Rug Hooking FAQ, part 2
Deborah Merriam
Part 2 of 3
Last modified: 31 October 1995
Expires: 31 January 1996
keywords: FAQ, crafts, textiles, rugs, hooked, books, suppliers,
guilds, schools, care, cleaning, restoration
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1
I. Introduction
(a) Copyright Notice
(b) Introduction
(c) How To Retrieve This Document
(d) Acknowledgements
(e) Change Log
II. Description of Traditional Rug Hooking
III. Tips on Rug Cleaning, Care, and Restoration
IV. Other Computer Resources
(a) Electronic Publications
(b) WorldWideWeb Page
(c) Newsgroups
(d) Design Tools
(e) Bulletin Boards Devoted To Rug Hooking
(f) Other Services
Part 2
V. Annotated Bibliography
Part 3
VI. A Hooker's Address Book
(a) Publishers
(b) Suppliers
(c) Guilds and Schools
(d) Permanent Exhibits of Hooked Rugs
I. INTRODUCTION
(a) COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER
This compilation is Copyright (C) 1995 by Deborah Merriam.
It may be freely redistributed in its entirety provided that all headers,
credits, and this and other disclaimers remain intact. Permission is
hereby granted for noncommercial use by electronic bulletin
board/conference systems, individuals, and libraries. Permission is
granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from
installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the
Internet. This document may not be sold for profit or incorporated in
commercial documents without the written permission of the copyright
holder. Notification of the FAQ-maintainer at
(dmer...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca) of redistribution or archival of this
document would be appreciated.
The information in this document is made available AS IS. No warranty is
made about its correctness or completeness.
Nothing in this article represents the views of The University of Alberta.
The FAQ-maintainer (Deborah Merriam) does not receive any financial gain
or monetary remuneration from the distribution of this document.
(b) INTRODUCTION
This document was born out of my fascination with this historic art form,
and my frustration in trying to learn to hook without a teacher. I hope it
will help other novices get started without having to reinvent the wheel.
I also hope this document will be a valuable resource for veteran hookers
who are trying to find a rare material or the perfect design.
I'm no expert, just an enthusiastic beginner - so if you have any
additions, corrections, or suggestions for improvement to this document,
please send them to me (dmer...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca). Future versions of
this document will benefit from your wisdom! Please let me know how you
wish to appear in the Acknowledgements (by name only, name and email,name
and city, name and snail-mail, or some combination of the above).
Happy hooking! =) Deborah Merriam
(c) HOW TO RETRIEVE THIS DOCUMENT
Please check the "Expires" date at the beginning of this document. Has it
passed? If so, chances are good that some information listed here is out
of date. The latest version is available in the following ways:
(1) Usenet
The rug hooking FAQ is posted around the 20th of every third month to the
newsgroup rec.crafts.textiles.misc. I will eventually be submitting this
document to the *.answers moderators so that it will also be posted to
news.answers and rec.answers.
(2) WorldWideWeb
Both plain text and HTML versions of this document are archived at HOOKED!
(The Traditional Rug Hooking Home Page):
http://gpu.srv.ualberta.ca/~dmerriam/hooked.html
There is also a pointer to a plain text version of the FAQ in the WWW home
page for the P.E.I. Crafts Council:
http://www.crafts-council.pe.ca/Welcome.html
(3) By Anonymous FTP
Compressed versions of the two-part plain text FAQ are available by
anonymous FTP at the site maintained by the P.E.I. Crafts Council. Please
try to restrict FTP access to after business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Atlantic Time), if possible; they have a slow machine and a slow Internet
connection.
ftp://gus.crafts-council.pe.ca/pub/RugMaking/FAQ.part1.Z
ftp://gus.crafts-council.pe.ca/pub/RugMaking/FAQ.part2.Z
(4) By Gopher
Users can point their gopher clients at "gopher.crafts- council.pe.ca"
(also maintained by the P.E.I. Crafts Council) and then select "Other
crafts-related information" and then "Rug Hooking: Frequently Asked
Questions." The URLs are thus:
gopher://gopher.crafts-council.pe.ca:70/00/other/RugMaking/ FAQ.part1
gopher://gopher.crafts-council.pe.ca:70/00/other/RugMaking/ FAQ.part2
Finally, you can obtain a copy via e-mail by writing to me at
(dmer...@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca).
IV. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
These books fall into three main categories: How-To, Design Inspiration,
and History. I've included any reference books I could find, even ones I
didn't like, with the reasoning that it may be perfect for your purposes.
The annotations list features of the book, and are liberally sprinkled
with the opinions of the reviewers. I have not annotated books which have
not been reviewed by myself or another FAQ contributor. I've put an
asterisk beside my favourites and the "industry standards" (found in
Suggested Reading lists in other books). They're organized alphabetically
by author or editor. All opinions are mine, unless otherwise noted.
Please note that this list is NOT complete - there are certainly, for
example, many booklets and manuals on dyeing that are missing. If you run
across a book that I've missed, or have comments on the ones I've included
("This book has a great section on X techniques," or "I found these
directions very easy/difficult to follow," or "Please remove this useless
thing from the list"), please write to me and tell me all about it!
