New Website Has Arrived!

The new Spruce Ridge Studios website went live yesterday afternoon and I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have this beautiful new look!

Here's some of the great features I like about the new website:

• Organized and easy to navigate.
• Pictures and pages load quickly.
• Convenient search option at the top of the page....type in the name of a pattern or product and find it fast.
• Create your own "wish list" for future reference.
• Shop day or night (in your PJ's) at your convenience with the new easy-to-use shopping cart.

I will be adding textured wool to the "Wool Fabric" page in the near future.  This is another new feature that I am really excited about offering.  Please also note that if you don't want to use the shopping cart, you are still able to download an order form and mail in your orders.

If you have trouble getting the new website to come up, please clear your cache, cookies, browser, or history.  I had to go through several of these steps before it came up for me.

I really can't say it enough....thank you so much for your patience and understanding during the time my website was under construction.  I know how inconvenient it was and I appreciate that you have hung in there. My webmaster, Nate, had a monumental job of rebuilding from the ground up and his hard work is very much appreciated!

Your comments are always appreciated too!  Enjoy the new Spruce Ridge Studios!
www.spruceridgestudios.com

Rug Of The Day - My House Sampler

My House Sampler - Hooked by Carolyn Snyder, Branson West, MO

Design by Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm - Adaption by 

Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2006

monks  = $69.00

linen = $85.00

dimensions :  41" x 32"

In early April, I had the pleasure to teach at the Eureka Springs Rug Camp. Vickie Hardcastle is the hostess for this camp and she works hard to make sure that everyone is happy...she served up some really yummy food and no one went away hungry!  There were quite a few spectacular wide cut/primitive rugs being hooked during the workshop.  Here is one by Carolyn Snyder.  She changed the wording from "My House" to "Stone County" to personalize her rug.  I love the white house and red bird and tulips up against her dark background.  The contrast is stunning.  Notice how the letters are hooked in just a little bit different wools to give variety and make them not so predictable.  This is an excellent example of a great primitive rug!

Here are just a few photos of Eureka Springs and the rugs being worked on at camp:

I love this unusual building in town.

My demonstration of how to hook a realistic primitive eye.....

Bunnie McGee was hooking October 31st, a Notforgotten Farm design

Ella Davison was hooking Bird of Paradise, a Spruce Ridge Original design,

Barb Schuessler was hooking my design, Have Ye Any Wool

Vicki Hardcastle was working on Trout, a Keith Kemmer design.

Nola was working on a Cactus Needle design called Peacock Plantation.  She really got a lot accomplished!

I will post more pictures of camp tomorrow.

There might be a major announcement this week-end!   *wink, wink*

Rug Of The Day - Love Grows In My Garden

Love Grows In My Garden-Hooked by Sandy Denarski

Design by Lori Brechlin/adapted by Spruce Ridge Studios (c)2009

monks:  $52.00

linen:  $66.00

Dimensions:  33" x 26"

Note:  the original pattern has the phrase "Love Grows In My Garden"

"Grandma's Garden" was customized for Sandy but can be added to your pattern if you ask for it.

Here is a wonderful spring/summer pattern for everyone who likes to garden or has memories of a favorite garden.  Sandy worked on this pattern last August in my class at the Hunterton County Rug Artists Guild Rug Camp.  We customized her pattern to say Grandma's Garden, in memory of her own grandmother.  Sandy added a couple of rows of the beading stitch at the bottom of the apron.  It gives a little added interest and breaks up that vast area of white.  It reminds me of an embroidered trim and it really added to the look of the whole design.  I love the colors that Sandy chose; mostly neutrals with just the right pop of color.  Also, there's wonderful movement in the background at the top.  Great job, Sandy!

Just an update on my website:  

It's almost here!  I have seen the test pages and I am so excited about the new look and feel of my website.  The shopping cart is easy to use and very convenient.  There is a search option so if you are not sure where to find a pattern or product, you can type in the name in the box and search for it.  

There were a few little tweaks needed and a few price corrections, but once those are completed, it should be good to launch!

