I'll Show You Mine

 And hopefully you'll show me yours. 

I mean your first hooked rug. 

Here's mine. 

It's a Difranza pattern called Cat in the Garden. It's hooked in a 6 and that was considered a wide cut. Most everyone else in the class was working with 3's and 4's. It's  very simple and basic. The background is actually a very light buttery yellow. It was early 2000's and I took classes from Shirley Bloom in Shelby, Ohio. Shirley liked to teach fine cuts. She tolerated those of us who wanted primitive rugs. 

The cat is hooked with a piece of plaid separating out the lighter from the darker strips. And I remember her changing the border to be simpler than the original. The loops are very low. Boy do I hook very differently these days. 

It's not my favorite piece, but I treasure it as it's my first. Shirley was my first teacher and she was good to me. She asked me to help organize her patterns and wool. In exchange she gave me a Fraser cutter, patterns (on burlap), and wool. I so appreciated this as I was a single parent raising 4 kids. And I found out much later she "helped" several women get started. She was a kind soul. 

A couple of years later I was able to go to Barb Carroll 's for a three day retreat. And I fell even more in love with rug hooking. After hooking at Barb's I find I rarely use anything but a textured wool. 

Lately I haven't been hooking much. Or sewing. Summer was busy with gardening and yardwork. That's pretty much come to an end. Almost. There's still some clean up and leaves to deal with. 

I had a class with Kris Miller in September. She's fun. The class was on letters and eyes. Of which my rug had neither. But I listened and learned. 

I started this antique adaption of a purple bird. There was a pattern for sale on Etsy, but it was big. So I did my best and drew it up to be 14" square. I'm going to use it as a pillow. I've completed the hooking, and am in the process of sewing the back on. One side down, three to go. 

 

The back is a lovely gray and purple plaid. 

Last night was trick or treat. I walked with my two young grandchildren. It was Kip's first time, many costumes frightened him.  But he sure did like getting that candy. Kip just turned 2 and doesn't talk much. He knows simple sign language. I found it amazing that numerous people knew he was signing and signed back to him. 

After those few days back in the 70's, it is a chilly and cloudy day. Typical Ohio.