Colour Knowledge is Primo in Rug Hooking

You can see why we need to learn more about colour to help us achieve our goals in rug hooking.

So tricky!

You might find my online class called The Colour Lab helpful.

This is a colour study. An easy to understand class on how to expand your colour craft.
No crazy jibber jabber on theory, this is a practical lab.

13 lessons, a year to do them. 

It's a steal at $150.

Be the rug hooker you always wanted to be.

A part of the Welcome Mat studio.

JJ You old bastard! You thought you had me beat

 It is April and I've just solved a problem in my January Journal Rug that I wasn't willing to move to solve. It meant I had to dye and frankly I didn't feel like it or only had time to dye for work related things. You can just see my stall spot at the right at the bottom of this photo. Under the word smother as a matter of fact and Freudianly the word in the under leaflet is cover. LOL

I loved my rug drawing and I let one leaf of my fern hang under the next but did not plan out how to handle this colourwise.

Insert GREAT BIG DUMB MOVE HERE.

I know better but I don't always do better.
I tried many pieces of wool I had on hand. ( I can see you nodding yes, having been here and bought the T shirt yourself) None did the work of being under, low, down, below, receded or hidden
Complicating matters was the need for lettering to show up.

I don't know if I've ever told you how I love to dye materials I have already used in a rug for another rug. I  also adore to overdye wool from a rug for another part of a rug and that's what I did this time.
I was bored by the lack of layering the In a Word rug had.
BORED. STIFF. EXHAUSTED. DEFEATED BY BANALITY.

I left some of the wool aside to have some original colours so I could mediate my way between old and new and spent a happy hour pepping up, blueing, orangeing, turquoising, yellowfying all manner of greens and I also Red Violetted some other pieces for a happy surprise.
 Very exciting and fun for me.
And now my problem is solved and I'm on a delightful schedule of a leaflet a night.

Also great doings were over dyed for some scintillating background hussahs and hoorahs.

I hope your hooking is vivifying and contenting your heart and not nagging you like a bastard.

Tickling My Fancy

This rug - what a great idea and a new twist on our old ideas!
Colourfully spring fresh, an ogee and using up scraps, a powerful triumvirate! From the Contemporary Rug Designs at Rugs USA
I see this working in my near future, nothing is better than having a rug like this to hook when you are working out a problem on another. Do I need to start another rug?
 NO!
Do I need to have some simple joy and pleasure, YES YES YES!!

Hot from the Pot! Cayenne - It's a formula!

These are the Pantone spring colours I'm replicating in the kitchen this week.

Cayenne, the 4th from the right is a beautiful colour.

I used pro chem colours and majic carpet ones together.

1/32 tsp. Red Violet ( MC) 

1/32 tsp. Bright Orange ( PC)

1/32 tsp. Magenta ( PC)

1/32 tsp. Bright Red ( PC)

1/32  tsp. Chocolate Brown ( MC)

In a dye bath method over 1/2 yd. natural wool

There's a fly in my house

Yes a live buzzing fly and that can only mean SPRING.

It's time to blossom

This is the rug I learned to dye on. I still love me old dead daisies.

Started off lady like on the roses around the outside  and broke free on the middle one and went on a glorious ride for all the rest. 

Blooming right!

Making New Friends! Uses for Yarn in Rug Hooking

A study rug I punched with yarns of all sort from ribbon to sock, bulky weight to fine.

I'd like to return to this subject again for a 10 year do over.

I've a recommendation for you, you don't see me doing this very often but I've had very wonderful  exchanges and terrific customer service with Laurel and she tells me she started a new website just lately you might find helpful addictive pleasurable.
When I want it, she has it and her shipping rates are wonderful.
I found her at handknitting.com and she told me yesterday the splendid news about her other new site that sells discontinued yarn at excellent prices, Dyed and Gone

Uses rug hookers have for yarn:

use sock yarn quadrupled for whipping

punch it

hook it for a fun change, for little details, for a new texture

knit it and hook through it

crochet it and hook through it

for colour inspirations

felt it for embellishments to sew on our rugs

5 things that will make you a better rug hooker

Use the following as required, expect to see blossoming in one or two minutes:

Look
Don't rely on instruction or the object of your hooking as hooked by others. Look look look at the object itself. What parts come together to make it look like itself? Now look at the way artists of other mediums used colour to create this object because as a whole we are piss poor colourists no matter what people tell you.

In the beginning think of the whole work
You are dealing with a complex array of decisions, work the big ones out before you start. What is it, where is it placed, when is this taking place, how big, what cuts, where will I get colour, what are my main colors, what is the mood and style?

Don't fall in love with your work
If you do you will not see its shortcomings, this will inhibit your growth. No matter how expert there is room for growth.

Make something more than once
We only light on a object for a brief time, it has much more to tell us, give it opportunity.

Carry what knowledge you accumulate forward to the next work.

Do not rely upon the collective rules of rug hooking, nor what you read or are told. Ask why, if there is no good answer, don't do it. Seek your own answers by looking.

