Sneak Peek for All You Dream Weavers and Knitters

Ah, yes, at last-- the heat is upon us. Time to move slower, put up your feet when you can (or immerse in a baby pool filled with cold water) and work on those small, portable projects (I'm talking to you, socks!). Moving slower means more time for dreaming. And to feed your dreams, today we offer a sneak peek at the HCW Wonders to Come!! 


In August, we're releasing a new edition of the Prairie Bliss collection which will include some new patterns in addition to the patterns that were in the first edition. Then, in November, HCW is releasing Kismet, a weaving book with projects created exclusively for the Rigid Heddle loom. These projects feature knitting and crochet finishing and embellishments. Stay tuned for more news about Kismet-- we might just offer an in-person, up close sneak peek during the Hill Country Yarn Crawl.


For now, here are some delicious pictures to feed you daydreams during these slow, muggy days. 

Summertime and the Knitting is Easy! Camps for Kids & Parents, Too!

Hey Y'all,
School's out and you know what that means: It's time for CAMP HCW 2012! In addition to our great camps, we've connected with ParentWise, the local magazine with all sorts of great info for parents. Our CAMP HCW flier, which includes a 15% off yarn coupon, will be distributed in the goodie bags being handed out at Children's Day Art Park this summer.

What's Children's Day Art Park, you ask? It's a cool event for kids and parents that happens Wednesday mornings, 9:30 - 11:30 am, June 13 - July 25 (except for July 4). The event is at Symphony Square Amphitheatre at 1101 Red River in downtown Austin. Cost is 50c for kids and free for adults who accompany kids. There will be music, crafts, storytellers, dancers and lots and lots and LOTS of fun. We're excited to be included in the gift bags the kids will receive.

Now, about our camps. For all of the details:
CHECK OUT OUR CAMP WEB PAGE HERE.


Here's some basic info:

We've got weeklong camp sessions happening in June, July, and August! We've got Knitting Camp and also Weaving Camp. Weaving Camp happens during the first half of the day, and Knitting Camp happens in the afternoon, so kids who'd like to attend both can do that and there's a discount if you sign up for the combo.

Also, we're introducing a new camp: K1P2, a two-part class for parents and kids who want to learn knitting together! Actually, you don't have to bring your parent-- you can bring an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or other enthusiastic adult. There are sessions available in June, July and August.


ALL THE DETAILS FOR K1P2 ARE RIGHT HERE.

Spaces are limited and camps do sell out, so please check the links listed above to get the skinny. Cost for materials is included in some classes, and for other classes it's extra-- that's listed on the web pages, too. You can call during store hours to register: 512-707-7396.

Don't miss out on the fun! We'll see you at CAMP HCW and Symphony Square for Children's Day Art Park!

Designer Profile: Ana Clerc!

Hey Y'all,
Time for another designer profile. This week, meet Ana Clerc. Ana designed the beautiful crocheted shawl-- A Girl at the Spoke-- for the Musings from Mercury Hall Pattern Booklet. Down at the shop, Kennedy just put together A Girl at the Spoke kits in all sorts of great colors-- hurry down and get one. But first, check out this Q&A-- Ana tells us about her passion and her process:

Ana Clerc

How long have you been working with fiber? Do you crochet exclusively or also knit?  -    I've been working with fiber for as long as I can remember. I was very young when I was taught to crochet, and then knit.  Perhaps 30-35 years ago for each of them.  That's a sobering thought.   I was taught to sew not too much later.  I think I knit as much as I crochet, but I find myself designing for crochet more.  Both are equally represented in my WIP pile, however.

When did you develop your passion and how did you learn?-   Early, early.  Every woman in my family did some sort of fiber art, so I always had my hands in various workbaskets.  I think the first time I really remember working with fiber was about 3, when my mom let me embroider huge stitches with crewel wool and a yarn needle into burlap.  I did lots of those.  I was also taught how to make sailor's knots really early - both my grandfathers were ex-sailors, so using yarn to make things was second nature to me.  I was 5 when I was taught to crochet, and 8 when I was taught to knit.  Nothing special, basic stitches.  And probably more to keep me out of everyone else's projects than to intentionally teach me something at first.  I was always asking to try, and always pulling things out to play with. So someone finally gave in - a combination of my mom and great-grandmother, I think.  There was also a small loom at our house, and we had family friends who were spinners and weavers, so I was surrounded with it.  It wasn't until my family moved from Galveston, TX (little need for warm woolies) to a suburb of Chicago and then Milwaukee (great need for warm woolies) that I really came to appreciate the ability to make things to cover one's self well.  I then moved to MInnesota for college, and I really began to re-learn knitting and crochet there.  They are serious about the wool up there.  I bugged my mom to help remind me what to do, and I peeked in at the serious knitters at the yarn shops up north.  I also developed a passion for historic clothing really early, and worked as a costumer for a while.  I really began to understand the importance of shaping and fit doing that, and was taught so much by other costumers.

Favorite projects over the years? - My son liked to wear hats everyday when he was a bit younger, and he asked for some fairly interesting ones generally.  He had me knit him a pineapple hat, one that looked like a turtle's shell, a tomato hat.  He asked for a knit chicken for his last birthday, so I made him one.  Who could deny a request for a chicken?  My daughter's requests tend to be a bit more straightforward, but I did make her a basket full of food for a Red Riding Hood dress-up.  She's been enjoying a knit earthworm lately.  I've designed a few owls for giggles too. I like making things like that most of all.  I also like historic reproduction knitting and crochet as well as sewing.  I've been slowly working on a Victorian Era tie-shawl for myself.  I have had to talk myself out of making a whole bustled costume to go with it.

