RUG HOOKING
in the Santa Clarita Valley
Tool Samples:
Here are a few samples of things that make a rug hooker's life a little easier.
Frames:
These are used to stretch and make taut the monks cloth or whatever foundation fabric you are using. There are many frame styles and finding the right one is important. The ones pictured are the types most in use today, however, some people still use an old fashioned frame where they can stretch their backing and hold it tightly in place by securing it with fabric tacks. I started with an embroidery hoop and later went to a floor frame similar to the one pictured in the center.
Hooks:
As you see in the hook pictures on the left, this important tool is used to bring the fabric strips up through the foundation to form a loop on the top. If you look at the background on this page, you will see that my foostool has many loops that make the pattern. This is traditional rug hooking. Finding the right hook for you will likely be a quest you will go on...as it has been for most of us. I have three favorites that I use all the time. The rest sit in my bag, but I am so attached to them I can't give them up :).
You'll note the different shapes. The one you select will depend on how you are most comfortable holding your hook...as a pencil or in the palm of your hand. Also, the metal shaft on these hooks (the actual hook part) can be small and delicate (used for fine hooking), or medium to thick (used for primitive hooking).
Cutters:
Cutters are used to slit fabric into strips, so they can be pulled up through the foundation to make the rug (see hook with fabric strip right). There are several varieties and each comes with different sized cutting blades, which are interchangeable. Strips also can be hand cut using scissors or a rotary cutter.
More
You can learn almost anything you need to about this craft from youtube.com and websites and tutorials offered by teachers all over the world.
For example, when I sewed together the three-dimensional pumpkin (pictured on the home page), I did not want any of the backing to show between panels. So, I went to youtube.com and searched for “ladder stitch.” There I found several videos on how to perform this stitch. I reviewed all of them until I was satisfied that I could do it. As you can see from my picture, there isn’t a peep of backing showing where I joined the panels.
Print Magazines:
Both of the following magazines are bimonthly. They contain stories and pictures featuring rug hookers and their work. It's a feather in one's cap to have something featured. There are many ads in the magazines, too, that will link you to the many rug hooking shops and teachers out there where you can learn and buy and find everything you need.
Rug Hooking Magazine, http://www.rughookingmagazine.com
ATHA Magazine, put out bi-monthly by the Association of Traditional Hooking Artists. There is no charge for the magazine, but you must join the Association and become a member to receive the publication, http://www.atharugs.com/.
Trust me, you will want to join, because from it you will learn almost everything you need to know about rug hooking, where chapters are located, what events are going on around the country (annual hook-ins, weekly chapter meetings, and much, much more).
Online Magazines:
http://rughookingdaily.ning.com/ (free membership) - an online community of rug hookers from all over the world! Daily discussions, post pics of your rugs, meet new friends, see what events are planned across the country, pose questions and get answers from other hookers who have had the same issue(s).
http://thewelcomemat.ning.com/ (paid membership) - same as foregoing, including how-to videos on dyeing wool, etc.
Online Resources:
www.pinterest.com - search rug hooking and see all kinds of beautiful work
www.eBay.com - search rug hooking for supplies and patterns
http://www.etsy.com/ - search rug hooking for supplies and patterns
www.youtube.com - search rug hooking and find tutorials on everything from beginner work to dyeing and designing.
More, More, More! This section will grow as we go:
www.easysewrugbackings.com, has great kits for pillows and tote bags that are ready to be hooked and easily put together by you! These make wonderful gifts.
http://geneshepherd.com/blog1/ is a free blog by Gene Shepherd. It not only gives valuable advice, but illustrates the camaraderie and humor within the rug hooking community. Gene also has a paid blog and a wonderful website that illustrates all of his beautiful hooking and dyeing, as well as the books he has written and the videos he has written, produced, and starred in (he's a bit of an overachiever, but we love him just the same). Gene also puts on the annual Cambria Pines Rug Camp, where participants can learn from some of the best teachers around. It is a blast, too!
