Author Archives: Carrie Cahill Mulligan

About Carrie Cahill Mulligan

Park ranger turned fiber artist, out to change the world, one felt hat at a time.

People Are Awesome (and an Andy Update)

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It’s been over 5 weeks since Andy’s bicycle accident and his subsequent clavicle surgury.

Since then, we’ve been blessed with amazing support from family, friends & hat folks alike. It’s been humbling to be on the receiving end of such generosity, but we are most grateful.

Andy is feeling better by the day. His pain levels are minimal, but he’s getting antsy about all the projects he can’t yet work on.

Today, help came from 1.5 hours away in the form of 3 friends.

Roughly 5 cords of firewood, piled next to our garden, awaits stacking in our barn.

Roughly 5 cords of firewood, piled next to our garden, awaits stacking in our barn.

Friends who brought work gloves & a spare wheelbarrow. Friends willing to tackle stacking the 5 cords of fire wood we burn each winter.

Friends who didn’t mind doing some heavy lifting so we could rid our porch of an old clothes dryer & wood stove, in preparation of tearing that porch down (later this summer).

Nor did they mind helping load up, deliver & unload the 24 bundles of Western Red Cedar shingles Andy will use to re-side the back of our house (eventually).

6 Square Western Red Cedar Shingles in Bundles.

600 square feet of Western Red Cedar Shingles… Another project for another day!

The work done around our house was a huge help. No doubt about it.

But the good cheer these friends brought Andy (who’s struggling with the boredom involved with his slow recovery) was immeasureable!

Four friends enjoy a late lunch at the picnic table Andy built for my birthday, beneath the shade of our old apple tree.

Boys lunch at the picnic table Andy built for my birthday, beneath the shade of our old apple tree.

Happily, with New Hampshire Spring now in full swing, I was able make lots of roast asparagus for lunch, with plenty enough to send home with the guys.

Asparagus Bed in Full Production

Located just to the right of the picnic table, our asparagus bed is in full production now.

With 2 more weeks still to go until Andy gets his wrist cast removed, today’s visit was a tremendous gift.

(He’ll get new collarbone x-rays then, so we’ll learn more about his return-to-work timeline shortly.)

People can be so Awesome! We are truly grateful.

A double Inuksuk sculpture presides over our asparagus bed in Canaan, New Hampshire.

Andy’s double Inuksuk sculpture presides over our asparagus beds.

After all, there are only so many rock sculptures my impatient Patient can build for the garden…

Thank you, friends! We owe you all. Big Time.

Gayle’s Custom Dragonfly Hat

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I shy away from most custom orders.  Felting is unpredictable.  It’s tricky to shrink a knitted hat to the right size for a specific head.

However, if the person is easy-going, not in a hurry and willing to risk shipping hats back & forth, I’m happy to try a special request.

Gayle was just that sort of person!

Yarn color combinations for a custom felt hat request.

Gayle’s custom hat color combinations, with possible embroidery yarns, side-by-side

Gayle knew she wanted a dragonfly hat, probably in purple. She chose several yarn colors which I photographed, along with various embroidery ribbons, so she could choose her favorite.

Colors selected, I set about knitting, felting, lining & embroidering Gayle’s hat.

Carrie Cahill Mulligan's knitted felt hat #20 of 2012, purple with turquoise dragonfly ribbon embroidery.

Gayle’s custom felt hat with dragonfly ribbon embroidery.

Generally, I gravitate to tone-on-tone designs, so I suggested some purple-y ribbons for the dragonfly embroidery. Gayle really wanted the dragonfly to “pop” though, so we went with her first choice, turquoise.

Embroidery Detail of CCM Felt Hat #20 of 2012 - ribbon dragonfly with turquoise & jade gemstones.

Turquoise and jade gemstone beads are the focal point of this dragonfly embroidery.

I’m so glad we did! I love how this hat turned out. Gayle deserves all the credit.

Have you ever helped create a custom design? Did you enjoy the process? The results? I’d love to know your experience…

Hockey Words of Wisdom

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Lots of you know that I’m a hockey addict. For 2/3 of the year, you can find me at the local rink nearly every day of the week (I rest on Saturdays).

How is that possible? Well, there’s learn-to-play class twice a week. There’s open stick (pick-up) hockey 3 days a week. And don’t forget game night for the Campion Hockey League on Sunday nights.

Carrie Cahill Mulligan skates hard after the puck in a Campion Hockey League game, Lebanon, New Hampshire, 2011.

In hot pursuit of the puck during a Campion Hockey League Game, 2011.

So, that’s 6 days of hockey each and every week… during the regular season.

During the final weeks of the season, much like a bear gearing up for hibernation, I consume as much ice time as my body (and marriage) can withstand.

Carrie Cahill Mulligan winning the face-off during a women's hockey tournament in Stowe, Vermont, 2012.

Winning the face-off during a women’s hockey tournament in Stowe, Vermont, 2012.

This year, I played in both the women’s and the men’s Spring Mud League, and had 3 separate tournaments scheduled (2 women’s tourneys plus my first co-ed one).

Women's ice hockey team, Stateline White, after their last game of the 2012 season.

About 2/3 of my 2012 women’s Mud League hockey team, Stateline White.

The 2012 Men's Mudleague expansion hockey team, the Pirates.

The 2012 men’s Mud League expansion hockey team, the Pirates.

Turns out though, I ended up missing the final tournament due to my husband’s bicycle accident and clavicle surgery.

Don’t get me wrong. I hold no grudge against my Sweet Man, who has been nothing but supportive of my crazy hockey habit.

Being home to care for him in his need was something I was happy to do. I’m grateful to be his bride, and to be the one to nurse him.

Carrie & Andy Mulligan with Cinder-Dog, April 2012

Happy together, in sickness and in health.

Still, I did feel a twinge of regret that I couldn’t be in 2 places at once. I wrote my team captain, Kara, explaining the situation, and couldn’t resist adding a sort of hockey pep-talk, in lieu of being part of the tournament team.

Imagine my delight when Kara sent the team this note, along with the fantastic motivational hockey poster she made from my advice:

“Carrie needs to bow out of the tourney, but she sent me some thoughts to
channel the “Carrie Mental Edge” over the other teams…so she’ll be with us in spirit.
And if we really want to outlast our opponents, don’t forget your chocolate milk!”

Remember to keep your FOCUS on those things you can CONTROL: Be FEISTY early · keep your FEET MOVING · make GOOD PASSES · keep SHIFTS SHORT · put SHOTS on net · COMMUNICATE on the ice · stay POSITIVE · be SUPPORTIVE on the bench · ENJOY the moment BLOCK OUT: What the other players do · calls the refs miss · bad game times · getting a goal RIGHT NOW · the final outcome of the game

(All of this I learned from my coach, Dick Dodds, arguably one of the best hockey coaches New Hampshire has ever seen.)

So much love! I couldn’t have been more pleased to remain a part of my tournament team, if only in spirit.

And my team? They WON their division… in quadruple overtime!