The other day I was asked about cleaning a hooked rug and would it ruin the rug. This Eat Crow rug has been on my kitchen floor in front of my kitchen sink since 2003. As it is probably the most stepped on rug and in the most vulnerable spot of all my rugs, I'd say it has held up well. Yes, I have dribbled or dropped liquids on it but all has been cleaned up without a problem.
Just a few days ago there were a couple spots which I took care of. They were small so all I did was take a clean cloth, wet an area larger than my finger, put a little detergent (no bleach) on the cloth and rubbed well. Then took another clean area of the cloth, wet it and rubbed as I was trying to clean out the soap in the area.
When I was a red meat eater I did dribble probably half a cup or so of 'red juice' if you know what I mean, on the rug. Immediately I took it to the laundry room and ran clean water on the area, then put it on the floor with towels and stepped on it to try and remove the moisture. I ran more water on it and repeated. I was trying to dilute the stain. Then my final step was to use a mild detergent and water and scrubbed lightly with a brush. Rinsed and repeated the towel step on technique. There was never a permanent stain thank goodness.
Afterward cleaning a rug, in the summer you could put the rug on the back deck face down to dry or in winter in the laundry room face down on towels. I happen to have a dryer which has a rack that prevents the cylinder to spin. So I could have used that too.
I have a friend (who will remain nameless but she knows who she is), even put a whole rug in the washer. She said she had nothing to lose because her pet had an accident on it. So it was either put a hose on it to remove the worst of the incident and wash it or toss it in the trash. So she figured she'd put it in the washer and give it a go. Cannot remember what type of backing but know it was NOT burlap.
Yesterday's post I commented about starting with a tail up in the circle and ending with the tail up in the same hole. Someone asked if you always start and end with the tails up. The answer is YES. Then you would snip off the end of that remaining piece of wool even with the other loops.
Feel free to write me with additional questions any time. I have a feeling everyone is going to be quite busy from now until Friday so I'm wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.
Saundra
Many hookers are afraid to put their rugs on the floor and there are those rugs which shouldn't go on the floor. Frankly I think it gives the rugs character when they have been weathered.
Today I had to spend an hour at the dealership while the transmission computer module was installed in my van so decided to 'fix' the whipped edge of one of my floor rugs.
That rug would be Eat Crow designed by Ann Hallet and has been at my kitchen sink since 2003 - Yup, 10 years. And really the only side which needed repair was the right side since it is that side walked on more often to the areas in my kitchen used most. Surely you want to see, huh? Here is the before (taken without a flash) and the background was never green; notice how the wool whipped edge had separated and thinned on the right side?
And here is the after being repaired today..... and that background is the way it has always looked. How and why did the color change happen?? Not sure if it is the flash, time of day, lights on or off in the room where photo is taken? Anyway, I'm very happy this wonderful crow is ready to see more years. Maybe not in front of my kitchen sink because after the show in Cape May think Oh Deer will replace this guy for a while.
Here are other rugs on my floor. This one was also hooked in 2003 and has been at the front door since finishing it. In all honesty this one was hooked before Eat Crow and was my very first ever rug camp rug. I'd only planned to attend ONE rug camp because of the cost and wanted to learn wide cut shading and have a rug at my front door ~ an all in one class. But then I was HOOKED!!!!!
That first rug camp rug picture taken today which has been there also 10 years. It is a Charco design #1105 Heritage. This rug has many a foot walked on it coming from snow, rain, etc. And this is how it looks today. Yes I need to vacuum and you can see how I would rather hook than clean. But you can also see it is OKAY to walk on rugs.
Well since rug camp was so much fun my attendance at rug camps increased. Here is yet another rug walked on often and once thru the living room into the kitchen you would walk on this delightful welcoming Flowers and Pineapple design by Bev Conway.
Oh yes and when you didn't think it would get any better (worse?) there is still another rug in my kitchen area. This is another Bev Conway design which I think is called Chickens on Eggs which I loved; but envisioned chickens on hay. So we made creative changes and she guided me thru that process at camp.
Now you can see rugs really are durable on the floor. Wool rugs are especially resilient hooked on a proper foundation. My preference for foundation is LINEN. Since I hook with a wide cut the natural primitive linen is what suits me best.
