Linda Ruth Beck began hooking at age 15 and there was no starting at the bottom for her, she landed a first prize ribbon at the South Shore Exhibition for her very first hooked rug. After acquiring the proverbial T-shirt and with no where else to go, she quit while she was ahead and took a long break before doing it again.
Of course there was no slowly getting back into it, she just slid into first base again, designing and hooking jaw dropping masterpieces. Too bad for that long hiatus, one can only imagine what she would have created during those hookless decades. She told me she was an obnoxious teenager, not quite sure what that means but I think she had a mind of her own.
She said after winning the prize, her Aunt Lena had Simmy Ernst build a set of hooking bars just for her but she never hooked again until about seven years ago and did so on a modern gripper frame. Aunt Lena was Linda Ruth's foster mother who lived in Sweetland. She was the one who taught Linda to hook the old way, in straight lines. Lena's bars were always up, and her work was prolific and neat. So even though they weren't blood relatives, Linda didn't fall too far from the tree in the talent department.
Years later, after the birth of her son Tracy, the winning rug was placed under the bassinet in the nursery. (That's him sleeping) I asked what became of the rug and sadly, it somehow got misplaced in a move.
Linda Ruth owns and runs Come By Chance Antiques in Marriot's Cove, and in her travels picking inventory to stock the huge, three story barn of furniture and treasures of bygone days, she would come across hooked rugs and old hooks to remind her that someday, when time allowed, she would revisit the craft. Seven years ago the Olympics were on and she was stuck at home with a sick dog who needed an intravenous so she decided the time was finally right.
The old Bluenose pattern originally came as a set with a boy and a girl but Lena drew the little boy duck for Linda's winning submission and six years ago, Linda came across a copy of the pattern in Yarmouth and was delighted with the memory of her past and decided to hook this darling little piece once again.
Of course there was no slowly getting back into it, she just slid into first base again, designing and hooking jaw dropping masterpieces. Too bad for that long hiatus, one can only imagine what she would have created during those hookless decades. She told me she was an obnoxious teenager, not quite sure what that means but I think she had a mind of her own.
She said after winning the prize, her Aunt Lena had Simmy Ernst build a set of hooking bars just for her but she never hooked again until about seven years ago and did so on a modern gripper frame. Aunt Lena was Linda Ruth's foster mother who lived in Sweetland. She was the one who taught Linda to hook the old way, in straight lines. Lena's bars were always up, and her work was prolific and neat. So even though they weren't blood relatives, Linda didn't fall too far from the tree in the talent department.
Years later, after the birth of her son Tracy, the winning rug was placed under the bassinet in the nursery. (That's him sleeping) I asked what became of the rug and sadly, it somehow got misplaced in a move.
Linda Ruth owns and runs Come By Chance Antiques in Marriot's Cove, and in her travels picking inventory to stock the huge, three story barn of furniture and treasures of bygone days, she would come across hooked rugs and old hooks to remind her that someday, when time allowed, she would revisit the craft. Seven years ago the Olympics were on and she was stuck at home with a sick dog who needed an intravenous so she decided the time was finally right.
The old Bluenose pattern originally came as a set with a boy and a girl but Lena drew the little boy duck for Linda's winning submission and six years ago, Linda came across a copy of the pattern in Yarmouth and was delighted with the memory of her past and decided to hook this darling little piece once again.
The old Bluenose pattern #2069, customarily coloured in for simple colour placement.
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Linda Ruth's updated version of the pattern that began her love of rug hooking.. What a sweet little design. Those eyelashes are adorable.
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