About Kathy White

Kathy Hayes White was born in raised in Vermont, beginning in the Mad River Valley, the oldest of four children of working class parents. After college she moved to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont to work as dispatcher for the Vermont State Police. Shortly after moving she met and married her husband , David and they moved to Barton and raised their three children, Chris, Heather and Melissa.

 

It became apparent after her youngest child, Melissa was born that shift work didn’t meld well with family life so she left the Vermont State Police seeking a job that would allow for an active family. After a couple of years she found the perfect match and became the Town Clerk and Treasurer of Barton. By this time Melissa, who had been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis was spending more time visiting doctors and having extended stays in the hospital.

 

While she very much enjoyed her 17 years as the Town Clerk and Treasurer, when Melissa died in 2004 at the age of 22 she found it very difficult to continue in that position. Having always been a very organized and “take charge” sort of person, depression took over she couldn’t seem to do even the simple things that the job demanded.

 

While seeking medical attention and grief counseling she started knitting. She had learned the basics as a child from her mother, but had never had the patience for a pattern, instead making up patterns as she went along. It was during this time that “fun fur” scarves were the craze and making them allowed her to have a finished product that brought about peace of mind without much thought. After everyone in her family and circle of friends had been gifted with a scarf she was taken on a tour of the Cherry Tree Hill yarn warehouse, which is located in Barton. The colors, which are all hand painted and the textures of the yarn brought out a desire to create and the knitting frenzy was begun, starting with sophisticated scarves and shawls.

 

As time went on she stated designing some of her own patterns, as well as adapting ones she had found and friends were encouraging her to take her hand knit garments to craft shows. After much trepidation she did just that in late 2005 and so enjoyed the experience that she decided to start her own business. She announced to the townspeople that she would not be seeking re-election and formally started Kathy’s Heavenly Knits. What started out of grief has blossomed into a glorious and colorful tribute to Melissa, who was and continues to be her inspiration.

 

Kathy continues to live in Barton with her husband, who travels to many of the shows with her. Their two children both live in the area, as well as their five grandchildren. When she isn’t knitting (and sometimes even when she is) she volunteers as a guardian ad litem and serves on the local school board. Spare time is filled with attending the activities of her grandchildren and NASCAR events.