March 11, 2008
We now offer this wonderful tool for
cutting your proddy strips. See our "Books, Hooks, etc." link, and then
click on "Hooking Tools." A real time saver and fun to use. $10.00, made from
cherry.
A proddy
demonstration at the Arrow Rock Rug School. From left to right: Elaine Cathcart,
Athens, Tennessee; Bobbie True, Arrow Rock, Missouri; and Emma Lou Lais, Kansas City,
Missouri. Elaine was demonstrating knitting with "bits and pieces," while Bobbie
was showing the cutting of the proddy strips. Emma Lou giving her approval of all of
the super colors and wools. When Heather was at the Woolley Fox she was kind enough
to show us the knitting with "bits and pieces," fun to do.
This proddy mat was made by Heather
Ritchie and a gift to Barb. Thanks Heather! This is not a pattern, but something you
definitely can do using your different scraps of wool. The bright pink is a sweater that
Heather "felted" and then used in the rug. Proddy mats were made in England
starting about 1830. They used scraps of everything they had. They brightened up
many a home for the holidays and kept a lot of feet warm and cozy. Some suggestions
for patterns that would be good to proddy. THE SMALL RUG PICTURE is a LINK TO A
LARGER IMAGE. CLICK it TO SEE IT ENLARGED AND USE YOUR BACK BUTTON TO RETURN
HERE.
Cozy Bunny, 20 X 21,
hooked and prodded by Penny Gessner of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Penny prodded the back
part of the bunny, the moon, carrot, and border. She then hooked the rest of the rug.
I love her carrot.
Cozy Bunny, 20 X 21, hooked
and prodded by Kazi Wilt of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Kazi prodded the entire bunny except
the front paws. She also prodded the carrot, moon and border. I love her moon.
Both Penny and Kazi were in Heather Ritchie's class here at the Woolley Fox.
Mister Lincoln, 20 x 24 (a
Woolley Fox pattern) was hooked by my wonderful friend and buddy Bobbie True of Arrow
Rock, Missouri. Bobbie used a combination of hooking and proddy to create this
rug. The sheep, folky flower, berries on the tree and the border were all done in
proddy. I like the combination of both hooking and proddy in this rug. It allows
a great play with the colors and textures. Plus combines two very old rug making
techniques. Bobbie used Les's spring prodder and worked this entire pattern from the front
side.
Rufus, 28 X 28, It was
wonderful to learn proddy and mixing the proddy and hooking. The tail, wing, comb,
and waddle of Rufus are prodded. It is fun to use colorful wools for roosters. Then I
prodded the star and the lines of the grass. The border is hooked; I like it as well as
the prodded border that Cookie did in her rug shown below. This rug is now at the
Dorr Mill Store in Guild, New Hampshire. When you visit them you will also see
swatches of the wools that were used in this rug.
Rufus, 28 X 28, hooked
and prodded by Cookie Soisson of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Cookie prodded Rufus, with the
exception of the feet, the star, parts of the grass and the border. He is a "fine
looking fellow." Cookie was also in Heather's class here.
