First Rug on the Last Page: Prim Floral

Three summers ago, I wandered into Wednesday’s wool rug hooking group at Laurel Manor, in The Villages, Florida, thinking I was going to knock out a latch hook project and be done for the afternoon. Boy was I wrong! Not only did I learn what real wool rug hooking is all about, Gerry Stanley, the facilitator/teacher, kindly sat me down with a hook, some wool strips, and a beginner’s frame. When I breezed through straight lines, she drew a circle and told me to hook that, while she sat nearby, watching me out of the corner of her eye. It was love at first loop. I’ve never looked back and yearn to try every new technique I hear about.

After four beginner’s kits, I decided “I’ve got this,” and ordered a Karla Gerard pattern to take home for the winter. Yes, I’m a reverse snowbird, coming to The Villages in the summer, and wintering at home in Fort Lauderdale. When the group saw the pattern . . . there was a moment of silence. Gerry kindly said, “that’s pretty ambitious of you.” Luckily, I was too naive to know I was in over my head, but The Villages Hookers did not let me fail.