Some days magically unfold into unexpected adventures.
While purr-using Vancouver Washington’s downtown Farmer’s Market for comfortable and cute crocheted hats, a dog owner walked up and placed a hat (not like mine) onto their dog’s head!
Joyfully
stunned, I looked around, and saw other dogs meandering through the weekend market purr-oudly wearing colorful hats; some with pom-poms, flowers, dragon look-a-likes, chicken combs, lady bugs, minions or made to order creations in every color under the sun! It was fun, festive and the canines obvious adored wearing the light weight hats just as much as their owners! (I love mine too, but the dogs looked cuter in theirs!)
Four years ago, Jessica and her mother,
Patte, accidentally went into the hat business! Jessica crocheted a comfy warm hat for her niece and their friends asked for one for their children.
Soon the mother and daughter were in the hat business. They listed their creations on Etsy and began vending at the Outdoor Market that has an adjoining park, which hosts an Easter egg hunt, classic car shows, Comicon, recycled arts fair, marathons and lots of dog walkers.
Patte
taught her daughters to crochet when they were five years old, and now she is teaching her granddaughter, Bethany.
“Jessica quickly surpassed my skills,” admits Patte. “She is now an elementary teacher and I work retail, so crocheting, to us, is a wonderful de-stresser from our busy lives.”
The mother-daughter team had no intentions of crafting dog hats, instead focusing on hats and styles irresistible to women and children. But many
creative dog parents at the Farmer’s Market asked if the pair could make a hat for their pet.
“It was not one dog owner wanting a hat,” said Jessica, “but several, every weekend! Because I can create a hat in 30 minutes, their dogs were soon wearing them and advertising for us! The cute crocheted chapeau-adorned dogs were show stoppers, making our dog hats a huge success! Now they are our best seller! Many owners have purchased several different
styles of hats and when they adopt a new dog, they bring it in for their first hat! Customers tell us that their dogs get excited when they see the hats, because it means, ‘Hat on...walk following’.”
The ladies sell 20 dog hats on any given market day. “It's fun to watch the excited customers,” said Patte, “trying different hats on their dogs. It always creates a crowd at our booth.”
Dogs in hats are “cute magnets”! People enjoy watching
the dogs model their new gear as they proudly show off their new paw-chase.
Patte and Jessica’s bestsellers are sport team colored hats such as: the Sea Hawks and Ducks. And with the new Angry Bird movie, bird hats are increasing in sales. The ladies have repeat customers and sales soar at Halloween for dog, cat, ferret and rabbit hats!
“We had a special order for a tiny Toy Chihuahua named Mini,” said Patte, “for a Minnie Mouse hat. She
was one of our smallest customers and our biggest was a Great Dane. It is adorable when someone buys a hat for their child and a matching one for their dog.”
You cannot look at a dog in a hat, strutting proudly through a throng of people, without smiling. The dogs create human traffic jams!
“Once one dog wears a hat,” said Jessica, “the flood gates open for sales! It is crazy! Other dog owners arrive asking for one for their dog, and
because our booth is near a hotel, our K-9 creations are all around the world!”
Who would have thought that a family tradition of crocheting would change the family’s lives and dog fashion?!
According to the American Pet Products Association, Americans own 83.3 million dogs and 95.6 million cats! These pets are pampered to the tune of billion$ of dollar$ a year.
It looks like Patte, teaching her children and grandchildren to crochet, will benefit the family for generations and years to come and keep pet parents smiling!
Oh! What about blind Fred, K-9 customer, featured in the photo? His
article will be soon!
