Encompassing Designs
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Kits
    • Patterns >
      • Christine Little >
        • Signature Designs
        • New Designs
        • Seasonal Designs
      • Deborah Sweet
      • Susan Leslie
      • Patricia Perry
      • William Morris
    • Supplies >
      • Backings
      • Frames
      • Hooks
      • Books
      • Extra
    • Wool >
      • Abrashed
      • Antique JQ Colors
      • Custom Dyeing
      • Dyed Bundles
      • Dyed Curly Mohair
      • Dyed Spots
      • Dyed Values
      • Dyed Yarn
      • Natural & Colours
      • Plaids & Textures
      • Dye Books & Swatches
  • Ordering
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us

OMG...I have worms!!!!!!

1/15/2014

3 Comments

 
Picture
I suppose it's an offshoot of rug hooking to be inundated with worms.  Sort of like getting colds if you work in the hospital, it's an occupational hazard.  Handling so much wool it's bound to happen.  There's nothing you can do to prevent them, no matter how diligent you are they will come.  All you can do is accept they are now a part of rug hooking and move on. 

So what do you do with all these worms?   I've often wrapped them up and sent them to the women in San Miguel who hook rugs to support their families.  Every couple of years we ship a parcel with brightly coloured wool and our leftover scraps.   I sometimes give worms to children after their mother buys them a small piece of burlap and a hook so they can fool around.  

There's no prevention for worms and once they start accumulating you just have to live with it or like dandelions you can fight back by consuming them...no I don't mean eat the worms, consume them in a rug.  Charlene Scott has provided two lovely demonstrations as to what you can do with a basket full of worms.  Hit & Miss isn't just straight lines anymore!  Hook them wiggly, like Cape Breton highways.  Don't fuss too much about colours placement, just don't use two of the same wools together. 

Once wool is cut into strips it's difficult to colour plan for future projects so I make a rule that I only strip what I can use in 1/2 hour of hooking.  That gets me out of my chair for a stretch so I don't seize up so it works double duty.  That way you don't end up with hoards of worms at the end of each rug that begin as small mounds and then grow into mountains, then fill bags or boxes and lay wasting in a closet.   
Picture
Picture
Geometric patterns are a great place to use up worms.  This is a  Mary Doig Design called Geometric Jewels.   http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/mary-doig.html
Picture
3 Comments

Fabulous tablet cover, from an antique design....

1/7/2014

2 Comments

 
By Guest Blogger Charlene Scott
Picture
This small pattern, purchased in a thrift shop, was featured in a previous blog with a question as to what it was for.   There were several suggestions but I concluded it was meant as a brick cover to be used as a door stop.  Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. 

I started to hook it as I have not yet settled on my next larger project because I’m not good watching TV without something in my hands.  At first I didn’t know what I would do with yet another small project but very quickly realized the pattern was perfect for a cover for my new iPad, which then morphed into a purse or pouch for it.   Hooking a handbag was on my to do list for some time and this pattern fit the bill nicely.

I hooked the front and back in a  #3 cut but did the outside edge in a row of #4 cut then a row of #5 cut.  I extended the length of the pattern by about 5-6 rows and the width by at least 2 rows. I used leftover material, therefore none of the leaves match, but I think that makes for a more interesting effect.   I had lots of dark blue from another project so used that for the background. 

This was not a difficult project to construct together as it was just a fold over with two seams.   Maybe Pearl McGown was ahead of her time more than we knew...a visionary into the future, as this design was perfectly conducive to be made into a tablet cover.  I zigzagged the burlap edge all around, then folded it in, pressed it down and then basted the cut edge to the underside of the hooked piece.  I sewed the folded burlap edges together with a crisscross pattern then whipped over the edge to hide the stitches and burlap.  The inside lining is a repurposed carry bag given to me one year at Rug school when registering.   I took the straps off and sewed it across about halfway up and it was perfect size for the liner.  

I was going to sew it tight to the top edge of the opening but realized that the grey would show on the outside.  So I used some 2 ply yarn and did a fine whipping around the top opening and then attached the liner below the edge of the opening.  I finished it off with a leather strap from an old purse that my husband had bought for me many years ago that eventually wore out.  For some reason I saved the strap as it was a nice piece of leather and put it away for future use.  So with a repurposed, old Pearl McGown pattern called Rose and Forget me Nots,  a repurposed carry bag, left over wool and a recycled leather strap, I made a purse that I will use for years to come.  I really enjoyed this small project.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments

Stepping Out.......

1/6/2014

1 Comment

 
By Guest Blogger Colleen Cosgrove
Picture
I wanted to send you a photo of the finished rug – your Stepping Out pattern. It is far from perfect but I am very pleased with the result. Thank you so much for your help dyeing and selecting the colours.  Now if only the cardinal rug for my husband turns out as well.

Stepping Out was hooked entirely in #5. The colours were dyed by Christine  to coordinate with a photo of a bedspread which I sent her. It was fun to hook and to choose which colours to use for each shoe. The last shoe to be done was the toughest for colours so I used an odd mix thinking this is the pair of shoes in every woman's closet which she bought on impulse and later regretted. Afterward though, I really liked it. Because I was working full time, it took me 9 months to complete but I enjoyed every minute.

Thanks again.

Colleen Cosgrove



1 Comment
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

    Picture
    Picture
    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    May 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    August 2024
    January 2024
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
    Picture
    Gift Certificates are available for that special rug hooker in your life!  Any denomination, no expiry date! 

    Categories
    (Click on the categories for past blogs)

    All
    Announcements
    Beginner Class
    Christmas
    Colour Planning
    Contests
    Copyright
    Coupon
    Customer Rugs
    Cutter Servicing
    Dyeing
    Equipment
    Featured Hooker
    Giveaway Draw
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Blogger
    Health & Fitness
    Home & Heart
    Hooked Rugs
    Hooking Groups
    Hook In Talk
    Initially Yours
    Jibber Jabber
    Just A Bit Of Fun!
    Life's Experiences
    Life's Experiences
    New Design
    New Ideas
    Pattern Of The Week
    Patterns Hooked
    Pets
    Rants
    Recipes
    Rememberingfbe7326ff7
    Rug Schools
    Show & Tell
    Show-tell
    The Rant
    Tips Technique
    Tips Techniquef0cd117ab4
    Visitors
    Workshops

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture





















    Picture
    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 
Saturdays 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are closed as well.  

Toll Free: 1-855-624-0370
Local:  902-624-0370​
[email protected]

498 Main Street
P.O. Box 437
Mahone Bay, N.S.
Canada B0J 2E0

​Follow us and keep up to date
on our specials, new products
​and events!
Picture
Picture
Picture


Home
Shop
Ordering
Blog
Our Story
Workshops

Contact Us




​​​© Copyright 2023 Encompassing Designs. Website by SKYSAIL