Sally Coon
In April, the Rug Hookers of PebbleCreek club had items made by our members in a display window in the Creative Arts Center. We do these displays three times each year. The April display (pictured) included eight pieces, from pillows to wall hangings to a hall runner.
Traditional Rug Hooking is very different from other hooking crafts such as Latch Hooking. It is as contemporary as it is old. It is a 19th-century North American folk art born from necessity, where crafters pulled strips of wool or other fabric through a woven backing, originally often readily available burlap, to create durable floor coverings. Emerging primarily in New England and Atlantic Canada it has evolved into a popular, artistic hobby. Today we usually use a linen or other durable backing woven especially for our rug hooking and wool milled for rug hooking that we can cut into strips.
In addition to hooking rugs some of our members also dye their own wool to get colors they want that may not be readily available. However, there are many online vendors where wool and patterns may be purchased. ATHA, the Association of Traditional Hooking Artists, is an organization of over 4,000 worldwide rug hookers.
If this all sounds confusing to you but sparks your interest, we hope you’ll visit our group. We meet every Monday in the Fiber Arts Room of the Creative Arts Center from noon to 3 p.m. this time of year. We are a very welcoming group and always happy to show you what we are working on and how we do what we do. For more information, call Sally Coon, our club president, at 714-812-7353.