Gene Shepherd's Internet Rug Camp

Given the fact that we’ve had workmen all week in the backyard replacing defective pieces of wood so we can paint, as well as this Thursday being both the bi-monthly visit of The Maids and 3rd Thursday, I was in the studio early.

The sun had not been up very long when I snapped this quiet photo of the studio, ready for come what may!

I started so early that I got about 1 hour of hooking done before the workmen and the Maids showed and about 2 hours before the Thursday regulars started rolling in.  Much to my surprise, it was a slow day for us even though it was Pasta Thursday.

While not a national day of observance, we decided last month that, barring unforeseen problems, we were going to have a Thursday pasta day today.

\Why?

Well, our conversation at hooking events can go and usually does go, to a variety of subjects.  Some regulars have extreme information on local hot topics of discussion, etc.  Others are master gardeners.  Most are professional grandparents.  I, for example, always ask Barbara about how to vote on obscure CA special issues because, as we’ve found out before, Barbara pretty much knows everything.  And don’t get me or the group started on health issues.  Today alone, we had 3 RNs, 1 dentist and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker present, which is pretty good for a slow day.  All this to say, 2 Thursdays back, we had a lengthy discussion about pasta, pasta making machines – particularly the machine Jean had decided to take to a donations site.  Consequently, some of us felt, before the machine was gone forever, that it might be wise to experience the machine and fruit of its labors.  So, this Thursday was D Day for that and Jean came with a whole tray of pasta she had made for the event.  Others brought salads and other items needed for a buffet.  As I think about it, this was very appropriate for a hooking event.  After all, don’t athletes eat a lot of carbs before strenuous events?  For my money, there is nothing quite so hard and strenuous as good hooking and maybe, just maybe, a luncheon pasta buffet might make us better hookers.

Oddly enough

I was so focused on my part in the production line for this buffet, I forgot to take food pictures before we started.

When noticed, Jean said

I still have some pasta on my plate.  However, I thought I had gotten to this photo a little too late.

Therefore

To support the day and all my readers, I took one for the team and went back for seconds.

All agreed

It was a very good day indeed.

We also had two finished projects show up … but neither consumed any pasta.

Aren’t they both stunning?

Bob, my high school friend, who reads but rarely comments on the IRgC, sent in a report today.

Gene – For years, I’ve been going to send you photos of some of the rugs my grandma hooked.  I finally decided to do that but could only find two in my house, even though I know there are two more somewhere.  Everyone in Browns (ed. note: a small town 2 miles from my home town of Albion and the town where my mother was born) had one of her rugs.  

She bought her patterns at the dime store and I think she mostly used Aunt Lydia’s wool rug yarn.  I remember helping her roll those skeins into balls.

I think she started hooking rugs in the early 50s and continued doing so until she died in the 70s.  

I am not sure if any of my siblings still have their rugs or not.  Most were bought patterns although she made one original design for my brother in the school colors (ed. note: That would be red and black) when he was playing basketball.  

If I can find the other two I will.  

Bob Bender

Dear Bob – Thank you for this intriguing report.  Your grandma’s rugs are lovely and I am very glad to see them and looking forward to more. Of course, anything about Browns is always an attention getter for me.  I always made it a point to take my children to Browns when we came home to visit so they could see the house where my mother was born … until the tornado took it.  My other favorite Brown’s hotspot was the Siegle Sister’s restaurant, which I visited every time I could … until it fell down one night without the aide of a tornado or any other such thing.  Good thing they weren’t in it!  Nevertheless, just the mention of Browns is a welcome walk down memory lane.  Of course, throwing in info about the dime store – which would be The Ben Frankland five and dime – just sets my head to spinning.  Although, I must clarify to our readers that the dime store, technically, was in Albion, meaning your grandma went out of town to buy her rug hooking things.  While I was intimately familiar with every aisle in that store, I don’t remember the rug hooking section … but I do remember the yarn …. (ed. note:  My favorite ever dime store purchase was a helmet style hat that looked like half a globe, with a pivot rod going out from the top holding Sputnik on the outside edge.  If one rotated their head fast enough, Sputnik would orbit around the earth!  What I wouldn’t give to have that again!!!!

I also appreciate you reminding me that your grandmother was a first cousin to my Grandma Rayl.  In fact, this whole report has got me going some as I took a hooked yarn rug out of my Grandma’s house after she passed.  I thought it was odd she has a hooked yarn rug since she never hooked … at least as far as I knew.  Now I am wondering if it might not have been a rug your grandma, her cousin, made and gave her?

As for sending in another report on the two missing rugs:  Yes, we would love it but, you’ve got to find them by December!

Thanks a lot for this report – GRS

PS:  Bob, who  was a member of the tour group I took to Spain several years ago, is signed up again for the England, Wales and Scotland trip I will be leading next June.

I dyed some more “scroll” wool for the Lincoln rug today.  While I write, it’s still cooling, which means the verdict is not in yet about it’s suitability to that rug.

