Handmade Hats for the Holidays

It's holiday gift-giving, overwork-your-hands time for most crafters.  I know from the two knitting guilds to which I belong that many of you are frantically trying to finish all the hats and such on your list for nieces, nephews, kids, and grandkids. Year after year this used to happen to me, too.

What to do? You're running out of time and cutting short your sleep!  Instead of just giving up and handing out gift cards to all, why not gift a knit or crochet item handmade by someone else?

Now, mind you, I'm not saying that you should take all the credit for this handmade gift that you give but didn't actually produce.  I am not promoting the idea of taking out the seller's label and slipstitching in one of your own.  It's just that you don't have to do all the work yourself; you can give your gift of good taste by choosing quality handmade goods that someone else created.

Elf Hat

So here's a suggestion for you hat gifters: I came upon an Etsy store called TipTopApplesauce where you can find the most adorable hats for infants and children! With the gracious permission of the owner, Lucinda, I am featuring her store here.   

Pom Pom Hat

When you enter Lucinda's online store you are immediately struck by the incredible photography for her products.  The photos really grabbed my attention because I had been trying to photograph my still nameless new head mannequin wearing some of my hats, and only one photo out of thirty was even marginally good.

At TipTopApplesauce you will find some sensational photography.  The three photos above were taken by an award-winning New Jersey children's photographer, named Carrie, at EMA Photography.  The photos are reproduced on this blog post with her special permission. Check out her website and blog for more amazing children's photos.

Even the photos taken by Lucinda, the store owner and hat maker are really good.  View, for example the two photos which follow (which are, BTW, photos for two crochet patterns--just in case you still think you want to do it yourself).

Rose Cloche Crochet Pattern

Patriotic Baby: Easy Shell Cloche Crochet Pattern

For those of you who like my suggestion, give a gift handmade by someone else, even if you know how to do it yourself, because it's a gift that gives in many ways:

1. Your young relative gets a great gift.
2. You give the seller the gift of a sale, and you support the handmade economy.
3. You get the night off.

Cheers!