Tag: fiber arts

October 21, 2019

Hook a Rug, Save the Planet – with Laura Salamy

Want to learn a new skill and recycle some old stuff at the same time? We’ll be doing just that in my workshop “Hook a Rug, Save the Planet.”

November 2, 2019
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Learn the basics of traditional rug hooking but with a twist – using old t-shirts, recycled wool strips, yarn, ribbon, and anything else you have in the house that you can pull a loop with. We’ll talk about “virgin” fibers, certainly, but we’ll do our part for the environment and save some money while we make something beautiful. During the class, you’ll learn how to:

• transfer a pattern onto a monk’s cloth backing;
• prepare your materials;
• begin hooking a mug rug and table “mat” or wall-hanging.

Laura Salamy will present "Hook a rug, Save the planet" workshop November 2. — Laura Salamy will present “Hook a Rug, Save the Planet” workshop November 2.

We’ll discuss various ways you might want to finish your rug after all the hooking is done. *No experience is necessary; just come prepared to play with color and textures!

Learn how to make a hooked rug in "Hook a rug, save the planet" workshop — Rug hooked using recycled t-shirts.

Material students should provide: good scissors and quilting hoop if you have one. If not EVFAC will provide a 12” hoop for use in this class (available for purchase)

Material instructor will provide: Monk’s cloth backing; hooks; rug binding; extra frames to try; thread/needles; hooking materials

Laura is an experienced, albeit “less-than-traditional” rug hooker who owns a business, High on Hooking (www.highonhooking.com), selling hooked items primarily in local shows and on Etsy. She’s lived in Albuquerque for over four years, leaving gray New England for the Southwest’s sunny, open skies. In 2018, she was elected President of the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG), New Mexico’s only rug hooking guild.

This class requires a minimum of three students.

Non-Member: $80 (Member $65)

Materials Fee: $15
Materials fee is paid at first class meeting.

Class will take place at Española Valley Fiber Arts Center in Española, NM.

For more info click here.

July 15, 2019

Join the punch needle rug hooking revolution Saturday at EVFAC

Example of punch needle rug hooking. — My second punched rug. Began at an Amy Oxford workshop at **Fletcher Farm School of Arts and Crafts** in Vermont years ago. Clearly finished in 2011.

If you’re a rug hooker on Instagram, you’ve seen the crazy increase in punch needle rug hooking posts. Like me, you probably marveled that, hey, some are calling the back the front and the front the back! Which is just fine as long as they’re having fun – the real point of this whole art/craft.

If you get Rug Hooking Magazine, you’ve seen that there are now regular articles on the punch needle universe and its concomitant projects. You’re no longer a second class hooker if you punch!

And if you’re at all familiar with punch needle goddess Amy Oxford, you know that her business sky-rocketed a couple of years ago:

Her business chugged along quite nicely, growing slowly and steadily. Then textile artist Arounna Khounnoraj, co-founder of Bookhou studio in Toronto, became a fan. “I like that her tool is ergonomic and that it’s quick and easy to thread,” says Khounnoraj. “Also, you can use both yarn and cut wool strips in the needles.”

Amy Oxford de-fuzzing a punched rug with…sheep shears! (2008)

When Khounnoraj posted an Instagram video demonstrating a project using an Oxford

Punch Needle, things exploded. The video went viral and Oxford began getting orders from all over the world.

“Sales were up 644%. This was thrilling and incredibly exciting. We sold out instantly. We made thousands more and sold out in 48 hours. Did the same and sold out a third time in 24 hours. I was in shock. I knew I was supposed to be happy but honestly, it was terrifying. Overwhelming is an understatement… We didn’t see this coming. When our punch went viral I promised myself that no matter how many orders we got, I wouldn’t skimp on quality to create more quantity.”

– Amy Oxford in Craft Industry Alliance article

(For the record: You can punch with more than yarn and wool strips. I’ve even punched with recycled t-shirt strips.)

Punched rug (hooked rug) — A punched rug in progress last spring.

To celebrate punch needle rug hooking and to further spread the rug hooking gospel, High on Hooking will be teaching an INTRODUCTION TO PUNCH NEEDLE RUG HOOKING workshop THIS SATURDAY at Española Valley Fiber Arts Center. Contact EVFAC to get in on the fun. (Just don’t call today, Monday, as they’re closed till tomorrow morning.)

