Friday, September 28, 2012

Hooking Outside the Box . . .


. . . also known as trying to hook "Deanne Fitzpatrick" style.  

Yesterday I took a class taught by the ever-so-sweet Katie Allman of Kid'l de Divey Woolens taught at That'll Do Farm.  I have spent the last 7 years hooking exclusively with wool strips trying to get even loops.  Yesterday I was to put that out of my mind and it was not easy!  I can best describe Deanne's style as very random using as many different fibers as Katie could come up with.  We hooked with wool, yarn, roving, sweaters, fabric, etc.  It is not the orderly hooking I am used to!  Two ladies had never hooked before so they had a definite advantage.  The hooked piece must be viewed from afar like an impressionistic painting.  Here are a couple works in progress.



Katie explaining how to hook the sky.


Hookers hard at work.  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the many DF style rugs that Katie had hooked and brought with her.


Here is the progress I made in class with a little help from Katie.  Every once in a while she would come hook with me, adding a piece of wild roving or other fiber :)  I think I need to re-do my windows.  They look, shall we say, a little large?


After a yummy lunch we headed to the pasture to visit with some of the furry residents of That'll Do.  Here's Katie taking a picture of the oh-so-handsome Joey, guard of the sheep.


Melissa giving the boys a little snack.


Having a bad hair day.


What a fun day!  I think I am going to struggle with this rug but since it's not very large (about 12" x 16") I should be able to get it done . . . some day.

Happy Friday to you!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

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23 comments:

  1. WoolenSailsSeptember 28, 2012 at 9:15 PM

    That looks like a fun class, you just need to enjoy the process and not worry about being perfect;) I would use a thinner wool for the windows to give them more depth.

    Debbie

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  2. Alice ~ Folk Art PrimitivesSeptember 28, 2012 at 9:22 PM

    Yay for you, Lauren!! I think it looks good!!!
    See you tomorrow?

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  3. Dog Trot FarmSeptember 28, 2012 at 9:44 PM

    Good for you Lauren...for some of us (me) thinking outside the box is not easy...I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product! Have a lovely weekend, Julie.

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  4. marlySeptember 28, 2012 at 9:49 PM

    The only time I think outside the box is after I eat the contents of the box. This looks really interesting, sort of like Hooks gone Wild. Good for you to shake it up a bit!

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  5. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2012 at 10:32 PM

    How wonderful!..sounds very interesting. Thanks for sharing..

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  6. JuliaSeptember 29, 2012 at 2:18 AM

    Bravo for trying this class. You're a bit like me about thinking outside the box. I'm not sure I'd want to even try to imitate Deanne's style. I'd be all over the place. I'm so used to work with narrow strips. I'm just too uptight when it comes to having my loops even too. Maybe this style is good therapy.

    I'm sure that it will all come together once the whole rug is hooked. I hope that you're having fun. I'm anxious to see it done. It looks like you got a lot done in one class.

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  7. deniseSeptember 29, 2012 at 6:55 AM

    sounds like you had fun. denise

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  8. Primitive StarsSeptember 29, 2012 at 7:04 AM

    Hello Lauren, what a fun day, love Joey and the sheep, bad hair day indeed. Good for you taking the class, you will do fine. Blessings Francine.

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  9. acorn hollowSeptember 29, 2012 at 7:38 AM

    lucky you what a great class. I think like you I would have to relearn everything.
    Cathy

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  10. SaundraSeptember 29, 2012 at 8:15 AM

    I have so wanted to hook in that style too, some call it 'higgly piggly'. And I'll be it is somewhat difficult to undo what we have so desperately tried to achieve in getting good formed rows of loops. But one day I'll try it as well.

    Love that handsome sheep with the black face... the one with the bad hair day.

    Saundra

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  11. KimSeptember 29, 2012 at 8:29 AM

    Lol. It's not as easy as it sounds. It is looking good so far. Your poppies are wonderful. Good job! DF would approve ;)

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  12. Tammy BurksSeptember 29, 2012 at 8:45 AM

    Lauren,
    It's all so wild and abandoned, from the hooking to the sheeps curly locks! Love it!

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  13. jodySeptember 29, 2012 at 11:33 AM

    wow... always challenging to go outside the box... good for you! i cant wait to see the progress! enjoy your weekend!

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  14. Michelle~Sugar House CreationsSeptember 29, 2012 at 1:29 PM

    That looks like fun! THough I would have a hard time hooking outside the norm as well. Katie is a wonderful teacher. I've been to a a few hook-ins with her. So sweet and helpful.

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  15. RhondaSeptember 29, 2012 at 3:54 PM

    Oh my I love this post! I am a very "hickity pickity" hooker and thats the way i started out. its the style i prefer. I have tried to hook straight rows and cant for the life of me!!!! I love my loops all different ways and heights and want it o look like its been around for years!!! I find it so interesting how we all can take the same pattern and make it our own!~

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  16. RhondaSeptember 29, 2012 at 3:56 PM

    P,S, Lauren, you get to do such fun stuff!!!!!!!

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  17. Farm GirlSeptember 29, 2012 at 7:59 PM

    Well I have only been hooking 3 years and I just gave up the trying to get them even look. I try and try and then I come smash the rug loops with a iron and steam. I just need to take a class like that. I bet it would clear up so many questions for me. It looks looks like so much fun.

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  18. Brighton Wool Gatherings at That'll Do FarmSeptember 30, 2012 at 9:51 AM

    Glad we could stress you out for the day Lauren. But you shouldn't have any worries. Your rug is looking great . . . and you can soon go back to your comfort zone!!

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  19. LindaSeptember 30, 2012 at 10:57 AM

    Lauren you are so lucky to have taken so many fun classes with lots of great teachers. I am going to take your lead on my next project and tear the strips. I tend to get obsessed with perfect height and even loops.....which is almost impossible for me to achieve. So now I am going to loosen up!
    So good to see you yesterday.

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  20. Larkrise garden girlSeptember 30, 2012 at 4:12 PM

    The hookers of old used what they had too.Thinking outside the box is a good thing to do in order expand your horizon. It sure looked like a fun class. I love the pictures,Cheri

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  21. DebSeptember 30, 2012 at 7:20 PM

    Gosh, I can imagine how hard that would be to go outside your box and do something like that. You try so hard to make all loops even and then told to go crazy. I think that I would have a really hard time with doing that!

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  22. MargieOctober 1, 2012 at 9:04 PM

    Oh Lauren what fun !!! I love that you just let your hair down and DID it !!! I wish I could be that free with myself...you go girl ! It looks wonderful and so much fun. I love that its like an impressionist painting...what a beautiful way to see it. I admire your work and you continue to inspire all of us !

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  23. TheCrankyCrowOctober 7, 2012 at 7:34 PM

    I swear Girlfriend...you do more fun stuff than most seniors I know. ;o) You're right...it is very much like an Impressionist form of painting.... Perhaps one day, if I ever master getting my loops all nice and even, I'll throw caution to the wind and hook with wild abandon...(Yeah, that makes sense, right???) Smiles & Confused Hugs ~ Robin

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