‘Candle Glow’ is a little pattern I drew up in 2019; I knew the rainbow values could make a nice glow!

After the Rainbow Challenge, I had many noodles from the 4 swatches, but not every colour in every shade. I’ve used rainbow swatches on other projects, so I dug them up to add to the pile.

‘Dogwood’, design by Jane Flynn, hooked by Laura Pierce, 2017, taught by Roxanne Ross at WTW.

You can see the rainbow pastels in the white of the petals; they whisper shape and contour.

‘Rainbow Bubbles’ by Laura Pierce, 2010

Back in 2010, I was heading to Texas to teach at the Yellow Rose Rug Event! As a couple of my students wanted to hook bubbles, I needed to practice a few myself. I had hooked a few bubbles in my rug ‘Emmy’, so it had become part of my ‘repertoire’. However, since I was working from a photograph for Emmy’s bubbles, I didn’t really know what was involved in creating a bubble from scratch. I studied lots of photos and illustrations of bubbles and created this pattern to test my skill. First, I needed to dye my ‘bubble wool’ and it would be a rainbow of wool in several values.

Around this same time, I had created a box of dye recipes; using the 3 primary colours to create all the colours of the colour wheel, or a rainbow. Since soapy bubbles with light on them are covered with swirling rainbow colours, I knew that was what I wanted!

Rainbow of Dye Recipes: recipe cards with dyed samples attached, with the box of recipe cards.

Fast forward to 2020… I maintain a supply of Rainbow Pastel Swatches; up to 3 values. My supply was getting low, so I spent many days in July, dyeing 3 more swatch sets with 8 hues each! Gathering all my previous notes about dyeing these swatches, I made dyeing notes to dye each hue in 3 different values. However… when I was done dyeing, washing and drying my wool; I could see that there were some big value jumps. More figuring and more dyeing to create a fourth value…

Dyed wool sorted into 8 hue swatches; 1/3 yard pieces ready to be ripped and assembled into Rainbow Swatches! Previous swatches sit on top of each pile.

Satisfied with these four rainbow swatches, I used the dyed salvages to make new clean dye notes for each value. This way, next time will be a cinch!

Zooming with a small group of rug friends; I proposed a rainbow rug challenge. In my mind was a wonderful, large painting by Frank Stella, that I’d seen in an art show at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco. I shared this inspiration and my swatches with my friends; Laurie and Louise dyed up a wonderful gray swatch to complete our colour plan!

Painting by Frank Stella at the deYoung Museum, San Francisco, January 2019

“Visitors to Gallery 14 at the de Young immediately encounter the riot of geometric color that is Frank Stella’s impressive 12-foot-square painting, Lettre sur les aveugles II (1974). This vibrant work was the first of Stella’s paintings to enter the permanent collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.” from the de Young website.

We enjoyed the challenge and the inspiration. Frank Stella uses very saturated colour and my swatches are pastel. That was okay, because we didn’t want to copy his painting, just be inspired by his bold use of colour and various values of gray. I’m not a big fan of gray; I find it hard to work with as it seems to dull my colours. Frank Stella is using several values of gray and creating a glow! so how does that work? It was an informative challenge; letting us know which colours worked together, which ones spoiled the mood and which ones stole the show.

‘Circles & Bars’ by Laura Pierce, 2020

I had raindrops in mind and was going to use the beading stitch to use my colours with my gray. It worked until I got into the darker grays. Mud! I left it in for awhile, then replaced the darker middle section with green and blue. The second circle without beading was more successful. The third circle was big and came undone as I circled around, so I abandoned the circling and reverted to my favorite; ‘Random Fill’. Blending the colours made me much happier and I enjoyed seeing which combinations pleased me. Trying to only use the wool in the challenge, you’ll find a bit of dark purple masquerading as gray.

 

‘5 Little Caswells in a Row’ by Laura Pierce

I wanted to try hooking these little 8×8″ Caswell Squares and had an end piece of linen from a bolt. It was 60″ wide with 15″ left; so I figured I could fit 5 little 8×8″ squares on this narrow piece of linen.  I thought I might hook each square and cut them apart to finish as independent little wall hangings.  But then I wondered what it would be like to try and colour coordinate them all.  This was a challenge which led me to keep all 5 squares together.  Now that it’s finished; I find the long shape hard to hang.  It could be a table runner or placed on a bed… but why not over a bed?  It will be a challenge to hang, but definitely possible; a long sleeve, dowel and fishing line, or tacks into the wall.

Re-arranged: 5 Caswells Squares in a vertical arrangement.

It would be easier to hang as a long piece; instead of a wide long piece.  Next time!

 

Okay… not the Fourth… but the Fifth.  Cinco de Mayo!

Colouring landscape designs…

Preparing for a workshop with Brigitta Phy: Wonderscapes! I have selected several of my landscape photographs… this one of Mt.Shasta coming home from Western Teachers’ Workshop in Eugene Oregon. Brigitta and I travel together and this photograph is probably from a stretch of Hwy 5, south of Yreka. Mt.Shasta is majestic and in our sights for a bit of our trip there and home. I will probably just hook this pattern with leftover bits… noodles… my preference.

