A fond farewell

This week I said goodbye to one of my hooked rugs, packing it up to go to Texas. A customer who loved it purchased it recently and so I took it out of storage and examined it in detail. I took the opportunity to take a few last photos of the piece, and thought that I would share them with you.

I hooked the rug Just Hookin in 2003 and my mindset was to create a pictorial that told a story like an old time rug. But this one was to speak to rug hookers. Notice the hook above the woman, and the fork and knife above the man, the symbolic tongues in the border, hen-pecking hen, a blue pet cat.

Above is the back of the rug showing my style of hooking rows more closely spaced. What keeps the rug from being overpacked is my distance between loops. Surprisingly, a friend once remarked that she liked the way the rug looked from the back as much as the front! Being self-taught this is how I have always hooked and it works for me.

Sometimes my creative works seem like old friends.

I love putting thought into every row of hooking, changing wools and blending them to make a more vibrant effect. Others may find this style challenging, but I find it exciting! This painterly approach is what makes hooking fun for me. Taking a close-up look like this really shows you what I am up to. And then when you step back, the colors blend in unique ways, making new colors.

Putting my work up for sale from time to time keeps things flowing, keeps me wanting to make more.

So here’s to new beginnings and new inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by ~ Karen

Of course the pattern Just Hookin is still available on Etsy,

To see it CLICK HERE.

More of my finished work is available in my Etsy shop and also at PrimitiveSpiritGoods.