Oval Squirrel

Maybe I AM still feeling a bit squirrelly! But I am in good company! (To follow, is a showcase of Oval Squirrel, hooked by three talented rug hookers.)

I hooked my Oval Squirrel mat two years ago. I had designed All Seasons Squirrel, the larger rug, but had not hooked it yet. I needed a small gift, so I used some of the elements from the larger design to make this one.

Oval Squirrel is approx 9" x 11" and now available as an instant download PDF pattern in my ETSY shop. I also provide a 6" version of this pattern for punch needle work. When you use a paper pattern, you get to be the co-designer, and choose to use elements as originally designed, or change elements to fit your needs.

This photo shows Oval Squirrel hooked by Patty Rogers.

Patty hooked this mat for her sweet niece, whose nickname is Squirrel. The muted gray, green, and soft blues in the main background work well as compliment colors, to make those orangey-red flowers pop! All the elements in the motif shapes show up nice and crisp because she has used the lighter value background within those shapes, rather than the medium value like I did. Binding with red wool strips completes the magic!

Marie Beers, had a clever idea to make the pattern into a circular chair pad.

When Marie traced the design elements onto linen, she made the oval, a circle, and spread the little mosaic shapes out so that they worked well within that round format. Using textured wool for a background is a great way to make all the elements of the design pull together, and here is why. The textured background that she used, when the light hits it, looks green with lighter flecks of blues or gold which helps pull all the other colors together. Those other colors that she used to outline the mosaics, the hooked line that encircles the mat, or the lighter values of the mosaic shape background all make a unified statement with the help of that textured background. Notice the crocheted edging also picks up the green and light blue colors used throughout the rug. By crocheting a border, she is a girl after my own heart! It looks great and will be very durable as a chair seat edge. A funny aside, her husband does NOT like squirrels, they cause havoc in his yard, so it will be his chair pad!

Maureen Lowrey hooked her Oval Squirrel mat in 8, 7, and 6 cut strips with her beautiful trademark primitive colors!

Maureen had recently moved from the country to the city, and wanted to celebrate the red squirrels that were busy in her yard. (Her squirrels are so bold that they even climbed up onto her front door to help themselves to the fake berries on a seasonal wreath.) Her use of twine and acorn that hang on the mat complete the primitive ambience emulating from this happy squirrel!

Thank you ladies for sharing your beautiful, unique and fun mats! As you can see, squirrels are not just for fall! Please consider joining us in the movement to have squirrels as part of your year round decor. This little mat hooked with other shades of squirrel colors such as, white, gray, or black would be cute. There are over 200 species of squirrels, so you have lots of color choices!

Here is the quick link to my ETSY shop.

Happy Hooking!

 

All Seasons Squirrel

I designed All Seasons Squirrel a couple of years ago, and finally started hooking on it this past summer. I didn't realize it would take me almost ALL of the Seasons to finish, once I started hooking!

The inspiration for the design came about as I was wondering why folks seem to decorate all sorts of squirrel related decor in the autumn, but not other times of the year. I can tell you one thing for sure, I have squirrels busy in my yard all seasons, not just one.

Yes, yes, in the fall they are especially busy hiding acorns. But they are also visiting my garden daily throughout the year. During winter, they seem even more adept at finding ways to raid the bird feeders. I have watched them straddle rose bushes to pick rose hips to nibble on. I gotta admit they look cute when they do that. In the spring, I have caught them picking the buds on my beloved magnolia tree and taking bites out of them. In the summer months, they are busy eating fruit or helping themselves to yet unripe filberts.

Color planning for this rug was easy, or so I thought!

I knew I wanted the squirrels to be a gray tone. I had just figured out a dye formula that had a gray-green cast to it. I liked how soft the color was, and what a chameleon it could be. If placed with taupe or light brown it looked gray, if used next to greens it looked greenish.

I wanted the background light in value, with different directional hooking techniques, and just a hint of medium value strips here and there to suggest movement, but not to overtake the background.

The mosaic pathway that flows across the rug represents all of the squirrel's different food choices in my garden and the many colors of the seasons. I knew that the background inside the little mosaic-like shapes that run across the pattern, would need to be a medium value. (It was important to make the background within the mosaics a different value, than the main background, because otherwise, your eyes could get confused about where to focus.) I know medium backgrounds can make it more challenging to figure out how to make the motifs show up. I was fine with the idea of using a pop-out line, around those motifs to make them stand out.

I am so pleased to finally have this finished mat on my dining room table rather than on my hooking frame. Real life squirrels are such characters, and this rug catches their fun-loving spirit perfectly! I smile every time I look at it.

All Seasons Squirrel and other hooking related items can be found on my ETSY.

Happy Hooking!

 

My First Hooked Rugs

My first hooked rug was this fine-cut pansy chair seat/table mat.