Adrosko, Rita J. Natural Dyes and Home Dyeing: A Practical Guide With Over
150 Recipes. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, NY. 1971. ISBN
0-486-22688-3. (Originally published in 1968 as United States National
Museum Bulletin 281, "Natural Dyes in the United States").
This book contains excellent historical information (focussed on the
practices of European settlers in the U.S.), a section on colour theory,
and clearly written instructions for dyeing both wool and cotton using
natural dyestuffs.
Allen, Max. Rags To Riches - Canadian Hooked Rugs. 1978.
Allen, Edith Louise. Rugmaking Craft. Manual Arts Press, Peoria, Illinois.
1946.
Ashworth, Anne. Chroma-Craft.
Booklet of formulas for dyeing transitional swatches, i.e. from a
dark shade of one dye to a light shade of another, and for dyeing
backgrounds.
Ashworth, Anne and Armstrong, Jean. Green Mountain Colours. Green Mountain
Rug School, Randolf Center, VT. 1985.
Bartlett, Marlene and Baker/Dykens, Barbara. Nova Scotia Formula Book.
(Booklet of formulas for Majic Carpet dyes.)
* Batchelder, Martha R. The Art of Hooked-Rug Making. Manual Arts Press,
Peoria, Illinois. 1947. reprinted, 1983, Down East Books, Camden, Maine.
ISBN 0-89272-138-3.
The author encourages readers to design their own rugs, and gives
excellent and practical advice on designing rugs with traditional motifs.
The book also contains a number of suggested projects for beginners, set
up in Lessons instead of chapters. The age of the book shows in the
suggested colour combinations and in the writing style.
* Beatty, Alice and Sargent, Mary. Basic Rug Hooking, 2nd Ed. (First
published as The Hook Book) Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. 1990.
A great book of help for learning to hook rugs in the primitive
style. Some good information on dyeing; however, the authors recommend
using both salt *and* vinegar to set the dyes (Please use salt *or*
vinegar, since having both in the same solution will produce hydrochloric
acid that will damage the fabric). Especially great advice on hooking
various motifs and working with reclaimed woolens. Peggy Struwe writes,
"As a beginner, I found this book very good ... Although, I think more
advanced hookers would like the pictures, patterns, and dye information."
Beitler, Ethel Jane. Create With Yarn: Hooking Stitchery. International
Textbook Company, Scranton, PA. 1964.
This book contains a thorough chapter on traditional and
punch-hooking using yarn, and a fun chapter on design inspiration, in
addition to chapters on embroidery, applique, tapestry, and knotted
(latch-hook) rugmaking techniques.
Beitler, Ethel Jane. Hooked and Knotted Rugs. Sterling Publishing Co. 1973.
Bethco Productions. Primitive rug hooking made easy [video]. Bethco
Productions, Livonia, MI. 1990.
Betterton, Sheila. Rugs from The American Museum In Britain. The American
Museum in Britain, Bath, England. 1981. ISBN 0-9504971-6-9.
This small volume includes a short description and excellent
history of the various historic rugmaking techniques, with a long section
on hooked rugs. This is followed by colour photos of the rugs in the
museum's collection, the majority of which are hooked.
Bishop, Robert and Secord, William. Quilts, Coverlets, Rugs and Samplers.
Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY. 1982.
* Blumenthal, Betsy and Kreider, Kathryn. Hands on Dyeing. Interweave
Press, Loveland, CO. 1988.
* Boswell, Thom (Ed.). The Rug Hook Book. Lark Books/Sterling Publishing
Co., New York, NY. 1992.
One of my favourites. This book contains a gallery of contemporary
artists with gorgeous colour plates, an excellent section on techniques, a
number of projects, and an appendix of patterns taken from the books of
Kent, Kopp & Kopp, and McGown. Jill Minehart writes, "I especially liked
the section where individual hookers "speak" and some of their work is
shown." Cheryl Kellman adds, "The benefit of this book is the wide range
of classic charts.... I love this book and will definitely keep it in my
permanent collection."
Bowles, Ella Shannon. Homespun Handicrafts. J.B.Lippincott, Philadelphia.
1931.
Bowles, Ella Shannon. Handmade Rugs. Garden City Publishing Company, Inc.,
New York, NY. 1937. Little, Brown & Company, Boston, MA. 1927.
This wide-ranging book is primarily about traditional rug-hooking,
but it also has chapters on braided, plaited, knit, crochet, patchwork,
button, cross-stitch, woven, and embroidered rug-making. In the chapters
about hooked rugs, there's information on history, designs, colour
schemes, natural dyeing, how to hook, and collecting. If you're interested
in natural dyes, or you're a history buff, this is a great book.
Boyle. Designing for Traditional Rug Hooking.
Boyle, Joan. The Dye Manual. Self-published (P.O. Box 1162, Prescott, ON,
CANADA, K0E 1T0), 1983.
This booklet was recommended to me as a great collection of dyeing
techniques. It contains an introduction to colour theory, information on
Cushing Perfection Dyes, and a wide assortment of techniques. It's
well-organized and easy to follow, and the author cites other booklets for
more information on each technique.
