Which cut are you? I'm definitely a wide cut as that is what inspired me to learn to hook rugs. While perusing the issues of Country Living magazine or Early American Life would see those wonderful primitive wide cut rugs on harvest tables, in front of the hearth, on the floor and chests and knew I wanted one. Knowing I'd not be able to afford an antique rug decided to learn to hook myself.
Boy what a can of worms I opened then. Had no stash of wool, no cutter or frame or any of the other tools and now think I own enough to open up my own shop. Anyway.....
My very first project at home was a hooked mitten in a book by Kindred Spirits and it was horrible. Sure wish I still had it but gave it away to someone who was just learning and we were to swap our first projects. Ha! She got mine and I didn't get hers.
So the next project hooked at home before a class was this design by Pat Cross called Penny Crow in her Purely Primitive book. The minimally hooked rug kit was sold on ebay and since the #8 cut wool strips came with it I purchased it.
Then my journey to rug camps started but my love of wide cut has always remained so continued hooking in #8 (now my go to strip is #8.5).
After some healing time, decided to hook a profile of my two departed Rottweilers Shumba and Panzer. Luckily Jon Ciemiewicz was teaching a class nearby and enrolled with the intent of hooking my Rotties. As Jon is a narrow cut hooker decided to buck up and give it a try.
They were hooked in #3 and the background I refused to do any more narrow than #5. Naturally there was much more to hook when I came home and I got lazy with the narrow cut.
Yes, it looks like they are painted and can see the yellow in the teeth, the change of color in the gums, shine on the nose, etc. AND....If you look carefully at my boy Panzer in the back you will see my laziness and didn't follow the flow of his coat just under Shadow's chin. I hooked that area straight up and down to get the job done and to hell with the curve of the body. That I regret as my boy deserved better. But learned that narrow cut is not for me.
Here is the photo from which this piece was designed.
One thing I am proud of with this hooked piece is their own hair which I had spun onto a thin wool piece is hooked into each of their necks. A very special friend Lesley Covney (now departed) spun each of their hair onto a thin core of roving. You can see the dark brown fuzz between the black and tan of the neck. That is the hair of my dogs.
SOOOOO, just as soon as this rug was hung on my wall decided to draw out another rug and hook my departed pets in a wide cut just to see that it can be done. Okey dokey. So here are two whole dogs only 12" tall hooked in #8. So don't tell me that you can't get detail in a wide cut. Oh, and yes, my boy Panzer sat like a girl, just like my Ben boy does.
So when my girl Shadow and I would take walks we (I) would discuss how she was a wide cut girl. And so she was. Shadow is hooked in #8.
Here is a photo of her when she was twisting her head when I'd talk to her.
OMG she would make me laugh out lof course you know that Ben will be hooked in ....most likely #8.5. Hey, he is a MANLY boy ~ okay, so he sits like a girl. By not you must know that I will hook my boy in a wide cut and hopefully before he leaves me. So that is a rug in my near future so he and I can discuss it, lol.
At least I know my comfort zone with strip size and realize that I am and always have been a wide cut hooker. So experiment, and do want makes you happy. There is no shame in being a wide cut hooker ~ yup, know that now.
Tomorrow my boy Ben goes to have a spot removed from his belly. I'll probably have a sleepless night as if it was me having that done to myself. Yet am hopeful for the results based on what the vet told me last week.
Have a great evening everyone one.
Saundra
Cape May rug camp "Rugs by the Sea" is less than 4 weeks away and am still going with the idea of hooking my departed Shadow. There were a couple pictures of her and couldn't decide which view to hook and finally decided on the one where her head is tilted. When I spoke she would tilt her head listening to every word I said and she cracked me up each and every time. She looked so darn cute that I would laugh out loud then she would get up and come over to say she was glad she made me happy.
Here was the other picture under consideration.
After hooking my departed Rotties using a #3 cut for the dogs, couldn't stand hooking with at size any longer so hooked the background in #5. My dear sweet Shadow is going to be a wide cut girl and think she'd approve.
I've even started pulling some wool but might rummage thru the brown bin once more. If I don't have the right color wool I'll buy some. But the pattern will only be around 18 x 24 so won't need a lot. Yet think I'll need more of the lighter gold colors so maybe I'll try and dye a tad more before camp.
The background color will be the same green (or close) to that used for the Rottweiler Memorial. I have some of it left from the previous dye job but usually have consistent good results in repeating that color if I need more. Here's my Rottweiler Memorial.
Hope you all have enjoyed the nice lower humidity and breezy days like I have. But today it is back to a dark and rainy day.
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