Should you newbies have a question please feel free to write and ask a question. Just remember that I was a newbie once and while I may not know all the answers, it is probably a problem I've had a few times myself. I'm definitely NOT a know-it-all. I'm here if you need help.
Have a great evening and thanks for visiting.
Saundra
What a better way is there to spend 2 hours sitting at a car dealership than using that time to bind a rug? I hate binding rugs and if money grew on trees I'd hire someone to do it for me. But it didn't seem all that boring at the time and even seemed like fun compared to sitting and watching Price is Right and the other game shows on their TV. So Henny Penny is bound and I'm caught up..... for now.
The dimensions of the small Henny Penny was 15 x 20 (it comes in 2 sizes) but I took a little creative license and extended some of the elements to make it a bit bigger. So mine now measures 15 x 23. This was a fun, fun design to hook and can be found on Barb's Keeping the Past Alive page.
It was hooked in #8 and #8.5 wool strips. The majority of the background is Irish Eyes sold by Heavens to Betsy. Now, when you go check out her web site to see pictures of the wool, what you see on her site is NOT what that wonderful wool looks like in person. It shows up as bright but it is a soft and mild green which is a little darker on one side and lighter on the other so makes a nice background.
And there were blobs of this n' that hooked as part of the background to attempt making it look old and give the appearance that 'she used what she had'.
Monday I need to go back to the dealership and have a part installed on my van, seems the computer is bad and that is why I'm having hard downshifts in my transmission. In February the transmission computer module was reset but am having problems again, thus a new computer. Since it is doubtful Westmoreland Ponies will be ready for binding by then perhaps I'll take the Eat Crow rug and re-whip the edges.
Have a great evening and thanks for dropping by.
Saundra
I think this is the fastest I've hooked a rug, but then it isn't as large as some I've hooked. Oh Deer (24 x 33) was started At Woolley Fox the morning of May 20th and I finished it on June 9th. But there was lots of catching up from post camp laundry, drawing patterns and yard work which intervened with my finishing it earlier. Yesterday I steamed it but it still hasn't been bound.
As soon as the last loop was pulled on Oh Deer and even before it was steamed yesterday, I retrieved the Henny Penny rug which is what I'm working on now. And it is fun getting back to it. The break was nice but now am enjoying working on it even more. That is why I like hooking on more than one project at a time.
This one won't go on the floor right away; once bound it will be rolled up and saved until it goes to Cape May for the rug show. Then when it comes home think I'll put it on the floor in front of my kitchen sink where it will get a little mellowing out.
Presently there is a Crow and Corn rug that has been there since 2003 which shows very little wear. Yet to me it is more attractive than when it was first hooked. Can you believe it has been there for 10 years? If I could complain about something it would be that I am frustrated with the way the yarn whipping separates over time ~ you can see it particularly to the right side and bottom of the rug. So think it is time for this fella to have a rest.
Could be it will be under foot at the sink once again one day after I repair the whipping. The crow had a special meaning to me beyond my finding the design attractive. My departed Rottweiler Panzer (the goofy boy) was mesmerized by crows and would leap up like he thought he could take flight after them. He did the same thing with turkey buzzards in our area. Bruce and I would laugh at his antics while his more serious mother Shumba was the more serious of the Rotties. But then her son never left his mother's side so he had mommy to be the protector over him and he could be the silly boy.
But something that I'd not thought about for a long time...... the day that we lost Panzer and came home from the vet office, there were probably half a dozen or so buzzards sitting in our trees. It was if they were saying goodbye. And, from time to time I will find a huge feather dropped and always bring it home because it is a Panzer buzzard feather gift. OMG, as many years as it has been since his departure this still brings tears to my eyes.
Oh well, may as well finish it by posting a picture of the Rottweiler Memorial rug I did of Shumba (foreground) and Panzer.
And the bottom picture is the one from which the rug was designed. The top picture is Panzer and his mother playing with a lost baseball.
By the way, Ben reminds me of Panzer sometimes. Ben has Panzer's affectionate side and some of his silliness but not nearly as goofy as Panzer. And, there will never be another Shumba, Panzer or Shadow. Ben is a wonderful companion and feel so lucky to have adopted him and he has his own special personality as well.
Thanks for dropping by and reading my dribble. Just remember that lots of big dogs get bad raps because of the way they are raised and bred.
Saundra
