Hooked on tradition: Rug hookers keep an old craft alive, one loop at a time

kAm(96? {:336J {F?58C6? DE2CE65 9@DE:?8 C68F=2C >66E:?8D 2E E96 {6824J @7 E96 !=2:?D |FD6F>[ D96 5:5?’E <?@H H96E96C 96C CF8\9@@<:?8 8C@FA H@F=5 C6E2:? :ED C68F=2C 2EE6?566D] }@H[ J62CD =2E6C[ 6G6? @FE\@7\DE2E6CD G6?EFC6 @FE E@ ;@:? 96C 2D D96 AC24E:46D 96C 4C27E]k^Am

kAm{F?58C6? 2?5 76==@H 7:36C 2CE:DED AC24E:46 2?5 56>@?DEC2E6 E96 EC25:E:@?2= 2CE @7 CF8 9@@<:?8 2E E96 >FD6F> @? E96 E9:C5 %9FCD52J @7 6G6CJ >@?E9 2E `_ 2]>] %96 8C@FA DEC@?8=J 6?4@FC286D[ 2?5 H2C>=J H6=4@>6D[ G:D:E@CD :?E6C6DE65 :? E96 AC24E:46]k^Am

kAm“x DE2CE65 CF8 9@@<:?8 :? E9:D 2C62 BF:E6 2 H9:=6 28@[ 2?5 E96? H96? qC@H? $966A Wr@>A2?JX 925 E96:C W$4@EED q=F77 '2==6J u:36C pCED u2:CX[ x DE2CE65 E6249:?8[” {F?58C6? D2:5] “x 925 E9C66 DEF56?ED[ 2?5 :E H2D 8C62E 7F?] … %96 ?6IE >@?E9[ @?6 @7 E9@D6 A6@A=6 :? E92E 4=2DD D2:5[ ‘w6J[ H6 42?VE ;FDE 5@ E9:D @?46] (6 92G6 E@ <66A 5@:?8 :E]’ $@[ x 42==65 E96 >FD6F> 2?5 2D<65 E96> :7 H6 4@F=5 4@>6 96C6]”k^Am

kAm%@52J[ {F?58C6? 6DE:>2E6D E92E b_ 2CE:DED 2C6 @? 96C >@?E9=J 6>2:= =:DE[ 2?5 96C C68F=2C >66E:?8D 5C2H 2?JH96C6 7C@> D:I E@ `_ A6@A=6[ 2CE:DED 6>3C24:?8 EC25:E:@?2= 7:36C 2CED[ 3C2K6?=J F?27C2:5 @7 E9C@H:?8 E96:C 92C5 H@C< @? E96 7=@@C]k^Am

kAm%96 8C@FA’D C68F=2CD 6G6? 92G6 E96:C @H? E@?8F6\:?\4966< 3C2?5:?8i “(6 ;FDE 42== @FCD6=G6D ‘9@@<6CD[’” {F?58C6? D2:5[ H:E9 2 =2F89]k^Am

kAmx? $6AE6>36C a_`c[ 5FC:?8 @?6 @7 96C CF8\9@@<:?8 4=2DD6D[ {F?58C6? 92AA6?65 E@ E6249 E96 2CE E@ |2C:2??6 #6=<2[ H9@ ?@H 24ED 2D {F?58C6?’D 4@\=6256C 5FC:?8 E96:C >FD6F> >66E:?8D] #6=<2 6IA=2:?65 E92E[ H9:=6 E96 2CE D66>D @FE52E65 2E 7:CDE 8=2?46[ :ED 6?5FC:?8 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 7@==@H:?8 <66AD E96 AC24E:46 2=:G6[ H:E9 ?6H :562D 7=@H:?8 2== E96 E:>6]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2 G6CJ @=5 2CE[” #6=<2 D2:5] “x’G6 @?=J 366? 2E :E 7@C 23@FE `a J62CD] … q24< 62DE[ x H@F=5 36 2 J@F?8:?]”k^Am

kAm#F8 9@@<:?8 2D 2? 2CE 42F89E @? 2C@F?5 EH@ 46?EFC:6D 28@[ H96? 9@FD6H:G6D :? t?8=2?5 2?5 2=@?8 E96 62DE6C? 4@2DE @7 }@CE9 p>6C:42 7@F?5 2 FD6 7@C @=5 723C:4D E@@ H@C? E@ 7F=7:== E96:C @C:8:?2= AFCA@D6D] %96J 4FE 723C:4D :? 2 >F=E:EF56 @7 4@=@CD :?E@ DEC:AD[ E96? AF==65 E96> E9C@F89 2 DE:77[ H@G6? 324<:?8 FD:?8 2 9@@< E@ 4C62E6 A2EE6C?65 CF8D E92E H2C>65 E96:C 7=@@CD]k^Am

