Mariel Kunz pulls colorful crochet hats out of a bag. She shows one and then, without much hesitation, reaches in for another followed by another. Much like a magician, she continues to pull more and more hats that unfold in her hands to display bright and intricate patterns. Each one is a little different from the next.

Kunz bends down to grab another hat from the zippered plastic bag. This time she pulls out a pink hat covered in white spots and framed by braided tassels that hang down from the ears.

“This is the hat that started it,” Kunz says. The original hat was one she made for her sister, then more people started asking her for hats.

Kunz’s hair is pulled back tight in a bun. She is admittedly tired but still extremely animated when she speaks about her hobby turned business. She laughs a lot in between pulling more hats. For her, yarn has become a constant companion. She says she gathers little bits of time in-between errands, being a mom or working to make another hat or other crocheted projects.

“I hate going to the movies now without a ball of yarn and a hook,” she laughs.

And thankfully for Kunz, she doesn’t need much more than a hook and some yarn. When asked about how she gets so many patterns, she simply replies, “I don’t follow any patterns, I write them.”

Kunz and about 20 other vendors will adorn Hay, Person and Anderson Streets on Friday, May 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. for the Cool Spring District’s annual Nerd Market. The event will be incorporated into the monthly Fourth Friday with its regular gathering of artisans and entertainment. This month it will also host Kawaii Trolley — a karaoke trolley — throughout downtown Fayetteville where residents can ride and sing to their heart’s content.

“I love the anime and comic book community,” says Lauren Falls, Marketing and Events Director for the Cool Spring District. “They have been wonderful and generous.”
Kunz says she is excited for the upcoming event.

“Is wearing a nerdy hat ever out of season?” She laughs, spinning a hat on her hand.

As a vendor, she’ll bring crocheted game-themed hats and gigantic crochet-beaded lizards that customers can make on the spot with her. She holds up bags of crocheted beads the size of golf balls. All of them are bright colored separated into groups.

These beads take about 5-6 minutes each for her, but each lizard will require dozens of beads. She turns her attention back to the hats.

“It’s fun to make wearable art,” she says holding up another hat, this one a long green, pointed hat. “You get to see people enjoying what you make.”

The event will also include food from Scotty’s All American Food truck, a cosplay contest broken up by age groups and the MM Digging site that allows kids to play with toy construction vehicles.

In 2021, the Nerd Market hosted about 600 guests. Falls and others are hoping for the same turnout or more. And if event-goers are looking to take a little throwback to the 90s, they can stop and see Made By Mariel and make a giant crochet-beaded lizard.