Blog - The Hat Junkie

Pandemic Resolutions

June 21, 2020 by HatJunkie

Lupins on Lunenburg’s Back Harbour Trail

When the reality of life in the time of Covid first sunk in, I imagined that I would never sell another hat again. After those initial few days of panic, I made a list of all the things I could do other than earning money that would contribute to our household. I confess, I was really enjoying the fantasy. I would turn my entire yard into a garden…. finally get the house clean…make all our clothes… make curtains… paint the guest room…preserve food…the pioneering list goes on and on. I was ready to time travel back to 1805.

Two things happened that put a damper on this scenario. First, after a week of being the perfect wife, with dinner on the table at 6, granola made, dishes washed, house cleaned…I totally lost my shit. This was entirely on me. I was the only one putting pressure on myself. I also learned that if I take creativity out of my life I become a not very nice person.

The second thing that happened was that I wrote a little post on Facebook asking people to share my page and that little post got shared over 3000 times. I suddenly had a lot of hats to make.

I am nothing but grateful for the orders and to the people who shared that post, but I felt a bit of a loss as I slipped back into busy, busy, busy mode. Those first few pandemic days had given me a bit of clarity into what was truly important in life (not the house cleaning part). And so, I decided to take control. After two demoralizing years of watching the deer eat all my plants, we hired a friend to fix the garden fence. Best money I ever spent.

I now make sure that gardening is a weekend priority.

My hedge of Rugosas that I planted from tiny little shoots are coming along swimmingly.

And every morning Lego and I go for our long walk. I’m finding the world extra beautiful these days. I Love the energy and diversity that tourists bring to Lunenburg, not to mention sales, but I’m also loving the peace of a quiet town.

I know that there’s a lot of hardship associated with this pandemic, but it has brought some unexpected gifts.

A Hat Gift From The Great Beyond

June 19, 2020 by HatJunkie

Beautiful Brian who passed away September 2019

Hello Everyone, I’m sorry to have not written sooner. Times are so strange and my mind is alternatively full and empty of thoughts and the idea of trying to condense the ruckus in my brain into words has felt daunting.

I also have a habit of wanting to talk about everything and then I overwhelm myself to the point where I can’t begin. But today I thought, one story, tell one story. So, that’s what I will do.

Last September my dear friend, Brian Davis, left this world with a bang. He had ALS and fought like the dickens (and won) to be able to donate his organs. Apparently his story reached far away places and I am told has set some new standards for organ donation. Anyways, Brian used to like to roll up in his wheel chair and tell me about how much he loved every last thing he was able to do. Seeing someone face death with such grace was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life.

He really loved this hat that I made for him. He sort of became a champion of my garden hats. His daughter Becky fell in love with the hat, so he bought one for her and he left the one on his head to his son. One day, maybe a couple of weeks before leaving this earth, he wheeled up my driveway. I came out to see him and he handed me a fist full of cash. He said, ” Anna, Susan’s birthday is on May 23rd. I want you to make her a hat like this and give it to Susan on her birthday.” Susan is his wife. I choked back my tears and promised him that I would not forget. I immediately put the date in my iPhone calendar, so that I wouldn’t forget. For months this request sat like a weight on my heart. Seemed like a huge responsibility to deliver a gift from the great beyond.

Time ticked on and the date drew closer. I made Susan’s hat and when May 23rd arrived I walked across the street and knocked on Susan’s door. When Susan came out, I said, Happy Birthday. This is from Brian.

Her reaction was pretty much what you would expect. She loved the hat, held back tears and we talked about Brian and gardens and dogs and bees… After a while she said, Anna, I have a confession. Today is not my birthday…..I said, what do you mean? I wrote it down right away. Did I mess up the date? She said, no, Brian could never remember my birthday. Today is his sister’s birthday. Mine is next week. We both cracked up and praised Brian for being consistent even in death. What a beautiful man, maybe not one for dates, but he had a heart of gold.

Flapper and Edwardian Hat Distraction

April 1, 2020 by HatJunkie

Hello hat friends, I don’t have much wisdom to bring you today in terms of the state of the world, but I can offer you some pretty handmade flapper and Edwardian style hats along with plenty of knitting distraction. A friendlier alternative to the news.

