Sheep

Did you know there are more than 100 different varieties of sheep?  The National Sheep Association classifies sheep into either meat, milking or wool variety.  Merino, Dorset, Shropshire, Suffolk and Jacob are some of the more familiar varieties.  Don't you just love those names?  The Leicester sheep with his curly hair, the Suffolk with his black face and legs, Merino which produces the softest of wools and the Lincoln with those dreadlocks.

This is my first hooked rug.  It was the first rug hooking kit I had ever purchased:  it was small and primitive and had sheep.

This sheep photo has been in my rug hooking inspiration box of ideas for years.  The photo reminds me of the photographs/portraits farmers would take of their prize winning livestock.  I have often wondered how those animals were able to hold up their oversized bodies on pencil thin legs.

When I am lucky enough to find raw wool, I purchase it for filling/stuffing for pillows and pincushions.

Here are some of the things I have learned about hooking rugs:

• let the holes breathe--every hole does not have to be filled (don't pack the hooking) aka a tight hooker
• every loop does not have to be even
• make sure the linen is tight on the frame
• all tails in one area is the weakest part of the rug
• pick one and stick with it:  hook on the line, hook inside the line, hook outside the line
• do not hook in straight lines
• to keep movement in the background hook in the shape of puzzle pieces