I appreciate your patience and understanding.  It has been a long wait (just a little longer than I thought) but I am hoping that you will think it is worth the wait!  Stay tuned!

Rug Of The Day - Sunflower Witch

Sunflower Witch - hooked by Pat Cross

Design by Lori Brechlin/Adapted by Spruce Ridge Studios (c)2009

Monks:  $42.00

Linen:  $52.00

Dimensions:  21" x 26"

Here is another great rug from Pat Cross.  She calls this witch Agatha.  Just like yesterday's rug, she used a dark background and kept the rest of the colors brighter so they stand out.  The perfect choice for Agatha's dress is purple with a coordinating hat.  I think green is also the perfect choice for Agatha's skin tone!  The pattern has a skeleton key drawn around the witch's neck, which can be hooked, but attaching a real key adds an extra touch of whimsy to this rug.

Here is another version of Sunflower Witch, hooked by Dawn Walczak.  She used a lighter lavender background and dressed her witch in darker colors.  The original pattern has little pumpkin faces drawn in the center of the sunflowers, which is a clever twist to a plain sunflower.  

One design, two rugs, two variations....both delightful!

Rug Of The Day - A Witch's Walk

A Witch's Walk - Hooked by Pat Cross

Adapted from Lori Brechlin folk art by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2012

Monks:  $50.00

Linen:  $66.00

Dimensions:  24" x 32"

I am a big fan of anything that Pat Cross hooks and this rug is no exception.  Because of the dark sky, Pat had to keep everything else lighter so it would show up against the background.  The Witch's green and purple dress are perfect!  I love that the Witch has gray hair (don't we all?) Notice the wonky white houses with the purple doors and the orange roof tops, with the lazy orange moon just hanging in the sky.

There are small stars within circles drawn in the sky on the original pattern  but Pat chose to hook colorful orbs instead.  They add mystery to the night sky and carry the color around the rug.

Rug Of The Day - American Sheep

 American Sheep - Hooked by Jan Hammond

Pattern adapted from Lori Brechlin Folk Art by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2008

monks:  $52.00

linen:  $66.00

dimensions:  32.5" x 26"

This is a wonderful Americana design that covers everything a rug hooker loves....red, white and blue....a wooly sheep....flags....flowers.  I especially love the bunting blanket on the sheep.  The stars on the bunting are kind of small, so Jan sewed on star buttons, which worked perfectly.  You could also hook those small stars with my star technique using a #9 cut strip.  If you ever take a class from me, ask me to show you how!  It's fun and simple to do.

Here is another American Sheep hooked by Kathleen Keithley.  

I love to see the variety of how one pattern can be hooked in so many different ways!

I was at the Rock Creek Hook-In in Lenexa, Kansas last week-end and Pam Mayfield hooked this version of American Sheep.  It was part of the lovely rug show that was set up at one end of the gymnasium.  The gray sheep and yellowish background are fabulous!

I will be on the road quite a bit over the next month or so.  I might not be able to post a rug every day but I will certainly keep posting.  I have heard so many kind comments about how you are all enjoying Rug Of The Day and I thank you for your support!

Rug Of The Day - Emma's Garden

Emma's Garden - Designed and hooked by Kris Miller (c)2008

monks:  $40.00

linen:  $50.00

dimensions:  22" x 25.25"

I designed this pattern for a technique class.  The students learned proddy, beading, hooking with paisley, and hooking with roving and sheep curls.  I named this pattern after my Wensleydale sheep, Emma.  I added a whimsical bird because Emma likes to chase birds when they land in her pen.  Emma is not afraid of many things; I have even seen her approach the fence line as Jamie Fox was trotting along in the grass on the other side.

I used some of Emma's curls from her first shearing for the accent area along the face.  I hooked her ear three-dimensionally, using a proddy strip and sewing the two pieces together.  

Here is the real Emma.

And here is Emma's Garden, hooked by Linda Brown.

If you are interested in hooking with roving and sheep curls, click on the tab at the top of the page and you will find a tutorial on how to do this.

