My latest project

I started this a while ago and worked on it in the car on our Utah road trip.  With conference last weekend I had plenty of time to sit and get some more done. As you can see by all the marker lines, I have been having a hard time getting the lettering correct.  I was so focused on the spacing I even spelled things, thangs. Good thing it was not hooked that way.

This is the largest rug I have hooked so far, but I am using #8 strips (1/2 in) so it's going pretty quickly considering how what little time I have spent on it.

My new rug

I have a rug hooking camp coming up next month, so I need a project. Sitting in church I sketched out four rugs with my favorite sayings and scriptures. This was everyones favorite.

I am tracing the design onto linen but I don't think I will start hooking until the camp. Monka Jones is going to be the teacher and helping us with color planning so I want to see what she has to say. Monika is a wide hooker (#10 and bigger strips) so this will be a big change from the #6 strips I have been hooking with.

SLOWLY but surely

Considering I have not really had any time to hook, I can't believe I am almost done with the cover for our computer bench. 

Grandma's bench

My next project is to hook a new cover for our computer bench. It was a bench that belonged to my Grandma Larson so I figured it should have something that reminded me of her. 

Three things came to mind right away, chocolate chip cookies, geraniums and lady bugs. A stool that you sit on did not seem like the best place to hook large brown circles with black spots (cookies). I drew a blank about a design with a geranium so I knew it had to be lady bugs. This rug below is one of my all time favorite hooked rugs made by one of the women in my California Chapter- I LOVE IT! 


I wanted to use this idea but taylor it to a stool. I took a sketch book to karate and sketched out several rugs... but this was my favorite.

I drew it on poster board and played with different color options for the background.

Traced the pattern on to red dot and then onto monks cloth.

I did not have any greens that I liked for this project so Maralou invited me up to her house yesterday to look through her wool (I was in heaven... she has GREAT wool). I came home with everything I needed to get started. 

Although I had tons to do today I did manage to get a little hooked and I'm loving it! I think my background may be a little light so I tea stained some of it to make it more interesting. After the kids go to bed I am hoping to make some serious progress.

Just what I needed

I have been so busy with my kids social life living here in suburbia that hooking has unfortunately taken a back seat.

On Tuesday I pulled into my driveway to find a local hooker on my doorstep with a basket of peaches for me (from her yard).  I had never met her before but had found her through a rug hooking online forum. Within 2 minutes I felt like I had known Mara Lou forever. 

Yesterday she called and invited me to go Monika Jones's house to see her rugs and wool. I was so excited I couldn't wait. After hearing Mara Lou say so many wonderful things about Monika and looking at her web site here... I couldn't wait to go.  

So today we drove about 45 min out to Monika's home.... deep breath.... she had the most beautiful rugs all over her floors! Please forgive me for not taking photos, I was too busy absorbing every second. I learned SOO much in 2 hours.  Here are a few of the big ah ha moments for me:

She hooks with a 10 cut and it looks amazing! I never dreamed of going over a 8!

She makes HUGE rugs. I had not even considered making a rug that large, but in a 10 cut (I have been using a 6) it seems less threatening. 

She and Mara Lou both use linen backings exclusively and swear by them. I have only used monks cloth, but bought some linen from Monika today. They may have converted me.  

She hangs her rugs on the wall with those wood carpet strips. - brilliant! I used like 7 nails to hang my rug. 

She uses her rugs on the floor! Kitchen, bathroom... they were everywhere and looked great. I know this sounds ridiculous to even mention, but most rugs I have seen hooked are not used on the floor. When you consider the time and money it takes to make one, I had to put it on the wall... but my next one (after the stool) is going on the floor!

I came home from her house so inspired and ready to hook, it was seriously just what I needed. 

Somebody loves me

Hawley and John (My Mother and Father in law) not only helped us move up to Oregon, but they went out of their way while up in Washington to go the the Pendelton outlet for me.

Check out this stash of beautiful wool they mailed to me... true love.

Thank you again Hawley & John!!!

We have arrived (at least thats what the GPS told me)

It has been a long crazy move, but we are finally in Oregon and mostly unpacked. FYI-My huge hooking bag with our frames and current projects came in the car with me.

The movers that helped us unload the truck were giving me a hard time at the number of boxes marked "craft room".  I am so excited about the craft room, Eric put shelves in for me and it is going to be the perfect place for my creative therapy... as soon as I get it all unpacked.

This house is perfect for a hooker. There are huge lavender plants all around the front and back yard. It's like a fortress of lavender to protect my wool!

Although I really can't start hooking now, I have to start a new unplanned project soon. Our computer is in a hallway (again) so to have more room we are going to use my Grandma's stool for the chair.  The padding is shot and it needs to be recovered... so of course I need to hook something cool for the seat right away. Any suggestions?