I got the kit, hook, a frame and Rigby double-bladed cutter all for under $25. My brain cannot be remembering that correctly! Maybe I got the used cutter later. It WAS over thirty-five years ago!

All of us have a history, a creative journey, of how we got from point A to point B within our craft. I believe our journey is always evolving. What we choose to hook is shaped by so many varying aspects in our life. There are ever-changing color plans we want to explore or are drawn to use. The circumstances in our lives that we are experiencing influence our work. We may want to commemorate a joyous time, such as an arrival of a new baby or wedding. Perhaps it's a time of struggle when we need our craft to ground us, as we create a piece that reminds us of beauty and hope. There may be a long list of rugs on our hooking "bucket list", or workshops that we want to attend with rugs patterns that are the instructor's specialty.

Those many years ago when I first began my journey, I adored the pansy motifs in the kit, but learned early on that I am NOT a fine-cut rug hooker. I appreciate the look of these rugs and the skill it takes to make them, but creating them did not play to my strengths. However, working with colorful wool and the "simple" act of pulling loops through a backing to create a useful, lovely rug was something that I wanted to continue to explore.

Almost all the rug hookers that I knew at that time were doing fine-cut rugs. I had worked in an antique store and admired the antique wide-cut rugs that were for sale there. My next rug that I hooked was a primitive-style rug called Cape May Primitive by Joan Moshimer. At the time, a five-cut was considered wide (the size 8, 1/4" cutter blade would come shortly thereafter)!

I was hooked! Somehow the relationship between the design elements and making color choices that had nothing to do with realism to create a charming rug, spoke to me.

It is fascinating to look back on our creative journey. To wonder about how we got from there to now. I was lucky enough to hook with some talented rug hookers, designers and color artist's that influenced my work.

As artists, we must pay close attention to what we LOVE to do. That is how we stay true to ourselves and create our best work. Is it a fine-cut or wide-cut rug that makes us happy? Do we prefer working with muted, soft-colors or vivid, saturated colors. Do we like to design our own rugs, use commercial patterns, or reproduce antique designs? So many more questions you can ask yourself, because, you are the only one with the answers.

Whatever, and where ever you are in your creative journey is perfect for you! Listen to that inner voice that drives you to create. Listen to what YOU want to do. Try not to compare yourself with others, they have their own path and you have yours.

Keep exploring and experimenting with what makes your heart sing!

 

Garden Inspired Dye Day

In the Pacific Northwest, we seem to be having an early spring. I am inspired by all the colors that are blooming in my garden and neighborhood.

So, of course, this inspiration has to some how translate into my rug hooking.

This week I have been dyeing wool and not getting much rug hooking done. I dye batches of wool with amounts ranging anywhere from 1/8 yard, which is my test batch, to one yard batches. Within the next couple of weeks, I hope to have plenty of wool to offer at a vending event, or in my ETSY shop.

It is a fun experience to dye wool. I find it exciting to create new formulas or tweak old ones. Yet, I will have to admit, it takes a lot of dedication to persist dyeing batch after batch of wool. I have developed a systematic approach, yet, sometimes it seems like I am juggling a lot of balls all at the same time. From choosing which wool solids or textures to dye, to then soaking wool, to figuring out how much of which dyes to use. Sometimes I repeat this process six times in one day. Tonight, my back is telling me that I have been doing a lot of standing over the dye pots this week. My dining room table is covered with wool batches and recipe cards that need to get organized and updated. Even with all these steps involved, it is very gratifying to be surrounded by lovely wool.

Next week, my goal is to focus on dyeing some lighter neutrals, but for now, all the colors of the garden inspired the day!

 

Listen to Your Heart

I know, I know, Valentine's Day was LAST weekend. Some folks might think it is time to put away the hearts and gear up for the next holiday. However, I like to have hooked rugs and mats with uplifting words or symbols decorating my house throughout the year.

There are many examples in books and on the internet of antique hooked rugs made with heart motifs. I like to look at these old rugs, as well as, needlework, quilts, woodwork, and nature for inspiration on ways to express love by using heart shapes in different ways.

I love all the symbolism my simple mat, Listen to Your Heart, has hooked into it! Of course, the most obvious are the hearts! Four hearts in all with the biggest heart echoing out to the border. It is suppose to symbolize that love isn't contained, that love radiates out beyond our edges, if we let it.

The words and little heart, LISTEN TO YOUR ❤️, are clearly spelled out, so that every time you glance at the mat, you will READ that subliminal message, even if you aren't aware of it.

The heart in hand symbol, is an old Shaker symbol meaning charity given from the heart. My use of the hand, is meant to symbolize your hand cupped to your heart, to amplify "your voice" pounding forth from it, just like you would cup your hand to your ear to hear something more clearly.