Rug Of The Day - Trout

Trout - hooked by Kris Miller

Pattern designed by (c) Keith Kemmer

monks:  $70.00

linen:  $86.00

dimensions:  54" x 20"

I hooked this rug for my husband back in 2001.  He told me that this was a brown trout and gave me some visuals to help with the colors.  This was one of my first attempts at trying to dye wool to match a picture.  I was still very much a newbie and it took many pots of yellow dye to finally get the yellow values that satisfied me.  I used #4-#6 cuts for the entire rug.  If I were to hook this now, I would definitely use much wider cuts for the water since there is a lot of area to cover!  There are a lot of little circles on this fish...I was certainly glad to get all of them hooked so I could move on to filling in the rest of the body.

I was in Baton Rouge last week, teaching at the Red Stick Rug Camp.  The weather was a balmy 72 degrees for most of the week and I enjoyed the sun and seeing the flowers blooming.  My class was so much fun!  Everyone worked very hard and got a lot of hooking done.  Kelly was one of my students and she decided to hook the Trout pattern.  She chose some very non-traditional colors for her fish, which I told her were completely "out of my box" but we were going to make it work.  Kelly is an artist and a lovely hooker so her fish was looking outstanding on the last day of class.  She sent me an email last night with her progress.  I think it is wonderful and I might add that she works quite fast!

Rug Of The Day - Lady Liberty

Lady Liberty - hooked by Kris Miller

Adapted from the folk art of Lori Brechlin by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2006

Monks:  $50.00

Linen:  $ 64.00

Dimensions:  26" x 30.5"

I have always loved Lady Liberty.  I think she is the ultimate symbol in really great patriotic folk art.  I love her blowing, billowy skirt and her tiny little feet.  Her eye is just a tad too big for her head, but I wouldn't change a thing about it.  I tell people that Miss Liberty is "all-knowing" and that is why she needs a big eye. (LOL)

I love the flag blowing on that skinny flag pole with that funny little spear shape at the top.  And the spindly flower stems with the patriotic blossoms just sort of waving in the breeze.  

I hooked the letters and numbers in a medium brown textured wool.  Using a darker color would have made them too noticeable and would have detracted from the overall flow of the design.   

Rug Of The Day - Lucky Stars Chair Pad

Lucky Stars Chair Pad

14" diameter

Designed and hooked by Kris Miller

Lucky Stars Chair Pad is a project/free pattern found in my book Introduction To Rug Hooking.  Each project teaches a different lesson or technique that is useful to both beginners and experienced rug hookers. This particular lesson teaches about hooking nice crisp star points.  You can also use this technique in other objects that have a sharp angle (bird beaks, leaf tips, pointed animal ears, etc).  Besides the tutorial for the chair pad, there are step-by-step instructions for binding/whipping the edges with yarn.  

I have some peeled pine rustic chairs in my studio class room area and I put this charming chair pad on one of the seats.  It's a great primitive look and really dresses up the chair.  You could choose a different color plan for your chair pad.  I think a patriotic theme of red, white, and blue would be fabulous!

Rug Of The Day - Sail, Sail Away

Sail, Sail Away - Hooked by Kris Miller

Designed by Nancee Ariagno/The Cooperage

Available through Spruce Ridge Studios

Monks:  $30.00

Linen:  $  36.00

Dimensions:  16" x 16"

I hooked this sweet little mat as a gift for a friend of mine who has done so much for me over the past few years.  I thought it would be right at home in her summer home on a lake.  The red and inky blue show up a little dark in the photo, but they are great patriotic colors that I use a lot in my rugs.  

 Wide cuts are suitable for this pattern and it's not a complicated color plan.  It hooks up quickly and it's the perfect size for a pillow too.

