A New Showing and New Finishes

Jane's Scrappy Cat has an interesting story... their neighbor's cat always visits and has a lot to say when they mow their lawn.  The cat's front legs are slightly bowed so she changed the pattern to show that.  

Jane used a Marino wool sweater, acrylic knit woman's top, synthetic blouse and yarn to hook the cat.  She said the fibers all hooked up like butter and much better than using a #8 wool strip.   She is hooking the cat on dyed burlap.  

Nancy has finished her Tattered Tulip and it's ready for binding.  Looks nice with the blue background Nancy!

I asked Nancy what she was going to do next and she said finish this design which was started in the fall.  It is a design by Woolen Memories.

An update on Sondra's Tulip has the leaves finished now and am looking forward to see what she does with the rest of the background.

Well of course Margaret finished her Magdalena Pup.

Margaret said she didn't use any wool and liked working with the knits and think she will do more hooking with tee shirts in the future.  Also shared that ultra and micro suedes hook up nice and the wide corduroy worked good after washing.  She's not a fan of using thick cotton flannels even with a Hartman.  So you gals out there who are still working on this challenge take note.   She plans to hook this design again in wool...wonderful wool.  

And guess what!  I finally pulled the last loop on my Tulip piece, that's why my blog post is late tonight.

For me this was a great challenge to try and think I kept going because my hooking, blog sisters where in there with me.  Believe me there is a whole new respect for those rug hooking trailblazers before me and they only used chiseled nails imbedded in carved wood as their hook ~ I have some which were found in antique stores.  Even tried pulling loops with it but gave up after numerous tries before pulling out my Hartman hook.

There are still a few participants who I haven't heard a peep from and am wondering if you need advice from us who have started and/or finished.  Are you still gathering textiles?? BUT I DO KNOW one person just joined and another just received her linen.  

Happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Sweet Kelley Shares her Journey

In Kelley's words.....

"I first started noticing hooking rugs in Country Living Magazine in the early 1990's...then found instructions in Early American Life.  Without a clue on where to find the needed supplies, I ordered a kit from Hooked on Rugs, it was a Santa.  I think the backing was burlap and the strips of wool all solid colors.  I practiced a little on my own, packing those strips as tights as can be.

A friend asked if I was interested in a rug hooking retreat, she had recently started hooking too.  I was lucky enough to go to Barb Carroll's Woolley Fox and have a class with Kathy Morton.  My first rug was an Emma Lou Lais triple snowman.  From the moment I descended into the wool heaven of Barb's basement I have never looked back.

Over the next year or so I attended a dye workshop with Barb and Emma Lou and a few random hooking days at Barb's.  By then I had found the joy of the Miller pencil hook...purchasing as many as I could afford for backup. Although I use 8, 8.5 and 9 strips I use a fine hook...works perfect for me.  Last year I purchased the large Talon floor frame and couldn't be happier with it.

I was in my early 30's when I started hooking.  The worse part back then was finding the wool.  Everything from the thrift store, then over dyed.  Beginning hookers today have it made.  I cannot paint with a brush, but give me a hook and a strip of wool though.  From Emma Lou I learned "more is less".  But for me, more is more, why use one red when you can mix a dozen different wools for more interest?

Green is my favorite color, Army blanket green, drab olive, khaki green...not Kelly green, not crayon green but maybe a little lime these days.

I love to hook scrappy rugs and the above was hooked with lots of scraps.

I hook in the living room with my feet up when possible, either sitting on the couch or a sewing chair and always with an Ott light or two by my side.  I listen to audio books or TV shows...I don't own a TV, I listen through Amazon Prime and rarely do I look up when hooking.

Some of my older rugs...I draw up my own designs, love patterns by Lori Brechlin, Woolen Memories, Cheri Payne, Woolley Fox.  

The crow and Old Glory designs were drawn by me, the Crow Alphabet is by Lori Brechlin.  

My latest finish (above) is based on the applique patterns of Cheri Payne.  And my hooking companion is Chester....

Above is Chester on his namesake rug called "Chester"."

Thanks Kelley for joining in, I was looking forward to reading about your journey.  

If others would like to participate you have a general idea of what we rug hookers are wanting to know about you. Must say that I'm somewhat surprised that of the nine participants, none of them had a family member who taught them to hook.  Perhaps that is because we are not of the generations which hooked out of necessity so the tradition/craft was not handed down. 

Hope everyone has a great evening.

Saundra