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| The design so far |
So for the last month, I've said I'm going to write my blog on Sunday afternoons. For 15 years, I always managed to have Thursdays off for quilting and posting my blog. Then in the last year with a new job change, I'm working Monday - Friday. Go figure that now that I'm looking at 60, I'm so tired Thursday nights after work that it's become more of a chore to post rather than the pleasure it's always been. Plus somewhere along the line, I lost my creative mo-jo.
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| Frame my husband made for me |
FINALLY though, after my time at John C. Campbell Folk School, I found it! I told myself, I'm just going to go relax with no agenda in mind accept to enjoy myself. (I barely even took any pictures!) I
took a 5 day rug hooking class with Linda Bell. Rug hooking, for anybody who doesn't know is where you take thin strips of wool (think 1/8th-1/4th in thick), use a hook to pull them through a backing making little equal loops. The loops make lines and the lines fill in patterns. The patterns can be abstract or representational. It's a very old school tactile craft and I've totally fallen in love.
While at JCC, we learned how to make a pattern, cut wool, and practiced making little loops. Hooking the loops is something it takes 5 minutes to learn and a LOT of practicing to get right. Some ladies in the room got it right away - that would NOT be me. The more I hooked though, the more even they became.
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| Quickie Pattern designed in less than 30 minutes |
I was working on a design that I quickly drew up using a picture in one of my books as inspiration. When I say quickly, I mean like 10 minutes. So crazy! Then without my usual process of doing value drawings and auditioning color palettes, I quickly came up with a fly by seat of my pants plan of attack. Really it's not a bad idea to work out of your comfort zone every now and again. Besides this was all about the hooking.
Things I learned that week
- curves are harder to hook evenly than straight lines
- light colors show imperfect loops easier than darker colors
- remember to stretch your hands, arms and shoulders regularly
- A frame that rotates is a true blessing
- Wool is WAY more expensive than cotton
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| Wool Strips - called - Noodles |
I know there are still plenty of rug hookers out there, but I've also learned that it's relatively an unknown art. I thought I would write a series of posts in the upcoming weeks that will take you along on my rug hooking adventure.
I want to thank everyone who has hung with me as I've made some creative adjustments this last year. Honestly, I know that creativity ebbs and flows as with most things in life, but I was beginning to worry. I just had to keep reminding myself that I spent the last year using a lot of my creative energy solving problems at work (which I totally loved and still love!)
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| Close Up of what the loops |
So yes, I'm still quilting but for now I'm taking a little detour into rug hooking.
