Woolley Fox Workshop

Back home from a wonderful few days at a workshop with my gal pals and the delightful Barb Carroll.  Having fun is very exhausting and still feel a little sleep deprived.  We stayed up too late, laughed a lot and didn't want the days to end.


Needless to say, Deb and I were honored that Barb thought enough of our last year's gifts to her that they hang in her classroom.  Backing up to last year.....as a pick-her-up gift, a bunch of us hookers got together and purchased dozens of rubber duckies for her to float in her fish pond and let her know we were rallying around her in support.  When we arrived at Woolley Fox they were floating proudly.  But before arriving, Deb and I had the bright idea to make her a small mat with a rubber ducky to commemorate that event and to extend the comradeship.  We presented Barb with the mats, Char over dyed yellow rubber ducky socks for all of us (including Barb) and rubber ducky key chains.

This is a picture of Barb color planning my rug, one of my pals took this picture with my camera.  Barb knows each of her student's personalities and draws from that as well as the wool color palate that each of us brings to class to color plan the rug.  Sometimes she has an idea for the perfect extra piece of wool which will enhance the rug and will go in pursuit of that piece of wool in her wool room.  How the heck she knows her wool locations in all the mountains of wool is beyond me.  I'd have to search for hours in my room but she goes right to it.

Just took a picture of my rug after hooking some on it upon returning home from camp.  Since I've had lots to catch up on (unpacking, laundry, drawing out two more Domestic Zoo patterns, and various other chores) there wasn't too much added since getting back.  It is an adaptation of a yarn sewn and chenille sheered rug made in 1840 with a braided edge.

Here are two of my gal pals; Char is to the left and Mary to the right; both are deep in concentration on their rugs for color and loop placement.  Mary is hooking a very colorful fish for her bathroom and Char is hooking the ends of logs.  Logs you say?  Yes, she's very creative.  Char and her husband have a vacation cabin in the Adirondacks and thinks it would be beautiful in the cabin with her other designs.  For her cabin get-away she has made two proddy bear rugs ~ a momma and a baby bear rug; she has also hooked a beautiful green rug of moss, and a rug which she named "Full Beaver Moon" ~ all of which embody nature and earth ~ perfect for the mountain get-away. 

Char has an intense focused look on her face as she is deciding the next color for the ends of the logs.  Funny story about that ~~ evidently Char carries her camera with her at all times not knowing what inspirational pictures she might encounter for future rugs.  So her husband is driving along and Char spies a truck carrying a huge load of logs.  Char tells him to hurry and get behind the truck and encourages him to get as close as she can for a good picture.  She got a dang good picture which she brought to class.

In the background is my other gal pal Deb.  And she must be getting ready for her turn with Barb as she pulls her rug off the frame.... I think she has a little candy nourishment in her mouth ~ sitting and hooking is hard work ya know and we need nourishment.  Deb's pattern is a Woolley Fox design but the name escapes me right now, this is a picture of her rug in progress.

Perhaps I've shown you a picture in an earlier post, but thought I'd show you Char's Full Beaver Moon rug.  Well, don't you know that it wouldn't go in right side up so you'll have to lay on your side to see it.....sorry.

Here is a picture of Mary's fish, which is her design.  So you can see that while Barb might most enjoy the journey of hooking and color planning old looking rugs, she is quite comfortable using brighter colors as well.

This is my other friend Shari as she takes her turn with Barb in the planning stage.  Look at the mounds and mounds of wool.

Shari's rug is her adaptation of a rug which was hooked and dated 1871.  Barb was very excited to see it in progress, liked Shari's take on the antique and it will eventually be on Barb's web site for sale; Shari was proud to have been asked.

Here is a picture of Deb and Char as we three sat on the back porch of the Woolley Cottage in the afternoon hooking after class.  Sorry for the poor picture even with a flash you can barely see the gals.  It was quite cozy there and could see the bluebirds entering a nearby bird house.

Tomorrow I'll post pictures of the Woolley Fox grounds and parts of inside the Woolley Cottage where we three stayed.  A good time was had by all.   If you ever have an opportunity to get in a class taught by Barb, please treat yourself, I promise you that it will be a wonderful learning experience as you go into the brain of Barb and as she explains her reasons for using certain wools.  Even tho this was my 5th class with her she still continues to teach us something new each and every time.