Dearly Beloved
Dearly Beloved Black and White
AFTER Knowledge in Value use kicked in
Town Hooker
Town Hooker in Black and white looses none of it's impact in depth or clarity !
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Picture is worth a thousand words
Before Heart Knowledge and ACTION ( versus head ) of use of Values
Dearly Beloved
Dearly Beloved Black and White
AFTER Knowledge in Value use kicked in
Town Hooker
Town Hooker in Black and white looses none of it's impact in depth or clarity !
Dearly Beloved
Dearly Beloved Black and White
AFTER Knowledge in Value use kicked in
Town Hooker
Town Hooker in Black and white looses none of it's impact in depth or clarity !
How to read your colour value comfort zone
Every one who uses colour belongs to a certain group.
The Sisters of the Light
The Ladies of Dawn and Dusk aka The Fence Sitters
The Daughters of Darkness
Use a digital camera set to take photos in black and white.
Take photos of your rugs in black and white.
Look at the values that show up.
Use this scale to judge where your rugs sit.
If your rugs are mostly on the top range of the scale you are a Sister of the Light.
If you are mostly using middle range values you are a Dusk and Dawn - Fence sitter.
If you have mostly the lower end of the scale you are a Daughter of Darkness.
Now take another careful look at your black and white rug.
Can you see all your motifs ?
I bet the answer is no. It's that way with most of us.
Because of our friendly, comfortable and supportive value group we don't use the full range of values. This means mean very dark and very light ( used in comparison) in the same rug.
This creates a rug of low contrast, poor definition and low interest for the viewer.
You will notice my demarcations on the diagram only run the range of about 5 values. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.
Learn who you are, fight your inclinations, make rugs of distinction.
The Sisters of the Light
The Ladies of Dawn and Dusk aka The Fence Sitters
The Daughters of Darkness
Use a digital camera set to take photos in black and white.
Take photos of your rugs in black and white.
Look at the values that show up.
Use this scale to judge where your rugs sit.
If your rugs are mostly on the top range of the scale you are a Sister of the Light.
If you are mostly using middle range values you are a Dusk and Dawn - Fence sitter.
If you have mostly the lower end of the scale you are a Daughter of Darkness.
Now take another careful look at your black and white rug.
Can you see all your motifs ?
I bet the answer is no. It's that way with most of us.
Because of our friendly, comfortable and supportive value group we don't use the full range of values. This means mean very dark and very light ( used in comparison) in the same rug.
This creates a rug of low contrast, poor definition and low interest for the viewer.
You will notice my demarcations on the diagram only run the range of about 5 values. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.
Learn who you are, fight your inclinations, make rugs of distinction.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Look - how rich is this ?
Take a good look at this painting.
I want you to look for repeated shapes. One shapes plays an important role here, which is it ? Which is the secondary one?
Look for a repeated colour, orange.
Look everywhere, look carefully.
Look how cleverly orange's counterpoint is used.
What about dark darks ?
How about the light ?
Is that a mirror or a window..... does it matter ?
Look at the lines..... how are they framing ? How are they informing us where to look?
If we were to recreate this would our rug hooking lessons tell us this would be too "busy" to hook ?
Let us make space ( depth ) in our rugs with the skillful tools used here.
Let's not be too hasty to edit and more invested in blending an array of principles and elements of design to create what ever we want, depth , light, interest , emotion, mystery
Why we need dark, really dark
A week or so ago I posted an impromptu project of a copper hydrangea head.
So this wouldn't end up in the pile of great undones I worked here and there on finishing it.
I added two leaves and planned to use a dark background.
The leaves were hooked deliberately flat, meaning I only used one colour of wool for each leaf.
They did not look good.
They sat there sad and plain and almost ugly.
They also didn't do a thing for the florets.
But I hung in there, didn't rip them out.
I added my very dark background the other night.
Suddenly my flower bits looked hideous too.
Did I rip them out ?
OH NO my friend I stopped and looked and thought, this project is not sticking to it's theme of having a dark ground.
Wouldn't that dark be peeking through the little parts of the flower head ?
I hadn't made the dark bits around the petals dark enough.
I replaced some here and there and wow , what a difference it made to the piece.
It magically worked !
Without ripping out more than 10 strips.
It's the dark my friends.... or it might be the light or more importantly it is the careful noticing of colour impact on the whole idea.
You can't play enough with colour.
Here is what it looked like before
And after
Don't worry about that strange dark piece right in the middle of a violet flower, it is a bit of wool on the rug , not in it.
I think I could add a few more dark spots over in the corner.
So this wouldn't end up in the pile of great undones I worked here and there on finishing it.
I added two leaves and planned to use a dark background.
The leaves were hooked deliberately flat, meaning I only used one colour of wool for each leaf.
They did not look good.
They sat there sad and plain and almost ugly.
They also didn't do a thing for the florets.
But I hung in there, didn't rip them out.
I added my very dark background the other night.
Suddenly my flower bits looked hideous too.
