How does one go from politics to fashion?  

Allowing your passion for texture and color to shine through is a good start.  

Val Stone started college as a political science major, but discovered that a second degree in fine arts, specifically interiors, and then the more tangible arts like ceramics was her true love.  

Enter five babies and seven moves around the globe.  

Now back in the United States Val noticed that the neutral yarn colors of the 70s 80s and 90s had been replaced by hip, vibrant and fun colored threads. She started making bags in December 2004 and saw again how, with the new wools and synthetic yarn, that knitting had taken on a whole different genre and quality--it had gone more upscale and hip!

Val began knitting bags for her friends and quickly started getting requests, not only from friends in their 40's and 50's, but also from friends of her teenage daughters. People would also stop Val in the streeet -- and they still do -- wanting to know where she purchased her bag. Seeing such positive response to what had been a fun hobby, Val saw the opportunity to launch a new career path.