Rug of the Month: February 2024
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
1M ago
February’s Rug of the Month is putting the spotlight on one of Ania’s recently finished projects. The project is hooked on a pattern called “Nuts,” which was designed by Faith Williston. It’s 16″ x 16″, and it was hooked in a # 8 cut wool. Read on below to learn more about this project and to see images of the completed rug: Why did you decide to hook this pattern? I never in my life thought I would hook a squirrel. I am not a fan of squirrels! They harass my dog and dig up my garden. We have a lot of squirrels in our area too – grey ones, black ones, and even some brown ones. This was a very ..read more
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Tips and Tricks: the Pros of a Soft Pencil Over a Sharpie
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
2M ago
When drawing patterns, it’s easy to make minor mistakes. When you’re in “production mode”, and in the zone of following the lines, it’s easy to overlook that one motif wasn’t drawn, or a line in the border was missed. I’ve made these mistakes myself while drawing patterns and I’ve noticed them in patterns that I’ve purchased as well. It happens to everyone! That is why, as a teacher and a rug hooker, before a project is started, I really analyze the pattern that is being hooked. I analyze the pattern to ensure it’s complete: all the motifs are present and finished, the lines all make sense, an ..read more
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Happy Holidays!
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
3M ago
As has become tradition, our December blog post features one of my hand-made ornaments. You can look at previous years ornaments in our December archives, or our most recent ornaments are linked here, and here, and here. Scroll on to see an image of this year’s ornament (with an extra handmade ornament thrown in for good luck!), and to read a brief message about the New Year! Next year is shaping up to be a busy one, and I’m planning on traveling to teach at rug schools and workshops all the way from Maine to West Virginia, with stops in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maryland in between! I h ..read more
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A Refresher on Strip Sorters
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
4M ago
Back in the summer of 2020, we posted a tips and tricks post on this blog that was focused on how to use strip sorters in an unconventional way to better organize wool. I was thinking again about how useful I find this trick in my own hooking, so I’ve decided to revist that post for this month’s blog post. If you’d like to revist that tip as well, read on below! I’ve had to come up with some creative ways to sort my wool, depending on the demands of my projects and the spaces that I needed to work in. I’ve used a variety of sorters for that task, and I’ve found that I really like one particula ..read more
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Rug of the Month: Water Iris and Lilies
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
5M ago
For October’s rug of the month, Ania is chatting about her “Water Iris and Lilies” rug. This pattern is 27″ x 27″. Ania created the pattern based on the lower third of the Sumner Memorial Window in the First Church in Albany, NY. The glass window was designed by Agnes Northrop at Tiffany Studios. Read on below to learn more about this project. What inspired this pattern? I drew this pattern during the pandemic, in June 2020. I’ve always been a big fan of Tiffany windows. I especially liked the irises in this particular window, and I thought dyeing for and hooking a waterfall would be a nice c ..read more
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Rug of the Month: September 2023
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
6M ago
For September’s rug of the month, we’re featuring Ania’s “Antique 1940″ rug. The pattern is by Melissa Pattacini, and it measures 18″ by 18”. Ania hooked it in #5 strips of wool. This project is a fun one, because as you can see from the images below, Ania turned the finished rug into a bag. Read on below to find out more about how this project came together. What was the inspiration for this project? When did you decide to turn it into a bag? The inspiration for this project was sourced by looking through my UFOs (unfinished objects). I had a number of unfinished rugs and I wanted to start t ..read more
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A Refresher on Measuring Custom Dyed Whipping Yarn
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
10M ago
I was recently reminded of the unique challenges that come from measuring custom dyed whipping yarn. This is a topic we’ve already tackled via a tips and tricks blog post back in August 2018, so I wanted to return to that post and share a refresher. If you’d like to revist a tip on measuring yarn for whipping, read on below! For most of my rug hooking career, when it came to whipping rugs, I’d buy a skein of yarn and run with it. Recently, I’ve taken a different approach by hand dyeing my whipping yarn. With the new approach is a new conundrum: how much yarn do I need to dye? I want to en ..read more
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Rugspirations: a Great Conversation Featuring Ania!
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
1y ago
Earlier this week, Ania sat down with Robin Whitford of Hooking Outside the Lines, to take part in one of Robin’s Rugspirations talks. You can listen to (and watch!) the full interview on YouTube. Robin’s Rugspirations series is focused on introducing her audience to modern rug makers. Ania and Robin had a great conversation about how Ania got started in rug hooking, what her rug hooking journey has looked like, and her teaching. Ania and Robin during their conversation! Robin is from Ottowa, Canada, and she is a passionate textiles artist, mostly focused on rug hooking and Oxford punch needl ..read more
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Tips and Tricks: Hooking Sharp Points
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
1y ago
Last October’s rug of the month post was Ania’s “Polish Folk Art from the Łowicz Region” rug, which featured a precise saw tooth border that was deceptively tricky to hook. Ania decided to share some tips on hooking sharp points at an angle, as for the border featured in this rug. This is a tip that can be applied to stars, triangles, or similar design elements. Read on below for step by step instructions on how to hook sharp points at an angle. Step 1: Ensure your measurements are precise when you draw your pattern. This is especially true if the sharp points you want to hook are part of the ..read more
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Tips and Tricks: Tracing Patterns Perfectly
My Mother's a Hooker
by Ania Knap
1y ago
Tracing a pattern onto your backing can be quite the tedious project. Aligning the pattern so that it’s on the straight of the grain is key to avoiding headaches while hooking, but it’s tough to do while tracing! I’ve developed a process to make it easier for myself. There’s always a stretch on the bias of the fabric in the backing you use. That is a fact true to all fabrics. Most people use Red Dot to trace their patterns, but I prefer to use a one inch grid interfacing to trace patterns, but it’s essentially the same thing. When I draw and transfer my own patterns onto backing, I always make ..read more
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