About Me – Tess McGuire

Today I live in Northern California, but I started my maker journey in Switzerland where all girls had to take years of knitting, sewing and embroidery in grade school. Those turned out to be my favorite subjects. I got into felting when I came across a hat in a yarn shop that was knitted and felted. Ah, I said, just what I was looking for, something I could knit up quickly and the washing machine does the rest. Turns out the knitted felt is more durable than traditional wet felting can achieve. Since the hats are knitted to shape, they are also virtually indestructible, don’t lose their shape and are water resistant. At some point I could no longer keep up and found myself looking for a knitting machine only to be told that what I wanted to do couldn't be done. Never one to turn down a challenge I figured out a way to make a cylindrical shape on a machine that likes to make square pieces. It allowed me to make more hats in less time and I was able to focus more on embellishments.
Today what inspires me the most is putting together new color combinations. The day a yarn shipment arrives is like Christmas; I can't wait to get my hands on the latest yarns and try out different color ways. It still amazes me that a simple hobby has turned into a such a fun way of life, and a livelihood.