Digging out old stuff

I've rediscovered rug punching with yarn. I tried this years ago before I tried hooking with wool strips as I could easily get my hands on yarn to try it. I didn't have a rug punch, so I used a hook that my friend Jeanette gave me. Yes that's right, I hooked yarn with a traditional rug hook. lol. It wasn't easy, the yarn would break every so often, but I did it. I also used burlap since it is a cheap foundation fabric.

Then I got the itch to really get into it. My husband bought me a lovely Morton frame and won me a Bliss strip cutter on ebay. This was probably back in 2003. I made a few Christmas gifts that year using my wool yarn. A star door hanger for my father-in-law (I added a moose button to the center), a hot pad for my sister.....I honestly can't remember what else I made and I don't think I took pictures. What was I thinking?!?!

Fast forward a few years to 2007. I got the bright idea to hook a rug for real. My middle sister was getting married and I thought I would make a rug with their last name. Then there was a hiccup. There was a situation with the last name (long story, but in short her husband was going to change his last name as he had his mother's last name and thought he would take his father's last name finally, so my sister wasn't sure what name she was going to have. lol!) and I never got started. I did, however, purchase a yard of monk's cloth from my local quilt shop. That is also where I had been buying my wool yarn. It was beautiful yarn too. I believe it was called Lopi. The gray was my favorite.

So here I am, pulling out my goodies to see what I can do with them. I did find an old rug punch from probably the 70s while digging through my mom's craft stuff in her basement. It works okay, but I would love to get my hands on an Oxford rug punch. Either way, this old rug punch is much easier to use than a traditional rug hook!

I think I will attempt a chair pad for one of our dining room chairs (secondhand set that I used to sit at as a child at a friend's house) that has been worn more than the others. This chair sits off in a corner of the dining room and I think it's a good starting project. I only have a three or four colors of wool yarn left and with only change in my pocket it will have to do for now. I don't mind using what I have. I'm a thrifty gal.

I know what you (and my husband!) are thinking...."Can't this girl just pick a craft and stick with it?" Nope. : ) So while at the main branch of the "big city" downtown library yesterday, I pulled five or so books off the shelf; Amy Oxford's book, a punch needle book, and a few rug hooking books. I do have to share that we were at the library because my son was participating in the county spelling bee. He placed in the top 7 so he will go on to the next round in a few weeks. Yay!

That's it for now, until I get brave enough to actually start punching on that monk's cloth. Sometimes the hardest part is getting started!

I'm not one for celebrating Valentine's Day, but I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend how ever you wish.  : )


*** My Bliss cutter has a size 5 blade on it that came with the cutter when we won it on ebay. If anyone would like to trade, I'd be up for that. I think I would prefer an 8 (that's wider, right?). I'm a primitive hookin' gal. ***