Here is another antique adaptation to daydream about:
Boy Scout
Adapted from an antique rug
Designed and hooked by Kris Miller
Of all the rugs I've hooked, this is certainly one of my favorites. Bear with me if you've already heard this story. About 20 years ago, my husband and I went on an anniversary trip to the Adirondacks. We visited a large antique show in Blue Mountain Lake and I saw this rug hanging in a booth. It was too much money for me to purchase at the time but I asked the vendor if I could take a picture and he agreed. Being a new rug hooker, I was excited to try to recreate it. I collected a lot of neutral textures and then gathered up my nerve to start. The very first part I hooked was the bottom half of the rug because it was mostly straight-line hooking. When I got to the top half, I lost my courage to continue and let it sit for almost a year. Finally I gave myself a pep talk and plunged into hooking the rest of the design. My greatest struggle was to try not to hook so neatly! The original was lumpy and bumpy and that's what I loved about the way it looked. But ultimately I had to stay true to myself. I realized that you have to embrace the way in which you hook...that is your hooking personality, your hooking "fingerprint." No one does it quite like you...so you be YOU!
I would love to know the story behind this design. Was it hooked by a woman or a man? Who was the boy scout that was being commemorated? He was certainly special because "Boy Scout" is hooked in red and it's the only color in the entire rug.
Sometimes there are things in your life that you wish had worked out differently. I believe that if I ever see the antique version of this rug again, I would do just about anything to purchase it. But until it crosses my path once more, I have my little hooked version to enjoy!
You can find the pattern for Boy Scout here:
Next week, I will blog about patriotic rugs since we are getting close to Fourth of July!
I remember you telling the story of this rug at a camp too and it was nice to read about it again. Know exactly what you're talking about with the natural rhythm as I recently tried to hook a rug the Carole Weatherman style by hooking low and several holes from the other loop. Try tho I may to do that my natural rhythm kept interfering. But like you said, that is ME.
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