Vendor Spotlight: Daisy The Sheep Hats

Fall weather means cooler mornings, crop harvests, and the return of Daisy The Sheep Hats at the Horton Farmers' Market! Owned and operated by Carmen, Daisy The Sheep Hats offers a range of unique, hand knitted hats, headbands, and seasonal accessories in a variety of sizes and colours for everyone to enjoy. 

Growing up on a sheep farm in Parry Sound, Carmen's grandma was always knitting. "She taught me and my sisters how to knit," said Carmen. "I've been knitting since I was a child." Growing up on the farm Carmen had a pet sheep named Daisy (who heavily influenced her business name, along with the fact that daisies are her favourite type of flowers), and she participated in 4-H clubs when she wasn't spending time with Daisy or knitting with her grandma. As she grew older, she continued to knit, and her family and friends kept commenting on how lovely her knitting was and that she should sell some of her creations. So around 2017 she took the leap of faith, and officially started her small business called Daisy The Sheep Hats. 

Rooted in farm-girl work ethic, creativity, and a continuing bond with her grandma, Carmen's hobby transformed into a thriving business. She previously worked as in floral design for 15 years, which built her skills around combining colours and using her creative side to make unique arrangements and creations - skills which transferred over to her knitting through inspired colour combos and even custom orders. "My variety and flare for style makes each of my knits unique, and the array of colours and yarn I get to use is fantastic," Carmen said with a smile. "I love that I can make each piece with my own hands and mind, and that I get to share my love of knitting and my hats with people so they can stay cozy and stylish year-round."

Carmen finds joy not just in the creative and physical process of knitting, but also in seeing the happiness it brings to customers and connecting with people at the Horton Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings. "The most amazing feeling is repeat customers, especially at Horton," said Carmen. "When someone just loves a hat and their whole face lights up, it's an incredible feeling." Connecting with her community is top priority for Carmen. On her market mornings she isn't just selling hats, but building relationships with community members, sharing her passion for knitting with market-goers, and providing valuable insights, tips and tricks for caring for her products to ensure they stay beautiful and cozy. 

As a market shopper herself, Carmen loves the atmosphere and market family she gets to support and be a part of each week. "Everyone welcomes you each and every Saturday," she explained. "[The Horton Farmers' Market] has been amazing, it's such a great networking tool while also allowing me to sell my knits. The impact of being included in their social media sharing has also been huge." 

During her busy season, which usually runs from September to December, Carmen says she can be found working away in her studio, often knitting 6+ hours a day. Alongside her passion and creative drive one of the qualities that sets Daisy The Sheep Hat's products apart is that many of her knits are uniquely one-of-a-kind. "A lot of my knits aren't from a pattern," Carmen explained. "Most of them just flow together from my knowledge of knitting." Daisy The Sheep Hats also offers custom orders if you have a certain colour combo in mind - just reach out to Carmen through her Facebook or Instagram and she is happy to help! 

Driven by a love for creating beautiful things and continuing to use her skills taught to her by her grandma, Carmen's journey from farm girl to knitwear artisan is a testament to the transformative power of passion and hard work. Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? "Don't give up," said Carmen. "Work hard and follow your dreams! Find your own style that's unique to you, and keep creating." 

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Paige Palmer, Marketing Assistant

Paige is a proud recent graduate of Western University's Media and Communications (MACS) program and King's University College's Thanatology program. Born and raised in Elgin County, Paige loves connecting with local people and businesses to tell their stories and promote their hard work. A previous St. Thomas Parks and Forestry summer student, Paige also loves exploring local parks and trails, and promoting the incredible work of the Parks and Forestry department, while capturing some beautiful pictures along the way. ​