Brescia, Laverne E. Scrolls Are Easy.
Booklet of formulas for coathanger dyeing (a method for dip dyeing).
Burton, Mary Sheppard. Educational Standards for Traditionally Hooked
Work. Self-published (21600 Davis Mill Rd., Germantown, MD 20874), 1977.
* The Canadian Museum of Carpets and Textiles. (1) Hooked Rugs: A Canadian
Tradition. [exhibition catalogue] The Canadian Museum of Carpets and
Textiles, Toronto, ON. 1975. (Max Allen and Simon Waegemaekers, curators;
first shown at Ottawa Public Library, July 2-30, 1975 as part of Festival
Canada) (2) Canadian Hooked Rugs: 2 November 1977 to 29 January 1978,
McCord Museum. [exhibition catalogue] McCord Museum, Montreal, PQ. 1977.
(Max Allen, guest curator)
Short and sweet! Both booklets are brimming with black-and-white
photos, charming quotes and anecdotes from secondary sources, and
scholarly historical discussion with a Canadian bent. Did you know that
Emily Carr hooked rugs? Well, now you do.
Carlson, Helen G. The Technique of Rug Hooking. (around 1950)
Casselman, Karen Leigh. Craft of the Dyer.
A great book on natural dyes.
Charleson, Connie. Rug Hookers Dye Manual. Privately published (9920
Weiskopf Dr., New Port Richey, FL 34655), 1974.
Contains clear instructions for dyeing swatches by the jar- dyeing
technique, 60 formulas using Cushing's dyes, and advice on shading flowers
with charts and colour sketches.
* Chiasson, Anselme (Ed.) The History of Cheticamp Hooked Rugs and their
Artisans. Lescarbot Publications, Yarmouth, NS. 1988. ISBN 0-921443-11-0.
(researched by Annie-Rose Deveau and translated by Marcel LeBlanc; a
project of La Societe Saint-Pierre de Cheticamp).
A warm and unique history, if eccentric (Father Chiasson leans a bit
heavily on religious anecdotes). Short on technical information (the
hookers of Cheticamp have trade secrets to protect, after all), but the
photos are lovely.
Coss, Melinda and Soudan, Sylvie. Magic Carpets. William Collins Sons &
Co. Ltd., Toronto, Ont. 1989.
Contains 30 designs with colour photos, meant for latch-hooking or
cross-stitch but easily adaptable. No mention of traditional hand hooking.
Cheryl Kellman writes, " This book mainly concentrates on design rather
than technique. I find it very inspirational and colorful."
Cox, Clarisse. see: McLain, Clarisse Cox.
Cox, Verna and Moshimer, Joan. Hooking And Braiding (video). Cox
Enterprises, Bucksport, ME. 1993.
Craig, Catherine. Rug Hooking: Here's How. (around 1950)
Crouse, Gloria E. Hooking Rugs: New materials, new techniques (book and
companion video). Taunton Press, Newtown, CT. 1990.
In the video, she discusses various techniques and materials, shows
two projects, and shows a sampler of her finished pieces. The book has a
nice photo gallery, in addition to the how-to stuff. She doesn't use a
hand hook - her interest is in speed needles and punch needles - but her
approach to using off-beat materials may appeal to hand hook users as
well. I'd advise against painting latex on the back of your rugs like she
does (see section III).
Cuyler, Susanna. The High-Pile Rug Book. Harper & Row, Publishers, New
York, NY. 1974.
Describes many different methods of hooking (hand, latch-hook, punch
needle, shuttle hook, speed hooks, etc.).
Davies, Ann. Rag Rugs. Henry Holt & Company Inc., New York, NY. 1992.
Contains a nice techniques section and lots of pretty photos, and
instructions for 12 projects. She mostly focuses on hand hooking, but
other rug making techniques are also used.
de Roos, Claire. How to Dye for Stained Glass Effect.
* DiFranza, Happy and DiFranza, Steve. Hooking Fine Gifts. Stackpole
Books, Harrisburg, PA. 1992.
Contains an excellent how-to section, 16 projects with colour photos,
a glossary, and a list of suppliers.
Dunn, Adele. How To Design Your Own Rug-Hooking Patterns.
Eaton, Allen H. Handicrafts of New England. Harper, New York, NY. 1949.
Eberlein, Harold Donaldson and McClure, Abbot. Practical Book of Early
American Arts and Crafts. 1916.
Ebi, Dotti. Scraps or Spots: 115 Formulas For Rug Hooking. Self-published
(501 Kingsbury, Dearborn, MI 48128). 1979.
Clearly written instructions and Cushing's Perfection dye formulas
for overdyeing and spot-dyeing reclaimed woolens or leftover fabrics.
Elliot, Jane. Color Flow.
Booklet of formulas for dyeing transitional swatches, i.e. from a
dark shade of one dye to a light shade of another.
Fallier, Jeanne H. Traditional Rug Hooking Manual. The Rugging Room,
Westford, MA. 1983.
Felcher, Cecilia. The Complete Book of Rug Making: Folk Methods and Ethnic
Designs. Hawthorne Books, Inc., New York, NY. 1975.
