Practical though its origins—strips of old clothing pulled through burlap feed sacks to create mats for bare floors—traditional rug hooking has evolved into a fiber art with unlimited possibilities for self expression. This workshop will provide participants with an introductory project that includes a pattern, woollen material for hooking, instructional handouts, and the use of all tools and equipment necessary to complete their mat. Topics covered in the course will include basic hooking skills, dyeing wool, simple shading, and finishing techniques. Reference materials and samples of rugs and hangings will be available to inspire participants.

Carol Harvey-Clark, the owner of Spruce Top Rug Hooking Studio in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, has been teaching beginners how to hook mats for more than ten years. Her work has appeared in "A Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs" which, through juried selection, honours artisans’ use of colour, execution, and design or interpretation of a pattern. She has exhibited at the Mary Black Gallery in Halifax and the Des Brisay Museum in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.

More of Carol's work can be seen at www.sprucetoprughookingstudio.com