Let's Talk Wool on Off the Wall Friday

 One of the biggest learning curves in my rug hooking journey, has been tracking down materials to actually do rug hooking.  I guess I've been spoiled with quilting all these years.  There has never been a problem finding fabric and notions to quilt with.  At one point there were 11 quilt shops within an hour's drive of my house.  That doesn't count the JoAnne's (may it RIP) and other fabric stores.  

But rug hooking and wool is much different.  This is what I've learned so far.  Here in the United States, there are just a couple of major distributors of wool.  There used to be more but with people aging out of the business, there is less selection.   These businesses through their mill contacts order patterns of wools in large quantities.  Then all the smaller vendors of wools throughout the country buy it from the main distributors.  That is not to say, that some vendors aren't buying wool on the secondary market, because surely, they are.  But the quality wool is coming basically coming through these primary channels.  

The weird thing about wool, unlike quilting cotton, is it is not all uniform.  Some are thicker, some are thinner.  Some are tighter weave, and some are looser.  Most rug hooking wool will be about 12-14 oz per yard.  These variations of course make it harder to buy online since really you have to feel the wool  to know if it's the kind of wool you like to hook with.  

One thing they all have in common though ... they're all expensive.  Rug hooking wool is going for about $30/yard (which is 36" by 56"-ish). Hand dyed wool is $60-80/yd.  To put that in perspective,,,if you want to hook a 36" by 56" rug, you will need approximately 4 yards of wool.  And that's if you can find the colors you need.  That's why it's not unusual for rug hookers to buy a pattern and contact a local vendor to help them color plan the pattern, basically kitting it out to hook.  

It's such a different way to create than most quilters that it took a while for me to wrap my head around.  I do have a plan on how I'm going to get wool though.  Now that I have a small working stash here, I'm going to either #1 dye the colors I need and  #2 watch out for estate sales of rug hookers.  Of course,

hookers stash wool like we stash fabric and have patterns from years gone by.  

Interesting isn't it?  

With that said, last month, I took a visit with some rug hooking friends to a new shop called Whiskey & Wool in Kinsman, Ohio.  Housed in a restored turn of the century house, it specializes in the primitive fiber arts of needle punching, embroidery, cross stitch and rug hooking.  They had a nice selection of Valdai pearl cotton, as well as wool and patterns. The shop also sold primitive decorative items and of course whiskey.  Whosever had the idea to sell fiber arts supplies with whiskey is a genius.  There is also a renovated carriage house for classes and gatherings.   

    

I'm so glad I went for the ride there.  Ohio is really lovely this time of year and there are so many picturesque small towns.  Plus, being opening weekend, they had cider and cookies.  I mean what isn't to love with cider, cookies, wool and friends.   

Oh...and don't worry...I did work on my Puzzle Santa some this week.  I have the pattern for the Santa done...well rather...my husband has the Santa done and I've been brainstorming ideas for a simple background.  He just seemed so lonely sitting out there on a black back

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So, What Have You've Been Up to Creatively?