had fragrance present and easily detectable when separated from the truck and the rest of the items in the cab. I can now detect fragrance on/in the steering wheel. Once we have removed everything that has scent and the cab is free from air freshener, we will begin replacing items. That's where it will get really challenging. The only replacement parts for most of the items in the truck are used. How can we guarantee they are fragrance free before purchase? :/

I have created two new listings on Etsy by combining existing patterns for a bulk discount. I think it's awesome, but maybe that's because I always appreciate a discount on something I wanted to buy anyway. ---Sinéad

The hat is knit. It took me awhile because I kept getting distracted by baby booties for charity. :0)
The canvas doesn't slide in the way the leather does, so you need to pin it in place and remember to stretch the knit as you go. The results are a nice flexible bill, that still holds it's shape well.

When I created my jeep cap pattern I knew I would be using leather for the bill, but that canvas was an option. I hadn't used the canvas method in a number of years and the particulars were fuzzy. Joey, my daughter, has recently tried it out.

She traced the pattern and cut out three layers to start with,
basted them together
and then ran it through her machine.
It was fairly soft, a good choice for a baby hat or small child. But not what either of us wanted for our hats. So, she hand stitched two more layers in place. This bill is not as stiff as my leather bill, but I think it will work well enough.
I will be putting it to use soon and I will post it here when I've finished. Must get the hat knit first! --Sinéad

I've been making some things for charity over the last few weeks. It started with a call for premie hats from the yarn store where I was shopping. (British, on-line) I thought it sounded like a good idea, a way to use the cool left over yarn I have on hand. After all I use the baby soft merino to knit for myself. Well, American hospitals have some weird prejudices and they can't cope with wool or the charities doing the organizing don't get it. I'm still looking for a group that appreciates wool, but in the mean time, I have emptied the ol' hope chest of it's baby clothes, as I won't be having any grand babies. I'll be sending these along with some cotton items I've made and a few wool ones for the "angels" to be buried in, (these don't have to be aggressively washed), to a wonderful lady who organizes and supplies items to hospitals and such.
Now that's an area of need that I wouldn't have thought of on my own. But it's a very real one and one that is often over looked. Parents who've had their sweet baby arrive early and pass on, aren't prepared with garments of an appropriate size for burial. And they aren't really prepared to cope with burial details of any kind. I'm very happy to help ease their grief by supplying them with something to lay their sweet one to rest in. This may become my preferred charity as the need crosses all classes of people and is often overlooked. --Sinéad