Folk 'n' Fiber

A "needle punched" design

Maybe I am nit picking, or maybe it's the former technical writer in me, but I am bothered by the misuse of the terms used to describe the art of rug hooking and needle punching. As I noodle around the internet, I see the nouns and verbs completely misused in web site descriptions, catalogs, even books. Please don't anyone take offense - I don't expect everyone to be bothered by the way other people write - and I suspect that most don't even notice. It's just one of those things for me, and I feel compelled to point it out for anyone who wonders, "is that right?" So, for anyone else who has wondered or cares about such things, here's the way A Dictionary of American-English Usage or Strunk & White would tell you to use these terms:

needle punch - this is a noun;  it describes the the art form, not the tool or the action taken to accomplish the art form. For example, "Needle punch is easy to do."

punch needle - the word needle is a noun; the word punch is an adjective describing what kind of needle. Together, they describe the tool used to pass the thread through the cloth. It is a needle used to punch - a punch needle. It is not the act of creating the design on the cloth, nor does it describe the art form of needle punch. For example, "I bought a new punch needle today."

needle punching - this is a noun phrase that uses a verbal (not to get too academic, but this is what it is). In other words, punching is a gerund acting as a noun and modified by needle. Anyway -- this phrase describes the act of creating the art. For example, "she enjoys needle punching" or "needle punching is a popular art form."

Okay? So what about rug hooking terms? Well, it's pretty much the same thing, but with a few minor differences.

rug hooking - this is a noun phrase that uses a verbal again, where, hooking is the gerund acting as a noun and modified by rug. The phrase describes the act of creating the art. For example, "she enjoys rug hooking" or "rug hooking is a popular art form."

hooked rug - this is a noun and adjective used to describe the finished product -- a rug that is hooked. For example, "the hooked rug adorned the hearth." And just for the record, reversing these words makes no sense (at least to me!) Haven't you seen sentences like, "I love this rug hooked pillow."  A pillow has nothing to do with a rug! In that case, just say "hooked pillow."

rug hook -  this is a noun and adjective used to describe the tool used to create a hooked rug. For example, "my rug hook is made of wood and metal." Misuse of this one bothers me the most! I have actually seen sentences like, "This rug hook pattern is really beautiful." Ouuuuch!! It even hurts my ears!

So there you have it, in a nutshell. If you think about it, it's pretty simple. The terms are so often misused that I think many folks see them that way, and continue to misuse them. If it doesn't bother you, then just ignore this whole entry. If you've wondered why some sentences written about rug hooking or needle punching sound odd when you read them, it's probably because the writer misused the words. Want to do your part as a rug hooker or needle puncher (that last one bothers me, too -- I would prefer to see needle punch artist, student, enthusiast, hobbyist, etc.) - when you hear someone misuse one of these terms, just repeat it back using the correct term. Sooner or later, a few more people will be using the terms correctly. And maybe I won't be bothered as often. Maybe I just need to go back to writing and editing?? Nah!!

I no sooner report that all has calmed down here, and I go and set my house afire!! A couple of weeks ago, I tossed a bath towel from my bathroom floor down the clothes chute that goes from my upstairs bath to my basement laundry room. This is the very same clothes chute that I constantly encourage my teens to use, rather than throwing their dirty clothes on the bathroom  floor. I also remind them how important it is to actually walk down the steps to the laundry room to check where those clothes end up. In our old house, built in the early 1920s, some brillliant designer or builder had the bright idea to build the clothes chute smack next to the hot water tank. So, when you throw clothing down the chute, you really need to go down and make sure that it hasn't  landed too close to the flame under the tank. I should have taken my own advice!

Okay, that said, back to my story. I threw the towel down the chute, and then got into the shower. After a few minutes, my 20 year old son was at the bathroom door yelling, "Mom -- something is on fire in the basement!!" Those are mighty scary words! When I pulled back the shower curtain and turned off the water, I could hear the smoke alarms going off. When I wrapped a towel around my soaking wet self and opened the bathroom door, I saw billowing white smoke (already at the 2nd floor!!) and smelled the burning whatever it was!