While it cooked and then cooled

I got serious about my process for hooking those scrolls.  While it’s still, very much, a work in progress, I have a basic plan – just not sure which wool I will use for that plan.

Nevertheless

I’m trying to get enough done so I can proceed with confidence.

While I like the way this is turning out, photos of it don’t do a good job of displaying the correct colors.    In other words, it’s much more striking in person than this photo shows.

I was out, bright and early

Dyeing wool that had soaked over night.

Then, in my other free time

I started working out the leaf scrolls on my Lincoln rug.

However, I am sure my energy would have wained were it not for the fact that I had a good lunch break.

My daughter Ruth and granddaughter Jane, both of whom had the day off, called insisting on taking us out for lunch.

The destination lunch was to Newport’s Crystal Cove Shake Shack.

I felt like a much better dyer and rug hooker after that lunch.

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday weekend.  I spent a lot of time dyeing and hooking on Friday and Saturday.  I also managed to get things ready to cook a Mother’s Day Lunch on Sunday for Marsha and my daughter Ruth.

Here is Marsha, on Mother’s Day, with our two daughters and our granddaughter.  I had a simple grilled chicken Caesar salad with homemade croutons.  After canvassing the two mothers present, I made a rhubarb pie for Marsha and a chocolate pecan pie for Ruth.  It was a very nice day to have a lunch in the garden.

OF course,

I had already spent a lot of time in the garden area on both Friday and Saturday.  Here is a big experimental batch of antique black I made for the HGA Workshop I will be doing in July.  It’s hard to tell from this photo but I made everything with out using any dye.

Although everything is darker in real like, there is still a lot of contrast between the original black pieces and the much lighter pieces that got over dyed by bleeding the black fabric.  It was really quite nice.

Here is another traditional dye technique I experimented with for that upcoming workshop.  Can you tell which one I used?

I’ll show this 2-yard experimental piece as a hint.

I experimented with my old tried and true transitional dye method to get that previous piece.

Why?

Sign up for the Dyeing Without Dye HGA Workshop in Wichita!

Although I am moving into a mode where I seldom dye wool, I do some dyeing for myself and my students – particularly those that are trying to stock up before I give up my studio.

That said, I did quite a bit of dyeing on Thursday.  And even though this photo looks like every pot photo I have ever shown on this site, the stuff in the pots are quite different from what I normally dye.  (They are still cooling as I write.)

As mentioned a few times over the past months, I am getting ready to do a Dyeing Without Dye workshop at the Handweaver’s Guild of America’s biennial Convergence in Wichita, Kansas, in mid-July.  That is a very big convention – the last time I went they had about 1,200 attendees – and I have never taught for them before.  As workshops go, it’s a fairly simple 3 hour presentation, sort of like an interactive trunk show.  While I would just need comfortable shoes to do that for a bunch of rug hookers, weavers will be coming to this workshop for different reasons than hookers would, therefore necessitating that I adapt my rug hooking dye techniques to things that suit weavers.  That means I have to both adapt my techniques for weavers and then make visuals for the workshops.

For example:

Here is a marbleized twist like you have never seen me do before!  Each of the three pieces are half a yard, cut 18” on the selvedge and then torn across the bolt.  Normally, I do twists like this with quarter yards.  That’s perfect for rug hooking and perfect for my arms.  However, weavers really don’t need quarter yards of marbleized wool unless they are appliqué quilters.  I do think, however, bolt wide pieces of pretty wool could work for weavers who weave wool rag rugs, like I do.  After all, it would produce  long pieces that could be cut into 1″wide strips and then sewn together.  Sewing bolt wide long strips together is much easier than sewing lots more shorter pieces together.  Only problem is that such long pieces can’t be held by my arms for twisting, necessitating  I work out a process different from what I normally do.  In this case, I get that third hand by utilizing one of my very  heavy pattern weights.

It’s still rolled the same way …. just a bit of a challenge to do it.

However, I was able to get it done.

And, I think I can teach other people how to do it too.

After all, it’s just an adaptation of my basic process … just on steroids.

Should a weaver have extra yellow, teal and purple, they can turn 3 pieces into wide strips that have a different color on each side .  That gives 6 looks which, in my opinion, makes for more artistic options.  I’ve shown all 6 looks by just folding over each 5’ long piece to show the colors half and half, neatly placed on my 6 foot plastic table.

I think this would make for a very pretty rug … and it was all dyed without dye!

For the most part

I have the center section of the Lincoln Parlor rug done.  Yes, there is a little leafy do dah sticking out on each side … but I think I am going to do something different there.  I want to put in some scroll work before I decide.  Whatever I put in that section, it won’t be too much to do and I think I will have a good feeling about it by the time some scroll work gets in.  I’m showing it here sideways

Maybe this close up is a better shot?

To get the full effect, it has to go this big.  However, it’s not very up close and personal.

It’s nice to start any day with a report from Prince Edward Island IRgC reporter, Sue-Anne.

Hi Gene. 

Your graduation party for your granddaughter looked very festive…I love all the color!!

