VOW 2024 — Second Half

Think back to the last time that you attended a 4 day workshop where you packed and traveled to a destination, unpacked, checked into the hotel and then shared the teacher with 14 other students.

The teacher might give a lecture, then split her time between 15 students. This continued over the next few days. On the last day, most of the time was spent settling bills and final questions.

So, how much time did you actually get with that teacher? How much did you learn?

How fast did you hook? Did you get answers to all the questions on your rug? Do you even know where the trouble spots are? Four days is not enough.

What happens when you get home and you have more questions? FYI- I encourage my in-person workshop students to join The Rug Hooking Journey Membership and ask questions during Office Hours, which happens every week. Most teachers do not offer followup.

How tired are you? Travel is exhausting.

What happens if you get sick? You miss the whole thing. Maybe it is just a headache one afternoon. You still miss a large percentage of the workshop — and there is no recording.

How much did you spend on food and travel during your week? Add that to the total.

What if you cannot travel due to an event at home you want to attend?

What if you have loved ones you need to care for and you CANNOT travel?

You do not need one more rug to start. You have plenty of rugs that need finishing. At most workshops, you have to start a new rug each time. It is rare to find a class that will let you hook your own pattern, let alone bring one that is already started.

Sure, rug camp is great fun, but it can also be hard to learn. What if you get stuck sitting in a seat where you really cannot see what the teacher is demonstrating? What if you sit next to a chatterbox and you need to choose who to be polite to, your table mate or the teacher? Ideally, the teacher would handle that problem, but it does not always happen.

By now you have a good idea of what the week cost you in terms of dollars, energy and other missed opportunities.

What is the alternative?

VOW = Virtual Online Workshop. This is the online alternative you have been looking for. The workshop happens over 12 months. All you need is the Zoom app to attend.

If you miss several lessons, you will still have more time with the teacher than you do in a live workshop.

No travel at all.

You can even attend while you sick. You can leave your camera off and stay in bed.

You have time to think. You can take the time you need with the rug.

Because you will be eavesdropping in the consultations with the other students in the class, you will learn even if you don’t have a question of your own.

Replays will be posted in the course so even if you cannot attend at all, you can still watch after the fact.

A simple click of a button marks the lesson complete. You will know exactly where you left off watching the replays.

You have all the time you need to watch the replays. You will not lose access when the year ends.

Save money. A workshop is expensive! Use the savings to buy more wool.

Work on WIP’s (Work In Progress) or start as many rugs as you like. There are no limits. YOU decide what we talk about during class.

Got a question that is not related to a rug? You can ask me anything, such as designing a new pattern, dyeing, or simply running an idea by me. You got me for 90 minutes (or longer if needed) twice a month. Most classes end after about one hour due to lack of further questions.

What is VOW?

The Virtual Online Workshop is a Zoom meeting where you can attend EVERY meeting (or watch the raw recording) and where you get to be the focus of the meeting on a schedule that works for you.

For instance, you can cluster your focus lessons at the beginning of the year and then still watch the remaining lessons, or you can schedule 1/2 of your focus lessons in January, one in June and the rest in the fall. It is all up to you.

What VOW is not…

VOW (Virtual Online Workshop) is NOT a workshop where I tell you where to put each wool. I do not color plan your rug FOR YOU, but I give you the tools to color plan it yourself –– with my help. It is a workshop where we can discuss your ideas and I will teach you tools that will help you to figure it out on your own. My goal is that every project will teach you a skill that you can use in all your future work.

You will leave this workshop with at least one rug that is better than if you hooked it alone. Once you complete one rug you can ask about your next project. You will. leave this workshop as a better rug hooker.

VOW is Not for you if…

If you expect me to figure it out for you and you are not willing to do the “homework” then the VOW is not for you. The homework is not on a rigid schedule. YOU decide when it gets done. If you need more time, just reschedule your focus session.

If you are willing to put in the work and really think about your project, you will make great progress in your rug hooking journey.

Watch the Show & Tell from March 13 to learn more about what you can expect from the workshop.

Please note that each year is purchased separately and DOES NOT renew automatically, but current alumni are given early access to enroll for the next year.

When does it happen?

On the first and third Tuesday of the Month at 5:30pm eastern, generally after the weekly Office Hours lesson (a Rug Hooking Journey Membership benefit) ends.

Get help as often as you like, or just drop in to see what everyone else is working on. Videos are recorded so you can watch when it is convenient to you.