Growing up in Switzerland, I loved knitting from an early age. Fortunately, I grew up in a culture that, to this day, values traditional crafts. In grade school, girls had to take many years of knitting, sewing, and embroidery lessons. I discovered felting (or fulling, as the technical term for felting knitted garments is known), when I came across a felted hat at a yarn shop about twenty years ago. I became fascinated with the process that involves using hot water, soap, and friction to turn a loosely knitted fabric into a warm, solid, and virtually waterproof garment. I have been experimenting with different shapes and colors ever since.
After several years of making hats part-time and selling them through shops and galleries, I took the leap and began attending art and craft festivals about fifteen years ago. I sell my hats all over California and the United States.
Tess McGuire Hatmaker is based near Mendocino, in Northern CA.
Phone: 707-533-7381
Email: tessmcguirehats@gmail.com
