Roxy Rabb was vacationing with family in Missouri last October when she got the urge to create something pretty and warm.
Tired of crocheting scarves, she let her mind wander until she created the scarf necklace. It’s made of yarn and has the look and style of a necklace.
“I played with it a few times until I got what I wanted,” she said.
Turns out, that what she wanted is what other women wanted, too.
“I had a lady at the grocery store buy one off my neck last night,” she said in a recent interview. “Every time I make a batch, they are gone.”
Her scarf necklaces can be found at Betsy Prince at Brookwood Colonial Village, Chole's in Cahaba Heights and Hayden in Crestline Village. They can also be found on www.etsy.com under "7thavenueturquoise." She also has a Facebook business page, Rox & Babes Inc.
The winter ones come in acrylic and wool. They range from $25 to $45. “They keep you warm, but they don’t make you hot,” she said.
She has lightweight ones for spring and they are made of organic cotton and worsted cotton. They range from $25 to $52. All of the scarves are available in different styles, colors and lengths.
“I wear them with a long tunic, leggings and boots, or a short dress and jacket. I love mixing my colors so I’ll wear a turquoise one with yellow and white or an orange one with green or gray,” she said.
Rabb, 34, is married, has two children and lives in Helena. Her full-time job is to help people stay organized. In her free time, she designs jewelry.
In 2004, she started making large jewelry and necklace pieces, using gemstones, hammered metals, pearls, turquoise, leather and coral. They ranged from $25 to $350.
When the economy got bad, Rabb said she got smart and started making some of her jewelry at a lower price point. Her scarf necklaces fell into that category.
“Everybody still wants something different, but they can’t overextend themselves over a piece of jewelry,” she said.
Rabb still creates her custom jewelry pieces with gemstones and other materials. But, she also does the scarf necklaces, and necklaces and bracelets made out of recycled T-shirts that she’s manipulated to look like light knits.
“I’m always in that creative mindset, looking to make something new,” she said. “I’m always looking for my next best seller.”