Contains a chapter on hooked rugs, along with many other rugmaking
techniques, and a chapter on dyeing. The chapter on hooked rugs introduces
the use of hand hooks, punch hooks, and speed hooks, but doesn't discuss
any of them thoroughly. Contains a number of charted designs.
Femiano, Ellen. Ellen's "No Sweat" Dyeing or Simplified Quantity Dyeing.
Self-published (Folk Art Studio, 6052 Cedar Wood Dr., Columbia, MD
21044), 1991.
According to the ads, this booklet compiles and standardizes the
formulas from ten other dyeing booklets.
* Field, Jeanne. Shading Flowers: The Complete Guide for Rug Hookers. 1991.
Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. 1991. ISBN 0-8117-3081-6.
Boy, am I impressed! This book includes chapters on basic technique
and equipment, shading techniques, dyeing techniques often used for floral
rugs (swatches, dip-dyeing, spot-dyeing, and background dyeing) with
formulas for dyeing a bunch of gorgeous flower colours using Cushing's
dyes, drying and pressing flowers to use for inspiration, and other
helpful hints. But the bulk of the book is devoted to the flowers
themselves, arranged alphabetically from Anemone to Violet. For each
flower, the author gives a little background information, describes its
shape and colouration, and gives clear instructions for how to hook it
with the aid of excellent shaded and numbered diagrams. If you're
yearning to try a finely shaded floral rug, this is the book for you!
* Fischer, Jeanne. Dye Reference Cross Index. privately published, 1983.
One easy way to achieve colour harmony in a rug is to use a group of
dye formulas that share a common dye. According to a review in "The Rug
Hooker, News & Views", the author has compiled a list of formulas from
common dye books and sorted them by dyes used. Sounds terrific!
Fleming, Edna. (1) 101 Formulas for Casserole Dyeing, 1965. (2) Spray
Dyeing.
Fretz. Hooking Rugs.
Grice, Doris. How to Dye for the Rug Hooking Craft.
Booklet of formulas for dyeing transitional swatches, i.e. from a
dark shade of one dye to a light shade of another.
Haight, Dorothy. Oriental Dye Formulas. Self-published (P.O. Box 959,
Picton, ON, CANADA, K0K 2T0).
Hallen, Julienne. Folk Art Designs. 1949.
Hansen, Jacqueline. For the Joy of Hooking. (video) Jacqueline Designs,
Scarborough, ME. 1990.
Hicks, Amy Mali. The Craft of Hand-Made Rugs. 1914. Empire State Book
Company, New York, NY. 1936.
Hicks, Lydia. Triple Over Dye, Books I and II. (booklets of dyeing
formulas and techniques). Privately published (The Triple Over Dye Family,
187 Jane Dr., Syracuse, NY 13219).
* Hornafius, Pat. Country Rugs: How To Design and Hook Traditional Wool
Rugs and Hangings. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. 1992. ISBN
0-8117-3042-5.
Contains excellent advice on design and technique, a section on rug
care and supply sources, and 14 patterns with colour photos. Focuses on
primitive hooking. The advice she gives on cleaning, repairing, and
hanging your rugs is especially good. My only complaints are that she uses
salt and vinegar simultaneously in her dyeing (which will form
hydrochloric acid that will weaken the fabric), and she has a wee tendency
to underestimate the savvy of rural folk ("All these effects were
unintentional, I'm sure..."). The author also has made how-to videos on
hooking and dyeing, which are available from her shop.
Hornafius, Pat. Victorian Cottage Rugs: How to Hook 16 Traditional
Patterns. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. 1995.
Johnson, B., Lavitt, W., and Anderson, A. American Classics: Hooked Rugs
from the Barbara Johnson Collection. (exhibition catalogue) Squibb
Gallery, NJ. 1988.
Johnson, Mary Elizabeth. Rugs. Oxmoor House Inc., Birmingham, England.
1979.
Contains a chapter on hand hooking, among many other rug-making
techniques.
Kelley, Hazel Reeder. ABC of Rug Making. 1947 pamphlet.
* Kent, William Winthrop. (1) The Hooked Rug. Tudor Publishing, New York.
1937. Reprint: Gale Research, Detroit. 1971. (2) Rare Hooked Rugs. The
Pond-Ekberg Company, Springfield, Mass. 1941. (3) Hooked Rug Design. The
Pond-Ekberg Company, Springfield, Mass. 1949. (4) A Primer of Hooked Rug
Design. 1941 pamphlet.
Kent's theories regarding the origin of rug hooking were embraced at
the time and are still widely quoted in some histories. He developed his
theories on the history of rug hooking in (1), based on his correspondence
with some charming English aquain tances (who naturally assumed that the
craft had originated there) and on the examples of old rugs which he had
catalogued (many of which are yarn-sewn, not hooked, and most of which
were grossly misdated, according to today's experts). Today, the experts
seem to agree that hooking arose in New England or Atlantic Canada, and
reject Kent's shaky evidence for a European origin. (It kind of bugs me
that these theories were so influential - as if a European origin gave rug
hooking a legitimacy that it couldn't hope to attain as a Colonial
handcraft, or as if the colonists couldn't have been ingenious enough to
come up with the technique themselves! How insulting!)
