All Over Albany

Casey Dwyer's wool headbands

I saw these the other day and can't help but lust over them.

Glens Falls resident Casey Dwyer's wool headbands just seem like the perfect way to add a little warmth to a cold day and still look cool. They're made out of three layers of wool felt in hand-printed floral and leaf designs in a bevy of colors.

Dwyer works on her designs out of a studio in the Troy Shirt Factory , which despite it's name is actually in Glens Falls and is home to several local businesses and artisans. But she's selling her wares in boutiques and craft fairs from Brooklyn to Portland.

Dwyer says she's not much of a fashionista, but still, she's always wanted to make clothing. She's typically a jeans and T-shirt kind of person as of late but has always been inspired by period costumes and historic clothing. So she set out to start a line of clothing based on that love of vintage designs and crazy patterns but realized her sewing skills were severely lacking.

So Dwyer got into making small projects to hone her skills, like small purses for friends. That led to setting up her own Etsy shop in 2006. Her bags and other small accessories did well right away.

Now Dwyer also sells her headbands at craft shows along the east coast, including the Renegade Craft Fairs in Brooklyn and Chicago. Her work is also carried by boutiques in New Orleans, Portland, Oregon and Boston, among others. She'll be selling them next weekend at the annual Twist craft fair in Northampton, Mass.

Dwyer says wool is flexible enough for her to create from her "whims." The Candy Thief line of headbands was inspired by walking outside of her apartment and seeing a bunch of bird feathers. She made some hand-cut feathery stamps in colorful pleasing shapes and finished them off with bold-covered stitching and they seemed to be a hit right away.

The Candy Thief headbands average $35, but you might have a hard time deciding which color combination to narrow it down to. Some even have some sparkle, which would definitely brighten up a dull winter day.

Oh, and if you're worried that your head is too-large, Dwyer will custom size bands to fit any head.