Happy Holidays, One and All

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I love the rituals of the winter holidays. Especially decorating the tree.

Hand-knit stocking ornament, circa 1999.

I love having a bit of the outdoors inside.

Hockey player keychain, plus handmade sequin & seed bead ornament, circa 2008.

An evergreen tree trimmed in bright colors, set with little white lights… so cheerful!

A classic glass bell ornament and a handwoven grass star ornament from Labrador.

And I love how the tree is the gathering place of gifts, a symbol of abundance and joy.

A vision of plenty and good cheer - Maine, 2011.

In the spirit of the season, I present you one of my favorite holiday songs… enjoy!

Happy, happy holidays, one and all!

So, what’s your favorite part of the holiday season?

Felt Hat Kits Make Great Gifts

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Are you a knitter? Do you have a favorite knitter in your life? Felted hat kits make great holiday gifts!

Each kit comes with knitting and felting instructions, yarn enough for one hat, and a bit of satin ribbon, for lining the finished hat.

Each hat uses two skeins of yarn, and I’ve got a full selection of gorgeous colors:

Just select the color/s, choose your payment type (PayPal, personal check or credit card), and send me an email (ccmhats AT gmail DOT com).

Felted hat kits cost $45 (which includes shipping in the US). Additional skeins cost $10 each.

There is such tremendous joy in making something yourself. Consider giving the gift of fiber-love this year… your favorite knitter (and I) will thank you!

Giving Thanks: My Mother’s Dishes

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Mom's Hutch and fancy dishes.

Mom's china hutch and fancy gold dishes always presided over our dining room.

When my Mom passed away in 2008, one of the hardest things to do was clear out her little home.

Gold leaf on white china was the height of elegance in the 1950's when Mom & Dad married.

I was anxious about her fancy dishes. The ones she got as wedding gifts in the 1950′s. The dishes we ate every holiday meal from. The fancy gold-leaf dishes that could not go into the dishwasher, let alone the microwave.

Happy Thanksgiving (circa 1982)!

They are more than dishes to me. They are the spirit of my Mom during the holidays. I’m thankful I was able to get them safely across the country. Tomorrow, I’ll get to use my Mother’s dishes for the first time.

Wishing you a cup of kindness this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!

Radio Tour of the League’s New Home for NH Crafts

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I’ll admit it.

As much as I’m a hockey addict, I’m also a public radio junkie.

This hand-crafted NHPR membership mug from 2007 is right at home in my hat studio.

Today, I found myself in the rink parking lot, having a “driveway moment.” I was enthralled by a story about the new headquarters for the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen in Concord, NH.

There will be a Grand Opening reception tomorrow, October 26, 2011, from 3pm – 8pm, which I’m hoping to attend. See you there?

Thank you, Virginia Prescott (of NHPR’s Word of Mouth) for the “moment”!

Great trip: One Knitter’s View of the Sunapee Fair

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I found this glowing review of my hats at Sunapee & wanted to share… Enjoy!

Great trip Mr. Aitch and I got home around 12:15 this afternoon.  It takes us awhile to get back into the groove of things but I wanted to tell you about the fair my brother and I went to on Saturday.  There's still time for you to go…if you're in the area. My brother and I went to the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen's Fair which is held annually in Mt. Sunapee Resort in Newbury, New Hampshire.  This is no typical "craft fair".  The exhibitors are profe … Read More

via Knitting In Flashes

New Freehand Embroidery: Red-Hot Blues French-Knot Mandala

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New Freehand Embroidery: Red-hot Blues French-knot Mandala

The 78th Annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair begins in less than two weeks, so I’m in embroidery overdrive.

Icy-hot french-knots (more than 150!) make up the bulk of this freehand embroidery.

I love the nubbly texture of this french-knot mandala design… it feels amazing to the touch! If you come by my booth in Tent 7, you can feel for yourself.

Silk & cotton hand-dyed yarns are doubled then knotted to form this freehand embroidery.

This is my newest design, and I’m planning on stitching a few more before the Fair opens on Saturday, August 6, 2011. It’s very meditative to build up the embroidery, knot by knot.

Each art-to-wear hat is signed, dated and numbered. "Red-hot Blues" is #65 in 2011.

There are so many amazingly talented craftsmen at this fair: from glass-blowers, to raku potters, to printmakers, to rug-braiders, and more. Not only can you meet these artists, you can also enjoy free daily craft demonstrations, and learn their secrets.

I hope you’ll be able to visit!