Rug Of The Day - Tulips & Acorns

 

Tulips & Acorns

Adapted from the artwork of PJ Rankin-Hults

Hooked by Liz Marino

Today is another beautiful, sunny, dry and cool day here in Michigan.  It makes me think that we are in a strange limbo between summer and fall, and I am personally rooting for fall to win.  

This rug design combines the elements of summer and fall perfectly.  It seems quirky to have acorns and oak leaves growing on a tulip plant but in the rug hooking world, it makes perfect sense.  I have offered this pattern on my website for many years and every time I see it, I wonder why haven't I hooked it yet?

Liz did a fabulous job (as always!) by picking out jewel tones for the birds and echoing that delicious jewel-like fuchsia in the tulips.  The light background makes the colors glow and sing.  Have you ever heard that you should use "light, bright, dull, dark" in your rug's color plan?  Liz did it!  

Light=yellow pot  

Bright=fuchsia and teal  

Dull=oak leaves  

Dark=acorn caps 

I believe this might have been a gift (wedding?  I can't remember) and thus, the initials on the pot.

Liz is an accomplished rug hooking artist in her own right so I am honored that she chose to hook this Spruce Ridge pattern.

Thanks Liz!  It's a real beauty! **Bellissimo!**

Here's another version hooked by Paula Shultz.  She used jewel tones in her color plan too but just a little softer and different.  Her birds are so very graceful!

A lovely rug, thank you Paula!

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/tulips-acorns-35-5-x-25/

Rug Of The Day - Hope Flower

 

Hope Flower

Adapted from the artwork of Ann Willey

Hooked by Jean Bartel

I love the simplicity of this design and I love the soft colors that Jean used to hook her Hope flower.  The greens and blues in the background seem to melt into each other. The use of rust for the flower's outside edge is really stunning and works well with the blue in the rest of the flower.  

I think Jean has perfectly captured the feeling of calmness and serenity that is symbolic of Hope Flower.  It's something we all need in this time of uncertainty and turmoil!  Thank you so much, Jean, for a job well done!

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/hope-flower-20-25o-x-28-5o/

Rug Of The Day - Ah Tis Spring

 

Ah Tis Spring

Adapted from the design of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Kris Miller

This is the companion rug to Mr. MacGregor, which I featured yesterday.  She is hooked with the same beautiful brown plaid that Mr. McGregor was. I had planned on having them as a matching pair.  Her dress is also the same wool that I used in Mr. MacGregor's background.  The basket was a fabulous waffle-like texture that I had picked up from Barb Carroll.  I hooked it in straight lines to give it a woven look and it was absolutely perfect!  The rabbit's dress has a lot of area to hook and I wanted to give it a little interest so I made quillie buttons going down the front. 

If you have never done quillies before, I'm going to give you a warning....they are totally ADDICTING!  Once you start making them, you will want to add them to everything!  Flower centers, sheep bodies, spots on animals, googly eyes...the list is endless.  I actually got to the point where I had to tell myself that not every rug has to have a quillie in it....LOL

To make a quillie, you need two wool strips of contrasting colors.  Consider how high you hook and cut your quillie strips in that size.  For example, I hook a little higher, more like a 8.5 cut so that is what I use for my quillies.  If you hook a little lower, you might want to try a #8 cut.  When you have the two strips that you want to "quill,"  put them together and stand them on their sides and start rolling them like a jelly roll.  I like to use a table when I am rolling them because it gives just a bit more stability.  When you have a circle the size that you want, stick a pin in the roll (going sideways so that the pin is holding all the layers) and then cut off the remaining ends (if you have them).  Don't let go of the quillie until the pin is secure because it will spring back open.  Now take a needle and thread and sew through the middle of quillie roll.  Think of the spokes on a bicycle and make several passes through the circle.  Don't pull too tight or you will misshape your quillie.  Your thread doesn't need to match perfectly because it is on the sides of the quillie and it will be hidden when you hook around it. 

After several passes back and forth with the needle and thread, you can knot off the thread.  Place the quillie circle in the area in which you want it to be on your rug and whipstitch it down to the foundation.  Again, your thread doesn't have to match because you will be hooking around it.  Just have your needle come up about  1/2 the height of the circle and then back down into your foundation.  When you have sewn all the way around, knot off and cut your thread.  Now you can hook around the quillie closely.