This rug is 4ft x 31in and was commissioned by my sister-in-law for her husband. It’s the view from their cottage in Ontario, on Catchacoma Lake, near Peterborough. I hooked it all in a 5 cut.

For scale, I’ve sent a second shot.

Best Wishes – Sue-Anne

Dear Sue-Anne,  While I did like the photo of the professional models holding lake scene, You really got my attention when you mentioned it was all done with a 5.  As I’ve been working almost exclusively with a 5 for the last 3 weeks,  I know all to well how hard it would be to fill a space that size – with or without models for scale.  Nevertheless, it is lovely and I am sure it will be treasured.

The little RHM freebie was also fun to see.  Someone local has done that rug in the past year or two.  It is a nice little piece and your colors are marvelous … as is your wool.  However, I am glad you are doing the herringbone, not me!

My best to your hubby and all the hookers on PEI.    Gene

PS:  Doing all that decorating after church was a big job but, after it was up and people were filling the patio, it seemed very nice indeed.  My granddaughter certainly enjoyed it.

I spent Monday morning shopping with my good friend John.

And, when I say shopping and John in the same sentence, that means we were at the wood shop.  Long time readers might remember having met my 86 year old friend a few years back.   He’s the craftsman that made the 1st century upright loom I operated a couple of years in the Walk Through Bethlehem program my church used to run during December.  If you can think it, John can make it … and he has all the tools to do it.  A professional builder and woodworker, he spent many years in the US operating a construction business, then switched to overseas work for about another 2.5 decades  before retiring.  That move came when he joined Wycliff Bible translators as their master construction guy.  If Wycliff was going to send 3 families to work with an unreached people group in a rain forester somewhere, John would go in first to build a housing compound and maybe a school or some other support building … or three.  He’s built and remodeled buildings all over the world in places you just can’t imagine.  

So

When I was trying to decide what to do with these very decorative drawers from an old treadle sewing machine, John came to mind.  My daughter got these thinking she would add them to one of the square work tables I made a few years ago using iron sewing treadle bases from the Room of Requirement.  Turns out, these babies were too big and we never used them.  But, now that the R of R is being cleaned out, it’s either find a way to use them or dispose of them.  My daughter voted for using them.

So, I brought the sewing machine drawers and an old, painted, walnut oval table that had split into two pieces over to John.  (The base is still good and in the Room of Requirement.)

He started by planing that walnut top down to a perfect 1/2 thickness.  That made it look brand new and, thankfully, also took off all the paint and varnish accumulated on those pieces over the years.

Carefully measuring twice … or thrice, he could cut once.

When he said something about biscuits, I was dismayed as I had not brought any hot tea.

However

He was talking about wooden biscuits that would hold those odd pieces together when groves on the edges of the pieces had been cut and everything bound together

With lots of glue

And pressure.

In less than three hours

John had everything put together, top and bottom, with a decorative, routed edge.  All we used were those old drawers and that “worthless” walnut table top.  All I have to do to finish everything is some light sanding, staining and varnish.  Maybe I’ll give it to my daughter … but I can see places I could use it too.

Knowing I was going to be in the shop with John, I decided to make a few more cuts wile there.

Although I’ve gotten a lot of use out of the original 36” square tables I originally made for those old sewing machine treadle bottoms – they’re actually being used in the studio right now – the future requires a smaller version.  This case, a 21” by 36” rectangle top, suitable for a computer table.  So, John happily trimmed down those two tops.

I brought those new tops home and quickly mounted the first to the treadle base I intend to use when I move.

I’m not done yet because I have the two drawers that went with this base – my great grandmothers machine.  Sections of these drawers need to be re-glued and clamped but I can do that on my own.  The other base will be put together without drawers and I suspect it will go to one of my girls.

As for mine, even without the drawers, I can use this table for work.

While many people whistle while they work

I like to treadle.

It was a big weekend for us.

Our granddaughter,  Jane Locke, graduated from Biola University Saturday evening.  She received a BA in Bible, Theology and Ministry through Biola’s Talbot School of Theology.  It’s the only real graduation she’s had since her High School graduation, during Covid, was a drive through one where they just handed her diploma through a cracked window!  Therefore, getting a real graduation just four years later that came with a BA, was pretty special!

It was a great night for graduate, mom, grandparents and aunt.  Because the affair did not get over until almost 10 PM we had her real graduation party Sunday afternoon.

Because Sunday was May 5, she wanted a Mexican Fiesta.

This required a lot of decoration and the right food.

Her mother found some wonderful folded fans we could put together and I found all my outside clothes lines to hang them.

It never hurts having a fiber artist around when decorating for a big event, especially when something is needed to snap a decoration in place!

We also made lots of big paper flowers to go with several vases of fresh cut flowers from the store and grandma’s garden.

It made for pretty center pieces.

Mother Ruth spearheaded the making and serving of everything on the taco bar.  Grandma made carnitas, Ruth and friends made everything else, including the tortillas.

It was a beautiful afternoon in the garden – a great time to share with friends.

During the 3 hour event, 49 friends joined the party.  It was a lovely event.

A nice memory to have with our family.