I am actually somewhat used to isolation as this is what crafts people do. I often turn to knitting and sewing videos, not so much for the information, but more to bring a friend into the studio with me. So, in the above video I ramble on endlessly about hats and knitting and show you a pretty walk through Lunenburg and even give you a little glimpse into me practicing The Charleston (it strangely helps me). I hope you can use the little video I made in the same way. Have me over for a little visit while you do your chores or drink your coffee…Why yes, I’d love a cup…cream, no sugar, please.

Before I go, I will mention that I have added lots of new hats to my website. Don’t hesitate to ask for other colours. Here’s the one I am most proud of at the moment. It fits a slightly larger than average head size. I talk lots about it in the video. Also be sure to click on the little button for your currency. It’s not exact, but close.

Here are links for some of the designers I mentioned.

From Grandma with Love blanket by Melanie Berg

And, Lastly….I would so appreciate you sharing this post with your circle of friends. If you enjoy the video please give it a like, or better yet, subscribe. I wish you all the best of health and I look forward to hearing from you. Love, Anna

You can find the original soirée sweater herehttps://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/soiree-4

February Really Needs a Hat

February 12, 2020 by HatJunkie

February really needs hats and chocolate. I don’t know if I can send you chocolates, but I can definitely send you hats. If, like me, you live in a part of the world where slush falls from the sky then you might just need a bit of a pick me up. If you live in a part of the world where the sun shines all year long…..can I come stay with you?

So, until February 19th you can use the coupon code, FEBRUARY to receive 15 % off any hat in my Etsy shop or Slow Hat Shop. If you live locally then you can show up at my door and say the password (February) and I’ll still discount your hat.

Isn’t that green one up there pretty? Spring in Nova Scotia is a purely woman made season. I try to do my bit. Colourful hats with large flowers not only help the hat wearer’s emotional well being, but they also help every person the hat wearer passes.

Here’s another beauty that I just finished. This is one that I will be repeating. I made this one on my antique straw braid sewing machine. If you look closely you will see that the pull on the ties is a vintage spool of thread complete with some of the original thread. Sun protection never looked so good.

Well, hope I get to send you some hat cheer, but looking at pretty pictures of hats is also a pretty cheerful experience. Spring is just around the corner.

Following My Heart, My Latest Business Strategy

January 29, 2020 by HatJunkie

I had a bit of an epiphany the other day. Well, my friend, Aimee, actually hit me over the head with my epiphany, but that’s what friends are for, right?

She surprised me with a visit, so I put down my work and we went for a walk. I must have really needed to talk to her because it all came blurting out. I was not really happy because I was making the hats that I felt people wanted to buy and squeezing in the hats I really wanted to make when I had the time.

In about a two minute time frame, she set me completely straight. Aimee is a straight talker. ” Why the hell would you be self-employed if you are not doing what you love? You may as well get a job and at least have some security. Do what you love and the money will follow!”

I have always known that . Those words have guided me for so many years, but sometimes fear of not being able to pay the bills can make you forget. So, I found myself making the same hats that I have been making for so many years and feeling like my creative wings had been clipped. It got to the point where I avoided going in my beautiful studio and instead would sit at the kitchen table and knit. I have really never been very good at doing what I didn’t feel like doing. Instead of putting my nose to the grind stone and cranking out my best sellers, I became the master of procrastination. Just one more row of knitting, I kept saying, and then I’ll get back to work.

Somehow, Aimee’s sledgehammer over my head made me realize that it was time to be brave and have faith that if I let myself follow my creativity and inspiration that my customers would come along with me. I needed someone else to give me permission to do what I needed to do. Shut one door and open another one. And that’s what I’m doing. I have talked about phasing out my fleece hats, but I have decided to speed up the process. There will still be fleece hats available in my Etsy shop, but I will slowly be replacing them with the hats I truly love to make. I know that I won’t be making everyone happy, but I need to first make myself happy. That means working with natural textiles, working slowly and enjoying all the fine details of slow fashion.

The amazing thing is that when I brought my new knitted and felted hats to the Lunenburg Farmers’ Market, the ladies went right to them. I think people can feel how much I love them. This beautiful mother and daughter duo bought these two berets. And incase any of you out there tell yourselves that you are too old to wear a hat…Joyce is turning 90. She was wearing gold sparkly shoes and wouldn’t let me take her photo until she put her lipstick on.