(I have directions and pictures for creating quillies in my book Introduction To Rug Hooking in Chapter 12.)

Lastly, I made a few swirly squiggles in the sky when I was hooking my background.  They are not drawn on the pattern but I thought that Miss Rabbit was perhaps a little giddy about spring so I gave the background a little playfulness!

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/ah-tis-spring-19-x-26/

Rug Of The Day - Mr. McGregor

 

Mr. MacGregor

Adapted from the design of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Kris Miller

Isn't this a strange year?  We have had a multitude of rabbits and I don't ever remember a year where I have seen so many.  In the morning and evening when I walk down to the barn, there are at least 6 of them out in the grass along my way.  There is a small one who is not afraid of me at all and I have gotten pretty close before he darts away.  I know most people think they are cute but they have chewed up some of my lovely plants...one was a rose bush from my granddaughter and we were unable to save it. :(

Anyway, I think I prefer rabbits when they are hooked so may I present to you....*taa daa*

Mr. MacGregor!

He's such a dashing gent with his cane and his hat set at a jaunty angle.  He must be on his way to meet his sweetheart because he's carrying a gift of a tasty carrot treat.

I found a beautiful brown plaid at Sauder Village years ago.  It wasn't very much but it was enough to hook his body and have a small piece left over for another rug.  I decided on a turquoise plaid background because I love the way it "plays well" with the brown.  The turquoise plaid had a dusty purple line running through it so I hooked the two big spindly flowers with different values of purple and a fun yellow center.  I dipped into my left over strips for the tabs on the sides.  It was my first time at "hit or miss" and if you remember, I ended up thinking it should be called "trial and error" instead.  I learned a lot about which colors worked well with each other and which ones didn't.   

This rug now calls home in a private collection.  One year we vended at a fiber show near Charlevoix, MI.  It took place at Castle Farms, which has an interesting history.  It was built in 1918 by the vice president of the Sears and Roebuck company as a farm to showcase their livestock and farm equipment.  The buildings really do look like they belong to a castle! Over the years, it changed owners and was once used as a venue for rock concerts. Eventually the buildings deteriorated and it was in sad shape. It was purchased by Linda Mueller in 2001 who restored it to its beautiful original condition.  It is now a popular venue for weddings and formal events.

On the last day of the fiber show, some of the other vendors told me that Linda Mueller would walk through the buildings and thank everyone for coming.  As we were packing up, a very small lady wearing a blue wind breaker and baseball cap came into our booth and thanked us for coming.  She also inquired about purchasing the Mr.MacGregor rug that was still hanging on my rug display.  I was a little flustered, realizing that this very unassuming person was the lady who owned the venue!  I tapped the keys of my calculator and showed her the price.  She promptly scribbled out a check, rolled up the rug, stuck it under her arm, and walked away.  My husband turned to look at me as my mouth dropped open..."did you just sell your rug?"  he gasped.  "That's OK, I'll hook another one" I managed to push the words out of my mouth.  Haha, I had never intended to sell my rug but I know it went to a lovely home and a person who would love it.

By the way, I never did hook another one so I look at my pictures with much fondness in my heart for Mr. MacGregor.

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/mr-macgregor-20-x-22/  

Rug Of The Day - Goat Hill

 

Goat Hill

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Deb Nees

(image borrowed from Woodland Junction blog)

There are certain design motifs in this rug that really speak to my heart so it is another favorite of mine and it's on my rug hooking bucket list.  I love the pomegranates on their spindly stalks, I love the crest in the middle with the date, and of course, I love the goat!  The combination of aqua and dusty pinks is perfect and the teal tulips are the icing on the cake.  Deb did a stellar job hooking this rug and I really have to give her extra credit for hooking in all the little fussy fences!  This design does have smaller details but they make the rug so delightful!

Another great rug from Deb! 

Here is another version of Goat Hill, hooked by Maureen Lowrey

Again, the dusty pink and soft red pomegranates along with the turquoise house melt my heart!  The neutral background highlights the gorgeous colors. 

Bravo to both ladies for a job well done!

