Ladies from near and far get hooked into local hook-in event
Wool artisans from Ohio and even across state lines flocked to Walnut Creek Mennonite Church April 24, for the second annual hook-in event. Many were part of what are called "hooking guilds," where rug hooking enthusiasts can meet with their like-minded peers to share this age old craft."We have at least 119 attending," explained Marlene Troyer, of the Amish Country Wool Artisans guild, the event organizers.
"People are here from as far away as Lancaster County, Pa.," added fellow guild member Laura Coblenz. "The day includes such fun things as door prizes, a Taste of Holmes County lunch, a Chinese auction, and plenty of fellowship. This whole thing started because two of us in our guild went to a hook-in in Navarre, and we had so much fun, we started brainstorming on doing one here. Last year, there were 80 of us, so we've grown."
"We also have expert Ali Strebel, from Kindred Spirit of Kettering, here to present a class in the afternoon," said Troyer.
Rug hooking is thought to have originated in the early 19th century, when weaving mill workers took home the unusable end pieces and pulled them through backings to create rugs. Around 1930, American factories began making rugs for the rich, and following suit, poor women used up any fabric scraps they could to make rugs for themselves. Often these were created on burlap from old feed sacks.
Today, rug hookers use primarily wool strips, with thinner cut strips used for fine-cut hooking and more widely cut strips used for the more primitive genre of rugs. Loops of fabric are pulled through a stiff woven base, which may be rug warp, linen, or traditional burlap. A crochet-type hook assists in pulling the material through the backing, and tiny scissors are often used to continually trim any rough edges. There is no end to the colors or designs that can be created, as evidenced by the stunningly intricate projects in progress throughout the room.
"I just started hooking rugs last September, but I dabble in other textile arts," explained Melinda Zemba of Medina as she worked on a project. "I love it. It is very stress relieving. My friend, Arlene, hooked me into it."
Judy Emrick of Litchfield had a unique, soft and open edged rug in front of her. "This is a Proudy rug technique," she noted. "This is actually my first project. This style was more appealing to me than a traditional one."
Karen Dietrick, of New Lexington, along with other members of her hooking guild, the Monday Girls, wore aprons emblazoned with the words original hooker. "We get a lot of laughs out of these and our sweatshirts," joked Dietrick with a grin. "But we simply love to hook rugs."
A veteran of the art was Eloise Mohrman, who drove over an hour from her home in Wellington to attend.
"I have been doing this for 40 years. I have a home shop, and I teach classes. It all started when the sewing group I belonged to asked me to bring in an interesting speaker. I found someone who hooked rugs, and after I heard her speak and saw what she did, I was hooked, too. I've been doing this ever since," said Mohrman. "The pattern I am working on here is an oriental paisley pattern. Most of the time, I spend two to three hours every evening working on a rug. I do get more done in the winter than in the summer," she admitted. "Some of my larger rugs have taken me about a year to complete. This one will probably end up taking about seven months when I finish it around September.
"I usually just end up giving the completed rugs to one of my kids," said Mohrman, as she motioned to her two daughters who were busy at their own projects across the table. "My sister-in-law is here, too. We call this our therapy."