Lessons for Newbies from an Oldie (who should know better)

Lesson number 1 is try to pick your colors before starting a rug to see if the colors will work.  Duh, I just went with one at a time and started with the jack on the far right first.  Since you should "Hook what is on top First" my next hooking task was the jack on the far left.  Well I was sorta happy with Jack to the right until hooking the other two. 

My intentions were to have 3 Jacks in 3 different shades of orange.  Since the two on the right were too close in value my knee jerk reaction was to pull out some of the jack on the far right.  Well I didn't like the mouth compared to the others anyway.  So this is where I am now, when it could have been done had I done my planning ahead of time. 

In looking at the before (first photo) perhaps all I needed to do was hook a thin 'corn row' of a darker row along the shape of the Jack on the right.  BUT, I didn't particularly like it's mouth anyway.  And it still looks like there is a darker value (lesson #2) strip of wool between the Jack on the right and the middle one. 

Okay, so CORN ROWING is where you hook a very thin strip of wool between two already hooked rows, sorta staggering between the rows like a farmer would plant corn.  I hooked the pumpkins in #8.5 so IF I do a corn row (as I did inside the mouths of two Jacks) it might be a #3 strip or take a #8 and snip in half.  Anything which will separate the colors.

Who knows what I'll end up with after the Fat Lady Sings, but stay tuned to see the wonders OR disasters of this design.  Frankly I think it is an adorable design which just needs a little tweaking.  Besides there needs to be a good representation of the design on my web site once it is done.

Have a great evening and a fantabulous Sunday.

Saundra