Speculation aside, these books are a fun read (lots of cool
anecdotes), and a great source of design inspiration, with photos and
sketches in both colour and black & white. Kent includes advice on how to
hook, rug collecting, and rug cleaning in (1); in (2), he focuses on
historic designs; and (3) contains a large section of his own impressive
designs.
* Ketchum, William C. Hooked Rugs: a historical and collector's guide: how
to make your own. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York, NY. 1976. ISBN
0-15-142168-4.
Overall, this is an *excellent* book. It contains: a wide- ranging
history of rug hooking, with lots of region-specific information (although
I noticed some small blunders for the Canadian info - Garretts only opened
a branch in Massachusetts, rather than moving there, and the Acadians of
Cheticamp would be very offended to be called Quebecois!); information on
types of designs, and excellent advice for collectors; a section of
techniques (primarily punch-needle, with a very brief mention of the
traditional hook) by Richard Flynn; a photo gallery of rugs; and a gallery
of patterns taken from antique rugs. If you have a history bug (like me),
you're starting a collection, or you find inspiration in antique designs,
this book is for you!
King, Mrs. Harry. How To Hook Rugs. Baker & Taylor, New York, NY. 1948.
The Author, Batesville, Arkansas. 1949.
Koehler, Doris H. Color & Contour For Hooked Rugs.
* Kopp, Joel and Kopp, Kate. American Hooked and Sewn Rugs: Folk Art
Underfoot. E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., New York, NY. 1st edition, 1975. 2nd
edition, revised and enlarged, 1985.
Wow. This book is lavishly illustrated, and knowledgeably discusses
hooked rugs as a folk art, with relatively unbiased historical notes. It
also contains a great bibliography for you history buffs, and a short
section on how to hook and how to care for your rugs.
Lambert, Patricia, Staepelaere, Barbara, and Fry, Mary G. Color and Fiber.
Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Westchester, PA. 1986.
Landreau, A. America Underfoot. Smithsonian. 1976.
Langenberg, Ella. Stitching, Crocheting and Hooked Rug Making. Holden, New
York, NY. 1941.
* Lawless, Dorothy. Rug Hooking and Braiding for Pleasure and Profit. Thomas
Y. Crowell Company, New York, NY. 1952. Revised edition, 1962.
What a classic! This little book is packed with helpful hints for
everyone from beginner to teacher - with excellent notes on dyeing,
designing, hooking pictorials, hooking fruit and flowers and leaves and
scrolls, colour planning, rug care, marketing rugs, and teaching classes.
There are also excellent how-to chapters on planning and braiding rugs or
rug borders, and the revised edition includes additional chapters with
hints on trends, dye techniques, and project ideas popular at that time.
The photos are all black-and-white.
* Linsley, Leslie and Aron, Jon. Hooked Rugs: An American Folk Art.
Clarkson N. Potter, New York, NY. 1992.
Contains a short history of the craft (well done, but with a definite
American focus), a how-to section (a little sketchy), information on
collecting and caring for hooked rugs, a huge photo gallery, and a
resource directory (including consultants and dealers). It's a nice
introduction to the craft, but the text is written primarily from the
perspective of a collector. I'm recommending this book purely on the
strength of the exquisite, inspirational colour photos - it's a visual
feast. Jill Minehart (who recently started a collection of antique hooked
rugs) writes, "I was especially intrigued by the photographs of the
collection... and I was more interested in the information on collecting
than I would have been otherwise."
MacKay, Mary, Robbins, Arlene, and Newhall, Sally. Multi-Dye.
Instructions on painted, dip, gradation, clothespin, and casserole
dyeing.
Majic Carpet Dyes. Pure Majic. (booklet of dye formulas).
Marinoff, Kathryn Andrews. Getting Started in Handmade Rugs. Bruce
Publishing Company. Revision of "Handmade Rugs". The Bruce Publishing
Company, New York, NY. Collier-Macmillan Limited, London, England. 1957,
1971.
This book contains chapters on traditional and punch-hooked rugs
in addition to knotted, woven, plaited (braided), crocheted, shirred, and
embroidered rugs. There is also a chapter devoted to the care, cleaning,
and repair of all these types of rugs.
Martin, Hazel and Riley, Les. A Great Little Book On How To Hook.
Self-published (RFD #3, Box 695, Williamston, NC 27892).
Matthews, Janet. Triple Over Dye, Book III. (booklet of dyeing formulas
and techniques). Privately published (The Triple Over Dye Family, 187 Jane
Dr., Syracuse, NY 13219).
* McGown, Pearl Kinnear. (1) The Dreams Beneath Design. Bruce Humphries
Co. Inc., 1939 (a historical survey of early hooked rugs and their
makers). (2) You Can Hook Rugs. Lincoln House, 1951. (3) Dye Dabbler
(newsletter).
Mrs. McGown holds a place of honour in the history and development of
the craft through her designs and her teaching network, and her books are
thought of as bibles in many circles. Those books which we've reviewed
follow in separate entries. Books we haven't reviewed yet are listed
above. In addition to her books, the following pamphlets were once
available:
- So You Want To Hook A Rug!
