A FAVORITE RUG

Do you have a favorite rug you've hooked?  Has anyone ever asked you that question?  If so, did you have a clear and direct reply?  Probably not, just like me.  Usually I say, "the one I'm hooking".

Truth is I have many favorite rugs and some I've hooked which weren't.  For me there are favorites in different categories and I'll give you two examples today.  My favorite rug hooked with teacher was Kinderhook Basket which was hooked in my first class with Barb Carroll.  Numerous times I've looked at it for lessons learned with Barb that day and how she used values and color.  Here is that rug hooked in 2008.

While I've hooked numerous rugs with Barb, that one is my favorite.  Must admit there are a couple least favorite rugs hooked with a teacher and perhaps one day will show you those.  One I sold years ago and usually like to keep the teacher taught rugs.

The rug I'm most proud of isn't what you would think.  It happened out of the blue and with a pattern I didn't have a clue how to color plan.  Actually it was to be taken to Barb's and have her do the color planning for me.  But my ex couldn't take care of my big boy Ben and couldn't find anyone or anywhere to board him.  So had to cancel my class with Barb.

However, I decided to work on it anyway, while my friends were having fun attending class in Ligonier with Barb I'd be hooking the rug I'd planned but alone at home.  That happened to be a pattern called Gossip, sold by Woolley Fox and designed by Bill Laraway.  

Part of my problems were the little odd critters.  So decided to take a little creative license and make changes.  Obviously it is still a Bill Laraway design, not mine, but made it more to my liking.  Here is a photo of the pattern and the beginning of my changes.

Okay, made some bird changes.  But was trying to decide if those were leaves on each side and bottom.  Guess that's what they were intended for as someone else thought so too and this is how she hooked hers.  Hooked the leaves Magdalena style.

Me?  I didn't see them as leaves; I envisioned them as feathers, after all there are several birds perched there.  And so here is my adaptation of Gossip hooked 2017.

This is  how the label on the back reads....

Happy weekend, happy hooking.

Saundra