Tell us about your process coming up with A Girl at the Spoke?  I got the idea to do a lightweight crocheted shawl and was really inspired by 1930's dresses and the capelet bodices many of them had.  I went back to original magazine images and film stills as well as dressmaker's patterns to get a good feel for the shaping and details many of them had.  I also really wanted to put a bold floral border on the bottom of the shawl to really refer to some of the images of the day.  I made a few quick sketches and swatches and went from there.


What are you working on now?- I'm working on another piece for the next HCW booklet, as well as an e-book of toddler dress patterns (knitted and crocheted) with fabric skirts on them.  And another crocheted shawl is in the works.


Where can we find you on Ravelry/your blog (or website)/FB etc? -  On Ravelry, I am badgersmama, but my patterns are under my own name.  My blog (where I write infrequently) is http://oceanofstitches.blogspot.com/, and though I rarely am on FB, I am under my own name there as well.  On twitter, @oceanofstitches

Any advice for folks who want to try designing their own patterns? - First, research.  Look at everything you can.  If you're inspired by leaves, look at high-resolution photos of their structure.  If you're inspired by period clothing, look at every contemporary painting, print, and existing costume you can.  Then try to sketch it out - get an idea of what shape you want.  It doesn't matter if you can only draw stick figures.  And most importantly, challenge yourself and have fun doing it.  Don't be scared.


Any funny crochet/knitting stories (disasters, etc.)? - Hmm.  Well, I am constantly underestimating the size of my enormous head.  I measure, and still make hats too tight.  I once tried to compensate for it by making a truly enormous tam.  It was so big, the back of it reached below my shoulder.  It was more a wimple than a hat at that point.  I tried to convince myself that all would be well, and wore it out and about.  When I felt it ruffling away in the breeze, I knew that I had to frog it.

Where do you get your design inspiration?- Old movies, vintage photos and clothing, and plants.  I think I could look at any of those all day long.  Especially vintage pictures of my great-grandmother.  She had been a seamstress, and was raised by her grandmother who had also been a seamstress.  That woman could DRESS. 


Anything else? - I will be giving a 3-part class for A Girl at the Spoke starting on June 3rd.

Ah, The Good Old Days!

This month, Yarn Market News has a nice feature called The Not-So-New Kids on the Block about knit shops that have stood the test of time. Not surprisingly, Hill Country Weavers made the cut, and Suzanne is quoted talking about the days, way back in 1981, when she and then-business-partner Marta Shannon opened up shop. Back then, they had this vision that they'd spend most of their time weaving in "a very mellow space" while sometimes waiting on customers.

Hahaha! 

Not to say that folks don't find their mellow when they pop into the store. But making that mellow happen for others meant Suzanne and Marta actually wound up putting a lot more time, effort and sweat into making HCW happen than they originally envisioned they'd need to. The hard work, of course, has paid off and here we are, THIRTY-ONE YEARS later!

A point the article makes that's easy for a lot of us to forget (or not think of in the first place) is that back in the day, starting a yarn shop was a whole different endeavor than it is today. There weren't specialty yarn shops bursting with endless fiber selections the way there are these days. The same article quotes Susan Bateman of the Yarn Barn in Lawrence, Kansas talking about when she tried to get a business loan and was practically laughed out of the bank.

Well three cheers for changing times and an abundance of options. And big thanks to all of the early believers who either saw the explosion of fiber arts coming or, perhaps more likely, just did what they did thanks to their own passion. Either way, we all have benefitted tremendously.

Here are some pictures from the '80s, taken from a slim volume of "archives" that Suzanne has-- because that's another difference between then and now. Then people didn't carry around digital phone/cameras and shoot 500 pictures a day. Which makes these already precious photos that much more special.

New for Summer! Shattered Sun Shawl and More...

As true knitters know, just because we're moving toward the triple digits, that's no reason to put down the needles. Sure, working on a full-sized afghan in 100% wool might not be advisable. But check out the new pattern we have for the Shattered Sun Shawl. It takes just a single skein of Sweet Georgia's Cashsilk Lace and would be a great summer project.

Summer is also a great time for sending cards to let your friends know how well your vacation or staycation is going. Toward that end, we've got some adorable notecards from Thomas Joseph. Truly something to write home about!

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.

It's Time for Another First Thursday Sale!!

We want to COLOR YOUR WORLD for spring!

Spring is nature's way of saying "Let's Party!" so we are celebrating!

  

  

Save 20% on all handpainted, variegated, and multi-color yarns!

More celebrating? You betcha!

We're celebrating the shout out to MUSINGS FROM MERCURY HALL in Twist Collective!

20% off all yarns featured in Musings From Mercury Hall!

Madelinetosh

Plymouth

Rowan

Prism

Fibre Company

Solstice

Classic Elite

First Thursday 

May 3, 2012

*sale does not include kits or already discounted yarns

Not local? Shop our website this thursday for 20% off any yarn purchased online.

Sale starts May 3 at 12:01 am and ends May 3 at 11:59 pm!

Just use code COLORYOURWORLD when you go to checkout.