as hobbies or even art forms were as basic
to the early Texans as cooking and clean-
ing and just as necessary." --Petra Wright
of WC Mercantile in Navasota
lives a walking, breathing his-
tory lesson in the person of
Petra Wright. The "W" in
the "WC," her daughter,
Stephanie Cunningham,
is the "C." Together they
have created a haven
where technology doesn't
rule and the skills of the
past live on in the hands of
talented artisans.
opens a window in time, offering a
peek at the early Texas settlers. "Skills that
the Texans of today think of as hobbies or even art
forms were as basic to the early Texans as cooking and
cleaning and just as necessary," says Wright. "All of the
clothing was home-made. The outer garments were gen-
erally woven while the undergarments, especially socks,
were knit. These skills were a necessity in early Texas.
By 1850 fabric was available in Texas, but the Civil War
brought shortages."
soon learned sheep do not do well in hot, humid cli-
mates. Although West Texas would later prove more
successful for raising sheep, cotton was the fiber pri-
marily used. Hard to imagine when one ponders the
immense selection of yarns from both local and inter-
national sources available in this Navasota store.
think of when they think of a spinning wheel, but hand-
held spindles were also used. "Children would spindle
while walking to school," Wright says. "As they aged,
ever they sat down, they
was grown at home or purchased, it had to be cleaned,
ginned, carded, spun, and woven. Once the sheep were
raised and sheered, the wool needed to be washed,
dyed, carded, and plied. Washing the fibers could in-
clude several weeks of soaking. Carefully chosen sticks
of the bois d'arc (bodark) tree were whittled smooth
and to the desired length to make knitting needles and
crochet hooks.
browsing the bins of ready to spin wool and beautifully
colored yarns is a treat for the senses and a tangible
reminder of how different our lives are today. But if
you want to dally in the skills of the past, WC Mercan-
tile offers classes in knitting, spinning, and weaving for
both beginners and advanced textile artists.