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How to Rug Hook

Learn rug hooking without leaving home!

Questions

Use this space to ask questions. If your course has a question option, use that instead. This is the catchall for everything else.

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Comments

  1. Diana Kistner Kistner says

    Hi Cindi, as I was working on my project getting it ready to whip, I was preparing it with the front forward method. I had made my corners rounded as I hooked my pattern but realized I had no idea how to do a front forward rounded corner? I have ended up with the mitered corner. This might make a good teaching method for other too. Diana Kistner

  2. Beverly Genader Genader says

    Hi Cindi, I have a question for office hours. Sometimes when I am pot dyeing wool – typically a very small quantity – and the wool has been in the dye bath for a very short time period I feel I have exactly the right intensity of the color I want. How would I stop the dye process (prevent the color of the wool from getting darker) and set the color. Thank you.

    • Cindi Gay says

      It is on the Dashboard. The title is Never Ending Membership Coupon Code. It is near the top, on a gold background, just above the Upcoming Office Hours. If you cannot find it, just ask during the hook-in or Office Hours. I’d be happy to give you a demo.

      After looking closer, there may be a problem with your account. You have two emails on my system. Call me today or I will call you after the holiday.

  6. Pat Doner says

    Cindi, I just watched the recently posted office hours. Thank you. Since I am rarely available to attend the 4 o’clock live classes and hookins I rely on these posts.
    I am especially happy to know that as a member of the dye class that I will be receiving the dye book. I remember in the past you telling us that we would. My pro chem dyes and beakers are waiting for me and the book! 😀

    • Cindi Gay says

      I answered this question on 7/26/23 in Office Hours.

      Yes, as topics come up that need adding, I add them. There are monthly live lessons for these classes. See the list on the Dashboard. Dyeing is less often, as it happens on the fifth Tuesday of the month.

  9. Kim Hirt says

    Cindi,
    Could you go over saving our graphic projects outside of graphic? I have so many drawings done, I don’t want to lose all that work.
    Can I open graphic files in procreate?

    Thanks, Kim

  10. Patricia Peschman says

    Hi – I see you posted the next VOW as tomorrow the 20th. I had written down the 4th Monday at 7 pm not the 3rd. It is a bit weird this month as the third Wednesday was last week. I have a conflict tomorrow but I am open on the 27th which is when I was expecting the next VOW. Can you clarify?

    Thanks Pat

    • Cindi Gay says

      Always check the calendar. It depends on when the first lesson of the month is scheduled. Otherwise I was running into conflicts since there are 4 lessons during the month. You can subscribe to the calendar and bring it into your Google calendar (and turn it off and on as needed) for the easiest way to see the next date. It is NOT the fourth Monday of each month.

      The full year is scheduled in the calendar. This date has not changed since it was scheduled in December.

  11. Caprice Lawrence says

    I’m sure you’ve answered this multiple times. I heard you talk about your wire shelving that you use to store your wool. I believe you mentioned that they were 15 x 15 so that baskets from IKEA etc. would fit in them. I didn’t hear you say where you purchased those. Would you be able to share that information please? Than you, Caprice

    • Cindi Gay says

      I used to get them at Target (their own brand), but they have been discontinued. I’ve seen some on Amazon, but I have not personally bought them there. Watch for the sizes. Many are only 12″ x 12″ which I find awkward for storing wool. In the 15″ squares I can fold a full yard to lay flat and can store 2 stacks of my washed, ready to hook wool. Let me know if you find a good one so I can share it with everyone else.

    • Cindi Gay says

      Yes, I do recommend using Graphic, but if you don’t have an ipad you can do the same thing with tracing paper, tape and scissors. It takes a lot longer, but most people do not design more than a rug or two a year. I will add this to my list of future lessons.

  13. Cindi Gay says

    From Pat Peschman:

    You asked for questions for our Tuesday office hours. Here are a couple of mine.

