Meet & Greet: WinterCrochet

Okay, I always knew it’s a small world, but this is starting to get a little crazy… I randomly chose my 2nd fellow Etsian to interview and, in reading her answers, discovered that she, TOO lives in MA, about 30 minutes away. Apparently New Englanders are drawn to each other! She loves living here and revels in the culture; museums, sports, nature – it’s all here.

I’d like to introduce you to Margaret of WinterCrochet. A cubicle dweller by day, in her off-hours she uses yarn to make hats that literally look good enough to eat. This Mint Chocolate hat nearly had me drooling! Margaret came to crochet by way of soap making, after the smell of soap starting to get to her. As the daughter of a soap maker myself, I can definitely understand the sentiment! She was taught by her mother, who still lives close by, and crochet is a craft that “runs in the family”.

Margaret pulls her inspiration from a variety of places, people and even materials. She says, “Sometimes a certain color or texture of yarn will scream to be made into something very specific.” I think a lot of fellow artisans can relate to that experience. Something else a lot of us can understand is her studio goal – to keep it clean enough to at least be able to see SOME of the floor! :)

She has a great attitude towards entrepreneurship, and, I bet, life in general: always keep learning & growing. She says of her shop, “…a year from now I still want to be learning new things about entrepreneurship and community markets.” She values her experience in running her shop, having made both personal and professional connections in the few short months she’s been selling on Etsy.

In closing, I’m going to just copy & paste her quote on the import of buying & selling handmade goods – I couldn’t write it any better myself!

“When people make and sell and buy handmade goods, I feel that it brings us back to a place where everyone knew their neighbors and you could trust in quality craftsmanship, and also in the people around you. We're so disconnected these days from the dinner parties, and knitting circle type activities that brought communities to be proud and tightly woven; [communities] that worked hard to do what was right and help each other. I feel the community ties we make are the most invaluable outcome of handmade communities.”

Fun Facts:
Favourite Colour: Earthy, Mossy Green
Favourte Food: All of it (“I'm a food maniac! I'm one of those live to eat people and not the eat to live type”)
Favouirte Drink: Alcoholic: margarita (on the rocks, no salt) Non alcoholic: nice pink lemonade in the summer.
Favourite Travels: Her parents’ house (how sweet is that?)