Today we are visiting the shop The Needle House, and getting to know the knitting guru, Eva Harder.
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| dusk blue dishcloth set |
What is the story behind your shop name?
I started doing craft shows 32 years ago when a friend and I decided it was time to support our habit which gradually became a business. She retired about 4 years ago but I kept plugging away at it.
Where, when, how did you learn your craft?
I was 17 when I got my first job and my bosses wife was an avid knitter and she taught me to knit. This gave me something to do at night after work. In those days girls didn’t very often have apartments and I just rented a bedroom from a widow lady so needed something to do in the evenings.
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| faded jeans frilly scarf modeled by Eva |
What has been your biggest obstacle, or challenge, to finding and achieving success?
I think just getting my name out and getting people to try my product is probably my biggest challenge. Once they use my dishcloths I have a lot of repeat customers.
Tell us a little about your family life...married, kids, pets, etc.
I am married for just about 53 years now and we have 2 sons and 1 grandson all of whom we are very proud of. Now that I am older and have problems with my back they help me with the craft shows which is a big help as I could never do the lifting anymore. I have 2 granddogs one of which comes to see us every week-end. He is a little dog a Shih Tzu/Bichon and the other is a German Shorthair which is still a puppy.
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| crochet ripple afghan |
Tell us a little bit about where you live....city, farm, suburb.
We had a home in the country which we literally built ourselves. We lived there for 30 years and then decided to downsize and moved to town. It is nice being in town as I don’t much care for winter driving but we are confined in yard space compared to what we were used to. New Ulm isn’t a big town, I think the population is about 15000. But we like it here.
Share a story / memory of your childhood.
When my Great Grandma died my grandpa bought the farm that he had farmed for years from the estate. This land was full of cockle burs and they hired my sister, cousin and myself to pull cockle burs. I can honestly say that I saw them in my sleep. Our payment was a trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota. My Grandpa not liking to spend a lot of money couldn't find a motel to his liking and the one we got to was full so they put us up in a cabin behind the motel. The next morning grandma and grandpa told us girls we had been serenaded during the night by some guy playing guitar on the back stoop. We had slept through it.
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| red knit dishcloths |
Tell us something about you that no-one else might know.
I don’t know, maybe that I am only 5 feet tall. I swear if I had another 6 inches or so I wouldn’t be so chunky because there would be more place to put it. :0)
If you could be a fictional character, who would you be, and why?
Snow White because I would have all those little dwarves to help with my knitting and crocheting. Or maybe Roadrunner because then I could move fast enough to get it done myself. hahaha, I love this answer.
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| crochet popcorn stitch afghan |
Share your social media links and where we can find you on the internet.
I don’t do a lot on twitter because I really don’t understand it and I can’t say things in so little characters.
Pick a favorite item from your shop, and why is it your favorite?
This is a crochet pattern and I love making the popcorn stitches. It was hard for me to pick just one because I love making the afghans as I can sit back and relax while doing them and I love the knit ones as well.
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| ceramic trivet |
Pick a favorite item from another shop, and why is it your favorite.
I have a couple of pieces from Paint It Pretty, and her painting is exquisite. I also gave some as gifts.
But I can’t pick just one I also love this shop,
DLC Glass Studio. She has so many beautiful pieces it is hard to chose just one.
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| Earth Toned Glass Bowl |
What advise would you give a new artist just starting out?
Don’t give up, just keep at it. When I first started I tried different things but in the end knitting and crocheting were my forte’.
What a wonderful shop filled with amazing items, and I can tell you personally...Eva is also a wonderful, gracious person.
Go check out her shop, and share her links.
Show some of The CraftStar love.
Debbi
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