This photo taken at Art on State in Guthrie Center shows Emily Spradling holding her mother’s vintage knitting bag. When Spradling retired in 2013, her mother gifted her knitting needles, pattern books, yarn and this bag. Spradling’s mother, Marilyn Dodd, passed away in January 2022 at the age of 92. She had first introduced Emily to knitting when she was 8 years old and brought her back to it 50 years later.
Emily Spradling thanks her mother for exposure to the hobby she now loves.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Emily Spradling was introduced to knitting when she was a child. The next time she knitted, she was an adult and newly retired. Spradling has her mother to thank for both exposures to the hobby she now loves.
“My mother taught me some knitting basics when I was about 8 years old,” Spradling says. “Back then, Mom and her friends were knitting afghans. Long strips of knitting were joined together to form a blanket or throw. I learned the basic knit and purl stitches and completed a few afghan strips, though never a blanket.”
Spradling says she lost interest before she learned how to begin and end a project by herself.
“It was really more about spending time with my mom,” she says. “I moved on from knitting after not much commitment to it. I was raised with three brothers and was what most people called a tomboy back then. I’m certain I found what I thought were better things to do outside.”
Fifty years later, Spradling’s mother reintroduced her to knitting.
“When I retired in 2013, she gifted me with knitting needles, pattern books, yarn and her vintage knitting bag from the 1960s,” she says. “I took to knitting immediately.”
Emily Spradling was born and raised in Marshalltown. After high school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Iowa State University. She was a middle school English teacher in Grinnell for seven years. A career change led her to a position in sales and marketing for a Herman Miller furniture dealer in Minneapolis, then a commercial interiors consultant for another Herman Miller dealer in Des Moines. She remained in that position until her retirement.
Emily and her husband, Jim Spradling, married in 1994. They first became acquainted with Lake Panorama through friends who owned a lot and later built a home.
“We loved our weekend visits with them and decided to purchase a lot on Andrews Terrace in 2001,” Emily says. “We built our home in 2007 and left our residence in Ankeny after retirement in 2013 to live full time at the lake.”
When Spradling picked up knitting after retirement, she started with scarves and hats, but her interest in trying new things quickly grew.
“After my step grandkids were born, I knitted stuffed animals and baby clothes,” she says. “Many adorable patterns are available online and through web sites. Knitting toys has become one of my favorite knits. Early in my knitting career, I gifted many handknit toys to friends and family. Often, acquaintances would request handknit toys for newborn baby gifts and baby showers.”
Spradling also enjoys finding unique patterns for home accessories and seasonal items.
“Some of these knits include a process called felting, which results in a dense fabric made from 100% wool,” she says. “The method I use is with heat and moisture. The knitted item is submerged and agitated in very hot water. I prefer to felt by hand, although a top-loading washing machine is an option. Over time and with agitation, the wool fiber mats and binds together, resulting in a thick fiber without stitch definition.”
Spradling says the fact that 100% wool fiber will bind together allows knitters to join yarn ends from separate balls of yarn without tying a knot.
“Tying a knot is a knitting no-no, so knitters use a combination of spit and agitation,” she says. “Why spit? I don’t know, but I can attest it works. I make hand felted acorns, Valentine hearts, Easter bunny baskets and project bags, and yes, sometimes I splice with spit.”
Another unique item Spradling makes is a giant rope basket.
“I first made these for nursery gifts to hold lots of knit toys,” she says. “These are made from one-half-inch cotton piping, and the knitting is done with large U.S. size 35 needles and my fingers. Currently, the cost of piping is quite high, making the sale of these baskets a bit problematic.”
The fall and winter holiday season had Spradling knitting to match the season.
“I made fall decorations such as knit pumpkins and acorns as well as hats, socks and slippers,” she says. “Christmas ornaments are always popular, and this year I made a lot of wreath Christmas tree ornaments. I also made Christmas stockings, some specifically for pets, along with dog sweaters.”
Spradling says one of the most challenging requests she’s received came from her daughter-in-law, Nicole.
“She asked me to knit vintage Christmas stockings to match some stockings that were made years earlier by a friend of the family who had since passed away,” she says. “Besides the challenge of intarsia knitting, which is a type of color work, the pattern was sketchy at best. It took me awhile, but I would call it a success.”
After knitting toys and other items for several years, things were starting to accumulate in the Spradling home.
“People seemed interested in how they could purchase my hand knits, but I didn’t have an outlet,” Spradling says. “I was golfing with Carol Redshaw, a fellow crafter, when she suggested I sell things through the Mercantile on Main Street in Panora. Carol had success selling her crafts there and enjoyed it. In September 2023, I set up a baker’s rack to display items I had available to sell, under the name Knit Knacks.”
The Mercantile closed in May 2024. That’s when Spradling reached out to the staff at Art on State in Guthrie Center.
“Art on State is a gallery created by the Guthrie County Arts Council for members to display and sell their artwork and crafts. They took a look at my knits and graciously agreed to accept them,” Spradling says. “It has been a very positive experience working with the volunteers who run the gallery.”
