Hobby spotlight

I don't talk about all the other interests I have much because my business has kept me so busy lately that I just don't have time to do much anymore.  I hope to get things settled down one of these days and be able to devote a little bit more to the "me" time activities again.  Ha!

My Mother got me started with primitive rug hooking when I moved back to Nebraska in 2004.  It involves using a hook to pull strips of wool, anywhere from 1/2 to spaghetti thin inch wool strips, through a a piece of loosely woven linen.  I typically buy my linen with the patterns designed by one of the many, many talented individuals out there, but occasionally I have been challenged to design and draw my own to hook.

This particular piece was from a Rug Hooking Retreat in 2013, and finished by me last winter.  The design is by Cammie Bruce and the rug is called "Spot the Horse".

This rug is mainly 1/4 inch or #8 cut wool strips.  There are a few narrower or #6 cuts in there to make it all fit well.  The original piece that Cammie hooked was done with a light background and a dark colored horse.  I wanted a dappled mare, so Cammie and Janice Lee, owner of The Rug Hooking Store in Valley Nebraska and hostess/organizer of the Rug Retreat, found me the perfect colors to make my pony dappled gray.

Here's a little close up of her pretty little spots.

I love how the spots on the horse are mimicked in the background.

Sometimes I use close up photography like this to see how my colors are blending.  It is much easier to spot in a photo than it is with the naked eye at times.  See that really light piece in the leaf on the upper left  side.  I will need to take another look at it to see if it makes sense to leave it as a hi-light or if I should take it down a bit so it doesn't stand out so much.

So there you have it, another little piece of me.  I find that I am much happier when I have artistic pursuits in all their different forms.  I like to paint, I like to rug hook, I occasionally sew and stitch, and I used to dabble in stained glass.   Each one brings me much joy and keeps my hands busy.  I'm not very good at just sitting still with nothing in my hands!

How about you?  What hidden talents or other pursuits do you have?

Wishing you Sunshine this week!
Deb

We call ourselves "Hookers"

Ha!  Got you with that title didn't I?  That or you may have run screaming the other way, gathering your children as you went and shielding your eyes from "too much information".  Well, sometimes Rug Hookers like to refer to themselves, and other like minded folks, as Hookers.  I dabble in lots of different arts, jewelry design, quilting, rug hooking, and many, many crafts and DIY projects.  I shouldn't say dabble because when I decide that I want to try something I must have ALL the tools and supplies.  My husband looked ready to weep when I thought I might want to try pottery and blowing my own glass beads.  Rug Hooking is something my Mother introduced me to 6 years ago.  I truly do enjoy it, even though I seem to be a bit side tracked right now!  Primitive Rug Hooking is an old craft (not to be confused with latch hooking yarn) where you take small strips of wool and, with a hook resembling a crochet hook, pull a wool "loop" to the top of your background, usually linen or monks cloth.  It is not for those that must have instant gratification, nor is it an inexpensive art.  Quality wool is not inexpensive, nor is linen right now, but you have to remember that you are creating a piece of art that will be around for generations.  Here are a few examples of my work.

"Summer Basket Oval" designed by Primitive Spirit

"Friendship Rug" also designed by Primitive Spirit (I have a thing for her patterns!)

"Jack-O'-Lantern Moon" a Need'l Love  pattern by Jody Aman.  Sometimes you need a nice small piece that you can finish quickly.

"Three Owls", and I can't find the card with the designer.  This is NOT my design, but some very talented person drew these darling little owls.  I hooked this one as part of a Neutrals challenge my friend Janice Lee thought up.  Janice owns The Rug Hooking Store in Valley, NE and I buy all my wool from her because she is the "Wool Dyeing Queen" and has the most amazing, rich colors.  She is also a whiz at color planning.

This is my first original design for a class I took at The Rug Hooking Store taught by the uber talented Pris Butler.  Pris is an artist and hooker from Georgia, and is a nationally recognized teacher.  Ok, I know drawing a cornucopia is hardly original, but it was my first time.  With Pris I learned to be more adventurous with color as she left a new strip of wool (sometimes in rather bright tones) in front of our workspace.  This rug is still waiting to be bound.  Most of my primitive rugs are hooked with 1/4 in. strips of wool.  Some like wider strips which really gives it a really primitive look, some like to hook with tiny little  strips sometimes no bigger than spaghetti.  Those artists create some of the finest shading and rugs which really do look like a painting from a distance.

This rug is my 2nd original design.  Pris Butler returned to Nebraska to teach a 2nd class.  At Pris' recommendation we all studied the work of Gustav Klimt and designed rugs that were in the style of Klimt.  Some in the class mimiced design elements, some mimiced colors, some created rugs that mimic Klimt works.  It was a wonderful time and I learned so much.  I call this my Klimt dragon.  It was designed based on Klimts' Asian period.  He often included elements from the orient in many of his works during that period of influence on his art.  This is for my oldest daughter who is adopted from China and wanted to decorate her room with an Asian theme. 

There you have it, a lecture on primitive rug hooking, and a brief show of some of my rugs.  Now you can say you "know" an actual "Hooker"! 

Have a great weekend!
Deb