Carolyn Hook Designer Feature Page 2 Click Here to go back to Page 1 of our Designer Feature
The guest book of It's A Crewel World has, under Carolyn's stewardship, amassed names which constitute a "Who's Who" of the needlework world. Carolyn will always treasure the special memories associated with her retail adventure. But, right now her attention is riveted in a new direction, and once Carolyn decides on a course of action, her focus is on that goal, rather than looking back.
Carolyn's range of talents can not be easily defined just by the different hats she has worn as shop owner, teacher and designer. Her skills include a rare combination of technical expertise, creative talent and business savvy. Additionally, she is a reputed writer, having authored Fiber Fantasy, First and Second Editions. She is currently at work on the Third Edition, due out later this year. These are color comparison books for needlework threads on today's market and constitute an invaluable resource book for dedicated stitchers.
Because of her intuitive talent for understanding the qualities of different fibers and the use of color, Carolyn's mental imagery of a design evolves very closely to her initial design idea. Carolyn explains this ability, " Nearly always, I visualize the design in my mind and the end result is usually what I've envisioned, though it may vary slightly in a change of color value or perhaps a stitch." Her designs include many florals, which are realistic in expression, yet somewhat stylized and Jacobean in genre. They often are executed in traditional Japanese embroidery, of which she is a master craftswoman. Carolyn's florals tend to reflect realistic coloration corresponding to traditional Jacobean colors. She elaborates on her technique, "I use crewel embroidery, especially long and short stitch to achieve shading and to create the effect of "painting" on fabric with threads. I use various crewel stitches to create dimension."
Carolyn's design expertise covers a wide range of techniques, but she is best known for her work in crewel, Japanese embroidery, counted needlepoint and Hardanger. Crewel especially provides the most freedom for her creative artistry, allowing her to use her drawing and painting skills. She finds the creative expression which needlework affords to be endlessly inspiring, therapeutic and fulfilling. Carolyn's fervent wish is, " In this day of "high tech" that this art will pass on to our children so that they may pass it on to their children and keep it living for generations to come."
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For more information on Carolyn Hook's work and Crewel and Unusual Designs, see your favorite needlework retailer or contact Carolyn at 231 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970. A catalog of current designs is available for $3.50
Phone: (978) 745- 9696 / Fax: (978) 741- 7735
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CARON email: mail@caron-net.com / Webmaster nika@optonline.net
