Grace has just finished Hat Number 300!

It all started with a book about saving Andean designs by Cynthia LeCount Samake, Andean Folk Knitting: Traditions and Techniques from Peru and Bolivia.

After reading the book Grace was intrigued and ordered 8 cones of brightly colored yarn, a crochet hook and knitting needles. That was the first step. The yarn had to be wound into skeins, rinsed, to be sure it did not run, hung to dry then wound into balls. Now she was set to go on the boat for the summer. Finding herself holed up in a harbor in Maine in thick fog aboad their sailboat with her husband, Dave, Grace started work on the hat. The first few rows were proving to be a challenge. Dave helped by reading the complicated directions to make the Puntas on the lower edge. The first hat was finally under way.

Two years later Grace had 35 hats ready for Christmas!

She and Dave hung them on a line across the living room and let family and friends each pick one of the brightly colored hats.

Over the years Dave has created several aids for Grace's hat making project:  a weighted post to hold the cones of yarn, a special device to hang the yarn to dry and upgrades to Grace's yarn sewing needle.

Grace is rarely seen without her knitting in her hands. By the time this Auction opens she will be working on hat #300! Cynthia has been to visit with Grace twice in the last two years sharing some new techniques. Both women were knitting during the visits!