The little goat in the center reminds me of one of my first angora goats, Sequoia.  His mother had twins and didn't show much interest in him. My friends brought him in the house, put a diaper on him, and let him have the run of their house until he got bigger.  He was just a tiny little guy when he came to our farm.  Goats can be sort of mean and he was picked on as a runt so we built him his own little goat house so he could get away from the bigger goats.  He grew up to be quite the sturdy fellow with the thickest horns and the most stunning blue eyes I have ever seen.  He was strong and stubborn, but boy, did he love me and I loved him right back. I still have some roving made from his fleece....so wouldn't this be a great rug to commemorate my special boy, Sequoia? 

You can find Goat Hill here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/goat-hill-27-x-34-25/

Rug Of The Day - My House Sampler

Let's continue our theme of "Houses" with the wonderful My House Sampler

My House Sampler

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Kathy Simmons

Hooked by Rebecca Erb

This is another one of my favorite rug hooking designs.  I have never hooked it for myself but I have color-planned it many times in my head.  It's a really wonderful pattern to personalize for yourself.  I have seen folks hook the words "Our House" or "est." (for established) and then a date.  I have seen last names hooked instead, and names of cities.  The point is that you can commemorate any special occasion, name or date very easily and make it your own.

So let's do a little daydreaming and color plan this rug!  

My son just moved into a new house and the siding is yellow with white trim.  Since his house is more of a soft yellow, I would definitely outline the house so it will stand out nicely from the background.  I would look in my stash and see if there is a funky texture that might work for the outline.  Maybe some sort of boucle or unusual weave.  I believe a light background would be the best, maybe a winter wheat herringbone or a subtle light khaki plaid.  I have a lovely red/yellow/green plaid so I will choose that for the border. Since his new house doesn't have a lot of flowers out front, I think I'd change the flower pot to a little tree, just like Rebecca did in her rug.  I can hook the tulips in a couple different values of red because they will balance with the red in the border...however, I might throw in a stronger yellow texture for the center of the tulip.  

I would get my color clues from the border wool to choose the colors of the letters.  Again, perhaps a combination of red, green, and I'd throw a blue in there (using yellow might make the letters hard to read so I'm going to avoid yellow).  I could use the blue again in the door of the house and in the bird to create my color triangle.  I'd use a nice shade of green for the ground (I tend to like more olive and yellow greens) and I'd probably change the phrase to say "Our House" with a yellow or yellow gold box, surrounded by red triangles.  I'd be playful and fill each triangle with a different color...maybe dip into my endless assortment of left-over strips.  The numbers and letters on the ground would probably have to be hooked with a darker color...maybe the same sort of brown value that I use for the tree trunks.

Another trick I might use when hooking the trees:  choose three values of green for your leaves; one being a light value, one being medium, and one being dark.  Then divide up each tree into three parts.  Hook one third of the leaves that are closer to the tip of the tree in the lightest value, then the middle third would be hooked in the medium value, and the bottom third (closest to the actual tree trunk) would be in the darkest value.  I have done this in other rugs and it makes a beautiful transition!

Again, remember when hooking the letters and numbers to hook directly on the line, pulling your loops up as high as the background.  Just hook one letter at a time and then immediately work one row of background around the entire letter/number so it will hold its shape.  You can mix the size of your cuts if you want some thicker parts to your letters. You will have instant success and will never have to pull them out and hook them twice.

I LOVE HOOKING LETTERS!

As with all rugs, there will probably be some tweaking when I start hooking and getting all the colors in there.  There might be some spots that need a stronger color or a darker value but that is the fun of trying to figure it out!  Sometimes I leave a questionable spot in there until I get more hooked around it.  I have learned that sometimes when you rip out too early, you will end up going back to the original color...so learn to live with those little stinkers for a little while.  Get some more area hooked around it and then come back to it later.  Put it on the floor and step away.  Or hold it up to a mirror.  You will know whether it will need to be changed or not.