Artists provide items to the shop for sale on consignment. The gallery receives a percentage of each item sold and in return provides display space and volunteers who manage the sales and arrange the products. Art on State also conducts classes for both adults and children.
Spradling says even though her items are available at Art on State, she has people ask if she would sell items through Etsy or another online source.
“Hand knitting is quite time consuming, at least in my case. Stuffed toys in particular can be complicated,” she says. “Toys require not just the knowledge of multiple types of stitches, but many toys are knit in multiple pieces that require seaming. Keeping enough available inventory on demand through a website would be a challenge. I prefer the more local, friendly marketing option through Art on State.”
Spradling is a member of Ravelry, a social website for knitters, crocheters and fiber artists.
“Literally thousands of both free and for-purchase patterns are available there,” she says. “Other benefits include the ability to record and manage projects and yarn inventory. You might wonder why anyone would need to manage their yarn stash, but, trust me, it gets to that. I can keep notes on each project I complete, along with photos, plus access projects of other knitters and their notes and recommendations.”
Spradling says what makes some knits extra special to her is the beauty of the yarn used to create them.
“One of my favorite yarn companies is Malabrigo, a family-owned company located in Uruguay and Peru,” she says. “They provide extremely high-quality wool produced on farms that allow their sheep free-range through the hills and are herded by actual shepherds. The wool is hand dyed so each skein is unique. The blend of colors is inspired by the natural landscape.”
Other luxury yarn favorites include those with cashmere, derived from goat’s wool, organic cotton, yak, merino and alpaca. Sometimes Spradling uses these yarns with toys, often for animal clothing, because they don’t require large amounts of yarn and the remnants from her other projects provide a great source.
Creating custom orders is something Spradling enjoys.
“Some of my knits have come from suggestions and requests for special items. For example, I have been asked to create a turtle, a hedgehog, a frog, a pig, chickens, a hippo and many other things,” she says. “I always follow a pattern usually found on Ravelry or Pinterest. Once my customer agrees to the pattern, I set about knitting it. Sometimes, requests require that I modify a pattern. Generally, I stick to a pattern in the interest of time and to make my life less complicated.”
Spradling says she is fascinated by the process of knitting and creating something from a strand of yarn.
“I like knitting because while challenging, it can also be relaxing. It’s repetitive and kind of like reading a good book, it provides a temporary escape,” she says. “I also find joy and a bit of pride in my creations. Sometimes I hear from someone who has one of my handknit items. I like to hear the stories of how these are being used and appreciated.”
For Spradling, knitting is a hobby that fits her lifestyle.
“Knitting in the morning works best for me, especially if I’m working on a complicated pattern, but I’ve been known to knit practically anywhere and anytime,” she says. “I take advantage of time in the car if Jim agrees to drive on our out-of-town trips. I also knit while I’m waiting for an appointment. Often, I knit at home in the bedroom where I have patterns and tools available.”
Spradling says she would be remiss if she didn’t give some credit to her assistant, Jim.
“I tried to recruit him with hopes that he could learn to knit a simple pumpkin or assist with the giant rope baskets,” she says. “After a few attempts, we both decided that was a bad idea. Now he helps me keep track of my inventory and make deliveries to Art on State each Tuesday.”
Art on State is located at 320 State St. in Guthrie Center. It is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday.
Spradling says all special orders for Knit Knacks items are sold through Art on State. Her contact information is available on her display rack there and from the staff. Anyone interested in Knit Knacks products or with questions can reach Spradling by text or calling 515-669-9326 or emailing espradling@msn.com. n
Bunnies are popular knits for Emily Spradling. This one is Aviator Bunny.
Emily Spradling stands beside her display of knitted items at Art on State. She’s wearing a cowl she knitted for herself. It is made of yarn from a family-owned company located in Uruguay. The high-quality wool is produced on farms that allow their sheep free-range and are herded by shepherds. The wool is hand dyed so each skein is unique, and the blend of colors is inspired by the natural landscape.
Grif the Dragon is one of the most popular toys Emily Spradling creates.
These characters are Frog and Toad from the book collection by Arnold Lobel. Emily Spradling pairs them with the paperback book “Frog and Toad are Friends” in a decorative box, sold as a gift set.
Emily Spradling says Claire Garland from the United Kingdom creates patterns for realistic-looking woodland animals by incorporating beautiful colorwork and subtle curves. Spradling calls her a “pattern genius.” This woodland bunny blends in nicely with the Spradling’s stone fireplace.
This bear is knitted with a fuzzy yarn called “Caribou” by Hikoo. Emily Spradling blended the fuzzy yarn with a strand of standard worsted weight yarn to create the bear’s fur. She prefers the texture of the wrong side of the knitting so he was turned inside-out before stuffing.
This Little Tearoom Bear is from the Mary Jane’s Tearoom pattern series by Susan Hickson.
Spradling creates this colorful Garden Bunny with a basket of garden produce.