These are a Few of My Favorite Things

Bedside Table in progress. Much tweaking to be done yet! You can see there was a background color change (which changed everything else). 23" x 191⁄2", #3- and 4-cut wool on linen. Designed by Debbie Ballard and Cheryl Behan, and hooked by Debbie Ballard, Fort Frances, Ontario, 2017.

Early in my hooking life I wanted to hook an Oriental pattern. My grandmother (also my teacher) tried to discourage me from tackling such a large project. I didnt listen to her, even though I knew it would take a while. (My first, much smaller rug took me five years.)

So against my grandmother’s advice and ignoring her color recommendations, I started on the 3' x 5' Oriental rug.

Now, Orientals are great if you love repetition and you’re a stickler for straight, even rows. It did not take me long to discover that I am not that person. I started the rug before my daughter was born and finished it 25 years later. This is what happens when you are working on something that just isn’t you. You force yourself to work on it, but there is no enjoyment. I was never eager to sit at my frame and work on that rug. I measured my progress by how much of the stupid thing I had left to do. The burlap was starting to disintegrate when I finally finished it. The rug is beautiful now that it is done but it definitely was a chore for me to hook.