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Check this out!
Photo: Simon & Schuster
Happy birthday, EZ! On Aug. 9, Elizabeth Zimmerman, known to many as the "mother of modern knitting," would have turned 100 (she died in 1999). Learn more about this fascinating woman here. Among the many folks who are marking the occasion is Sticks & Strings in Scarsdale, NY. They are commemorating her influence with Laurie Kimmelstiel's two-part class on one of Zimmerman's classic projects, the Pi Shawl. In addition, Peggy McMullen of The Oregonian is currently blogging her way through all of Zimmerman's projects.
The Knitty Gritty
X The media does declare: Headlines like the Daily Mail's "Hippy chic: Why crochet is making a comeback" and "Correll Corell’s Sinouous Knits and Crochet Fit for a New York Summer" from New York Magazine prove something that fiber enthusiasts have known for a while already: Crocheting is enjoying a rise in popularity.
Tip: Get customers on the hook. Just about every hobby knitter I know laments that they'd like to try crochet, but knitting somehow seems "easier." (Personally, because I learned to crochet first, I feel the opposite is true.) If the media keeps this story alive all summer long, try letting your knitters dip a toe in a simple headband or lacy scarf project to help them gain confidence and be in fashion.
X Keeping tradition alive: The Billings (MT) Gazette profiles Angela Hill, a Native American who is preserving her Crow heritage with beading projects designed and stitched the way her ancestors did.
Tip: Share culture through craft. The article also explains that Hill is demonstrating (but not selling) her work during the first Crow Skills and Trade Fair, being held this week at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area headquarters in Lovell, WY. Try having a "show and share" display at the shop where customers can bring in handicrafts from different cultures and tell the stories behind them. Inspiration might just strike to learn a new (old) technique!
X Happy campers: The Lonoke (AR) Democrat reports that the week-long Lonoke County Cooperative Extension Service's "Breads 'N' Threads Day Camp" program was a success. Twenty-five gradeschool kids learned basic cooking and sewing skills, donating some handmade items and taking others home with them.
Tip: Pick up a camp session or two this summer. Just about every youth program could use an extra volunteer, and the day camp setting is an ideal way to get started: Offer to help out with a craft donation of supplies and even an hour or two to help with instruction on a simple, kid-friendly project. (Don't forget that there are day programs for teens and seniors, too, through various church and community groups.) Chances are good that they'll publish you and your business name in the various flyers they give to parents (daily updates, follow-up newsletters, etc.), and perhaps even let you keep a stack of coupons handy at the registration desk!
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