podcast
Burrow Yourself in ‘The Fox Cave Chronicles’ by Torsheta Jackson
F
courtesy Felicia Hobson
elicia Hobson fixes herself a drink longer around,” Hobson says. “It’s like the cave” and started producing her podcast. at the bar and takes a seat at a red music is dying from the era that I love so Initially, Hobson used the show to catch up table in the middle of the with older, popular musicians in room. A candle burns, and the metro area. ’90s hits play softly in the back “I didn’t want the OGs to die ground. A few friends gather out or become irrelevant, so the on the couch to debate the best show was mainly about making artists from their teenage years. Mississippi rappers relevant again,” Minutes later, Hobson picks up she says. “You know, the ones we a microphone and introduces don’t hear about anymore.” an upcoming local artist. An The first show featured other episode of “The Fox Cave Bigelow and aired via Facebook Chronicles” podcast has begun. Live on July 20. When she saw When the pandemic shut that the episode was viewed more down businesses and offices than 800 times, Hobson realized in March, Hobson was in the that she would need to expand the middle of changing jobs. She platform. She extended invitations found herself out of work and Felicia Hobson featured local rapper Mookey Montana to both older and up-and-coming searching for something to do. during her podcast’s Halloween episode. Mississippi artists of all genres—as One evening as she and a family well as entrepreneurs, community member were sitting in her den members and Black business ownlistening to old music, Hobson realized that much, which was the ’90s.” ers—to give them a chance to introduce many of the songs they were enjoying were The Jackson native decided to change themselves to the area. no longer in rotation. that. “Foxy,” as her friends call her, set up “There are so many artists here (who “A lot of the music that I listen to is no some recording equipment in her “woman have) so much talent here that we don’t
know about,” Hobson says. “A lot of times they get overlooked because people are so prone to shine the spotlight on the ones that are already popular. That is why my platform is here.” The show gained so much interest that Hobson expanded from recording once a week to twice a week, then three times a week. Soon, she found herself recording nearly every day of the week. Additionally, the podcast’s popularity combined with safety concerns caused her to move the recordings from her home to a local nightclub with more open space. In the future, Hobson imagines the podcast broadening its scope even further to include artists from other states. She also hopes to attract the attention of television networks and higher-profile celebrities. The second season of “The Fox Cave Chronicles” will begin airing in February on the podcast’s business page on Facebook. To view past episodes, join the podcast’s public Facebook group. Follow the podcast on Instagram at @thefoxcavechronicles.
arts
Connecting Local Knitters through Common Thread
20
Valuing her experience and know-how, Knitters and crocheters across the spectrum come to McNeil for help with particularly tricky projects. “I never coveted my knowledge. If I could help, I would—but I’m the first to admit when I don’t know,” she quips. courtesy The Knit Studio
December 23, 2020 - January 5, 2021 • jfp.ms
J
udy McNeil, the owner and manager of The Knit Studio, has recently entered her 13th year in service to local creatives. Setting up shop in Jackson was an easy choice for McNeil, who notes that the Jackson area already housed an established community of knitters and crocheters when her storefront opened in 2007. “It was a shoo-in,” McNeil says. This sentiment particularly rang true given her long personal history in the profession. “I’m self-taught, but for me, it was more than a hobby—it was a passion,” she says. Operating The Knit Studio has allowed McNeil to tap into that passion by making beautiful things from unfinished fabrics, and it has also allowed her to help her customers pursue their own creative projects. Some of these customers are novices, just beginning their foray into the crafting world, while others are more seasoned artisans, with distinct ideas about patterns and materials. Regardless of their preference, McNeil seeks to keep something in-store to help them along their journey, noting that the shop “carries everything from the most basic yarn for beginners all the way to hand-dyed yarn for those who have graduated into using more exquisite yarn.” Among these finer offerings are cashmere, silk and mohair, which all come in handy for customers aiming to make something special.
by Taylor McKay Hathorn
The Knit Studio offers a variety of crafting supplies, particularly yarn for beginners and veterans alike.
The shop owner enjoys her work, even the more challenging projects. “It keeps me on my toes,” McNeil remarks. “Reading patterns is almost like a second language. You always have it with you; you don’t have to open a book
every time someone has a problem.” Issues sometimes seemingly resolve themselves, though, once customers enter the shop, housed in Canton Mart Square in north Jackson. “They’d think they had a problem with their knitting, but when they sat in the store, it was all right,” McNeil recalls. The atmosphere fosters this sense of resolution and release that McNeil strives to create in her store. “Before COVID, we had a lot more socializing happening. We had several days that were known as ‘social knitting days.’” These “social knitting days” allowed customers to bring their knitting and their woes into The Knit Studio. “Everyone’s story is interesting,” McNeil says of the practice. “Many of the stories they told were absorbed by the fabric, which may sound silly, but it gives life to the yarn. It’s like having friends come to your house—people tend to be a little more themselves.” For McNeil, this is an aspect of the business that she never expected but treasures all the same. “For me, success isn’t in the projects. It’s in how many people were initially customers but became friends. Those are the things that resonate, and that’s in life, not just in business. It’s the thing that makes it all worthwhile,” she says. To learn more about The Knit Studio or to make an online order, visit theknitstudio.com.
