She Says:
The Annual Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair draws both artisans and visitors from throughout the southeast (and further) because of its superior artists and the goods they display. Held twice a year, summer and fall, it’s an event that is well worth the price of admission ($6 a day; $8 for two days). The biggest problem fairgoers have is wondering where they could possibly put everything they want to buy.
Artists who work with wood, creating decorative pieces and furniture, are well represented, as are quilters and stained glass masters. There are knitters and people who work with fabrics in all sorts of interesting ways—quilts, wall hangings, doll clothes, baby clothes, artistic jackets, and so much more. One creative exhibitor displayed a crib set—bumper, pillows, skirt, diaper stacker, and anything else a nursery might require—in a green toile that was so delightful that I wished someone I knew was having a baby (it would take a whole lot more than that to make me wish I was having a baby).
Speaking of babies…The Hat Lady (aka The Hat Lady of Maine—she’s relocated to South Carolina, but she doesn’t want to annoy her webmaster, so she’s keeping “Maine” in the name—aka Jan Weaver) was there. For those of you who are unfamiliar, The Hat Lady sells knitted hats and headbands. They start in baby sizes and I thought they only went up to seven-year-old, but I was mistaken. Her hats are pull-on caps, with or without ear-flaps and braided ties. A watermelon hat caught my eye, and I told FCEtier (my traveling companion and generous husband) that I’d buy one if they came in adult 
sizes. Well, what do you know? They do! Now, The Hat Lady has lots of other patterned hats (including American Girl-sized), and mail order and internet customers can have theirs custom made in the color combinations of their choice, as well as their choice of sports teams—yes, even local schools.
Article comments
1 - A Geek Girl
Can't believe I missed this. Next time swing by and pick me up too okay? Cool hat. Now I'm hungry.
2 - STM
In Australia, we actually make watermelon hats out of ... watermelons.
It's not unusual to see someone caught on camera at the cricket in mid-summer, especially up in searing-hot Queensland, to have fashioned a hat made out of watermelon skin.
The trick is, you eat all the fruit and scrape out what's left, leaving enough of the the pale, cold, watery inside skin on to keep your head cool.
I can attest: It works, although of course you will need a watermelon large enough depending on the size of your head, which might rule out a few commentators on BC :)
Of course, it looks completely stupid - which is half the attraction - but it works, for a while.
When it DOES heat up in the sun, you simply stick it in a plastic bag and shove it back in the ice-box for half an hour to cool it down again ;) (or just make another one!)
Voila ... instant cooling whilst sitting in the hot stands (bleachers??).
3 - the real bob
STM--what does it do to your hair?
4 - Joanne Huspek
Looks warm. We need warm up in the Rust Belt, particularly in December and January.
Next time, pick one up for me. I'll pay you.
5 - the real bob
Joanne, there's a link in the article that will get you to the Hat Lady! http://thehatladyofmaine.com/
The hats are really soft and comfortable.
6 - STM
Your hair gets a bit wet Real Bob, but in 35-45C temperatures, that's what you want. It dries out soon enough. I recommend taking a smallish hand towel to dry off your hair if you're taking the watermelon hat off and leaving it off.
Mostly, this headgear is worn by young blokes with short hair, so it doesn't make a lot of difference. I can attest that it actually works, although it's done for a bit of fun more than anything.
The aim at the cricket is to wear something that looks totally ridiculous. A game that takes four days to complete and can be in passages of 20 minutes of complete boredom broken by a few minutes of outrageous excitement ... well, you want to liven the place up a bit.