You can find the My House Sampler pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/my-house-sampler-32-x-41/

PS: This is a large pattern (32" x 41.5")

Rug Of The Day - Harvest Goode Things

 

Harvest Goode Things

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Kris Miller

I know it's August and it is still hot, but I have been feeling the slightest hint of fall in the air.  Our barn is full of sweet smelling hay, the crickets are singing their drowsy songs, and the sunflowers have their faces toward the sun.  We have a plump green pumpkin growing on our volunteer pumpkin vines and I just saw the tiniest woolly bear worm inching its way along in front of the hay barn door.  I just have that feeling that fall could be around the corner.

If you are looking for a rug pattern to carry you from August into September and into the start of fall, then this is the pattern for you!  Again, it was one of those designs that was a pleasure to hook.  I was excited to hook the sunflowers so I found a piece of tweed that looked seedy for the flower centers.  I thought it would be fun to outline a couple of the centers with a tad bit of brighter yellow.  A red house, of course, with a brown roof but this time, a green door.  I made the windows gray.  The lettering is a blue/green plaid and I love how it shifts subtly from the blue to the green, which adds some interest to the letters.  I decided that some of the pumpkins needed to be a color other than orange so I used a gray green.  The background is really a vanilla color that has a slight green cast...it's not as yellow as the picture shows.

The only real challenge I had was what color to hook the outhouse.  I didn't want it to be red.  After much debate, I chose a gray blue with a rusty red roof...perfect!  I love the odd little chimney pipe at the top of the outhouse.  I hooked that in the same blue as the siding...no need to overthink it.

A dark brown plaid was used for the border.  It frames the rug nicely and adds to the fall feeling.

This pattern comes in 2 sizes and I hooked the larger size (25" x 32.5").  You can find it here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/harvest-goode-things-25-x-32-5/ 

and the smaller size (20" x 26") is here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/harvest-goode-things-20-x-26/

Due to the invasion of a spammer, I have had to change my blog settings so that I will have to approve every comment before they post.  I am sorry for the inconvenience!  I do enjoy reading all of your comments.

Rug Of The Day - Happy Home~Happy Heart

 

Happy Home~Happy Heart

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Kris Miller

Sometimes when I am looking at the collection of rugs I have hooked, I will see one and say "Oh that's my favorite!"  Then I look at another and think, "well that's my favorite too!"  And then another one:  "Wow, that was a fun one to hook and THAT'S my favorite!"  LOL  I realized that my rugs are like my kids...they are all my favorites but just for different reasons!  How can you pick just one?

So here is one of my favorites because the color plan just fell into place and it felt that the rug practically hooked itself. It makes my heart happy!

 I did the color plan a little differently than I normally do...I picked the plaid for the heart first.  It is one of my favorite plaids because it has pinkish red, coral orange, and a bit of turquoise in it.  It is a wonderful bridge for color planning and I usually use it for flowers quite a bit because it combines with all those colors and makes them sing.  The heart is large so I decided a red outline would work.  Now I could choose the other colors in the plaid to add to the rug's color story.  I live in a red house so that seemed to be the perfect choice.  The roof couldn't be too dark because of the background, but another favorite brown and red texture was perfect.  I like to have fun with the door so I picked out a blue noodle from some scraps (a green or orange door would have been nice too).  

Since my favorite plaid had turquoise in it, I chose a teal overdyed wool for the lettering.  Now my favorite colors were represented!

Rusty browns and olive greens completed the trees...I did a different shade of olive for each leaf shape...and a blue and green plaid was hooked for the ground.

Did you notice that I hooked the siding of the house up and down (vertically) but the roof was hooked horizontally?  Here's a hint:  it was a little easier to hook all those long windows when I hooked the siding up and down.  The windows are hooked in a slightly darker value than the background so the house didn't look like it had "holes" in it.

Here's a link to the pattern on my website:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/happy-home-happy-heart-37-x-24/

Rug Of The Day - Sail Sail Away

Sail Sail Away

 (c) Nancy Ariagno/The Cooperage Design

Hooked by Kris Miller

This is a wonderful summertime mat that measures just 16" x 16."  It would be great for your summer cottage or lake house and it has that breezy, carefree feeling that goes along with summer and vacation time.

I hooked this mat as a thank you gift for someone who was very helpful to my family during my dad's last few days. She has a house on a lake and I thought it would feel right at home there.  I guess I realized later that there was a much more meaningful memory hooked up in that little mat too.  My dad had owned a little yellow sailboat at one time and he spent many enjoyable summer afternoons in it.  He and his friends used to join sail boat races and they won many pennants to commemorate their victories.  It was some of the happiest times for him.