Joyce and Fawn in their new knitted and felted berets

All these hats take a really long time to make, so my plan is to just list them in my shop as I make them and write a blog post when there are enough to talk about. Here are the knit hats that are currently available in my shop. You can click on the caption to purchase if you feel like you can’t live without one.

Hand knit and Felted Beret from Canadian wool

The sweetest blue, Hand knit and Felted From Canadian wool

Colours to melt the snow. Hand knit and felted Canadian Wool.

I have also been having a blast diving into the scrap pile. Here are two Scrappy Charlottes.

Thanks so much for spending some time with me. See you all soon.

Local Handwoven Beauty

January 21, 2020 by HatJunkie

I just finished making this Maisie hat and I need to wax eloquent for a moment…I love this fabric!!! O.K. that wasn’t exactly eloquent, but I don’t know how else to put it. I love that in choosing to have this fabric made for me by Marrie, of Double Whale Handwoven Designs, that money is kept circulating in my community, but it’s more than that. The fabric is truly more beautiful than any machine made fabric. I did actually consider trying to find another source of fabric to keep the cost down, but once you see such beautiful quality there is no going backwards.

Marrie had thought she could not weave me any more of this fabric, but I whined and begged and she has agreed to try again. My next batch of two colours will be coming at some point soon. Can’t wait to share it with you.

Scrappy Happy Hats and a Zero Waste New Year

December 31, 2019 by HatJunkie

Hello, hello! I am writing just in time to wish you all the happiest of New Years. I’m one of those people that happens to like New Year’s resolutions. Not in a write a list sort of way, more in a mindful mess of intentions for the future way. So, I’ll begin with this hat and everything it represents to me.

This hat is made from my scrap pile. These fabrics are all remnants of the handwoven wool that Marrie of Double Whale Handwoven Designs made for me. I know I repeat myself in my blogs, but I also repeat myself in my daily life, so I’m consistent. Zero Waste. It’s not an achievement by any means, but it is a goal. Zero Waste is actually what keeps me up at night. I know, I know, there’s a drug for that, but I feel that this is a small corner of the world that I can impact. It is, however, a very hard goal to incorporate into a business.

Working from fabric scraps takes a zillion times longer than laying out yardage. This is why so much fabric ends up in landfill. It is way more cost effective to throw out large amounts of fabric scraps than to turn them into wearable art. Fixing this problem requires that designers and large scale manufacturers choose to slow down, but it also requires customers to understand that this is an expensive process.

Actually, it also requires that designers collectively choose to charge for this work. It’s just damn hard to make something by hand and then look someone in the eye and casually say this costs $325. Well, it is for me, anyways. I know I don’t throw around $325 easily…well, unless it’s for yarn. It’s scary to charge what an item is actually worth. Particularly when most designers are seriously undercharging.

The whole zero waste, sustainability, handmade movement will only work with a massive change of perception and that’s going to take some time, and I’m O.K. with that. In the mean time I will also make the hats I need to make in order to feed the tall kid and I won’t achieve my zero waste goal in 2020, but I think I will get there.

I have also been on a mission to come up with hats that have the same qualities as polar fleece, but are made with natural fibres. I played around with cutting up used textiles, I ordered some organic wool jersey fabric, the whole time muttering to myself that I just wanted to knit the hats. But, if we are on the topic of undervalued work, there ain’t nothing as undervalued as knitting. So, I had this story in my head that I could not sell a hand knitted hat. Instead, I needed to take a piece of knit fabric, cut it up, sew it back together, add to the scrap pile and then, only then, could I charge what I needed to charge to feed the kid and keep the heat on.

I made a few hats like this and then the insanity just became too much for me. Why in heaven’s name should I not take yarn, use only the amount it takes to make the hat, making the world’s oldest zero waste hat. That’s what knitting has always been. There is no cutting. All the shaping is made while making the fabric. It’s serious zero waste innovation, except that it’s hundreds of years old.

So, that’s what I have been doing. I’m knitting up a storm of hats and then felting them for super warmth and then wet felting pretty flowers to sew on and nothing is added to my scrap pile. I don’t have these hats up in my shop yet, but if you would love one then please let me know.

I have a thing for flowers on the top of my head.

This is Faye from The Mariner’s Daughter modelling this beret.

Felted seed stitch is truly a wonderful thing.

