Gift idea grows into a 'tangled' business

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December 24, 2008

By Jill Diver

LONDONDERRY — Sue Sanfacon is all tangled up in threads and couldn't be happier about it.

Tangled Up In Threads is the name of Sanfacon's company. She creates and sells one-of-a-kind fiber necklaces. The necklaces are made with yarn and ribbons, from cool to warm colors.

"The nice thing is that I'm 50, and hot flashes are in and you can't wear a scarf," she said. "These necklaces do not add any heat at all."

When novelty yarn first started becoming popular, Sanfacon's mother, an avid knitter, made scarves for Sanfacon's co-workers at her "day job" because Sanfacon couldn't knit. The workers enjoyed the scarfs, but the next year, Sanfacon wanted to create something herself.

"I've always been crafty, so I took some of my mom's spare yarn and worked on different techniques on how to put the yarn together without the yarn being braided. I just wanted it put together loosely," she said.

Sanfacon, 50, tried many techniques to create her necklaces. She even went as far as using a yard stick with nails in it to create specific necklace lengths.

"It took me about nine months before I latched on to the technique I use to create the necklaces," she said. "I started to give them out as gifts and everybody started asking me to make them for their family or friends. That's how it ended up turning into a business."

Each unique Tangled Up In Threads necklace is individually priced. A selection can be found on the Web at www.tangledupinthreads.com.

Necklaces can be worn in many style. You can twist them, tie loose knots in them and when you knot them, they are not knotted forever. Depending on which way you wear them, they take on different looks.

Each necklace comes with magnetic clasps or a screw clasp. This way, people with arthritis can get their hands behind their head to put the necklace on. They are great to take on trips, they fit in suitcases easily and can dress up a simple black dress or pair nicely with jeans.

The hardest part of creating the necklace, according to Sanfacon, is deciding which colors to use. She said she decides the colors she's into that night and brings in colors to match.

When picking the yarn and ribbon, Sanfacon says the texture and colors of yarns are what attracts her. When she is not at her daytime job, Sanfacon is creating her necklaces.

"I do this on evenings and weekends. Its been about seven years I've been making them," she said. "Two years ago, I decided I wanted to do the bigger craft shows and because I wanted to do that, I decided to turn it into a business."

While no two of these necklaces are ever the same, each has a signature flower bead on the back, to make sure the buyer knows it's an original; and all the tags have Made in New Hampshire written on them along with what fabrics were used in that necklace.

"I've always lived in New Hampshire, so it was pride in the state that made me put made in New Hampshire on the tags," said Sanfacon.

Tangled Up In Threads, custom fiber necklaces, can be found at the Fat Robin in Londonderry, 44 Nashua Road. For other store listings and to request custom-length necklaces, visit www.tangledupinthreads.com.