Making hats and Plans to Leave the House

Hello Everyone, Today I bring you all things joyful. I do, however, want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the kind and sympathetic comments on my last post. Sometimes the internet can be a vehicle for good. You really comforted me. But now let’s talk about hats and upcoming plans to leave the house.

This is Scrappy Charlotte. I have had a few people ask to bring her back. Well, she’s back. I’m sorry that it took me two years (or more) to fulfill that request. I do hope that whoever made the request is still with me. I don’t think I intentionally try to have a style. I’m actually attracted to so many different looks, but when I step back and look at my hats up on the wall or on that Instagram grid, the one word that comes to mind is, joyful. Not to say that I am joy incarnate. Trust me on this one. But I do seem to like to express joy and put it out there in the world. If you click on the photo, or any of the other photos, you can read about the hat details or even purchase them.

I have two different brim versions. The first version slopes downwards and flips up. On this version the brim has a very gentle angle and is wavy. If you have been with me for a while you’ll know that making hats from my scraps is very important to me. Textile waste is a serious problem. Scrappy Charlotte is a pretty solution. I can make variations of these hats in any size, so please reach out if you would like me to make one for you.

Springing forward (I still haven’t adjusted to the time change) I bring you Betty Bucket in floral. I’m truly, madly, deeply in love with this hat. Yes, I say that about a lot of my hats, but I really mean it. I know that Betty Bucket will be my personal Spring and Summer hat. It’s so flattering. I love the simple lines and…..

that oversized bow in the back. I also find that a short brim in the back is more conducive to summer siestas in lounge chairs.

Wide brims that flip up. Need I say more? As always, I make these hats in all sizes and there are more colours. Just talk to me. I love to hear from you.

Of course, I am never not knitting. This here is Claire. She’s knit in seed stitch and then felted and hand blocked. The flowers are made from wool felt. I know we are just leaving winter, but I would call myself a cross seasonal hatter. In my studio, I regularly flit across four seasons in the span of a week. Strangely enough, my customers also tend to be cross seasonal hat wearers. I am just as likely to sell a winter hat in the summer as I am to sell a straw hat. To us hat people they are, first and foremost, pretty hats.

I have made two…so far.

I had planned to let you know about my latest workshop in April, but that one sold out very quickly, so I added one for May. Would you like to spend a Sunday with me learning to make a straw garden hat? Click on the poster to sign up. I keep the class sizes small, so that I can give everyone lots of attention.

And now for some big news! I will be leaving the house. Yes, you heard that right. This is not just for a walk on the Back Harbour Trail. I’m talking about getting in my car at 6 am and driving to Halifax to sell my wares at the Halifax Brewery Market. It has been so many years since I was a vendor at this market. I do remember coming home to a small child and an exuberant puppy. The puppy is now in puppy heaven and the small child is now very big and living in Halifax. This last fact actually makes it easier to drive in this direction. Drive towards the child. Maternal instinct at its finest. He even says he will come visit me. I hope you can, as well.

And now for even bigger news! I’m going to be a vendor at the PEI Fibre Festival this coming fall. I joke about not wanting to leave the house, but I’m only half joking. Over the years I have watched myself become an extreme homebody. Partly, this is the result of loving my work, the town I live in and all things homey, but it’s not entirely a good thing and it’s time to leave the nest a bit. Truly, there’s nothing that can help me overcome all my anxieties like the promise of being surrounded by wool and people who love wool. I have wrangled Tony into coming with me. Ask me how excited he is about fibre festivals. That man is a good sport. Does anyone have any recommendations of places to stay in or near Charlottetown?

Well, couldn’t end this post without a hello from Devi. He has been wonderful company and extra affectionate. Hope everyone is well. Looking forward to our next chat…..Anna