O.K, what else did I want to chat about? Instagram. I went back on Instagram. I just got to a point where I missed seeing what everybody else was making. There is much to be wary about with social media, but I do love how it can connect people through common passions. I am going back with open eyes. I don’t engage in anything remotely political or controversial. I prefer long form thoughtful media for the harder topics of life, but for connecting with local friends, knitters, designers and other local businesses Instagram is a pretty good tool You can find me @thehatjunkie.

Speaking of thoughtful…If you are someone that likes to think about those big topics like climate change then you might like this podcast. It’s actually the first interview regarding climate change that made me feel hopeful. If This Link doesn’t take you to the specific show, it’s called, How to Save Climate Change and Make Life More Awesome.

And Lastly, I need to show you the coat that I knit.

The pattern is called Sylvie, by Mari Muinonen

Well, that’s about enough for now. Thanks for spending some time with me. Have a wonderful new year.

The Slow Hat Shop, a Slow Walk Video and a Slow hat maker

October 31, 2019 by HatJunkie

A seriously Pink Felt Hathttps://www.hatjunkie.com/product/pink-felt-fedora-hand-felted-merino-wool-size-medium-plus/

Hello! I have emerged from under a pile of fabric and yarn and I’m excited to share what I have been up to this past month.

For starters, I have finally added a web shop onto this site. Well, technically, I have had my Etsy shop linked here all along, but this one is a bit different. It is my Slow Hat Shop . It’s questionable whether I should be promoting the fact that I work at a snail’s pace, but after years and years of fighting my desire to do everything slowly I have finally given in. Slow has won the race.

Because Grey is so beautifulhttps://www.hatjunkie.com/product/grey-felt-ladies-hat-hand-felted-flapper-cloche-size-medium/

I’ll try to explain. Since I began The Hat Junkie 25 years ago, I have been trying to make beautiful hats that are accessible and affordable to many women. (Don’t worry, I have not completely abandoned that goal.) No matter what hat I was making there was always a timer in my head keeping track of how long the process took. I confess, I have often wanted to throw that internal timer off of a cliff. I just love making hats. Making a living has always been secondary to me. I’m not proud of that brain deficiency. My teenage son who eats a full size container of yogourt a day serves as a reminder that this having an income thing is no laughing matter. All I’m saying is that money has never been my motivator. I am motivated by beauty.

So, to make this long story even longer, I am constantly putting the hats that I most love to make on the back burner because they take so long to make and the price that might seem like a lot of money is actually not enough.

But lately, I have been rethinking…everything. I’m finding it harder and harder to separate what happens in my little studio from what happens on this planet. I’ll try to keep my insufferable preachiness to a minimum, but I have come to the conclusion that figuring out how to make hats faster, so that I can make more and make them cheaper is not the future I want. I want to make hats slower. I want to make hats from fibres that biodegrade, that are grown sustainably and most of all from fibres that already exist in the form of used textiles. I want to make hats where I can pay attention to all the beautiful, time consuming details. Yes, this means hats that are more expensive and I have way too many thoughts on that word, but I’m afraid if I go there you will click that little x in the corner of your screen.

So, I hope you will join me on my slow journey of setting up my Slow Hat Shop. If I have thoroughly confused you with having both a Slow Hat Shop and an Etsy shop, here’s the difference: The Slow hat shop will have my one of a kind creations and hats like my my hand woven hats which just take forever and a day, whereas Etsy will have the hats that I can reproduce, like my fleece hats and my Organic Jersey hats. Right now there’s an overlap, but I’m working on it.

My Goodness! Sometimes I just can’t stop talking.

Here’s another one of my latest creations. It’s made from upcycled denim jeans. I have been wanting to put a pocket on a hat ever since I listened to this Podcast about the history of pockets. Did you know that the French Revolution was the beginning of the end for women’s pockets? It began as a movement to downsize women’s dresses. Large dresses were considered excessive. This new style of less fabric meant no room for interior pockets on women’s clothing. From there the fate of pockets for women spiralled downwards. And in case you fear the current level of division in the world today has never been matched, take heart in the fact that two hundred years ago this issue of pockets was so controversial that people were grouped as pocketists and antipocketists. To this day, women’s clothing is often made with decorative pockets that are completely useless. It’s a wonderful bit of history.

Now, you may be asking yourselves if a pocket full of flowers is a useful thing, but I argue that there is nothing more useful than beauty. (I know…I’m just a bundle of contradictions.)