I decided to make the flag at the top like the American flag.  A few other simple colors is all you need to make this rug shine.  A clear blue sky and some deep blue waves.   I decided to hook one row of gold and one row of deep blue around the edges as a border to give the mat a frame and tie it all together.   A simple design with a fresh, breezy attitude!

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/sail-sail-away-16-x-16/

Rug Of The Day - Laundry Day

Laundry Day

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Terry John (TJ)

It's another delightful day in Michigan with plenty of sunshine and low humidity.  Today I washed and hung my bedsheets out on the clothesline.  I really love the smell of freshly laundered sheets that have been hung out to dry!  They are crisp and smell like sunshine and fresh air.  There is really nothing like it.  I can't wait to climb into bed tonight.

My mom had a dryer when I was growing up but she never used it. I don't know if it was broken or if she just chose not to use it.  She always hung her laundry on the line in the summer and had clothes lines strung in the basement for wintertime. When I got married and had a house of my own, I carried on the same tradition.  Some of it is nostalgia and some of it is just plain living "green."  My electric dryer is used mostly for drying rug hooking wool! Ha!

As I was hanging out my sheets, I thought that this rug would be a perfect one to spotlight today.  To me, this sweet design speaks volumes.  There is nothing so humble and comforting as laundry on the line.  And a little grandma who has put on her starched apron to start her chores.  I can smell the pie in the oven.

TJ did a spectacular job at hooking this rug.  I love the stone house, the galvanized wash tub, and of course, the sheets hanging on the line.   But the star of the show is the braided rug!  Yikes, isn't it fabulous?!?  The original pattern has a square "sheet" drawn, lying on the grass but TJ braided a little oval piece and then sewed it to the foundation.  So clever!  

Bravo, TJ!  You have raised the bar on this one!

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/laundry-day-25-5-x-20/

Wouldn't this be the perfect rug to hang in YOUR laundry room?

Rug Of The Day - Oh Glorious Day

It's a glorious day in Michigan, full of bright sunshine, low humidity, and cooler temps.  Let's celebrate this beautiful day!

Oh Glorious Day

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Saundra Porter

You just can't have a bad day when you look at Oh Glorious Day!  It brings a smile to my face every time I see it.  This rug has been on my rug hooking bucket list for a long time but I do get some creative satisfaction when I am able to help in its color plan.  Saundra and I worked on this together at Cape May last September.  If you have ever been to Cape May, you would know about the "Dungeon."  Haha!  It sounds ominous, doesn't it?  It is a small room off the porch/bar area that is quite dark.  We all dread it because it is hard to see color in there and it is rather cramped, with tables close together and wool stacked in every possible space.   But the hotel recently painted the room a lighter color and I brought some lights to shine on my wool.  So last year's Dungeon experience actually turned out to be quite a lovely week with a great group of gals.  A real sisterhood experience, I think.

  There's so many things about Saundra's rug that I love...the red house with purple door, the speckled chicken wool, the way she "colored" in the o's in the words.  This is exactly how I would have hooked it!  

Here is another version of Oh Glorious Day, hooked by Wendy Miller

Another fabulous version and I have to point out the whimsical striped legs on the chicken.  I also love the way Wendy hooked the tree.  She hooked a little red dot at the juncture of the leaves and the branches...very unusual and unexpected.  I know it took much more effort to create this effect but it adds to the playfulness of the design.

This is one rug where I think it is absolutely necessary to hook a light or medium light background because it adds to the happiness of the design.  After all, the sun is out and smiling...it's the dawn of a new glorious day!

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/oh-glorious-day-23-5-x-33/

Rug Of The Day -Bittersweet Witch and Dapper Jack

Today's blog post features two rugs!  They are a matching couple and as sweet as can be!

I have seen a lot of people posting pictures of Bittersweet Witch on Facebook but did you know she has a mate?  Let's shine a spotlight on these two delightful patterns. 