Did I rip them out ?
OH NO my friend I stopped and looked and thought, this project is not sticking to it's theme of having a dark ground.
Wouldn't that dark be peeking through the little parts of the flower head ?
I hadn't made the dark bits around the petals dark enough.
I replaced some here and there and wow , what a difference it made to the piece.
It magically worked !
Without ripping out more than 10 strips.
It's the dark my friends.... or it might be the light or more importantly it is the careful noticing of colour impact on the whole idea.
You can't play enough with colour.
Here is what it looked like before
And after
Don't worry about that strange dark piece right in the middle of a violet flower, it is a bit of wool on the rug , not in it.
I think I could add a few more dark spots over in the corner.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Whole Idea
I am in the tail end of 24 hours spent completely alone except for my siamese girls and some serious snowfall.
Very nice.
Brain is connecting one thought to the next to another and yet another. This is something I like.
One thing that has been coming to mind when I have these quiet minutes is the concept of the whole idea.
Last night I noticed how a great many TV shows are showing us this trick.
You might find my taste in Tv a little suspect or downright strange but I love watching American Chopper, LA or Miami Ink, Project Runway. What might those three have in common ?
Well the obvious is they are all making something.
The more subtle and important thing is they are working to a theme.
They have a focus and when decisions need made they go back to the theme.
Project Runway is a bit of a special case, it can be a Whole Idea - how not to do it - example. I can't tell you the number of times contestants completely ignore the weekly directives given by the hosts and then are surprised when they fail !
On the other shows their livelihood depends on their ability to listen to and deliver what the customers wants.
What they accomplish when working to their whole idea is wonderful.
All three shows are creating in areas where you 'd think everything that could be done has been.
Yet the creative talents still bring home the fresh bacon.
Tips hookers can use from TV
Have a theme , let everything in a hooked piece support that theme.
TAKE A CHANCE !
Things go wrong, so what, let it be a catalyst for learning, growth and ultimately CONFIDENCE.
MAKE A PLAN, you don't see Kat VonD just inking up somebody without researching, drawing and giving herself an outline to go by.
Have a goal/ vision for what you are creating and remember that when you choose your fabric and cut.
Adlib within your plan- don't get fixed
If you have a block revert back to what you wanted your creation to be, it will get you back on track
Add your own twist to old methods.
Reorganize your resources, are you sure you are seeing fully what your wool can become ?
Get help- outsource when you need it.
Have a supportive environment
Don't take things personally- that's straight from American chopper - Paul the Elder is NOT good at stress management and the whole shop would be snivelling in the bathroom all day if they paid serious attention to him
Don't get into a bitch fight with your rug , straight from Project Runway
Look at things a new way, straight from LA Ink
Very nice.
Brain is connecting one thought to the next to another and yet another. This is something I like.
One thing that has been coming to mind when I have these quiet minutes is the concept of the whole idea.
Last night I noticed how a great many TV shows are showing us this trick.
You might find my taste in Tv a little suspect or downright strange but I love watching American Chopper, LA or Miami Ink, Project Runway. What might those three have in common ?
Well the obvious is they are all making something.
The more subtle and important thing is they are working to a theme.
They have a focus and when decisions need made they go back to the theme.
Project Runway is a bit of a special case, it can be a Whole Idea - how not to do it - example. I can't tell you the number of times contestants completely ignore the weekly directives given by the hosts and then are surprised when they fail !
On the other shows their livelihood depends on their ability to listen to and deliver what the customers wants.
What they accomplish when working to their whole idea is wonderful.
All three shows are creating in areas where you 'd think everything that could be done has been.
Yet the creative talents still bring home the fresh bacon.
Tips hookers can use from TV
Have a theme , let everything in a hooked piece support that theme.
TAKE A CHANCE !
Things go wrong, so what, let it be a catalyst for learning, growth and ultimately CONFIDENCE.
MAKE A PLAN, you don't see Kat VonD just inking up somebody without researching, drawing and giving herself an outline to go by.
Have a goal/ vision for what you are creating and remember that when you choose your fabric and cut.
Adlib within your plan- don't get fixed
If you have a block revert back to what you wanted your creation to be, it will get you back on track
Add your own twist to old methods.
Reorganize your resources, are you sure you are seeing fully what your wool can become ?
Get help- outsource when you need it.
Have a supportive environment
Don't take things personally- that's straight from American chopper - Paul the Elder is NOT good at stress management and the whole shop would be snivelling in the bathroom all day if they paid serious attention to him
Don't get into a bitch fight with your rug , straight from Project Runway
Look at things a new way, straight from LA Ink
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Dip Dyeing - How to
Dip Dyeing
Ingrid Heronimus first demonstrated dip dyeing to me in a class with the Owen Sound Hooking Honey's in 1998.
Dip dyeing allows us to hook continually without changing colours to produce smooth gradations of colour. I will be demonstrating how to do this with uglies and light coloured textures/plaids but any natural,light or medium coloured wool works well.