Speaking of beauty, I am so lucky to have customers like Kendyl who let me run wild with my creativity. Kendyl is a plein air painter and this is her winter painting hat. I lined the inside with fleece and pre painted the outside, so that any paint splatters would just add to the hat.

And don’t forget to check out my most favourite part of my website, Hatjunkies. There’s nothing that makes me happier than visits to my studio. I also love to meet people via the internet, but nothing beats face to face communication. Every hat has a head and every head has a story. I love to hear your stories.

And finally, in the spirit of slow, come join me on this beautiful walk from a couple of weeks ago. I truly live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Thanks for spending some time with me. Anna

Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards

September 14, 2019 by HatJunkie

Yes, I knit this beautiful Skymning shawl by Sophia Kammeborn

And just like that, it’s over. I blinked and summer went away. I’m not sure that I swam enough or spent enough time in the garden, but I gave it my best shot.

The older I get, the more I am aware that sometimes you just gotta hang up the closed sign and go for coffee with your husband at the Point General Store in Blue rocks, because life doesn’t wait for anyone.

If you live remotely close or plan to visit then you really need to make Blue Rocks a destination. Tony and I even went on a kayak tour. Would you believe I had never been on a kayak? For shame! Paddling around Blue Rocks is a bit like paddling into prehistoric times. I highly recommend this mode of time travel.

The view from The Point General store in Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia

A picnic at The Annapolis Basin Conference Centre

Mostly we stuck around the Lunenburg area, but our son Dustin, who has been bit by the the theatre bug, spent two weeks at a musical theatre camp outside of Annapolis Royal. To be honest, two weeks without adolescent (and he’s actually an easy one) is on par with any tropical vacation. The most relaxing aspect of theses two weeks was how easy it was to keep the fridge stocked. Seriously, I can hardly remember a time when a freshly baked batch of granola lasted more than a few hours.

When it was time to retrieve our young and extremely tall food inhaler, our dear friend , the beyond talented, extremely generous and adorable Cynthia Myers asked if she could tag along to watch the closing show.

Cynthia is Dustin’s theatre teacher, a talented actor, musician and playwright. She’s every parent’s dream. That educator that truly cares about each kid as though they were her own. I can’t tell you how many times we say, “Thank Heavens for Cynthia”. If your child has the slightest interest in acting and you live on the south shore of Nova Scotia then sign ’em up quick! Click here

So, “tag along” she did and she just happened to bring along this little picnic. You know, the kind where you have a cooler and a beautiful picnic basket with enamel ware and then you pull out the homemade chicken and 3 kinds of salads and a homemade pie and a bottle of wine and a thermos of coffee…

I’ll share some more backward glances at summer later, but I don’t want you to think that I am anything less than ecstatic at the prospect of autumn. I love autumn! Give me crisp, cool mornings, oranges, reds, brown and yellows with sparkly skies for 200 days of the year, please.

In hat land what I currently most love making are my hand felted hats. I know that in the name of feeding that tall child I need to also make my best seller hats, but these ones are my babies. My plan is to create a separate online shop for my one of a kind creations. I’ll, of course, keep you posted, but feel free to enquire if the hat is calling your name.

Hand Felted Merino wool dangling flower cloche

This is the sister hat. Wait, I have to show you the top…

Pretty cute, eh? I do love a classic hat, but I also love a slightly askew version of a classic hat. You know, like an elegant 1920s style cloche with a flower growing out of the top. Just a wee bit nutty.

I am also trying to make more of my Maisie hats. These are made from fabric that was woven for me by Marrie of Double Whale Handwoven, here in Lunenburg. She, unfortunately, won’t be weaving me any more fabric because she said it took too many beers for her to get through weaving so many metres of these tightly woven fabrics. I get it, I really do, but I am heartbroken. The fabrics are just so beautiful. I still have a good amount of several colours, but once they are gone they are gone.

This beautiful lady walked into my studio and walked away with this orange version. Actually, I own the same one. Orange lovers unite! (Dyslexics of the world untie!) Sorry, that just popped into my head.

But if I could own another one (no, I can’t take them all) it would be this one. Aren’t those greens beautiful? And the sweater…Did you notice the sweater???