Golden Gate with Alcatraz Island

Another photograph I took on a ferry ride from San Francisco to Tiburon and home, is a possible Wonderscape! I look forward to using lots of colour in this rug design!  The Prang colour pencils blend with each other… very fun for colouring!

Diamonds: 3 spaces over, 2 spaces up.

A diamond pattern: fun to colour plan.

starting with warm colours; yellow, orange and red…

then working into the cool colours: green, blue and purple.

Just using cool colours; but shading them dark to light

… so much more interesting!

My pattern for our ‘Janet Conner’ workshop.

We tried to think of a family sayings for our patterns… this was based on a ‘jump rope’ rhyme.

with added Hutchinson motifs…

Janet Conner sent me copies of Hutchinson roses, pointed hands, a mustached man, a cherub and a lady with glasses, plus many more. It makes the pattern more fun, and I’m happy with the design!

PT at home: Rufus supervises in top right section. i’m on a rolled up braided rug, barely visible under my head.

This is a most important exercise for my hooking arm. I have to hold it… or stretch it for 1 minute. I have other ‘neck’ exercises from the PT group that i do… on the rolled up braided rug it’s very comfortable. Delightful, actually!

Kirby delights in seeing Rufus hang out with me when I do my PT stretches, and took this photo.

‘Tibetan Dragons’ adapted and hooked by Laura Pierce

A second go around on the ‘Tibetan Dragons’… this time with lemon yellow texture outlining and diminishing turquoise background. It’s very nice in person; not so photographed…

‘Parisian Gate’ design by Cynthia Norwood, hooked by Laura Pierce

A fun class at ATHA Biennial 2019 – Denver! Cynthia had us divide into 3 groups to gather our wools. She was beyond generous… and gave us lots of wide-cut advice! I had to mix it up once I got home, though I don’t think I improved the colour plan.

‘Beauty of Primitive’ design by Cynthia Norwood hooked by Laura Pierce

Cynthia’s ATHA challenge; a pattern in an early 2019 issue of ATHA magazine… I couldn’t resist… Pussy willows are a favorite of mine! It was actually a contest and my version won!! Thank you all who voted!

‘3 Crow Rose’ designed and hooked by Laura Pierce 2008

Use what you need!
1 more loop or not!  Don’t pack your loops; 1 more loop can distort your design.  Don’t finish the strip ‘just cause’, don’t squeeze in 1 more loop; use what you need and cut.

(I distorted my big crow’s beak… by putting in 1 too many #8 loops.  Someday, I will rehook it.)

‘An end, a loop and an end’
In wide-cut, every loop is visible and every end counts for something too.  An end can be the tip of a leaf, the tail of a paisley or the last bit of a smile!

‘Cathy’s Tulips” designed and hooked by Laura Pierce 2011

(Several leaf tips in ‘Cathy’s Tulips’ are just the end of a strip.  Ends can be used to make a line of colour, or light, or dark.)

‘Random Fill’ or ‘Higgledy-Piggledy’!
Michelle Silver calls it ‘2 o-clock 4 o-clock’; Monika Jones calls it ‘messy hooking’. Using wide-cut, we twist each loop away from the previous.  I call it ‘Random Fill’ and find that I have to use a 90 degree turn in my hook, traveling back and forth at an angle, going this way and that; it is a great technique for blending colours and values.  It gives you freedom from orderly loops; you can put ‘em where you need ‘em!  In backgrounds, it blends spots and makes a great texture.

(‘Cathy’s Tulips’ also illustrates the difference between straight hooking and random fill.  the background is 1 piece of spot dyed wool, but the random fill technique allows easy blending.  The glass table is hooked straight across which gives it a flat look reflecting the sky and vase.)

‘Harvest Moon’ designed and hooked by Laura Pierce 2009

(The moon in this pattern is about 10″ tall; a lot of going around hooking. I much prefer the random fill technique as it blends and creates a mottled look.)

‘Beauty line and Signature’
Hook in your signature and the date in subtle colours.  Before you get to the edge, hook an outline around your piece, often called a ‘beauty line’; it makes it easier to finish the edge.

(I like to sign my rugs; in the hooked part and on the back with a label.  A ‘beauty line’ is a line hooked around the edge of your rug.  Do this before you get to the edge, so you can hook up to it.  Sometimes the beauty line can be a complimentary colour, sometimes it can match the area next to it, and sometimes I’ll use bits of scrap colour from the rug.)

‘Rose Eye Crow’ designed and hooked by Laura Pierce 2012

(This rug has 2 ‘beauty lines’ because after finishing the inside part, I decided to keep going; adding a border to break into!)

(All of these rugs have my signature, but no date. The date is on the label, but I may start hooking it into my rugs again.)

 

Mt.Rainier August 2000 photographed by Laura Pierce

To create depth or perspective in a painting or rug, there are several things that cue your eyes and brain to see depth. In this photo of Mt.Rainier, the red flowers in the front are as big as the flag flying in the distance. we know the flag is bigger than the flowers… so our brain knows that the flag is farther back.  The mountain behind is HUGE… but shorter than the flag pole? No, but mountains seem shorter the further away they are, because the earth is curved.

