New Beginnings on Off the Wall Friday

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.  

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.

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

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!) 

Close Up of what the loops

So yes, I'm still quilting but for now I'm taking a little detour into rug hooking.  

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