Musings from Mercury Hall Designer Profile: Carol Spurlock

Today we have yet another installment of our series of profiles of the designers who contributed to the wonderful Musings from Mercury Hall pattern collection. Today we present an interview with Carol Spurlock, who created the Cabaret Swing shawl.

HCW: How long have you been knitting?
CS: I learned at about age 6. My mom considered it a household skill.

HCW: Your favorite part of knitting?
CS: Beginning. I love choosing a yarn and seeing the pattern emerge.

HCW: What got you into design?
CS: I thought I could bring in some income by selling shawls, but didn’t want to be selling someone else’s designs.

HCW: Describe your process.

CS: I knew I wanted to design a crescent-shaped shawl and other designers had already done most of what could be done from the bottom up, so I looked at what I could do from the top down. I scoured pattern books and antique tablecloth designs and charted several options. I love that the leaves have their points down.

HCW: Any funny knitting stories?
CS: Not really, unless you count that the two tops I’ve made for myself have both been shrunk in the wash. I really should know better by now.

HCW: What do you do by day?
CS: I’ve had a series of medical issues that have kept me from working outside the house. I have been gardening this spring and working at getting my health better so I can look for a job.

HCW: What else?  
CS: My Ravelry handle is ‘showingoff’ because I have been accused of doing so when all I do is prefer complicated things. I decided to own it. I do like showing my fo’s to people, but I think everyone likes that.