Hooked on hats
By Kirsten Ballard
Published in News on December 11, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Joy Magoon works at a booth making character hats for her business, Hats of Joy. Each hat takes her about an hour to make.
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Hats of Joy are knitted hats made by Joy Magoon featuring popular children's characters and bright colors.
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Joy Magoon makes character hats such as the popular Olaf from Disney's "Frozen."
It started as a hobby -- a woman taking up a craft she learned some 15 years ago from her mother.
But when Joy Magoon hit her stride -- when she got to the point where she could crochet a children's toboggan or beanie in just an hour -- a business was born.
Hats of Joy is not your typical business.
There is only one person on staff -- Mrs. Magoon, herself -- and her office changes daily.
You might even catch her sitting in a booth at your favorite fast-food restaurant -- a spread of knit goods across the table in front of her.
"I typically come here to relax and catch up on my work," she said.
She crochets wherever she goes, often churning out a few toboggans during movies or over date-night dinners.
Her husband, Lynwood, just laughs.
"He calls me his golden goose," she said.
She still considers her Hats of Joy business more of a hobby -- but does sell the hats at festivals and flea markets.
People often approach her during her lunch hour -- some to try on one of her creations.
"I've actually given away more in the past than I've sold," Mrs. Magoon said.
Joy, a former school bus driver and cafeteria worker, said most of her design ideas came from requests from her children when they asked her for popular movie characters, aliens and monsters to be added to the top of the hats.
"Once they'd seen something come to light with their suggestions, they all wanted to do more," she said.
She considers knitting her ministry.
"I've seen a lot of abuse and neglect," she says. "I've always wanted to make an impact. It's always been expressed through yarn."
Her hats are full of color.
And she creates funny designs, never working from a pattern.
She has Bob Marley hats complete with dreadlocks -- her best seller -- and Rapunzel hats with yellow braids that reach the floor.
And she has even gotten caught up in the "Frozen" craze that has been sweeping the nation since the film was released last year.
"I try to mimic without infringing," Mrs. Magoon said. "But the kids get a kick out of it."
She has been crocheting for more than 15 years -- having learned from her mother. "When I first started and I learned how to do the stitch really well, I pushed myself -- that's where I got faster and faster," she said.
Though she still works at a call center, her side business is gaining traction.
She has had orders from as far as Singapore, California and Colorado.
But she will never forget how it all started -- and what really matters.
"The kids love it. That's why this whole things got started," she said. "It is about knitting together in love."