Read all the instructions before proceeding.
Equipment needed
deep pan at least 5 inches (old deep fryers work very well.)
wire hanger
safety pins
soaked wool - multiply the length of the area to be hooked by 5, if your leaf is 6 inches long your piece of wool needs to be 30" long
3 dye solutions (works with one or two as well)
lots of vinegar or a bit of citric acid
time to complete this task without interruption
rubber gloves..... your choice
After you have prepared your dye solutions heat the pan of water up. Meanwhile use your safety pins to attach your wool to your hanger. Do not place more than two strips on the same set of pins. Have a safety pin at each corner of your wool. You may separate your pins with clothes pins to keep them from sliding over and bunching up your wool resulting in uneven dyeing.
When using three formulas to dip dye I use a light, medium and dark dye.
Pour your light dye solution into the pan. Take hold of your hanger and dip your wool into the water. Immerse the wool slowly while swishing it around. After 3 or 4 minutes add your vinegar or citric acid crystals and lay the wool right into the bath and keep movement going until the dye bath is exhausted( cleared).
Remove wool. Add your medium colour into the dye bath, Immerse wool slowly to the 2/3 point. KEEP DIPPING UP AND DOWN . This will keep you from having a definite line on your wool. Add more vinegar if necessary. If more blending of colours is desirable wait until dye bath is almost exhausted and lay your wool in the bath all the way.
Remove your wool again. Add your darkest colour , this time just dip in the bottom 1/3 of your wool . Keep dipping all the time, as the dye bath exhausts dip more of the wool in the water.
Take a good look at your wool, are you sure the bottom is dark enough ? Usually people don’t make it dark enough to be effective so use a bit of black , navy or purple to darken it up.
If you are using one colour of dye pour all the dye into the dye bath, add in the bottom third..... swish around and dipping past the third mark from time to time, for a few minutes, then add in the next third. Dipping and swishing the two thirds of wool into the pan, slowly begin to add in the last third.
You can throw the whole piece of wool in now. Stir around until all the dye is gone.
Good dip dye has no sharp lines.
It takes time to perfect this.
Don't answer the door or phone. Keep your wool moving!
Rinse well and hang to dry. If you are using thin wool you can place it in the dryer to make it denser.
Ingrid Heronimus first demonstrated dip dyeing to me in a class with the Owen Sound Hooking Honey's in 1998.
Dip dyeing allows us to hook continually without changing colours to produce smooth gradations of colour. I will be demonstrating how to do this with uglies and light coloured textures/plaids but any natural,light or medium coloured wool works well.
Read all the instructions before proceeding.
Equipment needed
deep pan at least 5 inches (old deep fryers work very well.)
wire hanger
safety pins
soaked wool - multiply the length of the area to be hooked by 5, if your leaf is 6 inches long your piece of wool needs to be 30" long
3 dye solutions (works with one or two as well)
lots of vinegar or a bit of citric acid
time to complete this task without interruption
rubber gloves..... your choice
After you have prepared your dye solutions heat the pan of water up. Meanwhile use your safety pins to attach your wool to your hanger. Do not place more than two strips on the same set of pins. Have a safety pin at each corner of your wool. You may separate your pins with clothes pins to keep them from sliding over and bunching up your wool resulting in uneven dyeing.
When using three formulas to dip dye I use a light, medium and dark dye.
Pour your light dye solution into the pan. Take hold of your hanger and dip your wool into the water. Immerse the wool slowly while swishing it around. After 3 or 4 minutes add your vinegar or citric acid crystals and lay the wool right into the bath and keep movement going until the dye bath is exhausted( cleared).
Remove wool. Add your medium colour into the dye bath, Immerse wool slowly to the 2/3 point. KEEP DIPPING UP AND DOWN . This will keep you from having a definite line on your wool. Add more vinegar if necessary. If more blending of colours is desirable wait until dye bath is almost exhausted and lay your wool in the bath all the way.
Remove your wool again. Add your darkest colour , this time just dip in the bottom 1/3 of your wool . Keep dipping all the time, as the dye bath exhausts dip more of the wool in the water.
Take a good look at your wool, are you sure the bottom is dark enough ? Usually people don’t make it dark enough to be effective so use a bit of black , navy or purple to darken it up.
If you are using one colour of dye pour all the dye into the dye bath, add in the bottom third..... swish around and dipping past the third mark from time to time, for a few minutes, then add in the next third. Dipping and swishing the two thirds of wool into the pan, slowly begin to add in the last third.
You can throw the whole piece of wool in now. Stir around until all the dye is gone.
Good dip dye has no sharp lines.
It takes time to perfect this.
Don't answer the door or phone. Keep your wool moving!
Rinse well and hang to dry. If you are using thin wool you can place it in the dryer to make it denser.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Getting Down to Business
Looking for patterns is one of the things I do. In rugs, in stones, in behaviour, in life .
As observant as I can be with others I some how fail to see what I'm doing very clearly.