There are innovators, imitators and lastly theives. You will fit into one of these categories more than another. Innovators think and do things in new ways, imitators act and quickly follow these good ideas, thieves take an innovation, call it something new and tell us they invented it.
To tell when you are in the presence of a big T look for work that does not live up to the talk. Follow them if you like but they are as satisfying as a hollow Easter bunny, nothing to bite into!
We are all some mix of all three.

Pick up your hook and frame and make anything, make ugly, pretty, sad, happy , good and bad. Make and Make again what is true for you.

Don't look for accolades. You must know when you feel you did well, what other people say or not should not stop you. Now go say something nice to others about their work, it helps make you a better looker and a bigger person, put out what you want back.

Look for your own heart and to your own life and your skill set for expression of your own style. You don't need to do what the bishops, queens and kings are doing, this makes you their pawns.

Let go of old shit, it just doesn't work when you are dancing your heart out to be carrying a big old sack of dung, so heavy and useless. You need fertilizer of a different sort.

Keep your inspiration and love tank topped up.

Look after your body and your time wisely.


Learn to count.

This has been brought to you hot and fresh from the Our Daily Bread Forum on The Welcome Mat, where all good hookers go to grow. Plenty of high grade fertilizer made just for you. What are you waiting for? Join us!

Making Stuff

Yup I'm still doing it... my Jan. Journal.

I'm dogged if nothing else.

 I really like seeing photos of my rugs in progress to help me on my way .... you can see when things are working or not. In a simple attempt to create logo placement for Target I've compromised my very soul. 

Out it will come. I do like the bottom one though and will continue on dotting and such in the background. 

I think I want to create some glow so I'll dye a new green better yet  I'll just over dye some of the ones I'm using with yellow.

Also knitting this:

Dyed this mohair :

Generally letting messes lay where they're made.  It's a skill

I've been teaching on some great subjects on the Welcome Mat are you missing out?

 •how to create more dimension using planes

 •great examinations of artwork to look for ways we can do better hooking and over come problems we run into.  

•brave hookers asked how the piece they are working on might be improved, we learn so much when this happens. 

We're about to study three orange dyes rug hookers own and how they compare to each other and a video on the great technique of padding is coming your way this coming week.

So much great info with a live studio feel.

Did your subscription lapse? Just sign in to activate it! 

Been a while? Just sign up again! 

We're waiting for you !

Pin Keep Week

This week we created pin cushions as part of our weekly lesson on the Welcome Mat. We want to keep our minds open and ideas flowing and take a step away from rug hooking from time to time. Great inspiration can be found by expanding horizons and it can be fun to use our wool and linen in new ways. It can refresh our parameters a great deal.

Here is mine.

January Journal Rugs from The Mat

Some journalists have completed their wonderful rugs.

This wonderful portrait with embroidered scrappy insets  is the work of Diane Louise Cox

Brigitte Webb created a colourful apple with magical incantations to bring her family closer.

It is called So Far Away

More later as they appear.

Hooking Olympics

http://jamesdjulia.com/auctions

See these beautiful turn of the century hooked rings? I love the way the striped background plays the off and on trick so aptly.

In a few days, Feb.6th, we are hosting our own games, The Hooking Olympics on The Welcome Mat.

There is only one event and that is finishing what is undone.

Yup at the Welcome Mat it doesn't matter where you place as long as you finish.

At least for the duration of the Olympics.

Use the time you are watching those splendid athletes getting one or a few of the great unfinished wound up.

Imagine the multitude of benefits - exercise, hands busy ( not in the cookie jar) , hearts happy and minds and spirits pleased to have the creating honoured by completion. February will pass in a blink and you will have a gold medal when it is all hooked, sewn, labelled and done.

Some of us have a hard time when we get stuck.

Some of us only like hooking, not the finishing process.

Could that be you?

Be brave, be bold, be done!

That's our Olympic motto.

We want you to be on our team, join us!

The Free Online Class on The Welcome Mat starts today!

We want you to join us in our annual online class. This year we will hook the Spirit Owl. Tell your friends the fantastic news, an interactive teaching class, the pattern and the Welcome Mat for a whole year, only  $30.00.  Spread the word !  Go to The Welcome Mat  to join us!

Here is the introduction for a little taste of what's to come.

Welcome to this free annual online class Welcome Mat members.

I'm happy you have decided to join us and will be hooking this splendid little owl.

You prefer to just observe?

That is fine as well. We also love cheer leaders.

This class is about hooking this specified pattern which is free to all Welcome Mat members for their own personal use. If you know someone who admires what you are making please direct them to our wonderful Welcome Mat site!

We will cover several ideas pertaining to this pattern which you will find helpful as you hook other things in your future.

I treat this class as I do any other. I have things to impart, pick them up as you deem fit, have fun and tell me specifically if you want to have teaching, ie, hear what might be done to improve or reach your own stated goals.

To participate:  Look for my announcement of lessons posted on the Main Page.

Once you read the lesson a couple of times get in there and get it done!

I've hooked and taught this owl and recognize the pitfalls.

Ask me as many questions as you like about each lesson.