Dapper Jack & Bittersweet Witch

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Rhonda Thistlethwaite

As you well know, I am a fan of teal, aqua, and turquoise.  It's no wonder, then, that I love the background wool that Rhonda used in her rugs!  I think the turquoise and the orange colors work really well together.  I also like the beading details on the apron because it adds a touch of interesting texture.  

Dapper Jack & Bittersweet Witch

Hooked by Kathy Bonnes

Here is a different color plan that is just as wonderful!  Kathy sewed an old pocket watch to the pattern instead of hooking it, which really gave it a personal touch.  I also like the way she hooked the background in both.  She hooked it in vertical lines and added a smattering of some of the wool strips used in Jack's jacket.  I think it makes her rugs look a little more contemporary.

Both ladies hooked their mats so that Jack and Witch are wearing outfits that coordinate with each other...a wonderful way to tie things together.  These lovely pair can be displayed any time of year, not just for Halloween!

The great thing about these patterns are that they are not too big, will hook up quickly and be ready for your fall decor in the blink of an eye!  

Dimensions are 11" wide by 35.5" long.

You can find Bittersweet Witch here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/bittersweet-witch/

And Dapper Jack here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/dapper-jack-11-x-31-5/

Rug Of The Day - "Share It" Sunday

I'd thought that I'd spotlight some delightful rugs that were previously featured in Rug Of The Day and were shared to me by their makers.

My Country

Hooked by Judy Glenn

I showed you Judy's partially hooked rug in a previous Rug of The Day post but here it is finished.  Ta-Da!  I love how the red, white, and blue is carried throughout the rug.  And look at Judy's perfect stars on the flag...done with a 9-cut!  It's a great technique to use when you have to fit those tiny stars on a flag.

Hooked by Kitty Olson

Hooking a dark background for this rug isn't always easy to do but Kitty pulled it off by giving Uncle Sam a little halo to make him stand out.  The tabs on the sides are playfully hooked by alternating the red, white, and blue theme. Again, the patriotic colors march around this rug nicely.

Nantucket Broom Ride

   Hooked by Randi Cohen

Oh my!  I LOVE the antique and naive appearance of Randi's rug!  Not too many of us can achieve the look that Randi has created....she says she used old t-shirts, bathing suits, wool, and anything she had on hand, much like our rug hooking sisters of yesteryear did.  

All three ladies did a brilliant job at hooking their rugs!  

**applause**

Thanks for sharing, my friends!  

Just a reminder that you can find the patterns here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/my-country-26-x-30-5/

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/nantucket-broom-ride-26-25-x-30-25/

Rug Of The Day - Glad Tidings

Glad Tidings

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Deb Nees

 I love Christmas designs more than anything else and I think this is one of my favorites.  It does have a lot of small details so I definitely recommend using lots of different cuts of wool.  You can use wide cuts in the horse and background but smaller strips are needed for the wreath and details on the jacket.  

I taught at Cape May several years ago and Deb was working on this rug in my class.  After class, she went to a knit shop and found some metallic yarn so she used it for the buttons on the jacket and the jingle bell on the tip of Santa's hat.  Genius!  So the next afternoon, we all had to make a bee line to the knit shop to buy a few skeins...I'll bet that yarn shop owner couldn't figure out why there was such a demand for metallic yarn.  Haha!

Deb used sheep curls for Santa's beard, which is totally awesome so I thought I'd talk about that a little bit.  Hooking with curls is fun and easy! Most of the time, I will buy a whole curly sheep fleece and then I have to wash it.  Sheep all have different "textures" of fleece so if you want definitive curls, some of the best are Wensleydale, Teeswater, and Leicester Longwool.  Washing a fleece is a long process....you can not agitate it at all or it will felt...so I carefully soak a small batch in a bucket with very hot water and Dawn dish washing detergent.  Usually 3 wash cycles and then 1 or 2 rinses in a bucket of hot water.  I spin the fleece in the washer to get most of the water out and then lay flat to dry on a towel.  If it's a nice, dry day I will dry outside.  You can never get all the vegetation out and sometimes there are little bits of dirt in there too.  Sometimes a few stains but hey, it's clean and it's lovely for hooking!

This is what a one-ounce portion of Leicester Longwool curls looks like.  It will go a long way in your hooking!