I have noticed:
I hook eyes or symbolic eyes in everything I do.
I like my coloured things to be in spectrum order.
I read a lot of fiction when I'm worn out. Then I read non- fiction then I set to work on making projects.
Looking at my list of books just read I think I'm about to embark on the non-fiction part of this late Fall journey.
I feel the making coming on, I think if I lay my head on the rails I can hear the tracks singing.
Just must remember to left up my head.
What patterns can you notice in your work or life?
Write them in !
Here is a little rug I just hooked using my swatches in two articles : Swatch Switch in RHM , just have to hook the leaves.
It is full of eye shapes aka hydrangeas.
As observant as I can be with others I some how fail to see what I'm doing very clearly.
I have noticed:
I hook eyes or symbolic eyes in everything I do.
I like my coloured things to be in spectrum order.
I read a lot of fiction when I'm worn out. Then I read non- fiction then I set to work on making projects.
Looking at my list of books just read I think I'm about to embark on the non-fiction part of this late Fall journey.
I feel the making coming on, I think if I lay my head on the rails I can hear the tracks singing.
Just must remember to left up my head.
What patterns can you notice in your work or life?
Write them in !
Here is a little rug I just hooked using my swatches in two articles : Swatch Switch in RHM , just have to hook the leaves.
It is full of eye shapes aka hydrangeas.
Tickling My Fancy
Just lately I noticed a trend in advertising of all these wonderful expressive scrolls and vines growing out of products in advertising. I love them ! So organic and wonderful and faintly Grimmish.
To see an example
This was clip art and I am acting like a complete pirate because I cannot find the reference for it in my notes. I don't know who did it and cannot give them credit, I'm ashamed to say, but I wanted you to see it so I'll being going to cyber hell any day now.
I posted it here in all respect not for use by hookers but to educate us to see what can be done with the skilful use of value and saturation in a piece of work.
If anyone objects to the posting of this picture please let me know.
We are frequently worried about making things too busy.
You can clearly see here busy is balanced by open free non specific space ( no colour, no action).
Look at the depth reached by applying underlying motifs but in duller colours that are also lighter: a weaker version so to speak.
What tickles your fancy these days ?
To see an example
This was clip art and I am acting like a complete pirate because I cannot find the reference for it in my notes. I don't know who did it and cannot give them credit, I'm ashamed to say, but I wanted you to see it so I'll being going to cyber hell any day now.
I posted it here in all respect not for use by hookers but to educate us to see what can be done with the skilful use of value and saturation in a piece of work.
If anyone objects to the posting of this picture please let me know.
We are frequently worried about making things too busy.
You can clearly see here busy is balanced by open free non specific space ( no colour, no action).
Look at the depth reached by applying underlying motifs but in duller colours that are also lighter: a weaker version so to speak.
What tickles your fancy these days ?
Confessions of a Hooking Teacher
It is a fine line we tread. On the one hand I want to make a living.
On the other I truly love what I do and want to share the wonder of the hooking experience.
Can both exist ?
I heard today farm workers just won the right to collective bargaining .... that was a surprise to hear such a thing needs legislated in this day and age.
There was a debate how paying more money to the workers would bankrupt the farm owners and no one would pay the price for food if the workers were paid properly. A caller stated , if food prices are cheap, someone is paying somewhere along the line.
I guess it is the farm workers in this case. The farm workers also stated in no way were they after mom and pop family operations but more interested in commercial type farms.
Most of us hooking suppliers and teachers are mom and pop operations.
Mostly just mom.
We moms have a long history of doing for others and not thinking about the value of the rich services we provide.
Imagine the farms with no one to harvest.
Imagine our tables.
Imagine the rugs I could be making if I wasn't teaching.
LOL --- what I really mean is:
Imagine proper pay for solid skills, richly and freely given.
Imagine what we could learn.
Just a note: teen age babysitters make per hour than the average hooking teacher.
Rug Hooking teacher hard at work
On the other I truly love what I do and want to share the wonder of the hooking experience.
Can both exist ?
I heard today farm workers just won the right to collective bargaining .... that was a surprise to hear such a thing needs legislated in this day and age.
There was a debate how paying more money to the workers would bankrupt the farm owners and no one would pay the price for food if the workers were paid properly. A caller stated , if food prices are cheap, someone is paying somewhere along the line.
I guess it is the farm workers in this case. The farm workers also stated in no way were they after mom and pop family operations but more interested in commercial type farms.
Most of us hooking suppliers and teachers are mom and pop operations.
Mostly just mom.
We moms have a long history of doing for others and not thinking about the value of the rich services we provide.
Imagine the farms with no one to harvest.
Imagine our tables.
Imagine the rugs I could be making if I wasn't teaching.
LOL --- what I really mean is:
Imagine proper pay for solid skills, richly and freely given.
Imagine what we could learn.
Just a note: teen age babysitters make per hour than the average hooking teacher.
Rug Hooking teacher hard at work
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Creation and Expansion Part 2
How is your visual journal going ?