I designed this! Really, I did. How crazy is that? Next month will be my two year kniteversary. I’m sorry to brag, but I’m proud of myself. I have gone through my whole life believing that I am completely hopeless at math, but turns out that I just needed to put it all into the context of knitting. Who knew? Designing is really not rocket science. I could show you. It’s very basic math and just deciding what stitch patterns you want to put together. O.K. I’m simplifying it a little bit, but it’s just like anything else, it seems impossible until you take the first step. I won’t be writing out the pattern anytime soon because I learned that pattern writing is really time consuming, but I am working on writing out some other, simpler designs.

I actually planned to quit trying to write out patterns because of time and because it’s hard to get a pattern seen. But I have since come to the conclusion that it’s good for my chaotic mind to go through the exercise of writing these things down even without financial gain. I’m not, by nature, a writer downer. By nature I am a keep everything stored in some remote crevice of my brain kind of person. If, in time, I figure out a way to sell some patterns, that will be a bonus.

Speaking of writing things down…I am currently reading Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. My friend Devorah came for a visit and gave me this book. Like everything that Anne Lamott writes, it’s wonderful. The timing of receiving this book was also pretty perfect.

One of my reasons for quitting social media was because I felt like every paragraph I wrote on Facebook took me one step further away from writing a book. Writing is just one more of those things that I enjoy doing, but don’t do enough of. ( It’s hanging out with my gardening, dancing, hiking, biking, swimming and cooking.)

Facebook, for me, was a quick and easy way to tell stories. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I felt like the constant sharing of anecdotes was taking away my motivation to write my thoughts out in long form. Not sure I’ll get that book written, but this book is pretty inspirational.

She talks about how when her brother was a child he had a book report to write on birds. He had, before him, encyclopedias and library books on many different birds and he was freaking out at the enormity of the task before him. His father said, take it one bird at a time, son. One bird at a time. Seems like advice that can be applied to most things in life.

I will leave you with one last little tale and then a few more summer photos.

This is Brian Davis. He bought this hat from me. He is my neighbour and friend and I love him. Less than two years ago he could be seen running the streets of Lunenburg. Brian has ALS. Brian is dying. I know that’s not the most tactful way of putting it, but I think it’s the most appropriate.

You see, Brian is dying the same way he has lived, with passion and curiosity, intensity and openness. He wheels up to my door regularly and shares his excitement for having been approved as an organ donor and shares his excitement for his green burial and the wonders of his wheel chair and he tells me how much he loves every last little thing he is still able to do and how he is grateful for the wonderful life he has had. He’s not pretending that he’s not dying. He tried every treatment out there and he felt they helped, but he knows that he has to go. Death is his final adventure and he’s living every moment of it. Of course I want him to stay, but he is leaving me and anyone else who is close to him with the most incredible gift. He is sharing his courage with us.

I apologize if I choked you up there. Here are a few more summer customer photos. Thanks for spending some time with me.

nemesis socks by Ambrose Smithhttps://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nemesis-socks-2

Hats for sunny days.

July 9, 2019 by HatJunkie

My girl/boy next door hat can be purchased HERE.

I told myself I would write a new blog post when the Lupins were in bloom. Well, the Lupins are just on their way out, but better late than never. (Not to worry. I did get a pretty photo.)

Before we get to pretty flowers we need to talk about this hat. Currently, this is my favourite hat. You can be sure there will be another favourite in a couple of weeks, but this is it right now. I think of it as the girl/boy next door hat. It doesn’t flaunt its beauty. It’s easy to not notice it and instead turn your attention to the colourful bomb shell on the next hat rack over. But if you pay attention you might notice that it’s just a damn good hat. It has tons of sun protection. The ties keep it on your head in a breeze and wheat straw is so subtly beautiful that it really doesn’t need to be upstaged by flowers.

I actually made this hat for my brother-in-law, Chuck, who was visiting from Maine with my amazing sister-in-law, Amy.

He requested a hat for working outdoors that would really give him proper sun protection. Et Voilà! I was delighted to send him home with a hat, but also sad to not have the hat anymore. So, I made another one and then as soon as it was done I walked across the street to show my 84 year old neighbour, Margaret, and she bought it. I was delighted that she bought the hat, but also sad to not have it in my studio again. So, I made another one…and that’s where this story stays, for now.

Oh wait, I forgot I promised you Lupins.