Sometime they are stuck together a little bit by small strands of fleece, so you can either carefully pull them apart or you can cut the strands carefully with scissors to separate the curls.

Sheep curls can really overpack an area if you are not careful, so what I recommend is that you hook the beard area first with a light colored wool.  You can opt to hook the strips a little more loosely so that there are small spaces in between the rows, then you would hook the curls in the spaces between the rows.  Sheep curls are pretty thin so they can get squeezed in practically anywhere. 

Pick out a single curl and hold it just like you would a wool strip. Begin by pulling up one curly end.  Pull it higher than your loops.

Pull up another loop of the sheep curl, again making sure it is higher than your wool loops. Spacing isn't critical so I just poke my hook down and grab the curl...but to get a nice beard, you do want to make sure your loops are high.

When you get to the other end of the curl, pull up the wispy end and let it hang above the hooking.  Depending on the length of the curl, you can get one to two loops before you need to pull up the end.  Here is a curl where I got two loops before I had to end it.

Begin a new curl by pulling up its end in the same hole where the previous curl ended (just like you were hooking a wool strip).  Continue on in this method, filling in the desired area.

Here are two curls hooked into the beard...doesn't that look yummy???

I grabbed a large pencil hook for my demo but I almost always work with an 8mm Hartman because I feel that a wide shanked hook pokes a bigger hole for the curl and pulls it up easier.

I have a limited number of one-ounce bags of Leicester Longwool curls for sale.  If  you want to purchase some, please message me on my website or on the Spruce Ridge Facebook page (they will also be posted for sale there but not listed for sale on my website).  First come, first served.

You can find the Glad Tidings pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/glad-tidings-30-x-32/

My computer and blogger are at odds with each other today and I have had a bit of difficulty posting so I apologize if my post appears a little wonky!  I am trying to figure it out but my computer can be pretty stubborn!  Ugh.

Have a great week-end!

Rug Of The Day - The Stocking Was Hung

The Stocking Was Hung

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Wendy Miller

I have always thought that this pattern was so very sweet.  In my imagination, a little girl had asked Santa for a dolly and found one in her stocking on Christmas morning.  It's actually more of an angel dolly because of the wings, but I can imagine her joy when she discovered it in her homemade stocking.

Lori puts little skeleton keys in her designs and this pattern has one drawn on it but Wendy sewed a real key to the rug, which makes it all the more charming.  Since the doll has stubble hair, the easiest way to hook it is to do a "beading" stitch half way around the head.  Beading is simply hooking with two strips of wool, each a different and contrasting color, at the same time. You pull up one loop of color, and then a loop with another color, and repeat.  I have the technique explained and demonstrated in my Introduction To Rug Hooking book, but you could also "google" it.  Make sure you search for "beading rug hooking stitch," otherwise you will get an entirely different subject!

To create the stubble hair, you would bead with a hair color and the background wool.  The larger the cut, the longer the stubble!

Another thing I love about this pattern are those tabs on the sides and the hit-or-miss circles on the stocking.  This is a great way to use up your noodle, bits and pieces, or worms.  You will also learn a little bit about color because you will soon see which colors work well and which colors fight each other.  It's a simple fix...if you don't like the way two colors are looking next to each other, just pull out the offending strip and try another.  I jokingly have called this "trail-and-error" instead of hit-or-miss.  But please don't obsess too much over the colors because it's supposed to look scrappy and random.  

Here is another sample of the rug, hooked by Rebecca Erb.

Isn't it fun to see everyone's interpretation and color plan?

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/the-stocking-was-hung-17-x-33/

Rug Of The Day - Holly & Ewe

Holly & Ewe

Designed and hooked by Kris Miller

I designed this pattern for a technique class many years ago.  I was teaching hooking with roving (the sheep), sculpting with wool strips (the holly berries), sculpting with roving (pom pom on Santa's hat), crochet edge finish (easy to do since the rug is oval and has no corners) and eyes (both Santa and sheep).  

Hooking eyes can be a scary thing to do when you are hooking faces. It can make or break the whole feeling of the design. The first time I hooked an eye, I thought that there must be some sort of process or maybe a particular order in which to hook.  Even though I consider myself a primitive/wide cut rug hooker, I wanted my eyes to look somewhat realistic.  So I came up with a plan that works for me every time.  Yes, it took some patience and practice, but I enjoy hooking faces now.   And my technique is suitable for animal eyes as well as people.

