Mallard Ducks

Dimensions: 16" x 16"
Materials: #2- and 4-cut wool on linen
Designed by Jon Ciemiewicz and hooked by Val Flannigan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, 2014. Photo by Graeme Flannigan.
Featured in: Celebration XXV
Teacher: Sheila Mitchell

"I choose this pattern for the couples aspect and the popularity of Mallards in my area.

I started out with using a #2 cut for the eyes and for parts of the bill. I used a variety of blue, green, and teal for the male’s head. It took some time to find all the right off-whites for his body. I hooked the bodies in the direction that the feathers grow.

The female was a pleasure to hook using selected plaids and textures to give her that "dowdy" look.

It was a challenge to dye wool and hook their feet to give them that underwater submerged appearance. I also hooked a darker area along the underside of the ducks so that they would look like some of their bodies were down into the water.

The water itself was complex to hook. I wanted to convey a moving and reflective body of water."
- Val Flannigan, Celebration Hall of Fame 2018