I ran with my towel to the basement, turning off smoke alrams as I went, and calling to my son to stay upstairs and phone 911 for the fire department. I had no idea what I would find when I got to the basement! As I rounded the bottom of the steps, I could see flames -- the water tank was in flames caused by the towel which had caught on the flex pipe and hung to the floor, then caught on fire from the gas flame under the tank. The towel and the side of the tank were in flames now. A table sitting next to the tank was also on fire, as was a throw rug on the floor.

So many things ran through my mind in those first seconds after seeing the flames. I have never experienced a house fire before. I knew I had to put it out if I could. I knew the tank was natural gas and posed an explosion hazard, but I was not sure where the gas shutoff valve was. There was water spraying out of the bottom of the tank, so I absent-mindedly turned off the water running to the tank - duh! It's a 40 gallon tank full of water -- it's gonna lose water for a while. Mind you, I am still holding my towel that I grabbed on my way out of the shower. There is no way you can fight a fire while holding a towel around you -- this was no time for modesty I decided, so I let the towel drop. I grabbed the wet throw rug from the floor and smothered the rug that was on fire. Then I ran to the utility tub, ran some water into a scrub bucket and ran back to the tank and threw the water on it. Not nearly enough water to put out the fire. I pulled the burning towel off the tank with a dowel rod that was sitting nearby and smothered that with the wet throw rug. Ran back for more water in the bucket -- I did this bucket thing about 5 times and finally put out the fire on the tank and the table. All the while I was running naked across my laundry room, I was praying to God not to let the tank explode. I was seeing headlines in the local papers abut this crazy naked woman whose charred body was found blown out of her home by a flaming hot water tank! Not a pretty picture!

Just as I doused the last of the flames, my son yelled to me that the firemen were coming. About time, I thought! Then I realized that I had better get some clothes on! I grabbed my towel from the wet floor, wrapped it around myself, and ran back upstairs, telling my son as I flew past to let the guys in while I got dressed. When I returned downstairs, I explained to them that I had put out the fire, but I didn't  mention the naked part of the story (some things are better left out.)  The house was filled with smoke from the basement to the 2nd story. The firemen brought in these huge fans, opened all the doors and windows (not fun during January in Ohio!) and sucked all the smoke out of the house in about a half hour. The smoke smell stayed for a couple of days. The plumbers brought me a new tank the same day. We cleaned up the mess in the laundry room and I re-washed all the clean laundry that was down there, which all smelled like burning bath towels. I have been counting my blessings every day since -- the fire chief told me if my son had not been home to hear the smoke alrams, and if I had finished my shower before discovering the fire, it is likely that my entire basement and main floor would have been in flames by then. I am still wondering who told him that Ii take long showers . . .  hmmm. Well, like I said, there is never a dull moment around here!

PS - it seems the crazy junk in my life is far more interesting these days than what I am doing with wool and paint! When it all gets dull again, I'll have more news about Folk 'n'  Fiber!

Barn Star pillow hooked through wool - a recent design for Create & Decorate (in the Holiday issue, I think.)

Did you all miss me?? I can't believe that July was my last Blog entry! Time sure flies at times. Many good folks have emailed me to say they wish I would keep writing the Blog, and I sure appreciate that!

ON A PERSONAL NOTE . . . Too, too much has transpired in my personal life to even try to catch you up. Suffice it to say that many personal things are still in limbo but getting better. Kids are fine and almost grown (unbelievable!) Seth, my 20 yo son, was robbed at gun point delivering a pizza in December (needless to say, he's not doing that job any more and thank God that he was NOT physically harmed.) Maggie had yet another car accident (see my previous blog about the accident with the fire engine.) This time she chose to rear-end a lawyer on the highway and did about 3 grand worth of damage to the new car we got to replace the last one she totaled. The state took her license for 3 months -- that's good and bad! I am being punished by having to drive an 18 yo everywhere she wants to go (believe me, that's a lot of places!!) Plus, she is not getting any more experience driving during this period. So, I think the suspension is not the best form of punishment in this case. I would advise the powers that be to make them attend more driving classes and have to pass a more stringent driving exam in order to get their license back, rather than just wait 3 months doing nothing about improving their driving abilities. Doesn't that make more sense? Meanwhile, I am paying more insurance for her not to drive, spending more money on gas and more of my time driving her around. Oh well, it's really about what's easiest for the government, now isn't it? Will she be a better driver when she gets her license back? I have my doubts. I know -- I should be more strict about allowing her to drive, but then my punishment becomes listening to her whine about having to stay at home, or allowing her to ride with other kids who may or may not be better drivers that she is! Did my parents go through this stuff? Oh yeah - no, they didn't. Because I was not even allowed to get my temp permit until I was 18, didn't get my license until I was 19, and then didn't have a car of my own, and was only allowed to drive my father's really awful work car until I was 20! Times have surely changed. I think the parents of my generation should take lessons from our parents and take a huge step backwards when it comes to permissiveness and parenting. We seem to want to make our kids happy, no matter what! It has become very clear to me that we are not really doing them any favors. My kids' generation seems to think that everything is easy and owed to them. They expect everyone to make them happy and they are not willing to endure any discomfort in the "things" department (aka - going without, being told NO, etc.) They are "good" kids, but need some harder life lessons before it's too late. Okay - enough about all that.