- Dye Pamphlet (beginner's dye instructions)
- The Rainbow In Rags (complete instructions for dyeing)
- The Gist Of Geometrics (similar in style to Persian Patterns, reviewed
below)
- Objectives In Orientals (also similar in style to Persian Patterns)
- Helpful Hints On Hooked Rugs ( also similar in style to Persian Patterns)
- Pick And Choose (unillustrated descriptive list of her rug designs)
- Petites For Practice (descriptive list of her small project designs)
- Color Course (a correspondence course on dyeing and colour planning)
- Training For Teachers
McGown, Pearl Kinnear. Color In Hooked Rugs. The Author, West
Boylston, Mass. 1954 .
This book contains a very thorough discussion of colour theory and
its application to rug hooking. Mrs. McGown also gives specific advice on
dyeing for backgrounds, scrolls, leaves, flowers, geometrics, and
orientals, and advice on balancing the various elements against each
other, accompanied by the discussion of many photographed examples. This
is not a beginner's book: with my own limited dyeing experience, I found
it rather intense and overwhelming. However, I imagine it would be an
invaluable reference for more experienced hookers.
McGown, Pearl Kinnear. Persian Patterns. Pearl K. McGown, Inc., West
Boylston, Mass. 1958.
In this pamphlet, Mrs. McGown gives general advice on colour
planning in oriental-design rugs, discusses specific colour plans for
several Persian-inspired patterns from her collection with the aid of
black-and-white photos, and gives advice on hooking specific motifs
(scrolls, flowers, leaves, paisleys, geometric elements, and so on). She
gives examples of traditional Oriental and "contemporary" colour schemes,
and encourages the reader to experiment with colour by hand-dyeing the
fabrics.
* McGown, Pearl Kinnear. The Lore and Lure of Hooked Rugs. Acton Press
Inc., Acton, Mass. 1966.
This book is a collection of essays encompassing the recent
history of rug hooking and a showcase of interpretations of the author's
designs. It rubbed me the wrong way when I first read it - I felt that she
was imposing her ideas about colour and design on the reader. However, I
just reread it and really enjoyed it. There are lots of gems of advice on
dyeing and other techniques buried in the text - advice that was
unrecognizable until I had learned the basics. I'd especially recommend it
if you are interested in the tapestry hooking techniques that the McGown
teachers developed.
McLain, Clarisse Cox. (1) Anyone Can Dye. (2) Shading With Swatches. (3)
The Rug Hooker's Dye Manual. Privately published (Jane Olsen, P.O. Box
351, Hawthorne, CA 90250).
Meilach, Dona Z. Making Contemporary Rugs and Wall Hangings.
Abelard-Schuman, New York, NY. 1970.
Contains a chapter on how to hook, among *many* other techniques. She
encourages originality of design, which is a treat. I wouldn't recommend
that you follow the harsh cleaning techniques that she suggests.
* Memorial University Art Gallery. The Fabric of Their Lives: hooked and
poked mats of Newfoundland and Labrador. [exhibition catalogue] Art
Gallery, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Nfld. 1980.
Contains an excellent discussion of the history of rug hooking in
Newfoundland and elsewhere, notes on the rugs shown in the exhibit, and
photos of each rug. A wonderful antidote to the New England focus of many
historical discussions.
Moshimer, Joan (Ed.). Craftsman "Primitive" Guide for Hooked Rugs: A How
To Manual. W. Cushing & Co./Craftsman Studios, Kennebunkport, Maine. 1974,
1976,...
Equal parts pattern catalogue and magazine, filled with (many
discontinued) designs, articles, and helpful hints. Many of the excellent
articles are reprinted from The Rug Hooker, News and Views.
* Moshimer, Joan. The Complete Book of Rug Hooking. Dover Publishing Inc.
1989. ISBN 0-486-25945-5. (republication of 3rd edition of The Complete
Rug Hooker: A Guide to the Craft, Leith Publications, Kennebunkport, ME;
1st edition, New York Graphic Society, Boston, MA, 1975.)
The author is truly one of the giants, with decades of experience as
a hooker, dyer, teacher, designer, and editor, and she has been
instrumental in the current revival of the craft. This book is engagingly
written and filled with excellent advice. It contains: a short history of
rug hooking, focussed on New England; basic how-to directions; excellent
information on dyeing techniques and Cushing's Perfection dyes (which her
company sells), and many dye formulas; advice on hooking different types
of motifs, from geometrics to primitives to finely shaded florals to
pictorials; and suggested projects to help you increase your skills. The
advice she gives on dyeing and shading is especially detailled. Definitely
an industry standard.
* Moshimer, Joan. Hooked On Cats. Stackpole Books, PA. 1991. ISBN
0-8117-3041-7.
This book is aimed squarely at the cat lovers among us, with terrific
advice on designing and hooking cat rugs, Cushing's Perfection dye
formulas for cat fur colours, a colour gallery of cat rugs for
inspiration, and a number of projects ranging in difficulty. However, I
suspect that the author's advice will be equally valuable to anyone
interested in hooking a portrait of a favorite non-feline pet. You'll
also find basic how-to directions on hooking, dyeing, and finishing
techniques, a glossary of terms, a list of suppliers, and a unique section
on the monetary value of hooked rugs.