During the class, students will:

transfer a pattern onto a monk’s cloth backing;
prepare materials; and
begin punching a mug rug, table “mat,” or wall-hanging.

We’ll use Oxford punch needles as several years ago, after teaching myself to punch using her tool (before she even owned her current rug hooking school), I was lucky enough to attend a workshop with Amy. Lastly, we’ll discuss various ways you might want to finish your rug after all the hooking is done. No experience is necessary; just come prepared to play!

Punch needle rug hooking example — This rug was based on a child’s design and punched using recycled t-shirt strips. Imagine how your child or grandchild would feel if you hooked a wall hanging or table-topper using one of their drawings. And think of how much linger it’ll last than paper!

For those unable to join us in Española Saturday, I offer rug hooking and punch needle rug hooking classes in my home in Albuquerque. If you live beyond our beautiful Sandia Mountains, please check out Amy’s excellent tutorial videos on her website. Most of all, have fun!

May 27, 2019

ABQ Fiber Arts Fiesta – Special Exhibits!

Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta, May 30, 31. June 1

May 24, 2019

New friends!

So, Fiber Crawl was a bit of a bust but only from a sales standpoint. Okay, that’s the most important standpoint when you’re vending, but you know, there are other things that go into it. For instance, unfortunately, it wasn’t publicized that there were vendors at the Open Space where Cathy and I were hanging. And some of the vendors didn’t even show. In the end, there were only four booths of fiberific goods. So, we had plenty of time to take in the “Earth Threads” exhibit and hook and…meet new friends!

Yes, new friends. I’d had a brief back-and-forth with a gal from the Los Angeles area who was in the area. She’s brand new to hooking and hasn’t yet met like-minded peeps in California. She read the blog here regarding Fiber Crawl, and guess who wanted to come and meet other hookers? Debra! And she brought along David her husband who’s about to start hooking his own rugs. Woohoo! I guess that means that the gospel is indeed being spread from my fingers to others’ ears. Or rather, eyes.

Photo of new friends at the Fiber Crawl — New friends made at the Fiber Crawl last week! From left to right is Catherine (an AWAG member), Cathy, me, and then David and Deb.

Both Debra and David were great fun, and since we weren’t selling or even entertaining too many potential customers Sunday, we had plenty of time to chat. Debra had brought the rug she’s working on, her very first. Designed and drew it herself. Cows! She’ll have to send a pic to me when she’s done so that we can share it here. She’s going great guns on it. And come July when Cathy teaches her workshop at the Wool Poppies – Hooker Hill Rug Retreat, Debra may be meeting other Bay Area hookers. Lucky lady!

In the meantime, there’s lots of hustle and bustle going on in our final lead-up to the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta 2019. Remember, if you’re in the area next Thursday-Saturday, come on over to Expo and say hi to us – we’re always looking to make new friends! – in the Adobe Wool Arts Guild Rug Hooking booth. We have 27 rugs to hang and 9 friendship rugs making up the 9×9 special exhibit. Almost every fiber art imaginable is on display, and there are over 50 vendors! Hope to see you there!

Lastly, please have a wonderful beginning to summer. Have fun and be safe out there. And don’t forget the reason for this long Memorial Day Weekend.

May 13, 2019

Fiber Crawl is this weekend!

Fiber Crawl post card

Fiber Crawl is happening this weekend. (We’ve mentioned it before.) If you’re in New Mexico anywhere from Albuquerque to points north and enjoy fibers – themselves, the animals they come from, and what you can do with them – get thee to the website and its map. High on Hooking and Cathy Kelly will be spending Saturday and Sunday at the Open Space Visitors’ Center on ABQ’s West Side (conveniently close to home!). Please stop by to see: 1) our wares and how we hook them and 2) the fiberific “Earth Threads” exhibit. The Visitors’ Center is no slouch itself; it’s a very cool place if you haven’t been there. We hope to see you!

Hooked rug to be offered at Fiber Crawl this weekend. — Lastly, is there anything more New Mexican than our chile? (This is a rhetorical question. Of course there is.) Come see the finished chile “off the frame” at the Open Space Visitors’ Center on Coors Boulevard Saturday and Sunday! (BTW, this one’s hooked using recycled t-shirts.)