Needlework Monday - The needle punch rug hooking
Needle punch is worked from the back of the fabric...
To begin, I am using the Oxford size 14 needle, with yarn that works about 24 stitches per 4 inch. So far I really like the simplicity and functionality. It has a nicely shaped handle that is very easy to hold and does not slip in my hand while working.
There are many good videos on youtube on how to use the Oxford, so I will not get into it too deeply here.
Next I did my best to match the dyes used by Yvonne Buus, because this rug is her design. To do this I used the color wheel dye cards from The Wooly Mason Jar, and it made everything super easy!!
Then on to the actual work :)
I am using a 14 inch lap frame, because it is big enough to work on, and small enough for the RV. I have a space to hang it on the wall when I am not using it...we will just need to make or find some slide hooks for it.
But at any rate, here is the progress so far...
Notice how close my rows are at first? This was too close, as I found when I took it off the frame. It curled up alot!
I asked for some guidance in Lucy's Wooly Mason Jar fb group, and everyone was so generous with their help and advice! What an amazing group pf ladies...Diann McDonald had a long conversation with me, helping me understand the tension in relation to needle size, yarn size and how to space the rows. She teaches Oxford rug hooking, so was a huge help, and she suggested a couple books that will be very helpful as well.
So, now you will see I have left more space between the rows. I can feel the difference already...It still curls when off the frame, but apparently this is normal, and it will flatten out when I steam it once it is finished. With more space I can feel it has more flex though. It feels nicer and the end result is that the front is smoother.
And the front...
Yvonne's patterns and kits - Vintage Heart Rug Design can be found here --> https://www.etsy.com/shop/YvonneBuus
Lucy's Color Wheel cards and kits can be found here --> http://www.thewoolymasonjar.com/
If you would like to read previous posts on this project, you will find them here -->
https://steemit.com/crafts/@elew/not-wasting-time-on-the-2018-list
https://steemit.com/crafts/@elew/rug-hooking-supplies-trickling-in
https://steemit.com/art/@elew/mixing-the-dyes-from-the-wooly-mason-jar
https://steemit.com/handcrafted/@elew/on-the-bench-today-dying-the-wool-for-the-first-rug-hooking
That's a beautiful design that's going really well @elew....
I am interested to find out how you will finish the back...
You have tempted me to try a new needle related technique now 😆
Thanks
The backing fabric has a semi loose weave when you begin. This one uses double strands so is 22 x 26 strands per inch I think. Once you hook through it, the thickness of the wool tightens the weave around what you have hooked. As you fill it in, the entire backing tightens like little nooses around the wool, holding it tightly in place. I had to pull a few rows out to thin my rows some and it was hard to pull them!!
Once finished I will be steaming the back, which I will make a post on...but word has it that this will flatten all of the curl out, and I assume since it is 100% wool, it might have some felting effect? Not sure on that yet but we will see :) Generally no added backing is needed, just an edging...and there are quite a few styles of edging to choose from. This piece is fairly small, so I might turn it into a floor pillow for our grand daughter...
Today I am learning so much... I just read @cryptocariad post about machine Knitting, which I have never done nor seen. Now I see your post about needle punch... again never heard or seen. And your motive is beautiful again, it reminds me of your felted woman’s head. Both look like scenes from a fairy tale.
But I have to admit, although your work is beautiful, it is the yarn that draw my eyes. GIMMMEEEEEE PLEASE! 😍 The colour palette you dyed is perfect. I can imagine so many beautiful knits in these colours. Lovely
Oh, the dying is so easy! Lucy has a series of how to dye on youtube as well...You could easily be dying your own wool...and yarn gets cheaper when you buy natural and white in bulk ;) Aside from the dyes, citric acid is all you need, and water and a heat source...She has a great system set up using mason jars for the dyes, and you can dye in a pot, or even in a microwave. Very easy to do, and the only time it takes space is when the wool is hanging to dry.
With your designs, if you could create your own colour palette as well, I cannot even imagine where you would take it...that, would be stunning!!
