I've joined the group "Ten-Minute Rug Hookers" on Rug Hooking Daily. The concept is that you can accomplish a lot on your project if you commit to working 10 minutes a day. I embrace the concept - it's the practice that's confounding me. Every time I sit down to do 10 minutes, it somehow turns into 60 or more. I guess I know to stop when my shoulder and neck start to hurt. I am going to try to adhere to the 10-minute schedule most days, and then have a longer session a few times a week. We need to start making Traveler Frames again, so I can take it with me on the go when I'm driving my kids all over the place!
Back to my newbie-ness...
Here is Bucky in his mid-stage:
And here is Bucky getting more of a background behind him:
I keep hooking, and then showing my work to people, and here is what I've learned about myself...
I'm a Packer.
That's right. I'm a bona fide packer. I keep thinking I don't want those loops too far apart from each other, and what I end up doing is making those loops invade each other's personal space. Bucky is starting to go slightly convex, and I know that means I've been packing. Since I'm new at this, and ultimately a little bit lazy, I'm not taking anything out. Instead, I've been hooking looser as the background spreads out in the hopes that it will somehow make up for my packiness, but I guess I know how that will probably turn out.
This week I'm having other people at Bee Line Townsend hook on Bucky, and then everyone will have a hand in the finished product, which I plan on taking to shows. I'm thinking the finished Bucky will debut at The Cream City Hook-In next month.
Do you have any advice for would-be packers? If I'm using a #7 cut on my wool, how far apart should the loops be to avoid packing?
I am currently breaking myself of the "packing" problem. I've cured myself when I'm hooking a detail, but when the mundane background appears...it resurfaces. I think just really being aware helps, but also making sure your backing is tightly pulled onto the frame is important. If it feels loose, you think that it is not covering. While tight, you can see how the loops fill in better. Another thing was that I was not hooking high enough, so the loop wasn't rounded enough. With a higher loop (as high as it is wide is the general rule of thumb) the loops round better and fill in the space without the tight crowding. Hope this makes sense and know that we are apparently "in this together"!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of everyone having a hand at hooking your bee!
Cheers,
Courtney