www.littlehouserugs.com
Creating Heirlooms
Featured Rug of the Month
January 2011
Irish Blessing 30.5"x22.5"
Designed and hooked by Judy Taylor
Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
I made this rug using Ewenique yarn, which is the yarn I have designed using my Jacob coarse leg wool and adult mohair from my flock of Angora Goats. I designed it to be great for rug hooking. It is really "unique" because of the fibers used, and the fact that I can only dye in small amounts, so everything seems unusual and definitely hand-made. The coarse Jacob wool and the adult mohair are both very strong and durable, and the mohair gives it a luster which is lovely. And with my thriving flock, I have a never ending supply of fiber!
I also make a knitting yarn from my softer Jacob fleeces, which is also wonderful, called Jacob's Pride. Both of these yarns are commercially spun at a local mill, made to my own specifications. Since the Jacob fleeces are spotted black and white, the yarn comes back a light gray, which also gives it a rich color when overdyed. And you'd be surprised how many colors you can dye gray yarn!
Jacob Sheep
Angora Goats
Some of the colors of Ewenique yarn
I dyed the Ewenique yarn for this rug using Country Classics Mahogany, Maize and Spring Violet dyes. The mahogany turned out more variegated, with light and dark patches, so to make the most of this feature, I hooked the background in horizontal lines, so you could see the colors changing. It makes the rug look almost like a woven tapestry. I gave it to my husband, in honor of our 26th wedding anniversary.
You can purchase the pattern for this design, as well as the custom kit. Click here.
Do you have a rug you would like to see featured on this website? E-mail me! It may be a rug you've made, found, inherited or repaired, they all have a story and we love to hear all about them! If your rug is featured, you will get to brag all about it on the web, and be famous, plus you'll get your choice of a half-yard of linen, or our "I'm a HOOKER and PROUD of it" totebag! To view the many rugs that have already been featured, visit our archive.