Did you explore the idea of space? What did it mean to you, did this expand as you worked on your page ? That was a little punny, sorry.
The next idea we will look at is comfort.
Work your magic my friends.
Baby Mary cadges some comfort from the dollar bin
Did you explore the idea of space? What did it mean to you, did this expand as you worked on your page ? That was a little punny, sorry.
The next idea we will look at is comfort.
Work your magic my friends.
Baby Mary cadges some comfort from the dollar bin
Monday, November 3, 2008
More Woolgathering fun
Tried to get "front" shots but did not succeed too well.
Here is Elaine Chalmers from The Cozy Nook
Here is Elaine Chalmers from The Cozy Nook
The Woolgathering
It is a true saying that a girl can't do anything well unless she has help.
This especially pertains to me and Woolgathering. I thank every one again for all the help they offer, and of course it is always the same set of wonderful people. Maybe they know I'm in charge of who goes to hooker heaven.
We had a wonderful turnout and so much fun seeing everyone's first rugs. Some took that literally and brought the first rug and some brought smaller pieces typically made when we start. It was also fun to hear who are the "typhoid Marys". Though not too glamorous a designation they really do spread the word of hooking around where ever they go. There were several mentions of the same people, Elaine Allerton, Freda MacDonnell. And then of course the family ties, rug hooking really spreads laterally and vertically through family trees.
One thing we did note is the FADE factor. Several rugs were down to the lightest of pastels. On the flip side they were still vibrant and beautiful.
The sun is not our friend.
Though some dyes are more prone to quick fading, all fabric no matter the dyes will eventually fade.
This is why it is good to use stronger colour than you might want, it is also good to dye over already dyed wool especially when dyeing BLUE.
One thing I like best about Woolgathering is the wealth of diverse projects. Rarely do you see two people working on the same or a similar project.
I took some very bad pictures, on days like that I should be cloned. But I will send them out soon bad or not.
Our next program is more of a contest, Who has the most unfinished rugs ?
There is a prize.... if you think you're a contender head our way April 4.
This especially pertains to me and Woolgathering. I thank every one again for all the help they offer, and of course it is always the same set of wonderful people. Maybe they know I'm in charge of who goes to hooker heaven.
We had a wonderful turnout and so much fun seeing everyone's first rugs. Some took that literally and brought the first rug and some brought smaller pieces typically made when we start. It was also fun to hear who are the "typhoid Marys". Though not too glamorous a designation they really do spread the word of hooking around where ever they go. There were several mentions of the same people, Elaine Allerton, Freda MacDonnell. And then of course the family ties, rug hooking really spreads laterally and vertically through family trees.
One thing we did note is the FADE factor. Several rugs were down to the lightest of pastels. On the flip side they were still vibrant and beautiful.
The sun is not our friend.
Though some dyes are more prone to quick fading, all fabric no matter the dyes will eventually fade.
This is why it is good to use stronger colour than you might want, it is also good to dye over already dyed wool especially when dyeing BLUE.
One thing I like best about Woolgathering is the wealth of diverse projects. Rarely do you see two people working on the same or a similar project.
I took some very bad pictures, on days like that I should be cloned. But I will send them out soon bad or not.
Our next program is more of a contest, Who has the most unfinished rugs ?
There is a prize.... if you think you're a contender head our way April 4.
Measuring wool
I recently had a terrific question, how do I measure wool for dyeing? I have to say accurate measures of wool result in successful dyeing sessions especially if you use formula books.
For the most part teachers and wool sellers use the same methods of measuring and cutting
I noticed this is a hard concept to grasp sometimes in dyeing classes and if I'm teaching my intense 1 day class I have all the wool prepared because this can take an hour to get down pat. When I first started selling wool I kept samples of 1 yd, 1/2yd, 1/4 yd, 1/8th yd and 1/16th yd and 1/32 yd with labels on them so I could refer to them when I needed to be sure.
Now it is old hat.
Measurements of 36" along the selvedge edge then clipped and ripped gets you a yard of wool.
Measuring 18" inches along the selvedge edge is 1/2 yd
Fold the 1/2 yd, matching the selvedges together, clip at the fold and rip gives you two 1/4 yds.
Folding the 1/4 yd in half so it is still 18" long, clipping at the fold gives you two 1/8th yds.
Fold 1/8th in half so and clipping at the the fold gives you two 1/16 yd.
If you fold the 1/16th in half so it is still 18" long , clip and rip you get two 1/32 yd
Here is a diagram to reiterate if you are a more visual person.
For the most part teachers and wool sellers use the same methods of measuring and cutting
I noticed this is a hard concept to grasp sometimes in dyeing classes and if I'm teaching my intense 1 day class I have all the wool prepared because this can take an hour to get down pat. When I first started selling wool I kept samples of 1 yd, 1/2yd, 1/4 yd, 1/8th yd and 1/16th yd and 1/32 yd with labels on them so I could refer to them when I needed to be sure.
