Thursday, May 10, 2012

Staying inside the lines

A couple of days ago, I found this little kitty mat.  It is from a kit I bought about 4 years ago at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, and is what ignited my passion for hooking with wool.  I had so many questions and hadn't yet found hookers on the internet.  It was a bit like swimming blind through magical waters.

I also found a linen rug pattern I had industriously drawn, not too long after the kitty and another couple of small projects had been hooked.  It is roughly 4' x 6' in size.  I had drawn some lotus-like designs in the middle, sides and corners, and thought to just free fall on the rest.  Thinking it might be a good way to use up loads of hand spun rug wools I've saved over the years, we put it on the frame and yesterday I started it.

I was not even remotely sparked with interest.  In fact, I tossed and turned during the night, trying to figure out what I don't like about it.  I think it's having boundaries, after having spent the last week trying to stuff things into defined spaces and make them look neat.  I don't know.  I just know I'm not sure I'm up for the whole rug.  I'm a bit annoyed with myself over this.

Here are some of the things I'm considering.  I wonder what you think?

  • just hit and miss cat paws all over it, with no worries about design
  • ditto, but hook my favorite quilt design, the log cabin...do them in different sizes so as not to get bored or feel too structured
  • hook it with both yarn and wool strips, for interest in texture and colors
  • put it away and drag it out another year and see if I'm interested then; this would be a bit of a drag, because it took two of us to adjust that frame to the size it needed to be to work on this piece (it's almost 100 inches across)
  • ignore it altogether and not hook on this trip 
Perhaps I'll have an epiphany about this today.  I just want to make the best decision, since I know this project could take me a year to complete, given my current back and forth life.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

5 comments:

turquoisemoon said...

I just drove thru Arroyo Seco last Friday. I love that little place. Several years ago, that town, that area, inspired me to create a mirror. I find NM soooo inspirational and the artists from NM sooo inspirational. Your blog, today, lets me visit the "creative thinking" that is so prevalent with NM artists. Thanks for sharing...

Kim said...

If you are leaning towards no boundaries, just go for it. Use the wool strips and yarn, maybe some roving and just free- form it. I bet it will be fabulous!

Unknown said...

I don't know the first thing about rug hooking, but I know I have trouble just "going with it" if I'm not feeling "it". I don't know what cat paws are either, so I'm suggesting swirls, like in Van Gogh's Starry Night. Good Luck. If it keeps you awake one more night, put it away. This is supposed to be fun, isn't it?

Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer said...

I would let it sit a while until you find a design that really inspires you. I cannot hook anything if I am not inspired.

Taos Sunflower said...

Kim: You're right, I should just go for it.

Shelly: cats paws are concentric circles, typically done with scraps. Appealing since you don't have to draw them out and can just play.

Caroline: Thanks for commenting. I let it go for two days and am going back to it today to do the cats paws.