About Carrie Cahill Mulligan

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

A Warm Felt Hat for a Cold, Snowy Winter

Posted on 21 February 2014 by Carrie Cahill Mulligan

Do you remember my LNHC colleague, glass artist, Wendy Besett?

She recently posted this lovely photo to my Heirloom Handknit Hats Facebook page with the following note:

Vermont glass artist, Wendy Besett, caught wearing her favorite winter hat.

“More than a foot of white, powdery love today. Snowy and blowy, but my head didn’t mind it a bit! Thanks Carrie!”

Thank you, Wendy. You sure wear it well!

Anyone else out there braving the Winter of Endless Snow comfortably in a CCM knitted felt hat? I’d love to hear from you…

Angie’s Best Banana Bread: Snack of Rinkrats and Champions

Posted on 12 February 2014 by Carrie Cahill Mulligan

Never waste over-ripe bananas again. These are perfectly ready for baking.

Ripe bananas are easy to mash with a fork.

Last winter, a hockey pal gave me a loaf of banana bread as a thank you for being a welcoming presence around the rink and in our adult Learn to Play hockey class:

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

That’s Angie: Back row, 2nd from the right.

It was delicious! Angie kindly gave me her original recipe, which I tweaked to get in a little more whole wheat & fiber. Plus, I added nuts. Lots of nuts.

Pecans & Walnuts add welcome protein to this yummy quick bread.

Finely chopped pecans and/or walnuts lend a toothsome texture to banana bread.

Now, when I need a healthy, yummy snack to go with my post-skate chocolate milk, I reach for a slice of this banana nut bread and am grateful for rink-buddies & the chance to play the best game on Earth.

Loaves are fully cooked when golden brown & slightly cracked on top.

Angie's Best Banana Bread

Servings: 2 Loaves
Time: 1hr 10mins
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 C Canola oil
1 1/2 C sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 C whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 C ground flaxseed meal
1 2/3 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
5 ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 C)
up to 2 C chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Grease & flour 2 loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, oil & vanilla.

3. In a 2nd bowl, combine dry ingredients.

4. Add dry to wet ingredients & mix well. Fold in bananas & optional nuts.

5. Pour into prepared pans & bake 60-70 minutes.

6. Remove from oven when fully baked in the center. Cool 5 minutes then remove from pans & allow to cool fully on wire rack.

Fresh loaves of banana nut bread cooling on a rack.

Good Times at the White River Yarns Felt Hat Trunk Show

Posted on 11 February 2014 by Carrie Cahill Mulligan

My first-ever trunk show last Thursday at White River Yarns was so much fun… In fact, the party started before I even showed up!

Hours before our 6pm start, I received this nice online testimonial:

Knitted felt hat #4 of 2014, with freehand dragonfly embroidery.

Hi Carrie,

I was at Karen’s yarn shop today and purchased the dragonfly purple felted hat. I just loved it and it is so nice and warm.

I’m not a hat lover but this one spoke to me and I even loved it on.

Thank you, you do such amazing work.
xoRobin

Semi-precious jasper beads make fascinating dragonfly eyes.

Yay, Robin! Thank *you* for starting our Felt Hat Trunk Show party off right!

Ever the gracious hostess, Karen ordered in some pizza and opened a couple bottles of wine while folks gathered to knit, offering color advice for potential hat owners:

Crowd-sourcing opinions on just the right color felt hat at White River Yarns.

Sometimes a special felt hat chooses *you* more than you choose *it*.

The trunk show went so well, we decided to leave 14 fancy hats, plus yarn + patterns for knit-your-own felt hat kits at the shop until the end of February.

So if you’re still looking to treat yourself a one-of-a-kind felt hat or kit, please do drop by White River Yarns. I think you’ll be glad you did!