FROM THE BUSINESS SIDE . . . Let's see, what else is new? My great customers kept me busier than ever throughout the holiday season. And with the pending divorce, refinancing the house, and all the costs associated with that, I was very thankful for the business and to stay busy. I am madly working to get two new projects ready for Create & Decorate magazine. . .  the publishing world works way ahead of the actual calendar, so the projects I am working on now are for the Summer issue 2007. I have had quite a few requests locally for rug hooking classes. I am thinking about getting geared up for that, too, now that I can hold them here in my home studio. So if anyone from Ohio is looking for a class, go to my web site to get contact info,  and then give me a call or email me for details. I long for some design time to start sketching for some new needle punch and rug hooking designs. The magazine projects are always sources for new designs, but I can't offer them on the web site until after publication and that's always months ahead. So, time is a factor in the design department. I can't seem to do good work in the middle of the night any more like I used to. Chalk  it up to age, stress, or something. It would be nice to get that back -- I used to do some of my best design work during the night when it is quiet in the house and there are less distractions.

WEATHER . . . Snow finally arrived a bit here in North Central Ohio. This has been a snowless winter here so far. Personally, I don't mind at all -- at least you don't have to shovel rain! But yesterday brought a couple of inches of the dreaded Lake effect snow off Lake Erie. I live west of the 'snow belt' that gets the worst of the lake effect snow every year, so it wasn't a real snow storm here, but some folks to our east got a lot more snow. Today our roads are clear and we should see about 4 more inches. So not a big deal, just very cold and a pain, as far as I am concerned. It makes the skiers and snow boarders happy!! I am not in either of those groups -- I would enjoy making a snowman though, so a little more snow would help that cause. It is very beautiful to watch as the snow falls, as long as you have no immediate need to drive somewhere! I am getting to be such a woos as I get older (which I hate to admit) -- heck, I don't even like to drive that much anymore, even when the roads have no snow on them! Oh well -- can't stop aging or the weather, so I am about ready to say Bye for Now and go cuddle up with a sketch pad and a hot cuppa joe! I hope all your days are sunny - Happy New Year to all - I will try harder to get blogging more frequently for those of you who actually like to read this drivel of mine!

Flag Shield - Rug Hooking

Haven't been here recently -- this has been a very busy time for me -- all good!!

I had to take just a few minutes to wish all my readers a happy and safe July 4th and to suggest  that we all say a prayer before we start out busy day of celebration, for those men and women who are serving our country. Especially for those who are in harms way across the world. If we don't have a family member or close friend in the military, I think it is very easy to forget what these patriots are doing for US!! Without them, here and across the globe, what kind of harm would we find ourselves and our loved ones exposed to right here in the good old USA? I shudder to think of it. So please, for or against the war in Iraq doesn't matter -- we have to be FOR the people who volunteered to protect us -- how can you not? Say a prayer and ask for their safety, say a prayer and ask for their loved ones to be comforted until they come home, say a prayer and ask for a quick and peaceful end to the war. A few seconds of your time -- it's not too much to ask -- it's not too much to do -- it is a right and just thing to give thanks to those protecting our freedom on this day of celebration.

Now go have a good time -- be safe -- and May God continue to Bless America. And may America thank God!!

She's still this cute!! Even with a head bump!

