First Attempts ~

I like to look at my early attempts at rug hooking

 while I'm working on new rugs ~

these are a couple that I refer to often:

This one below, was hooked in 2001 ~ 

in memory of my beloved 'Marmalade' who was with me for almost 18 years.

I chose to hook him in a very folky way…with his green eyes always happy :)

"Marm" ~ as he was affectionately called by Peter & I, 

was a big boy, almost 23lbs! {his daddy was a Maine Coon}

this was the very first large rug for me {19" x 24"}

 and I worked on this while I was teaching rug hooking 

~ at the Guilford Handcrafts Center in Guilford, CT

lots of my own hand dyed wools went into hooking Marmalade's rug…

which is actually named 'Window Cat' because that's where he loved to sit and watch the birds in our apartment garden when Peter & I were newlyweds …

{no pattern available for this design}

This rug, 

"Ulysses" was designed & hooked by me in 2005.

It was my first attempt at using an Amy Oxford Rug Punch with handout 1/4" wool strips.

{"Ulysses" pattern available from www.spruceridgestudios.com}

I like patriotic motifs and wanted to hook an Uncle Sam, 

… but not a typical guy ;)

lots of my own first-attempts at hand dyeing wools in this rug too

especially his coat, which I used blueberries for as my dye!!!!

high loops & low loops

wonky this-way-and-that-way loops…

happy loops.

Looking back at our own previous handwork helps us to grow and learn from ourselves ~

sharing our own work with others, either online or at events

~ helps us to compare our progress and brings us together ~

~~~~~::~~~~~::~~~~~

it's raining heavily today ~

and thinking I might just make it a play day with my hook & wools!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 

 Lori