Rug Of The Day-Oak and Acorns

Oak & Acorns - Hooked by Karen Buchheit

Design (c) Cindi Gay, available through Spruce Ridge Studios

Monks:  $68.00

Linen:  $85.00

Dimensions:  44.5" x 25"

I have always been crazy about anything that has an oak leaf and acorn on it so I am particularly drawn to this pattern of Cindi Gay's.  I took this picture last September at the Rugs By The Sea camp in Cape May.  On Wednesday of rug camp week, the hotel pushes the furniture aside and allows the rug hookers to take over the whole front lobby with their rug show.  There are always many beautiful rugs all laid out on the old wooden floors, but it seems like this past year, there were an abundance  to "ooh and aah" over.  

I have a lengthy bucket list of rugs I want to hook, but this is close to the top of my list.  I love the simplicity of the design.  It can be hooked in many color combinations...the choices are endless!  And this pattern is large enough to be done in a wide cut, #8.5 or #9 for most of the rug, and perfect for those yummy textures you have been saving for something special.  I think I might add some antique paisley to my rug for the oak leaf veins.

I loved my Cape May class last year.  They all worked very hard and I think all their rugs were delightful!

Rug Of The Day - Antique Hearts

Antique Hearts - hooked by Kris Miller

Adapted from an antique rug design by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2011

monks:  $40.00

linen:  $50.00

dimensions:  24" x 24"

My rug was hooked with all #8.5 cut wool.  I tried to stay as true to the colors of the original rug as possible, but I also added a few strips of old paisley here and there.  I like the way the paisley blends right in and becomes a subtle part of the color plan.

I finished my edge with a single crochet stitch.  I used the same wool that was hooked around the outside border, cut into #8 strips.  I used Reversible Black Stripe (a favorite wool texture amongst many of us rug hookers!) and I didn't care which side of  the wool strip came up as I did my crochet.  Therefore, sometimes the edge looked black and sometimes it looked gray, giving it an old and faded feel. 

Rug Of The Day - Mr. MacGregor

Mr. MacGregor - hooked by Kris Miller

Pattern adapted from Lori Brechlin Folk Art by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2006

monks:  $36.00

linen:  $46.00

dimensions:  20" x 22"

Mr. MacGregor is such a dapper gent and a good companion rug to Ah Tis Spring.  I hooked him from the same Harris Tweet as Miss Bunny.  I wish I still had more of that lovely tweed!  I used a soft turquoise and purple plaid for the background. Hooking purple flowers was the perfect choice to make everything work together.  

I learned a lot about hit and miss when I hooked the tabs on the sides.  I learned about values and which colors stand out and which ones tend to fade into the background.  I discovered that many times, putting complementary colors together was the answer.  For instance, hooking a strip of blue next to a row of orange helped each color keep their identity. Using lots of textured wool adds interest to the tabs as well.

Here is another version of Mr. MacGregor, hooked by Deb Wilson.

Rug Of The Day - Ah Tis Spring

Ah Tis Spring - Hooked by Kris Miller

Pattern adapted from Lori Brechlin Folk Art by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2010

Monks:  $40.00

Linen:  $51.00

Dimensions:  19" x 26"

This sweet little Miss Rabbit was such a joy to hook!  I had a small piece of Harris tweed that I used to hook her face and hands.  It was the perfect "rabbit" color.  Since her dress is such a large part of the design, I decided to break up some of that space with some quillie buttons.  A great waffle-like textured wool was perfect for her basket.  I drew some swirls and squiggles into the background to give a little more energy to the background....I figured that rabbits are probably pretty giddy when spring finally arrives!

Here are a few more hooked samples of this happy pattern:

Hooked by Pam Cannon

Hooked by Sue Dollhopt

I think it's interesting to see both hooked differently...a light and a dark background....and they are both equally delightful!

Rug Of The Day - Vagabond Rabbit

Vagabond Rabbit - Hooked by Kris Miller

Pattern (c) 2006 Kris Miller/Spruce Ridge Studios

Monks:  $30.00

Linen:  $40.00

Dimensions:  13" x 20"

This rug appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of Rug Hooking Magazine as a free pattern insert.  I have seen many hooked versions of this design and they are all delightful!  It amazes me to see the different techniques and variety in everyone's interpretation.

