Hello!  I'm Nancy, and I'm super excited to share my beanie designs with all of you! 

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As far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with color and texture, especially in how they relate to nature. Growing up in the sprawling suburbs of southern California in the 60s and 70s meant that our little neighborhood was still surrounded by miles of hills and open areas…before the freeway was built and more tracts of homes took them over.

 

With eight siblings at home and a best friend just around the corner, I was never at a loss for an adventure buddy. We explored the little river valley, scrambled over boulders that formed waterfalls and pools, hiked along the shaded hillside, climbed trees to look for mistletoe, ran through fields of wildflowers and tall grass, and even discovered a “bamboo forest” with a patch of gourds growing in it.  Even a simple trip to the nearest grocery store became an adventure as we walked through orange and walnut groves to get there.

 

As a child, I remember making mud pies and cakes in my backyard and being distinctly aware of which dirt to use for the cake, the frosting, or the sprinkle of cocoa on the top…depending on the color or texture, of course! Even a bucket of water and an old paintbrush filled a lazy afternoon as I “painted” every surface I could find (trees, rocks, fences, our house) and watched how the color changed between wet and dry.  I crafted, read, and explored my way through childhood, filling it up with as much adventure as I possibly could…and I haven’t stopped!

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For me, it was a natural progression to channel all of these childhood experiences and my love of nature into painting, sewing, and just about every fiber art I could learn. My amazing Mom taught me how to sew, crochet, knit, and embroider,  I discovered cross stitch on my own, and I spent a week at John C. Campbell Folk School learning how to weave on a rigid heddle loom.  I absolutely love them all (and still manage to fit each of them into my life), but the art of knitting has captured my heart the most.  The fact that simple knits and purls can transform into endless textures and patterns is completely and absolutely fascinating!  The idea to combine the art of knitting with my love of the outdoors popped into my head one day as I was looking at a Joshua tree…and the concept for the National Park Inspired Beanies was born.

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Exploring the National Parks of the U.S. and Canada continues to nurture that sense of adventure that is still with me.  Only now, I’m inspired to bring the beautiful colors and textures of nature into my knitted beanie designs.  I suppose it will take a lifetime to see all the parks, but that’s OK. 

 

A lifetime is all we have, and life is an adventure!