If you feel like it and I hope you do, you can send in photos to the class for help or as your homework or to show others how you are doing. 

When you reply, simply reply to the lesson most pertinent.

Encourage others, support me in my teachings and talk about your experience as you hook this project in your replies, all comments are welcomed as long as they are respectful.

It is just like a normal hooking class except it lasts all month!

Our first lesson will be about the pattern transfer, picking our wool and testing our colour choices and will be presented later today.

Looking forward to seeing a whole grand flock of spirited owls!

The Start of Something Beautiful

I love to solve problems.

One of the basic difficulties we have as dyers? There is no comparison charts or help for getting similar colours from different dye brands.

This week I'm introducing a new set of dyeing articles on The Welcome Mat.

This is all part of the regular Welcome Mat subscription for a mere $30 a year. (8¢ a day!)

It's called Colour Craft

Each month I'll be concentrating on a colour from the 12 stations of the colour wheel.

January is Yellow. Bring on the sun and the heat!

I've dyed yellow with the three companies and better yet I'll describe to you in great length what you can do with your yellow, how one yellow dye compares to the other and what you can do to get similar coloration no matter which dyes you use. I'll even be including tips on hooking with the focus colour common pitfalls and solves with colour planning.

Join us now!

www.thewelcomemat.ning.com

If you are already a member look in our Dyeing To Know for Colour Craft

Here are a few things we are talking about on The Mat this week:

• the fine points on letters and other objects and how to hook them

• how to hook wind

• dyeing turquoise

• artist Anne Savage

And it is only Wednesday!

Here are the dyes I'm using for all my dyeing writing now as well as all the Majic Carpet dyes:

I hope you have one group ( or more ) of these because 

you are going to need them!

See you on the inside

So Busy Hooking

Hi!

I've been busy hooking my January Journal,  In a Word.

Here is the progress so far! 

A word a day with some fun thrown in.

I sort of hate  hooking N and Z- just saying.

What have you been doing?

I love starting the year off the way I mean to proceed.

the hat that ate the hind end off the year

This is what I was making every day all through the last week in December.

Fit for yon queen.

Aunty looks pretty happy.

So does Momma.

Dyeing Glowing Colours - A video tutorial

Please share this video with all your wool dyeing and rug hooking friends

January Journal Time - In a Word - Wanna Play?

Many of us love words almost as much as we love wool. This year in our wonderful Welcome Mat tradition, The January Journal study, we are concentrating on the phrase In a Word.
So many fantastic rugs are made in these sessions and great strides are established in confidence, colour play and personal understanding as we stretch each day to refine our mind to heart to hand connections.

The path way is wide open for your interpretation. For the first time we are opening up our journaling to also include a more traditional type if people don't have time to hook.

31 days, a word for each? One phrase you embellish and embroider as the days of January sail by?
Words that describe you? A crossword? The words you love to say or others use to confine you?
This project can be a gateway to deeper hooking and a more artistic path unique to you.

There is much support and help from others, and I post great guiding and encouraging letters with terrific info on the hooking of letters.
This is like the very best hooking class you've taken, where you make what is in your heart.

Yes I know it is January 2nd.
I haven't started mine yet either.
Want to come in and play? There is plenty of room for you. A dollar a day to play!

Please accept this as your invitation. 
Feel free to share this with other rug hookers or woolworkers you know.

By clicking the link and going through the process of joining us you will also be opening yourself up to  a whole year of wonderful Welcome Mat gleanings including this February's free class and pattern for all members, this year it will be The Spirit Owl, my design recently featured in RHM.

Live your loves. Delve into your desires, set your heart afire.

WTFSSMTWT Making

Frankly I spent all this time making one dang hat.
In sock yarn with a needle that passes for a crochet hook and it is still not done.
I'll post a photo when I can look at it in the bald light of the day.

I did also make Aimee her yearly ornament.
I make her a heart.
This year it was calico, stuffed with roving , I wonder if I should date them?
Of course I did not take a photo.
Poor Blogger I am.

Monday and Tuesday Making

Monday I took some expensive clothes that had some fatal flaws in them and were 1.00 a piece and recreated them into new garments or resized them for Aimee.

She will be sporting this wonderful ribbed ( shrunken) cashmere sweater coat, alpaca and cotton swing dress cut from a flawed sweater and these wonderful leggings refashioned from a delicious feeling T shirt.

I can't wait to see her wear it.

 This morning I got up early to make stollen after several years of not having it at Christmas. I made a wheat free lifestyle change.

This week I found a gluten free recipe and it is pretty good! I love all the peel and fruit and nuts in it! Cardamom gives it a delicious aroma. I made a big, flat, low loaf and a smaller, taller one

Delicious!

Merry Christmas All!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Made

Chocolate Bark with nuts and cherries and coconut and candy cane. Yum!

Handmade label lino stamp for my special sewmance girl so she can label her clothes she is making.

 Card for a Gift Certificate made with my Babylock 12 needle embellishment machine and some of my lovely hand dyed locks

Oh I'm so lucky to have all these ways to play, I hope you are able to play too.