Rock Pillars at Zion September 2004 photographed by Laura Pierce

A lovely visit to Zion; the cliffs are beautifully carved by the Virgin River. This landscape shows the depth by the colour; the trees and stone pillars in front are detailed and vividly coloured, as the pillars behind are more dull in colour and the pillars way behind are pastel. This indicates distance between the stone pillars and our brain knows. Fog or smog can create this softening of colours too.

Mexican Sage at Sundawg Vineyards October 2004 photographed by Laura Pierce

A glorious spray of Mexican Sage competes with the glorious yellow vineyard. Colour also plays a part in creating depth; warm colours advance or come forward, cool colours recede or fall back. Also, light or bright colours advance and dark or dull colours recede. The sage is up front and detailed, while the vineyard is behind and indistinct, but that warm colour of the vineyard grabs your attention and keeps your eyes moving back and forth… never a dull moment!

Nicasio Curve 2019 photographed by Laura Pierce

Another cue is a Vanishing Line; think railroad tracks disappearing into the horizon. Here the curving road leads you into the scene. From there you are lead to look at the cows all pointing to the church, while the hills roll and the sky wisps!

Golden Gate Bridge from Greens Spring 2003 photographed by Laura Pierce

Here the windows lead us into the view outside. The window also frames our view and is quite detailed and vivid. The boats get smaller as they are farther away and Mt.Tamalpias is a very pastel blue in the distance.

Buster Brown designed and hooked by Laura Pierce

My 2nd rug needed a border, so I tried some faux wood on 2 sides.

‘Stained Glass Landscape’ design by Jane Flynn hooked by Laura Pierce

Windows can have a stained glass border; why not a rug?

‘Helen’s Wild Roses’ designed and hooked by Laura Pierce

I had fun adding this ‘hit & miss’ border; sticking with green noodles. It almost has a stained glass look!

‘Floral’ design by Jane Flynn hooked by Sarah Province

Sarah put her rug in a gold frame… wow!

‘Lady Liberty’ designed and hooked by Pat Merikallio

Pat loves to frame her rugs with custom borders which say alot about the rug!

‘Polly and Michael’ designed and hooked by Pat Merikallio

The outlined roses in the border seem to whisper in a blue lavender spot…

Some of us like to add a border, especially if there’s enough ‘burlap’ left.

Caswell Strawberry Basket adapted and hooked by Laura Pierce

Outline & Fill is a fun way to hook a rug. The outline is the lay out; then you get to fill with colour! You can fill with values or plaids or spots or scraps! I love outlining with a fine cut of gold texture; then filling with a wider cut… it resembles Cloisonne; metal and ceramic glaze. I used the gold texture through out this rug.

Caswell Puff Flowers adapted and hooked by Laura Pierce

In this Caswell Impression, I used different coloured outlines to enhance each motif. An outline of one colour has influence on it’s ‘fill’ colour.

Caswell Loving Couple adapted and hooked by Laura Pierce

Even in hooking miniatures, I need that outline to get things started. Looks like the lady’s nose was too big, because there are few loops of outlining missing!  Yes… sometimes my outlining is a holding line and can be eliminated.

8 miniatures adapted and hooked by Laura Pierce

These miniatures are 2″w x 2.5″h. Not much room for detail, so just a suggestion of each feature. Outlined with beige, filled with skin tones and a bit of pink.

View at Elk: a Wonderscape, designed and hooked by Laura Pierce

Ala Brigitta Phy’s Wonderscape design class; lots of outlining and patterning, plus fun colouring.

Outlining just adds another dimension; it can spark up or tone down, as needed.

 

Stormy waves at Rockaway Beach

My little class and I got together on-line, via Zoom. it’s an App that is being used for classrooms all over during our Shelter-in-place situation.
One of our class members has been using Zoom to visit with her family, so she was quite familiar with the program and was helpful and steadying.

Pegasus designed and hooked by Pat Merikallio

When hooking a white or black motif, we need to use other colours and/or textures to illustrate folds, shadows and highlights to create 3 dimensional-ness. Pat Merikallio creates this magnificent white flying horse with pastel wools! Pat’s use of colour has been an inspiration to me!

‘Dogwood’ design by Jane Flynn, hooked by Laura Pierce

I used my pastel swatch in this white floral project. I hooked alone lines in the dogwood pedals and then filled with white. Colour gives life… liveliness.

‘Ohio Snow’ design by Emma Webber, hooked by Laura Pierce

My black crows are outlined in a bright blue and filled with flat black and dark textures. Black needs colour just like white or grey.

 

‘Forest Crow’ design by Wm Morris, hooked by Laura Pierce: close-up

Another crow, but outlined in a colourful spot and filled with black.

‘Hank’ pattern by Laura Pierce

I would start this project by hooking Hanks’s eyes and nose. Then the lines… a colourful spot or plaid for lines in the dark part and pastel colours or plaid in the light sections.