I hooked my mat with all "as-is" textured wool.  Some people ask me what "as-is" means...it is simply wool that has come off the bolt and has not had its color altered in any way.  There was no dyed woolens used in this mat.  Since Rebecca Erb and I collaborated on the article for RHM, she supplied the wool for this mat.

After I hooked my Vagabond Rabbit, I found an adorable rabbit Christmas ornament and also a redware plate with a rabbit on it so I felt like 2006 was the year of the rabbit!

Rug Of The Day - Federal Pineapple

Federal Pineapple - Hooked by Carol Trumbull

Pattern (c) Keith Kemmer for Spruce Ridge Studios

Small:  27.5" x 37.75"

monks:  $56.00   linen:  $72.00

Large:  34.5" x 47.75"

monks:  $82.00    linen:  $102.00

This stunning rug was hooked by Carol Trumbull who was a student in my class at the Holland Rug Camp in 2014.  It was a gift to her son and daughter-in-law for their new home.  Her colors are soft and inviting.  She used just enough red to give everything a "pop" and the antique black background is perfect to show off the golds and greens.  Beautiful!

Rug Of The Day - Have Ye Any Wool

Have Ye Any Wool-hooked by Kris Miller

(c) 2009 Kris Miller/Spruce Ridge Studios

monks:  $42.00    linen:  $53.00

dimensions:  25.25" x 27"

I hooked this rug and taught this pattern at a workshop where the participants learned several fun techniques.  We made quillie circles, hooked with roving, created a fun bird's eye, talked about hooking letters, and did a little hit and miss in the top corners.

This rug is really near and dear to my heart because my real wooly animals served as models.  My Wensleydale sheep, Emma, was the inspiration for the sheep...she really does pose like a "show sheep" sometimes.  The roving used to hook the sheep was from a dearly beloved pet sheep who died about 7 or 8 years ago.  I couldn't think of a better way to memorialize him than to put his fleece into a rug. I don't have any orange goats but my angora goat, Zack, was the inspiration for the middle critter.  And I don't have any chickens (remember-Jamie Fox lives here!) but I thought that rooster looked very regal perched up on the top. 

Rug Of The Day - Majestic

Majestic - hooked by Gail Soltar

Pattern design adapted from the artwork of PJ Rankin-Hults by Spruce Ridge Studios (c) 2005

Monks:  $45.00

Linen:  $58.00

dimensions:  30.5" x 24.5"

This bird really is majestic, isn't it?  I love the soft colors that Gail hooked into her rug as well as the gentle variation of shading in the breast feathers.  All the colors were pulled into the side tabs which helps move your eye around the rug. Notice that the outside of the tabs are all hooked in the gray/blue values but the colors vary inside the tabs.  They still look similar without being exactly the same.  The red tulips mimic the colors in an old fraktur.  

Here is another version of Majestic, hooked by Rhonda Thistlethwaite.  I worked with her on this pattern several years ago at the Holland Rug Camp.  We changed the shape of the bird's head just a little bit and eliminated the breast feathers.  It looks more gentle and more like a dove to me.  We added smaller tabs that went all the way around the rug. Rhonda brought the red color of the tulips out to the border.  The gold background is fabulous with the blue gray color of the bird.

Rug Of The Day - Holly & Ewe

Holly & Ewe - hooked by Kris Miller

Pattern (c) 2010 Kris Miller/Spruce Ridge Studios

Monks:  $40.00  

Linen:  $50.00

Dimensions:  20" x 27"

To continue on the theme of Santa, here is another favorite Santa rug that I have hooked.  I designed this for a workshop a few years ago and it had several different techniques for the participants to try.  They learned how to hook the eyes on Santa and the sheep - I call them "realistic primitive eyes."  Also hooking with roving (the sheep), Waldoboro style sculpting with wool strips (the holly berries), sculpting roving (pom-pom on Santa's hat) and crochet edge finish with wool strips.  It was fun to see how everyone hooked variations in their Santa project.  

Judy was one of the participants and hooked this stunning white Santa, using sheep curls for the beard.  It was a challenge to color plan and hook this rug in all pale neutrals but Judy did a great job.