Now it is old hat.
Measurements of 36" along the selvedge edge then clipped and ripped gets you a yard of wool.
Measuring 18" inches along the selvedge edge is 1/2 yd
Fold the 1/2 yd, matching the selvedges together, clip at the fold and rip gives you two 1/4 yds.
Folding the 1/4 yd in half so it is still 18" long, clipping at the fold gives you two 1/8th yds.
Fold 1/8th in half so and clipping at the the fold gives you two 1/16 yd.
If you fold the 1/16th in half so it is still 18" long , clip and rip you get two 1/32 yd
Here is a diagram to reiterate if you are a more visual person.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Creation and Expansion - A Visual Journal
Are you interested in creating a visual reference book ?
A highly personal one.
I will suggest topics on a bi-weekly basis for you to explore.
There is no deadline. There is no one checking over your shoulder, just you using visual references to
describe my suggestions.
You can use anything you can see and manipulate into a journal to do this.
This is a rich way to find new things to hook. Or bring to the surface ideas you might already be mulling over.
If you wish to share these pages with the other readers that would be most enriching.
The first topic is SPACE.
Let this mean whatever you want it to.
Outer, inner, room, whatever.
Go to it.
A highly personal one.
I will suggest topics on a bi-weekly basis for you to explore.
There is no deadline. There is no one checking over your shoulder, just you using visual references to
describe my suggestions.
You can use anything you can see and manipulate into a journal to do this.
This is a rich way to find new things to hook. Or bring to the surface ideas you might already be mulling over.
If you wish to share these pages with the other readers that would be most enriching.
The first topic is SPACE.
Let this mean whatever you want it to.
Outer, inner, room, whatever.
Go to it.
Woolgathering Program
At this Fall Woolgathering we are going to bring the first rug we built and talk about how we began hooking. It should be fun to see what we made then and what we are making now. I plan to take lots of pictures with people's kind permission and post them here. If you are coming be sure to bring your very first rug.
I hope to see you there.
I hope to see you there.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The last pictures from the Owen Sound Luncheon Hook in
Some delightful Owen Sound Hookers
Hookers from Wiarton, Owen Sound, voted the laughingest(?) table
On the way home I dragged my hookers out on a tear and took them to the Women's Institute Commemorative Park. Look at that sky , look at the sculpture, look at the way Marge almost got blown off the cliff.
Hookers from Wiarton, Owen Sound, voted the laughingest(?) table
On the way home I dragged my hookers out on a tear and took them to the Women's Institute Commemorative Park. Look at that sky , look at the sculpture, look at the way Marge almost got blown off the cliff.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Three sets of Primaries
I'm giving an on line dye class right now. One assignment I handed out was to choose three primaries and make four distinctly different colours from them.
They were:
Red Blue Yellow
Turquoise Magenta Yellow
Orange Purple Green
Inspired by this to spot dye a pan full of nylons in each set I was amazed by the range of colours created from three.
Here is a pair from each pan.
Left to Right Orange Purple Green/ Turquoise Magenta Yellow / Red Blue Yellow
They were:
Red Blue Yellow
Turquoise Magenta Yellow
Orange Purple Green
Inspired by this to spot dye a pan full of nylons in each set I was amazed by the range of colours created from three.
Here is a pair from each pan.
Left to Right Orange Purple Green/ Turquoise Magenta Yellow / Red Blue Yellow
More Scrappy Talk
I recently bought a magazine, La Vie Claire.
It is a beautiful magazine.
It often contains quotes, this one is from Henri Matisse.
" It is not quantity that counts with colours but choice and organization."
Nothing could be truer. For me though I want a good quantity of colours to pick and organize from also.
Someone said creativity is a series of decisions and I feel that way about using scraps.
Honing in on what you have that will work , choosing what will go where, how to expand the parameters of what colour should do. It is all the stuff of wonder and the pleasure you get from using stuff up is an added bonus.
In the last week I've done a ton of dyeing and so much so I couldn't set time apart to write about it.
I frankly can't even remember what I dyed colour wise but do know it was several bolts and boxes and skeins full.
And my shelves look their glorious fat and fulsome selves again.
It is a beautiful magazine.
It often contains quotes, this one is from Henri Matisse.
" It is not quantity that counts with colours but choice and organization."
Nothing could be truer. For me though I want a good quantity of colours to pick and organize from also.
Someone said creativity is a series of decisions and I feel that way about using scraps.
Honing in on what you have that will work , choosing what will go where, how to expand the parameters of what colour should do. It is all the stuff of wonder and the pleasure you get from using stuff up is an added bonus.
In the last week I've done a ton of dyeing and so much so I couldn't set time apart to write about it.
I frankly can't even remember what I dyed colour wise but do know it was several bolts and boxes and skeins full.
And my shelves look their glorious fat and fulsome selves again.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
I have a wonderful Friend
I have many wonderful friends but this particular person is a source of wonderful inspiration to me every time we connect.