  I like to teach hooking eyes during my classes and I enjoy it even more when my students make a beautiful eye and they are excited about it.  Once I demonstrated hooking an eye on a student's pattern and I told her she had to hook the other one.  She nervously got to work and later the class decided that her eye was better than the one I hooked!  Perfect!  That made my heart sing! 

You can find the Holly & Ewe pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/holly-ewe-20o-x-27o-2/

If you want to learn my technique for hooking eyes, you can buy my booklet here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/little-book-eyes/

Not only does my booklet teach you how to create realistic, primitive eyes, it also teaches you how to do silly, googly quillie eyes (perfect for spooky creatures) and a simple technique for a no-fuss bird's eye.  There's lots of step-by-step pictures so it's easy to follow along.

Rug Of The Day - Tomte the Elf

Tomte the Elf

Designed and hooked by Kris Miller

A tomte (Swedish) or tonttu (Finnish) is a mythical elf.  He is small and usually wears a red hat and has a beard (sort of like a garden gnome).  He is the guardian of one's house, barn, and animals and he makes sure they are taken care of.  It is good luck to have a tomte but don't make him mad!  He has a temper and if he is crossed, he will seek revenge on you and your household!  Tomte are most commonly associated with Christmas time and the Winter Solstice.  If you leave your tomte a bowl of porridge with a pat of butter on top, he will bring you gifts.

I imagined my tonttu with skis so that he could get around faster in the snow to deliver his gifts.  He is wearing the traditional red hat but I also gave him matching mittens and striped socks.  

Notice that I used my favorite khaki plaid....not for the snow this time but for the sky.  I had not originally planned for the swirls in the sky but I realized that there was a lot of empty space up there so I drew in some swirls and gently echoed around them.  It was a last minute decision but it worked out to be a wonderful one!  It balanced out the quiet snow by giving some movement to the sky. 

Here is a tip for hooking the basket:  I chose a plaid with several colors running through it.  I hooked one row around the basket to create the outer edge and then I hooked vertical rows, from the top to the bottom.  

I have been taking Finnish language lessons on line for the past 4 weeks.  Believe me, Finnish is a very hard language to learn but I do practice every day. According to my app, I can say 224 words in Finnish.  Haha!  I speak like a toddler but I can tell you that I have a big white dog or that you have a small green car.  I can also order a coffee and a pulla bun too, handy for the next time I find myself at a cafe in Helsinki (pulla is sweet bread that is delicious with a cup of coffee.  You can eat it plain with butter but sometimes it is made into cinnamon buns or has a sweet cream cheese filling.  Yum!)

You can find the Tomte pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/tomte-the-elf-19-x-23-2/

Just a little under 5 months before Christmas arrives...time to start working on your Holiday rugs!!!

Rug Of The Day - Dashing

Dashing

Adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Hooked by Cindy Goolsby

Dashing is such a fun rug!  The donkey is a playful alternative for a sled-pulling animal and don't you love that old fashioned wagon???  The turquoise blue background works perfectly for this rug...not too dark and not too light...but it is a medium value so Cindy outlined the donkey so it would show up and pop out nicely against the blue.  The tree is simply marvelous hooked up in a light texture.  It reminds me of the old silver aluminum tree my aunt put up every Christmas when I was a kid.  I don't think a green tree would have been as noticeable or exceptional.  The red berries on the tree are like the icing on a cake.  If you notice, the red was used sparingly but in three different places, which forms a pleasing balance in the rug. 

Another beauty from Cindy and I thank her for sharing her talents with us.

Here is another charming example of Dashing, hooked by Julie Neumiller.  She altered the donkey a little to make it look more like a reindeer and personalized the word bubble with her family name.  Again, a medium value was used for the background so she hooked a halo around all the objects to make them stand out.  I particularly like the way she hooked a light wool inside the tree and wheels.  The tree looks luminous.  Again, the use of red makes your eye travel around the rug in a pleasing manner.

Great job, Julie!  *applause!*

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/dashing-34-25-x-20-5/