The scarves are put in a bowl of water and then heated up — in a microwave.

“When I tell people I make the scarves in the microwave, they are surprised,” McCubbin said. “It’s just so much fun to talk about it. I enjoy talking about making them.”

The process she uses blends the colors together to create a unique pattern.

McCubbin typically makes the scarves in a small outdoor shed called the She Shed, hence the name of the business — She Shed Scarves.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
A collection of scarves is displayed on the wall at Karen McCubbin’s home, west of Gowrie.

She got the idea from her stepmother, Jane Keown. Keown attended an art fair in Estes Park, Colorado last summer. While there, Keown witnessed how artists added color to fabric.

Not longer after that, McCubbin learned her own techniques.

“I always tell my step mother that she created a monster,” McCubbin said.

McCubbin finished her first scarf in September 2019. She gave that one to her step mother.

And that same month she sold her first one to the Rev. Jennifer Owen at Friendship Haven.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
A blue and gray scrarf is the most recent scarf made of the ones shown.

Since then she’s hosted some events where people are invited to come make their own.

“I’ve had a few Saturdays where a few ladies come over and make scarves,” McCubbin said.

Her husband, Denny, built the She Shed.

McCubbin finds it to be quite cozy.

“I’ve got 12 feet of cabinetry and 8 feet of countertop,” she said. “I do the scarving out there except for in the middle of winter.”

-Messenger photo
Snow falls outside of Karen McCubbin’s She Shed west of Gowrie. McCubbin makes her scarves inside the shed, typically when it’s a little warmer outside.

Her husband likes to try on the the fabric from time to time.

“Denny loves it and is my favorite model,” McCubbin said. “He models my scarves. He makes them, too. He’s a very manly man, but he loves making the scarves. And he’s very proud of that shed that he built.”

McCubbin has also branched out into smaller items like little purses, glass holders and tissue holders.

Her scarves sell from $25 to $50 depending on the style of the scarf.

Smaller items sell for under $20.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
One of Karen McCubbin’s favorite scarves is displayed.

The scarves come in 14 inch by 72 inch and 22 inch by 72 inch.

She has 20 different colors at her disposal, from dark blues and blacks to bright neon green.

“Every one is different and unique,” McCubbin said. “They all come out totally different. What I like about it is if I don’t like how it turned out, I can just put more dye on it and redo it. And if someone doesn’t like how theirs turned out, I’ll keep it and make another. So it’s 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed, if someone doesn’t like what they make.”

McCubbin used to work with stained glass.

“Truthfully, I think I like scarving so much because it reminds me of stained glass,” McCubbin said. “The colors are beautiful and they blend.”

She added, “I really loved doing the stained glass, but then kind of went away when I started having kids 20 to 30 years ago. And this is much easier.”

McCubbin will be hosting a scarf making class at Soldier Creek Winery on Feb. 22 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.