When she read of our scrappy workshop she let me know of her travels in the scrap basket.
Thanks for sending it to me dear ! Here is what she said:
Hi Wanda,
This isn't an "inquiry" but I read in your blog how your class were using up their leftovers hooking an oriental. I thought you might like to see a picture of my "Out of the Basket" personal challenge. These pieces are everything I have hooked using only leftover strips put into a huge basket probably for the last ten years. Students were encouraged to take anything they needed but still it grew so last spring I decided to hook a piece using only strips from the basket, and also on a scrap piece of backing. That was the long narrow one. And like the strips in the basket it just grew from there until last week when I finished piece #8 which is self explantory. And the basket is still half full.
I hope your students enjoy and learn from their projects as much as I did.
Marilyn
These are Marilyn's results:
When she read of our scrappy workshop she let me know of her travels in the scrap basket.
Thanks for sending it to me dear ! Here is what she said:
Hi Wanda,
This isn't an "inquiry" but I read in your blog how your class were using up their leftovers hooking an oriental. I thought you might like to see a picture of my "Out of the Basket" personal challenge. These pieces are everything I have hooked using only leftover strips put into a huge basket probably for the last ten years. Students were encouraged to take anything they needed but still it grew so last spring I decided to hook a piece using only strips from the basket, and also on a scrap piece of backing. That was the long narrow one. And like the strips in the basket it just grew from there until last week when I finished piece #8 which is self explantory. And the basket is still half full.
I hope your students enjoy and learn from their projects as much as I did.
Marilyn
These are Marilyn's results:
Thursday, October 16, 2008
WHAT ? OCT 16TH ? Already ?
I'm surprised to find the month half over. Where did it go ? I would be happy to tell you I was productive but that's a lie.
Now I did many interesting things, but I didn't really make anything myself. I feel a lack from that.
I gave a class today in scrappy orientals, it was wonderful to see this old stand by in rug hooking look so powerfully and wonderfully different.
Last week I had a terrific group of dyers visit from Michigan for my Be Your Own Dyeing Guru workshop and we did many amazing things. I'm always gratified to see the leaps people can make when you show them the cliff is only half a foot high. It only looks scary.
I also just finished my column for Rug Hooking, it was also about scraps of wool and how to make them useful. Although this seems like careful planning on my part it was just happenstance. I know about two years ahead what I'll be writing about. I want to do this so I might have plenty of time to think about all possible angles. I found it hard to focus because Using It Up is a topic that is RICH. I realized I could write a whole new article about using up dyes. Perhaps that will be squeezed onto the list soon. The next article I'll be writing is about greens which I am calling One Man's Poison. I'm going to explore some new green ideas. BTW One part bottle green and one part moss green make a lovely combo.
About a month ago I attended a delightful hook-in in Owen Sound where they served us a perfect lunch. As many desserts and entrees !
Here are a few photos of what I saw. More to come.
Now I did many interesting things, but I didn't really make anything myself. I feel a lack from that.
I gave a class today in scrappy orientals, it was wonderful to see this old stand by in rug hooking look so powerfully and wonderfully different.
Last week I had a terrific group of dyers visit from Michigan for my Be Your Own Dyeing Guru workshop and we did many amazing things. I'm always gratified to see the leaps people can make when you show them the cliff is only half a foot high. It only looks scary.
I also just finished my column for Rug Hooking, it was also about scraps of wool and how to make them useful. Although this seems like careful planning on my part it was just happenstance. I know about two years ahead what I'll be writing about. I want to do this so I might have plenty of time to think about all possible angles. I found it hard to focus because Using It Up is a topic that is RICH. I realized I could write a whole new article about using up dyes. Perhaps that will be squeezed onto the list soon. The next article I'll be writing is about greens which I am calling One Man's Poison. I'm going to explore some new green ideas. BTW One part bottle green and one part moss green make a lovely combo.
About a month ago I attended a delightful hook-in in Owen Sound where they served us a perfect lunch. As many desserts and entrees !
Here are a few photos of what I saw. More to come.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Hook In Happenings
It has been so busy at hook in I haven't had a chance to even take pictures. I'll try to do better this coming week.
Everyone is coming along wonderfully with their projects.
We have decided to have a class to use up stripettes of wool we have laying around. It is called the Scrappy Oriental.
Because the class is only few weeks long we decided to focus on the colour aspect of using our scraps and not drawing a pattern we decided to get either of two Kilim pillows from Rittermere Hurst Field.
Everyone is looking forward to this. If you want to join us drop me a line for the specs. Class starts the first Thursday after Thanksgiving. ( Canadian )
Everyone is coming along wonderfully with their projects.
We have decided to have a class to use up stripettes of wool we have laying around. It is called the Scrappy Oriental.
Because the class is only few weeks long we decided to focus on the colour aspect of using our scraps and not drawing a pattern we decided to get either of two Kilim pillows from Rittermere Hurst Field.