Been really busy trying not to have a heart attack the last couple of weeks!! I received the parent's most-dreaded phone call on April 29th -- "Your daughter has been involved in a traffic accident. She seems to be doing okay. We are taking her to (local hospital) - please meet her in the ER." OMG!!!!!!!! So I throw down the phone, grab my purse and run out the door and down the back steps before I realize that there are no shoes on my feet! I race back inside, step into my shoes, and am halfway down the steps again before I realize my keys are still in the house. Get the keys and go!! The hospital is about 20 minutes from home -- might as well have been 20 hours!! Ten minutes after five in the afternoon -- yes, LOTS of traffic!! I drive, telling myself - 'do not speed, do not be reckless, just drive and pray!' Last thing I needed was to get stopped for any reason . . . just had to get there . . . trusting God that she would not be badly hurt. Telling myself that they had to take her to get her checked, but it would be okay.

I could not stand it any longer -- I get out the cell phone and call the hospital. They tell me she isn't there!! Did I misunderstand the EMT who called? Am I going to the wrong hospital?? "Calm down" - the voice on the other end of the phone. "When did the accident happen?" "She is probably just not here yet." Okay, keep driving - I will get there soon after she does, or maybe even before.

I do get there just after the ambulance arrives. There is my beautiful 17 year old daughter, strapped to a backboard with her head in a restraint to keep her from moving. I don't see any blood (that has to be good!!) First thing she says is, "I am okay Mom." Talking - recognizing me -- all good -- thank you God!! I don't realize that I am crying until she asks me to please stop (am I embarrassing her ?. . . another good sign!) Seconds after I walk into the ER cubicle with my daughter, three firemen come in -- FIREMEN??? Then they begin to hit me with the details of the accident -- your daughter's car was hit by our fire engine responding to a call. The front airbags deployed, we hit her in her driver's side door, her head broke the glass out of the door window. She has a big bump on the head, etc, etc, . . . the details are swimming in my head -- the only thing I can hear is "your daughter was hit by a fire engine!" How does that happen?? How do you not get hurt? A fire engine is HUGE . . . a Ford Taurus is not. Now I am hearing them say the car is totaled. I don't care!!!! Was anyone else hurt . .no - thank God again!

Okay, X-rays are taken of her neck and upper spine -- all is well. She can come off the backboard and the head brace can be moved. CAT scan is next to be sure there is no bleeding in her head . . . all looks okay there too. She has a concussion, a huge, spongy bump on her forehead, will eventually have two black eyes and a swollen nose - not pretty as usual, but alive, alert, normal!! Unbelievable!!! After 4 hours in the ER, she is released and gets to come home. Headaches follow for a few days, the black eyes come and fade, the bump goes down, and so does the swollen nose. She is cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle - not great for your insurance rates, but how fortunate can we be?? She is back to her old self (except for a little reluctance in her driving -- not all bad), and back to school and work.

So now I am back to blogging, and hooking, and needle punching with an entirely new outlook on teenage driving -- I thought I was scared for my kids to be on the roads before -- of course, I am petrified whenever I see her drive away now. She will NOT talk on a cell phone while driving, play the radio loud, or do anything to distract herself from her driving -- those are my orders. They've been given before -- over and over. How do we ever know if they are obeyed? We don't, but we have to keep reiterating and making the consequences known. She says she was not on the phone and did not have the radio loud at the time of the accident. She didn't hear the siren until she was in the intersection, and then as she looked to her passenger side to see where it was coming from, she was struck in the driver's side. Okay, I believe her -- the new car has side air bags as well as front ones -- yes, I had to pay more to get a car equipped with side air bags -- how could I not??

So now you know why I have not been here lately. I think I'll be okay in time . . . parents, hold your kids close, keep them safe, make there be consequences for unsafe driving habits, and hold your breath. You just never know when something can happen on the road. The kids get sick of hearing us drone on about the same things, but I want them to go out of the house with those same instructions ringing in their ears -- repeats are just fine with me. Hug them, kiss them, and make them be safe!! But most of all - love them!! That makes all the difference in the world . . . okay - back to hooking!!

Many woolens in this rug were married recycled ones!