Moshimer, Joan. (1) Imari Formulas. (2) Jacobean Formulas.
Booklets of Cushing's Perfection dye formulas.
* Moshimer, Joan, Ed. The Rug Hooker, News and Views (periodical).
Absolutely classic, brimming with reprints from out-of-print books,
free designs and excellent articles. The predecessor of Rug Hooking
magazine. I'd love to see someone publish a compilation of these!
Museum of American Folk Art. Hooked rugs in the folk art tradition:
September 19 - November 24, 1974. [exhibition catalogue] Museum of
American Folk Art, New York. 1974. (Joel and Kate Kopp, guest curators)
A lovely exhibition catalogue. Fortunately, the photos and text are
all repeated in Kopp & Kopp's book, which is much easier to find.
Neel. I'd Rather Dye Laughing.
O'Brien, Mildred J. The Rug and Carpet Book. M. Barrows & Co., New York,
NY. 1946.
Parker, Xenia Ley. Hooked Rugs and Ryas. Henry Regnery Company, Chicago.
1973.
Contains one chapter about traditional hand hooking, and many
chapters on latch-hook techniques. Also contains a black-and-white photo
gallery featuring the finest in disco vests and shaggy carpet bags.
Phillips, Anna M. Laise. Hooked Rugs and How to Make Them.. The Macmillan
Co., New York, NY. 1930.
Poole, Shirley. Basic Solutions. (booklet of formulas for Majic Carpet
dyes).
Reis, Estelle H. American Rugs. World Publishing Co., Cleveland. 1950.
Maybe it's just the prissy 1950s' mindset that some so- called
expert had to dictate what is and is not good style, or maybe it's the
unquestioning adherence to W.W.Kent's erroneous theories regarding hooked
rug history - I'm really not sure why I disliked this book so much. It
doesn't even have good photos to redeem it.
* Rex, Stella Hay. Practical Hooked Rugs, 2nd edition. Cobblesmith,
Ashville, Maine. 1975. (1st edition: Prentice Hall, New York, NY, 1949.)
Now out of print. Charming, brimming with helpful hints, and, yes,
practical, if a bit dogmatic about appropriate colour schemes to use. also
wrote: By Hook Or By Crook; Choice Hooked Rugs (Prentice Hall,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1953).
Rompkey, Richard. Grenfell of Labrador: A Biography. University of Toronto
Press, Toronto, Ont. 1991.
* Ryan, Nanette and Wright, Doreen. Garretts and the Bluenose Rugs of Nova
Scotia. Halifax, NS. 1990.
Gives a balanced and accurate history of the Garretts company,
including the text of a lecture about the company given by Cecil Garrett
to a group of Halifax businessmen in 1927, and a transcript of a
conversation with Cameron Garrett. The text is followed by reprints of
Bluenose Rug patterns taken from the long out-of-print Garretts
catalogues. A fabulous design source. Since these patterns were widely
available through department stores in addition to the mail-order service,
this book may also help you identify the source of your heirloom rugs.
(Contact Spruce Top Rug Hooking Studios to order a copy.)
Sargent, Walter. The Enjoyment and Use of Colour. Dover Publications,
Inc., New York, NY. 1964. (republication of the 1923 edition by Charles
Scribner's Sons)
Recommended by many other authors as a fine introduction to colour
theory; written with painters in mind, but equally useful for rug design.
Sleeper, Barbara. Analogous Dyeing.
Sprout. Hooked Rug and Flower Shading.
Sprout, Mildred. How To Dye for Rug Making.
Stratton, Charlotte K. Rug Hooking Made Easy. Harper & Row, New
York, NY. 1955.
Taylor, Mary Perkins. How To Make Hooked Rugs. David McKay Co.,
Philadelphia. 1930.
Terrio, Joan. The Microwave Dye Book and Heather Hues Dye Formulas.
Privately published (P.O. Box 13, Needham, MA 02192). 1981.
The current wisdom is that microwave dyeing is NOT a safe technique
to use. However, these instructions are written clearly and with good
humour, and the (Cushing's Perfection) dye formulas can be used in more
conventional methods of dyeing. The dye formulas all contain Taupe, and
give "soft and mellow shades".
Turbayne, Jessie A. (1) Hooked Rugs: History and the Continuing Tradition.
Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Westchester, PA. 1991. (2) The Hookers' Art:
Evolving Designs in Hooked Rugs. Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Westchester,
PA. 1993.
Tynan, Jean. Dyeing for Primitive Rug Hooking. Privately published (The
Blue Door, 18585 38th Avenue N., Plymouth, MN 55446).
* Underhill, Vera Bisbee. Creating Hooked Rugs. Coward-McCann, Inc., New
York, NY. 1951. (Now out of print.)
Von Rosenstiel, Helene. American Rugs and Carpets. William Morrow and
Company, Inc., New York, NY. 1978. ISBN 0-688-03325-3.
A nice historical overview of American floorcoverings from the 17th
century onward, with some detail on rug hooking. I'm not sure how
accurate the author's information is (she thought the Grenfell and
Cheticamp cottage industries were the same enterprise, for shame!), but it
sure is entertaining. Lots of nifty photos.