Everyone is looking forward to this. If you want to join us drop me a line for the specs. Class starts the first Thursday after Thanksgiving. ( Canadian )
Saturday, September 27, 2008
An answer to a letter
Yesterday I got a sweet letter inquiring about formula books and swatchettes for Majic Carpet Dyes.
Here was my reply
I'm happy to hear of someone who is newly excited about dyeing.
I have found through the experiences of others, the purchase of recipe books and swatchettes to be a grand exercise in frustration.
Things rarely turn out as you wish or expect.
I find an experiential method much more beneficial to actual learning. It is more interesting and freeing as well because you can make up what ever colour you wish, whenever you wish, even those not dreamed up by the formula makers but only by you.
First dye a sample of all your dye colours , 1/32 tsp over 1/32 yd of wool.
This way you know what colours you are dealing with.
Then over 1/16 yd try combining equal proportions of two colours, for example: 1/32 tsp reddish brown + 1/32 tsp. turquoise
Do this with all your colours.... or buy this already done by Dorothy Bray ( on the OHCG teaching list ) http://www.ohcg.org/findteacher.htm.
This visual aid along with learning how to create values by the amount of wool used with the amount of dye..... 1/32 tsp over 1/32 yd. creates and medium dark colour. 1/32 of dye over 1 yd creates a pastel...... will set upi on a path of wonderment.
What if I combine these three or those four ?
You will know all you need to to create wonderful unique colours all your own.
Also most dye books create formulas all in the same value range and the cannot be used together effectively as motifs won't have contrast.
If this doesn't help you I'm sure RHF can direct you to what you want www.letshookrugs.com
Thanks for writing
Here was my reply
I'm happy to hear of someone who is newly excited about dyeing.
I have found through the experiences of others, the purchase of recipe books and swatchettes to be a grand exercise in frustration.
Things rarely turn out as you wish or expect.
I find an experiential method much more beneficial to actual learning. It is more interesting and freeing as well because you can make up what ever colour you wish, whenever you wish, even those not dreamed up by the formula makers but only by you.
First dye a sample of all your dye colours , 1/32 tsp over 1/32 yd of wool.
This way you know what colours you are dealing with.
Then over 1/16 yd try combining equal proportions of two colours, for example: 1/32 tsp reddish brown + 1/32 tsp. turquoise
Do this with all your colours.... or buy this already done by Dorothy Bray ( on the OHCG teaching list ) http://www.ohcg.org/findteacher.htm.
This visual aid along with learning how to create values by the amount of wool used with the amount of dye..... 1/32 tsp over 1/32 yd. creates and medium dark colour. 1/32 of dye over 1 yd creates a pastel...... will set upi on a path of wonderment.
What if I combine these three or those four ?
You will know all you need to to create wonderful unique colours all your own.
Also most dye books create formulas all in the same value range and the cannot be used together effectively as motifs won't have contrast.
If this doesn't help you I'm sure RHF can direct you to what you want www.letshookrugs.com
Thanks for writing
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Great Burlington Magical Dye Tour
Heather is preparing something yummy in her aluminum pan. It is important to take the time to arrange theings for good results.
I have to apologize to Pat because I tried to turn her photo the right way at least 10 times to no avail, I thought it was more important to see how she well she did creating her wonderful rich darks. Well done Pat.
Here are the results of my demo of shibori except the one on the top left .... it a watercolour
Here is what Irene made during her week's dyeing , well done my friend.
+and+her+lovely+week%27s+worth+.JPG)
Often when we dye it comes as great surprise as to what happened ! Barb looks as though she just pulled excalibur from the rock. Maybe she did.
I have to apologize to Pat because I tried to turn her photo the right way at least 10 times to no avail, I thought it was more important to see how she well she did creating her wonderful rich darks. Well done Pat.
Here are the results of my demo of shibori except the one on the top left .... it a watercolour
Here is what Irene made during her week's dyeing , well done my friend.
+and+her+lovely+week%27s+worth+.JPG)
Often when we dye it comes as great surprise as to what happened ! Barb looks as though she just pulled excalibur from the rock. Maybe she did.
Yes there is more to see
We tried our hand at frying pan spot dyes, here is Fran's delicious results.
During the week we washed and dried things as we went along twice a day. Sometimes they were not quite dry and we used a drying rack to finish the job.
Each day , twice a day it represented a great record of what had just happened.
When we were ready to use the rack for the next shift we threw the stuff on the ground to be collected by it's owner.
Rosemarie and her gorgeous wandering, well done, it is very difficult not to stir but look what happens if you don't and you are using a big enough pot for the wool to be swimming freely.
During the week we washed and dried things as we went along twice a day. Sometimes they were not quite dry and we used a drying rack to finish the job.
Each day , twice a day it represented a great record of what had just happened.
When we were ready to use the rack for the next shift we threw the stuff on the ground to be collected by it's owner.
Rosemarie and her gorgeous wandering, well done, it is very difficult not to stir but look what happens if you don't and you are using a big enough pot for the wool to be swimming freely.
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