Hooked on rug-hooking

I guess you could say I’d always been interested in hooking (tee hee).

Rug-hooking, that is! It’s the art of making a rug by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff base, like burlap.

My aunt once hooked a truly amazing life-sized bookshelf rug for my mom, complete with plants, knick-knacks, and book spines with the names of her family members, friends and hobbies. It seemed incredibly complicated, especially when she told us she got most of her materials by cutting thrifted wool coats into tiny strips. Woah.

Over the last year or so, rug-hooking photos started popping up in my Facebook newsfeed because one of my friends is a “hooker.” It looked like so much fun! Although there is a drop-in group that runs near my house every week, I felt shy about just waltzing in, so I asked her to let me know if she heard of any beginner classes.

Not long afterwards, I was all signed up for a six-week class taught by a local rug-hooking expert. (Beverly Levine, for locals!) We would meet once a week for two hours at her home, and all I had to bring was a large embroidery hoop.

During our first class, I was surprised by how much I struggled.

I’m not used to struggling with creative things. I felt a little like pouting. Despite having quite a lot of experience with hand-sewing, rug-hooking didn’t come easily for me.

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