Lupins on the Back Harbour Trail of Lunenburg, NS

Worth waiting for, don’t you think? We had a cold and wet spring/ early summer. I don’t generally do well in wet weather. It gets in my bones. But I developed Meteorological Stockholm syndrome. ( I made that up). It’s a phenomenon where you start to sympathise or even love your weather captor. The colours of rainy days are so complex and moody that I found myself mostly enjoying what everyone around me called miserable. I didn’t voice my feelings out loud because, is there anything more repulsive than a positive, cheery person when you are committed to gloom. But now that the sun has come out in spades I fee like it’s safe to confess that I really enjoyed that wet weather. Knitting helps, too.

Did someone say knitting?

I knit myself a dress. I kind of made it up as I went along. Here’s the back.

It took forever and a day, but I really enjoyed the process. As soon as it was done I headed down to The Mariner’s Daughter to show them. Faye kindly offered to take my photo, so that I can show you. The yarn is a Shetland yarn from Hawthorne Valley Farm in the Annapolis Valley. Tony took me to Gaspereau Valley Fibres on my birthday and that’s where I found it. The yarn is hard to come by because it’s from their flock of five Shetland sheep. These are the natural sheep shades. I also knit the sweater I’m holding in my hand, but I better get back to hats.

I finally got around to making this hat for Tiffany.

Isn’t she beautiful? Tiffany did some modelling for me a while back and I owed her a hat.

I have to tell you about the ribbon on this hat. I got an email from a lady who said that she had a whole pile of antique ribbon and she would be happy to give it to me if I could use it. I actually considered declining. ( I know, I know..) she had told me that it was over 100 years old and in my experience old textiles usually crumble. Luckily, Tony convinced me to take a look and it’s a good thing I’m married to that guy. There were spools and spools of the most beautiful ribbon that was perfectly preserved in acid free paper. All from France and Italy. It’s hard to actually use it, but I think it’s better to get it out there in the world than to spend the rest of its days on a shelf in my studio. My only criteria for using this ribbon is that the hat needs to be worthy of the ribbon. I make these straw braid hats on a straw braid sewing machine from the same era, so I consider them to be worthy.

My straw braid sewing machine is truly my prized possession. I see from scrolling back through my blog that I bought it 2 years ago. I am just now beginning to feel confident that I can form a hat without a complete melt down. This hat was the first two coloured straw hat that I made. Oh the possibilities! And did I mention that the pile of antique ribbon also came with vintage millinery flowers? That’s what you are looking at in the middle of the straw bows.

But as much as I love making my straw braid hats, I also love my hand blocked hats. In the case of the straw braid hats, I sew thin braided straw around and around and form the hat while I go. In the case of the straw above I start with a woven sack (It’s called a hood) and using steam and wooden hat blocks I shape the hat. It’s a simpler process and it allows me to have hats in different price ranges.

I was working on this one in my studio when a lovely lady came in, fell in love with it and commissioned me to make her this one…

Did I mention that I hand dye this fabric? It’s all organic cotton and hemp jersey. Although I am currently smitten with the simple hat at the top of this post, I concede that sometimes bling is the thing. Actually, on most days I walk around looking like a Christmas tree. I just love colour.

It’s been so long since I last wrote that I’m not done yet. Bear with me for one more photo.

It was really rewarding to make this hat for Amanda. She has a very small head size. That’s not unusual, but people with small or large head sizes can rarely find hats to fit them. Amanda came by my studio and picked out the straw and the fabric. It’s extra special for me to make a hat for someone who has never had a properly fitting hat.

Well, that’s all for hat news right now. A quick word before I go about my absence from Facebook and Instagram. Although I miss many of the lovely interactions I had there, I feel I did the right thing. I needed to make my world a bit smaller. I am so happy to go back to slow communication. I spent much of my life writing letters to friends and when I began blogging it had that same slow communication feeling, just transferred to a key board. But when Facebook came along it slowly took away my need to write in full paragraphs. Updating my blog occasionally is better for me than small, frequent social media posts. But I do miss you guys and I really appreciate the comments. I don’t always make the comments public if they seem like they were meant to be private, but I read them all and they lift me up.

I also really appreciate people sharing my blog with friends. It helps me enormously.

I wish you all warm breezes, plenty of gardening time, lots of knitting and swimming in lakes. That’s my idea of perfection anyways.

Hope to see you soon.

Anna