Kari Chapin’s Handmade Sisterhood (and Book Giveaway!)

SISTER MARGARET AND I have been lucky to know writer, stylist, crafter and all-around super-duper sister-friend Kari Chapin for several years now, and we couldn’t be more excited to feature her and her new book, The Handmade Marketplace, here on TSP. Read on for the scoop on Kari and her take on sisterhood, and a chance to win a signed copy of her book!

Kari is one of the most creative, can-do people I’ve met. She’s full of amazing ideas, and (this is the part that kills me) she’s also able to turn those ideas into reality, in part because she’s the ultimate people person. She thinks a childhood spent constantly on the move (Kari is an Army brat) deserves some of the credit.

“I think all of this moving around helped me to become really comfortable around people,” she says. “I credit all of the schools I had to attend as the new kid, and all of the different kinds of cultures I was exposed to, with my ability to make friends anywhere and with almost anyone.”

After her parents split, Kari divided her time between Denver and North Carolina, where her dad was stationed for most of her teenage years. Kari has a younger sister, E. (Kari prefers not to publicize her name) who she laughingly describes as “ever my tormentor and defender.” (Sound familiar, sisters?)

Kari’s crafty life started early.

“Growing up with creative parents and grandparents,” she recalls, “making things with my hands just came naturally. It wasn’t until my late teens and early adult life that I realized I had actual skills that my peers didn’t have, like mending or making a scarf in the winter…I just love making things by hand–-it is my version of being Zen or meditating.”

Gorgeous mittens, made by Kari

Kari sews, crochets, has painted, taken pottery classes, you name it. One thing she’s not: a knitter.

“People assume I’m a knitter when they see how many knitting books and needles I own, but truthfully, I was gently kicked out of the only knitting class I ever went to, but that hasn’t stopped me from collecting vintage knitting supplies. ” Sister E is handy, too: Kari describes her as an amazing painter and jewelry designer.

A few years ago, Kari was working as the buyer and manager for a home furnishings store. Relationships with the craftspeople whose work she was buying for the shop eventually gave her the idea for The Handmade Marketplace.

“I wanted to stock the store with even more handmade goods and after approaching several artists and crafters I found via Etsy, I found myself answering the same questions over and over again from these talented people,” she explains.  “Also, lots of my friends are crafty and were looking for ways to make money with their crafts – and I knew the world is full of people just like me, people who like their day jobs and yet love to craft in their free time. I wanted to create a resource for anyone who likes to make things but wonders what to do with all of their creations later on.”

Despite her wanderlust ways, Kari’s settled now in Northampton, Massachusetts, with her husband, a writer, and their puppies, Baxter and Charlie Parker. They sometimes craft together (how cute is THAT?) and also love to go on local adventures, whether geocaching or hunting for the ultimate maple syrup house breakfast.

Wherever Kari goes, we’re sure she’ll find sisters to share her passion for making things by hand, and her enthusiasm for living a creative life. Have you read her book yet? It’s a lot like Kari: really fun, and packed with practical wisdom about how to make things work. Thanks to Kari’s generosity, we have three signed copies of the book to give to our readers. Want one? Winning is simple: just leave a comment on this post telling us what crafty or creative hobby you’d like to learn to market. On Monday, we’ll close comments, and randomly select our winners. In the meantime…read on to see how Kari answers our TSP sisterhood questionnaire.

E and Kari

Q. Fill in the blank: You know you’re a sister when…?
A. “I asked E to help me answer these questions, and her answer for this one was: ‘When you come from the same woman’s vagina.’ Hummm. I’m going to be a bit more descriptive here and say you know you’re a sister when you come to realize that there is a person out there who really, really knows you. Someone who can hold your hand in the funeral home someday and agree that your parents were crazy/wonderful/horrible/amazing with you. Someone who knows that you love a good pickle and peanut butter sandwich and knows exactly how to make it for you when you’ve had a bad day. When you realize you have secret words for everyday things or like E said, when you come from the same vagina.”

Q. What does the word “sister” mean to you?
A. “I’m not really sure. I have lots of really close women friends that I have very deep sisterly feelings for. I guess for me in lots of ways, it boils down to safety. Sisterhood means safety to me. Maybe safety in numbers, safe from bad things at home, safe from loneliness…often times safe from myself and choices I might make that aren’t the best.”

Q. Are there any pop culture or cultural references that make you think of your sister/sibling/sister-friend(s)?
A. “So, so many. My sister was very ill when she was younger and she got a lot of attention for it. I remember one hospital room in particular had just about been furnished by a popular toy company. She had every single Care Bear made at the the time and all of their subsequent products. Also, the movie Annie.

“Our mom took us to the movie and every local theater production of Annie when we were little and E had the soundtrack on vinyl. She knew every single word and even some of the dance steps and she belted it out over and over on a daily basis. Even though at the time, it annoyed me, I must admit that I know own the soundtrack and listen to it now and then fondly. And Annie was right–the sun does in fact come out tomorrow.”

Q. Are there any worst-of/best-of sister tales you want to share?
A. “E is 4½ years younger than me, but she looks about 15 years younger–no joke. People often mistake me for her mother, which once made me cry in the pajama section of a Target store in Denver, Colorado. E. had been yelling at me about one thing or another and a random lady, who maybe had rude children of her own at home and felt sorry for me, said ‘Young lady! You shouldn’t speak to your mother like that! Especially in public!’ I promptly burst into tears, and started blubbering through my tears, ‘But I’m only 4½ years older!’

“My sister, ever my tormentor and defender, jumped in and started hollering about how we were sisters and that the nosey lady should mind her own business. In the end I felt sorry for the lady, who was just trying to stand up for me, but I felt even more sorry for myself. That is the day I started saying we were 4½ years apart –rather than the easier to say 5 years–and I promptly bought a boat load of face cream. Alas, I’ll never have the perfect skin of my sister, no matter how much money I fork over to the make-up counter at Macy’s.”

Q. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your “sister” experience?
A. “I think the most important thing I’ve learned from having and sister and being a sister is forgiveness. E and I had some rough times growing up, and not just because of each other. But we also had some truly wonderful times. The good times greatly outnumber the bad, even though, like all things, the bad things are sometimes the easiest to focus on.

“Through my sister, or maybe because of her, I have learned how to truly forgive and move on. We are bonded, through blood and through choice, because let’s face it, you can quit a family member if you really want to. My relationship with E has taught me to fight hard, forgive completely and love always.”

For more about Kari, visit her website. and don’t forget to leave a comment here for a chance to win a signed copy of The Handmade Marketplace!  COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to winners Jan, Iris Shreve Garrott and Judy Wright!

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