Walker, Lydia LeBaron. Homecraft Rugs. Frederick A. Stokes Company, New
York, NY. 1929.
* Waugh, Elizabeth, and Foley, Edith. Collecting Hooked Rugs. The Century
Publishing Co., New York, NY. 1927. (Now out of print.)
I'm really taken with this book; it's chock-full of neat stuff.
There are great black & white photos (but too few, alas!); detailled
descriptions of many rugs; wonderful anecdotes about collecting rugs in
rural Canada and the northeastern States during the Depression; an
excellent how-to-hook chapter, with descriptions and drawings of many
traditional patterns; and advice to collectors on what to look for that's
as valuable today as it was in 1927, I'm sure. This is a marvelous source
of historical information, if you bear in mind that the antiquity of rug
hooking in North America was grossly overestimated at the time. Wow.
Wilcox, Bettina. Hooked Rugs for Fun and Profit. 1949 pamphlet.
Wiseman, Ann Sayre. Rags, Rugs, and Wool Pictures. Scribners, New York, NY.
1968.
* Wiseman, Ann Sayre. Rag Tapestries and Wool Mosaics. Van Nostrand Reinhold
Co., New York, NY. 1969.
Has lots of photos, a good technique section using both hand
and speed hooks, and encourages original design. Cool.
Woman's Day. Today's Hooking. 1942 pamphlet.
Young, Arthur. (1) America Gets Hooked. (2) The Lyrics of Fiber. Booksplus
of Maine, Lewiston, ME.
* Zarbock, Barbara J. The Complete Book of Rug Hooking. Van Nostrand
Reinhold Co., New York, NY. 1961. 2nd edition, 1969.
The history section is rather reliant on those awful Kent theories,
and the information is a little dated in places, but overall - I love this
book! The author encourages originality of design, and includes sections
on materials, equipment, techniques for hooking and finishing rugs, colour
planning, dyeing, and ideas for small projects. There's a chapter on
teaching that includes a suggested lesson plan, and a chapter on the use
of speed hooks. The book is illustrated with plenty of sketches, and
photos in both colour and black-and-white.
Znamierowski, Nell. Step-by-Step Rugmaking. Golden Press, New York, NY.
1969.
...and finally, the books with no author...
* ATHA: Newsletter of the Association of Traditional Hooking Artists.
(periodical) Association of Traditional Hooking Artists.
A subscription to this magazine-length newsletter is included in your
membership in ATHA. The recent issues I've seen are reminiscent of the old
"Rug Hooker: News and Views": lots of ads for suppliers and privately
published books, lots of tips and articles, free designs, and loads of
announcements and reports from different regions.
* A Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.
1991, 1992, 1993, 1994.
An annual series, edited by the staff of Rug Hooking magazine,
showcasing the work of hookers, and including advice on technique.
Brimming with gorgeous colour photos.
Diamond Dye Rug Book. Wells and Richardson Co., Montreal, PQ. 1899.
Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions microfiche series,
pre-1900 Canadiana, (c) 1982, no. 01194.
Only of interest to history buffs. The text describes how to hook,
plugs the company's wares, and includes brief and vague descriptions of
the patterns. The colour plates are largely unreadable.
Hooked rugs, a Canadian tradition: exhibition held at the Ottawa Public
Library, 2-30 July 1975. [exhibition catalogue]. 1975.
* Newsletter. (periodical) National Guild of Pearl K. McGown Rug Hookrafters,
Inc. ISSN 0279-7194.
A subscription to this magazine-length newsletter is included in
your membership in the McGown guild. In addition to the handful of
announcements and chapter reports (but no ads!), each issue follows a
theme for the many tips, articles, and designs (at least since Nancy Blood
became editor - I've not seen older issues). For example, the April 1995
issue featured instructions for a number of creative stitches, patterns
that use those stitches, and descriptions of how folks had adapted
conventional patterns to incorporate the techniques. I'm really impressed
by the amount of information packed into these pages! Wow!
* Rug Hooking. (periodical) Stackpole Inc.
Published five times a year. Rug Hooking is the only contemporary
magazine dedicated to hand-hooked rugs, and I can't heap enough praise on
the recent issues that I've seen. Each issue contains advice, free
patterns, a column on dyeing, listings of current events and upcoming
schools and workshops, informative ads from both major and more obscure
suppliers, and feature articles on tantalizing new techniques with
inspiring colour photos. A lot of the giants and experts in the field are
on the editorial board. Fabulous source of information!
* The Rug Hooking Magazine Sourcebook. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg,
PA. 1992.
This book is a fantastic idea! It contains alphabetical listings of
every rug hooker who asked to be listed in the "white pages"; an
alphabetical listing of teachers, a geographical listing of teachers, and
an alphabetical listing of guilds, gatherings, and penpals in the "pink
pages"; and a listing of suppliers and designers by category (a
*brilliant* idea) in the "yellow pages". The publishers clearly intended
to update the Sourcebook yearly - unfortunately they haven't, so many of
the listings given in this edition are out of date. I still think it's a
valuable resource! Here's hoping they do update it soon.