Put all those pieces of wool into a pot of warm water with about 1 Tbls detergent. (You might want to save a little "before" piece of each wool for your records.) Put the pot on the stove and let it simmer (I usually go for about 20 minutes). The woolens will each release a bit of their dye, then all the dye colors in the solution blend together, so that the fabrics will become new shades that go well together. When a decent amount of dye is released into the water (or after at least 20 minutes in the pot simmering) you need to set those dyes back into the fabrics. Pour about 1/3 cup white vinegar into the pot, give it a stir, then let is all simmer for another 20 minutes. Pour it all into the sink, allow the wool to cool slightly, then rinse in clear water. Put the wool in your washer and let it go through a cold rinse and a spin cycle, then dry in the dryer with a towel and a dryer sheet. All those colors will now look much better when used together in your rug!

You can do the same thing with woolens of different colors. If you have a bright blue that you want to tone down, just marry it with a piece of orange wool (its complementary color on the color wheel)— the blue and orange will marry to yield two pieces of different colored, but complementary wools that will be less bright and usable for the same project. If you are not sure about complementary colors, check this web site for an example of a color wheel; complementary colors lie directly across the wheel from one another.

Until next time -- happy hookin'!

Before & After Overdeying

Hooked Easter basket wrap

Today is the day that most folks are dyeing Easter eggs. When you walk into my kitchen, you smell that familiar vinegar and simmering water, but if you peek in the pots on the stove, you won't find eggs! Overdyeing wool -- that's what I am up to today. The other day, I dyed some wonderful soft spring colors (not my usual deep primitive shades) to use in my hooked Easter basket wrap. I used one of my favorite Longaberger baskets and created a tie-on wrap to convert it to a basket I can use on my Easter table. See the pic?

So, what's the attraction in overdyeing wool? Why don't I just buy the color I want to begin with? Truth is, you just can't always find the exact color you need, or you have found some great bargains on recycled woolens at the local thrift shop but they aren't the colors you need either. You have several red wools that you want to use in the same piece, but they really don't coordinate as well as you'd like. So in all these cases, you can get out the dyes and change them! If you have not tried overdyeing, don't wait any longer. It's simple to do, just a bit time consuming, but oh so worth the effort. Here's the basics ( you can find these same steps but with photos to further explain the process, on my web site here:) How To Overdye Wool

Step 1 - Gather Your Equipment.

IMPORTANT CAUTION: Only use these tools for dying -- do not use again for food preparation.

• Dye Pot (Enamel or Stainless Steel)

• Dyes for Wool

• Dye Recipes

• Wool

• Synthropol or Other Wetting Agent (I use Jet Dry for dishwashers)

• Glass Jars

• Measuring Spoons 1/32 tsp up to 1 teaspoon

• Glass Measuring Cups

• Tongs & Plastic Fork

• Rubber Gloves

• White Paper Towels

• Uniodized Salt

• White Vinegar

• Protective Covering for Your Work Surface

Step 2 - Select & Soak the Wool

• Select several different WOOLS to go into the dye bath. Select a total of 1/2 to 1 yard; using solids, plaids, textures, and a variety of colors will give you several wools that will work together. Your recipe should also tell you what colors of wool the recipe works best over. You'll find wool at your local thrift store if you want to recycled it, or check out Dorr Mill and W. Cushing for really nice ones. There are also lots of places on the web to find hand-dyed and off-the-bolt wool (check my rug hooking links for just a few of them.)
• Fill a pot or tub with hot water, add Synthropol according to package directions, or use about 3 Tbls. Jet Dry.
• Add the wool to the pot. Squeeze water through each piece of wool to thoroughly wet it.
• Allow to soak for 15 to 30 minutes (longer is better.)

hooked table runner

So it goes. Passions are fired, obsessions form, and you love what you do. I feel very fortunate to have found several art forms that I love to do, and for which I have gained a level of accomplishment. I am designing and creating projects for book publishers and magazines now, as well as offering my patterns, kits, and finished work from my own web site (oh yes, that's another thing I found myself absorbed in learning about 6 years ago -- web site creation and design -- I built my site and maintain it regularly.) As a former writer and editor, I guess it all fell together - creating, writing, and designing. Some of it in words and photos, and the rest in tangible goods that people seem to like and appreciate. Life is good!