I already have dyed yarn... and was addicted :-D Sadly buying unbleached natural yarn is quite expensive here and I cannot do it as often as I wish (I normally purchase the yarn for my knits by auction on ebay... otherwise I could not knit/crochet so much). I dyed the yarn with food colouring and vinegar in the oven, the whole summer we lived therefore in an appartment with a very funny smell 🙈 Here you can see one result:
Nevertheless your yarn looks so gorgeous that I instantly became greedy 😁
Oh, this is turning out absolutely beautiful, @elew! Happy #NeedleworkMonday my dear!
Thank you :) I am having so much fun! I have rug designs swimming through my mind that I cannot wait to create :)
Your work is just so beautiful. I see you still have lots of snow too. Have no fear Spring is right around the corner my friend.
Ahh, thank you :) Yes we do...it will be another month or two before it really starts warming up here. March can bring alot of heavy snow, and it's not unheard of in April too. Very short growing season in the mountains...but we will hopefully have salad growing indoors long before the warmth comes :)
How Lovely this is! It’s like a texture picture . I have never heard of this method either although it reminds me of cross-stitch a little. I love the textures of the yarn and how they bring the picture to life, this is just so cool! I love the different techniques and ideas that you bring to Monday’s, thank you!
Also, seeing a few posts now about yarn dying and saving money is really making me think about trying it. The colors turned out so pretty! Thank you for all of the info, tips and advice! I really look forward to seeing the finished project!! 😍
Thank you <3 I cannot wait to see it finished...but I am back onto shop stuff now for a bit. I hope I get it filled in before next Monday!
You should try the dying, it is so amazing to create your own colours, and so simple... :)
Yay! Hoping we will get to see the results next week!!
Oh I bet it’s really amazing creating your own yarn colors.
I really love the photo of the dyed wool on the fence rail. Beautiful work!
Thank you :)
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wow! I've never seen such a tool. very beautifully turns out !!!!
I had not ever seen the Oxford before either, and had never heard of needle punch. My goal was just to learn the skill of rug hooking, and I assumed I would be learning traditional hooking...but then as I was looking around for a pattern to learn with I found Yvonne's designs, and they were so perfect...so down the rabbit hole I went ;)
I will still be learning traditional hooking, so that will be coming up soon :)
for me it's a completely new kind of needlework. very interesting!!!! Good luck to you!!!!
"Oh no! No - I don't need another hobby - nope, look away, don't get drawn in by the beauty and the yarn and that fancy fun needle, just turn around and walk away." - Internal monologue over!
It's wonderful @elew. Right now the back looks best to me, but that may be because it gives me a better sense of what the finished piece will look like. I can't wait to see it all done.
Hahahaha, you are funny :D...you know you want to learn too ;) For myself, I think it will be a very good skill to have in the future. When we get deeper into the grand solar minimum, I want warm feet! And it will be a great barter skill.
I think the back looks nicer right now too, for the same reason...it will be fun to watch the front evolve... :)
I must have missed something - what is the grand solar minimum?
The solar cycles, where we go from warm to cool here on earth? We just finished the warm cycle, and are headed into a cooling cycle, which is why the weather has been so turbulent around the globe, and there have been so many cold records broken this winter. It is also why so many volcanoes are waking up.
The way things are lining up with cycles, this new Eddy Minimum we are headed into could be far colder than the previous one where we had the summer that never came. It is also very hard on the crops, as we have seen already...and this is just the beginning. Listen in to @solarshutdown and @iceagefarmer ...they know much more than I do...but it is good stuff to know so we can be prepared.
While everyone was speaking about global warming, it was indeed getting warmer, but they missed the part where that cycle ended and have not explained that we are now shifting into a minimum.
Here I was going to comment on your awesome needle punch but then I read this comment and it's SO COOL! (pun not intended) I've never heard that explanation before. Thank you for taking the time to explain it! Now I learned 2 new things through your post :)
You are very welcome :) It seems like the best kept secret, though the most important for everyone to know!
I had no idea! Well, I knew we were getting colder because I observe nature and pay attention. But this whole cycle thing was news to me. Do they know how long a cycle lasts for?
I hear 30 to 50 years if we are lucky, but it could be much longer. I am not a scientist though...but Diamond is...
Global Cooling 101 - Solar Cycles - Paleoclimatology - Maunder Minimum - Science - Community
Now that is looking beautiful!
Thank you Weetree :) I am having so much fun! I love learning new skills...and sharing them...