Teaching an Old Dog a New Trick

     A dear lady at our church makes beautiful hooked rugs. She's an expert at her craft and she displays and uses her rugs all over her home. I have always enjoyed creating things with fabrics and I especially like the old crafts of re-using old things to make something new, such as quilts, wool penny rugs, etc. So, when Eleanor offered to take me under her wing and show me how to hook rugs, I was all in. (You should see her "stashes" of wool in all their earthy, glorious colors!)
     My first piece will be a small wall hanging, about 12 by 18 inches large. You can purchase pre-printed patterns that are already printed onto the linen rug backing, but I opted to draw my own pattern from a design I saw. The colors are what really drew me to this design with its purple thistle, and green leaves on a creamy background. I'm so excited! Here are two photos of it's meager beginning. I first drew my pattern to the size I wanted and cut it out. Then I traced it onto the linen with a permanent sharpie marker. Most of the patterns I've seen look like simple coloring book outlines, as does my thistle. It's only after the addition of the many hooked loops of colored strips of wool that these designs come alive. Stay tuned for my progress. I hope I can be good at it.