Peggy Westergard may be new to the crafting business, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t savvy. The enterprising retiree, who specializes in crocheting, needlepoint and knitting, already has a “quality control officer” at her disposal.

“He’s especially devoted to the stuffing of catnip mice,” Westergard says of her colleague, a 7-year-old tabby Manx by the name of Seamus McGillakitty.

Under the watchful eye of Seamus, the former accountant has been working overtime lately — producing dozens of hats, women’s tops, Teddy bear outfits and more — in preparation for the 38th annual Holiday Bazaar this weekend.

Westergard is just one of the 130 exhibitors who’ll be selling handmade arts and crafts at the event, which is slated for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Lawrence Community Building, 115 W. 11th St.

“Lawrence has some bodacious crafters,” she says. “I’ve got a lot of competition — it will be just as much fun to see what people are making.”

Vendors from all over the Midwest travel to Lawrence every year for the Bazaar, bringing a variety of handcrafted goodies from jewelry, seasonal cards and pottery to quilts, wooden furniture, stained glass and more.

This year’s event is expected to draw between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors, says Duane Peterson, special events supervisor at Lawrence Parks and Recreation.

“It’s the kickoff of the holiday season here in Lawrence,” Peterson says. “There’s always new exhibitors that come through that bring in new items every year.”

Westergard is one of this year’s first-timers. A longtime devotee to the craft of needlework — she learned as a kid from her mom and aunt — Westergard didn’t have much time for the hobby until retiring from her accounting job in San Diego a few years ago.

But the move to Lawrence, and the tempestuous Kansas weather, proved an adjustment for Westergard.

“I’m an avid walker, but I found myself stuck indoors an awful lot more than before,” says Westergard, who began crocheting and knitting to pass the time on rainy days. “I loved crocheting and knitting. I just thought, ‘Why not?'”

The rest, Westergard says, is history. These days, she’s trying out new patterns and experimenting with freeform crochet, a process she describes as “creating pictures” with yarn.

“It keeps me off the streets and out of the pool halls,” jokes the bubbly 74-year-old, whose hobby has now transformed into quite the operation.

Among the items she’ll be offering up Sunday: “flapper-style” hats, jewelry made from hemp, lacy women’s tops, scarves and afghans — both of the human and animal variety.

Westergard has a large inventory of “cat afghans” on sale this year, though, in a bow to political correctness, she and Seamus are officially calling them “small-pet afghans.”

The miniature blankets have already scored well with her picky product-tester, she says.

Seamus loves snuggling up in his.

“I just sit down and whip ’em up,” Westergard says of the 20-inch afghans. “You can make them while you’re watching your favorite TV show, and you can wrap up your favorite cat in them.”