It just took a minute after picking up Hooking With Yarn by Judy Taylor (a JSBA member), and I was hooked (excuse the pun). The book looks good. It feels good. It is inviting. The attractive cover immediately broadcasts the possibilities of what I will find inside-- color, design, instruction. A proud four-horned Jacob ram looks back at me from the cover. It is one of Judy's original designs.
Glancing through the pages I see gorgeous color photos which entice me to explore each page. The book is spiral bound with a glossy cover and interior pages. It feels good to hold and it spreads open easily on my bookstand or floor easel. That will help when following the specific instructions.
But the most important discovery was the realization that perhaps there was a good chance I could learn how to do this. Learn how to utilize some of our nice Jacob yarn to create an attractive (probably not perfect) fiber product. Bob Norton spins and weaves. I could learn how to hook!
After I expressed my interest in the book at the AGM, I was encouraged to attend a meeting of the local rug hooking guild which was scheduled the following week in Decorah. I did attend, with the Judy Taylor book in hand, and was welcomed and promptly "fitted" with the minimum tools and supplies. This now required serious attention so I went back to the book for instruction.
After leafing through the entire book, I returned to the first three chapters to study more carefully. 1. "What Is Yarn" 2. "The Right Yarn For The Job" 3. "The Basics of Yarn Hooking."
In these introductory chapters, Judy recites the history of rug hooking, that it probably started in Renaissance Europe, but "really took off in the 1700's and 1800's in North America." It was a practical craft and yet could provide means for creative expression.
Early rug hooking was done with fabric strips. This was a good use of leftover fabric. Most rug hooking today is still done with fabric strips. In Chapter 2, Judy writes, "Why not use yarn? Yarn is just a versatile as fabric strips for rug hooking. In fact, it actually offers some advantages. It is easier to work with, stronger and more durable. And surprisingly, some things that you can do with yarn you simply cannot do with fabric strips." One of the drawbacks, she continued, is finding good wool yarn for hooking. Perhaps Jacob yarn will fill the bill.
In the chapter on basics, she discusses the different kinds and sizes of hooks and then illustrates the hooking technique in clear, easy to follow diagrams. When it comes to selecting one of many frames, Judy selects an alternative method and hooks in the traditional Nantucket style, using her lap as the hooking frame and tucking the backing fabric around her legs, her legs then become her "frame." Other choices are embroidery hoops, scroll frames and carding cloth frames.
Chapter Four, "Which Backing To Use?" outlines the different backing fabrics; burlap, linen and monk's cloth and discusses the economics and qualities of each. I have borrowed a carding cloth frame and am using burlap for backing. My borrowed hook is smaller than the "coarse" size Judy prefers.
Starting with Chapter 5 and continuing through the next eight chapters, subjects are more advanced and can be explored more thoroughly when I master the hooking technique. Chapter topics deal with color, primitive designs, blending multi-colored yarn, dyeing and over dyeing, care and repair of hooked rugs ("How I Fixed An Heirloom"), hooking other types of projects. The last chapter, "Four Projects For You To Try" includes patterns, instructions and color photos for four rugs: a sheep welcome mat, a rug with four brightly colored birdhouses, a round rug with a shaded rose design, and a primitive flower mat. A resource list where supplies can be found completes the book.
Judy tucks in some last minute advice which lightens the challenge of my determination to try: "Remember to make the projects uniquely your own. And... don't forget the most important rule for hooking with yarn: Have fun!"
So now, I have the borrowed hook and frame, have been welcomed into the local hooking guild, and am practicing with fiber strips and Jacob wool yarn. I'm giving rug hooking a try. I have seen Judy's beautiful creations. This book is another. It deserves your look, too.
Reprinted with permission from Jacob Sheep Breeder's Association Newsletter, August 2003. The review was written by Marianne Craft Norton.