All those little red dots that outline the two main hearts represent roses. I adore a red rose that grows in our front yard. Really though, their placement was practical because I wanted to spread more red around the pattern.

I hooked this mat using again, my already cut wool strips from my previous big rug that I finished in early January. I cannot believe, I am going to say this, however, I am getting tired of green! Well, maybe I will take a step away from green for one or two of my next rugs..no promises!

The background four corner areas were hooked in similar value hit-or-miss directional hooking. For binding the edges, I used off-the-bolt yardage of three different textures. I really should try some other finishing techniques, but crocheting the edge goes so fast, and I still like the way it looks to complete a rug.

Listen to Your Heart measures 14"x17". It is available in my ETSY shop as a PDF instant downloadable file.

I have my two most recent designs hung next to my front door, to serve as a reminder when I leave and when I return to strive to have a heart-focused day!

 

Follow Your Heart

This week commemorates my one year of blogging! My very first post was about hooking hearts, and so it is fitting that this one year anniversary post is too. Thank you to all of you that follow me, and those who check out my musings now and again! I love the idea that I join you for your morning cup of tea, coffee or commute each week! I am truly grateful for all of you!

This design, Follow Your Heart, 14" x 17", is one of the panel ideas for a larger rug design, that I have mentioned before, called "Matters of the Heart". In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be exploring some of those designs and make them available in my ETSY shop as I contemplate whether I want to follow through with getting the large rug design from paper to linen. It is such a big job! I am catching my breath before I commit. The goal is to use my already cut wool strips for this big project!

I am happy to say that I DID USE ALREADY CUT WOOL STRIPS, for at least 75% of this little mat. I am feeling so virtuous! In fact, these wools were ones that I cut for the Dove In Flight rug (see post from last week of January 2016). I am thinking that after every big rug I hook, I should challenge myself to design some smaller rugs to use up cut wool. Why haven't I thought of this idea before?! Time will tell if this really happens, but I can dream right?!

Colors used in the big heart are greens, grays and tans to complement the cool pinks used for the heart that surrounds the dove. Dirty whites are used for the dove and the "messy" hit and miss background surrounding the big heart. In that background, use a variety of gray green, taupe, whites, pinks, (cool and warm) with some reds and rusts thrown in, here and there! Yay for using already cut wool strips!

I realize that Valentine's Day is almost upon us. So why am I just now showing up with a heart focused rug? Hearts have been used throughout the ages in textiles, architecture, ceramics, paintings, poetry and songs to express our appreciation for nature, love and beauty. I think we need more than just one day out of the year dedicated to LOVE! I am voting through creating my hooked heart pieces, that we have a week, a month, a year, celebrating LOVE, not just one day! Goodness, we could all use a little more love in our life, right!?

The little heart-like weather vane with the dove within, is meant to remind you, that no matter how the winds of life blow you about, remember to FOLLOW YOUR HEART! Fly straight as an arrow!

I'm excited to announce that my design, Follow Your Heart, is available as an instant downloadable PDF in my ETSY shop! You do not have to wait for the mail carrier, you can start hooking to your heart's content today!

Cast your vote for LOVE!

 

Guest Hooking Artist: Patty Rogers

From a rug hooker and designer's perspective, it is always an honor when another hooking artist, likes your patterns enough to hook multiple designs of yours. What is even better, is when you get to actually see these rugs.

I recently had the opportunity to view my rugs being used and displayed in Patty Rogers home. They look beautiful! Patty often uses a more saturated color palette than I do. Which totally works with her home decor and color scheme! It is so much fun and educational for me to see my rugs interpreted in different ways!

This is a quilt-like inspired rug Stars & Squares.

I really like the little details of how she used a lighter value to age the pinks near the star.

Notice how she uses reds, browns and rosy pinks to blend the background colors to make it more interesting.

Patty did a lovely job of hooking a few of my salmon motif rugs. She really nailed the technique to make the background look like rippling waves in Salmon & Wild Roses.

Below, in The Valley, is a close-up of the pictorial middle section of the rug, and a section of the border. Unfortunately, I could not get my camera to cooperate to show the high contrast between the motifs and outer border background.

Finally, these two sweet mats, the Lullaby Bunny is cleverly made into a pillow. The Garden HIdeaway is a table mat used in her hooking room.

Patty has been hooking for many years and has so many varied and interesting rugs in her home. She used her rugs on the walls, as table mats, as bathroom mats, in the kitchen, as pillows on the bed or couch! Her hooking pieces are as small as mug coasters, to a huge 4' x 6' rug in her entryway! Maybe the next time I visit I can show off all of these!

Thank you Patty for letting me admire all of your amazing rugs in your home, and for letting me showcase my designs hooked so beautifully by you!

Please visit my ETSY shop to see many of my pattern, designs, and hand-dyed wool.

*Yin & Yang Salmon opening photo