    1). When you are hooking and complete an area but still have quite a bit of wool left on the strip do you ever loop it under 1 or more completed rows of hooking to get to an open space or do you always bring the end of the wool up and cut it off, restarting in the open space.

    2). How do you prevent the grippers on your frame from tearing out completed work when you take the piece off the frame to move it.

    3) How would you attach a label to a pillow?

  15. Linda knataitis says

    I’ve been doing something wrong, I’ve managed to rub the
    the edge of my right hand as well as those knuckles until they bleed on the rug warp. I was glad to see the question with the mole skin as the answer, so I will try that, but it must be something about the way I’m holding my hand as I hook. Suggestions?

  16. David Fuller says

    Hi, Cindi,
    I really wanted to join your beginner rug hooking class on October 8th. Unfortunately our younger daughter will be coming here from Boston. Will I be able to watch it even if I miss it?
    Best, David

    • Cindi Gay says

      This will be offered once a quarter if it is a success. Because I intend this to be specific to the people who attend, the replay may not be of any value. If the lesson is a good one that could be of value to anyone, I will post all or part of it.

  18. David Fuller Fuller says

    Hi, Cindi,
    It was so nice to join the zoom session. I have two questions:
    * What is the best finger protector? My hook has dug into my thumb and my third finger on the right gets sore. Right now I use moleskin.
    • Where can I get the pins to affix a rug to the wall?
    Best, Dave

  20. Becky Groff Groff says

    Cindi,
    I was thinking of doing a project where I leave part of the backing show between hooking. I would like to add some color to the backing. I wondered if there is a way to do the color prior to the hooking? Do you have a recommendation for how I might do that? Regular dye painted on? Thank you. Becky Groff

    • Cindi Gay says

      “Regular dye” would have to be a dye that works with the particular fiber of your backing, such as linen or cotton. Look for something suitable for fabric that does not make the fabric stiff. Any good craft store should have a few options. Good luck.

      In addition, if you have a wool that is too loose to cut up for strips, consider hooking into the wool. Just be careful not to stretch it too tight on your frame while you work and do not pack.

    • Cindi Gay says

      Click on the new icon, All Past Replays. I keep the current year on the first line because it makes it easy to get to. The rest are still available, but are accessible from the page you get to when you click the All Past Replays icon.

  22. Noel Payton says

    I was late in making up my mind (if I even have one!) to join the pencil case/purse so when I went to Amazon they were all sold out of the pencil cases. Are there any other sellers from whom I can buy?

  23. Donna McGraw says

    Hi Cindi,
    I was wounding if you could talk about hooking a monochromatic rug. Were fo you put your values? Hiw many values do you need to make the rug work and not get board when hooking it? I haven’t started my big rug yet. I was thinking about hooking it monochromatic using black.I like the chair pad I did but I think the big rug will be too busy with my furniture. I got the idea from the last book from rug hooking magazine by Donna Hrkman. I think it would be fun but I’m nervous about it too.

    • Cindi Gay says

      Do you own the Practical Color Planning Class? I talk about creating a value study and then using that to hook your rug. Those lessons would be helpful. When we Color Plan, we are actually Value Planning. Choose your color wisely. A cool black to gray is not for everyone, you might want to use something warmer. You could use beiges to brown, for instance.

  24. Kim Hirt says

    How do you use the pen tool?
    How do you get the shape tools to work and have a colored line? I can see them when I open up the line color tool, but then the lines of the shapes disappear when I close the tool.

  25. Patricia Doner says

    The other day you mentioned hooking with mottled, overdyed wool… this type of wool seems to be readily available now. Possibly due to the lack of textures out there. I’ve been hooking for about three years and have always wondered about hooking with mottled/splotchy wool. You mentioned pulling up a loop until you get the color you need for the area being hooked. I get it, but it sure seems like this mottled wool could be wasteful or a pain in the butt! LOL. I’m wondering if you could address this, since it seems our wool choices are going down this avenue.
    Thanks- pat

    Make it a great day!