THE HANSON'S or, we are what matters to us

It's a trio, but I promise not to get all Biblical on you.  There are icons and then, there are ICONS.  How curious that three of the most masterful icons (in my humble opinion) in quilting and knitting ALL share the same last name ... HANSON.


There's Anne.  She single handedly changed my view of knitting, period.  Because of her extraordinarily beautifully executed patterns, I found the courage to knit LACE ... ahhhh.  She is a master (mistress?) of our craft - with her tailor-ly  informed sensibility, her intelligence, her style and her panache.  Not only does Anne take us to knitterly places that we have never been, she embraces and introduces us to small independent purveyors of hand-dyed fibers.  She can also cook.   And when I met her at Sheep and Wool last fall, she was gracious and warm - one of us!  Approachable.  (Her husband David models for her - lucky us!)  But not this time ...

There's Maria.  This woman is a force.  I don't think that she sleeps.  Ever.  I go to her blog for inspiration and am never disappointed.  She can pony up the good stuff - not only is her taste in knitting and quilting impeccable - she offers it with humor and grace and faith.  She also shape shifts - just like I do - straddling the knitting and quilting worlds with ease and distinction.  She reminds me that it's ok to cherish both crafts, that monogamy doesn't have to exist in fiber, and that housework is a necessary evil.  She has five children - four living at home, and still, she can produce in the most prolific manner!  As I've already mentioned - the woman cannot possibly sleep.  God bless you, Maria!

Last, and certainly not least - Wanda.  Here we have a woman who understands color, and this, my friends, is a vast understatement.  Her work is brilliant - streaming with texture and form and design.  And she is unstoppable!  Visit her blog, on any given day.  You will be treated to a plethora of design walls - shapes and forms and stories unfolding before your eyes -  carried out in color combos that you've never imagined.  She makes me feel brave.  She is truly a fiber guide - one that you've waited for.  Go find her!

This entry was unavoidable once I realized that these amazing women shared a last name.  'The muse is both a deity and a messenger, is the one who makes demands and brings the gift, is the one who inspires the work of art'.  Sometimes the muse appears and we recognize her.  Sometimes we call her name.  HANSON!

(this is my all-time favorite Wanda quilt - the one I covet...)