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Killington, Vermont - November 26, 2010

To the skiers and boarders that flock to the resort town of Killington, it really is the most wonderful time of year. But to Anne Marie Blackman, it's also the ugliest. The Killington mom of two is the crafty mind behind My Ugly Christmas Sweater. "They're kitschy and fun," Blackman said of her sweaters. "This is trash or treasure. And to me and the people who buy my sweaters, it's treasure."

Blackman launched her online business more than 18 months ago when she learned of a fairly new holiday trend: theme parties that hand out prizes to the guest that comes dressed in the tackiest sweater. "When someone buys one of my sweaters, they want to win the ugly Christmas sweater contest," she said.

The designer scours second-hand stores for knitwear, whether or not the clothes have holiday patterns. She then recycles the sweaters-- embellishing them with tinsel, blinking lights, ornaments, Santa heads, just about anything that would make fashion trendsetters faint.

Reporter Jack Thurston: You never feel guilty, though? Making the world an uglier place?

Anne Marie Blackman: I don't think it is making the world an uglier place: I think it's causing people to have a lot of fun!

Blackman has a computer science degree and used to work setting up financial databases for banks. That high-tech savvy helped her in this new gig. She's figured out how to have MyUglyChristmasSweater.com come up as one of the first sites shoppers find when they hit the internet looking for what to wear to those parties.

Some of her Made in Vermont getups are pretty bulky, and contain music players and flashing lights. "If I was going to an office party, this is the perfect thing to wear," she said, wearing a blazer adorned with large Christmas ornaments.

The businesswoman is reluctant to share sales totals but works at this year-round. She says she's now swamped shipping her garish $50-$150 garments to buyers around the world who want to have a good laugh at their own expense. "I'd say it's more than a 10-hour day, lately," she said of her workdays.

Blackman thinks the craze of ugly sweaters will only continue to spread. Call hers obnoxious, gaudy, and the most hideous you've ever seen-- and she'll say thank you: "That's a compliment!" she laughed.

Blackman says you can only spot-clean the sweaters. But if you spilled something on one at a party, she figures you could just glue an ornament on to cover up the stain.

Click here to visit the designer's website.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News - Made in Vermont