kAm“xE DE2CE65 H:E9 FD:?8 @=5 4=@E96D[” #6=<2 D2:5] “*@F’G6 5@?6 6G6CJE9:?8[ J@F’G6 A2DD65 :E 5@H? WE@X 2D >2?J <:5D 2D J@F 42?… *@F E62C :E FA 2?5 J@F H@C< :E :?E@ 2 CF8]”k^Am

kAm$@>6E:>6 :? E96 `ge_D[ {F?58C6? D2:5[ CF8\9@@<:?8 A2EE6C?D 3682? E@ 36 >2DD\AC@5F465[ =625:?8 E@ 2 C:D6 :? E96 2CE’D A@AF=2C:EJ] #F8 >2<6CD H:== 7:== :? 2 A2EE6C? @? E96 H@G6? >2E6C:2=[ 6DD6?E:2==J “4@=@C:?8 H:E9 H@@=[” {F?58C6? D2:5]k^Am

kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ {F?58C6?[ CF8 9@@<:?8 :D 36DE 6?;@J65 :? 2 8C@FA D6EE:?8[ 2<:? E@ D6H:?8 4:C4=6D] %96 C6A6E:E:G6[ D@>6E:>6D E65:@FD H@C< @7 7:==:?8 @FE 2 7F== CF8 42? 36 >256 2== E96 >@C6 ;@J7F= H:E9 4@?G6CD2E:@? 2?5 :?DA:C2E:@? 7C@> @E96CDi “*@F 42?VE ;FDE 5@ E9:D 3J J@FCD6=7] xEVD 2 D@4:2= 2CE[” {F?58C6? D2:5]k^Am

kAmpD :?E6C6DE :? E6IE:=6 2CED C63@F?5 2>@?8 J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@?D[ CF8 9@@<:?8 2?5 D:>:=2C 7:36C 2CED 2C6 AC6A2C:?8 7@C 2 ?6H H2G6]k^Am

kAm“p =@E @7 A6@A=6 2C6 :?E@ 92?5\>2<:?8 E9:?8Dj 4C@496E:?8 92D 4@>6 324<[” #6=<2 D2:5] “(6 =:<6 E@ <66A ?6H @?6D 4@>:?8 :? H:E9 ?6H :562D[ ?6H >6E9@5D[ ?6H 6?E9FD:2D>]”k^Am

kAm~?6 DF49 ?6H4@>6C :D {F?58C6?’D @H? 8C2?5D@?[ `_\J62C\@=5 vC6JD@? r2CC:K2=6D] {F?58C6? 92D 366? E6249:?8 9:> G2C:@FD 7:36C 2CED D:?46 96 H2D E9C66[ 2?5 @?6 52J 96 E@@< 2? :?E6C6DE :? 96C CF8\9@@<:?8 AC@;64E]k^Am

kAm“w6 ;FDE D2:5[ ‘{6E >6 ECJ :E]’ x H@F=5 96=A 9@=5 WE96 723C:4X @? E96 3@EE@>[ 2?5 96 H@F=5 9@@< @? E96 E@A[” {F?58C6? D2:5] “(6 92G6 2 E62>] … w6VD G6CJ 2CE:DE:4[ D@ :EVD 2=H2JD 96=A65]”k^Am

kAmr2CC:K2=6D 925 D6G6C2= 7:?:D965 @C :?\AC@8C6DD AC@;64ED E@ D9@H 2?5 DA62< @7 5FC:?8 E96 8C@FA’D =2E6DE >66E:?8i p C64E2?8F=2C 9@@<65 CF8 H:E9 E9C66 C65 r9C:DE>2D @C?2>6?ED DA6==:?8 E96 H@C5 “y~*[” D:I >:?:2EFC6 J2C? A@>\A@>D[ 2?5 2 AF?49 ?665=6 2?5 CF8 9@@<:?8 4@>3@\A:646 DA6==:?8 “x {@G6 |J |2>2[” DE2CE65 H96? 96 H2D ;FDE 7:G6 @C D:I J62CD @=5]k^Am

kAm%@52J[ {F?58C6? 2?5 96C 8C2?5D@? 2=D@ A2CE?6C FA @? CF8D E96J 56D:8? E96>D6=G6D[ H:E9 r2CC:K2=6D 7:==:?8 :? =2C86 @?6\4@=@C DH2E9D 2?5 D:>A=6 A2EE6C?D H9:=6 {F?58C6? 92?5=6D >@C6 4@>A=6I E2D<D =:<6 D925:?8]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< >@C6 A6@A=6 ?665 E@ 5@ E9:?8D 92?5D\@?] x E9:?< :EVD 8@@5 7@C @FC >:?5D[ 2?5 @FC 3@5:6D[” {F?58C6? D2:5] “x 2=H2JD E6== 6G6CJ3@5J[ ‘x7 J@F AF== E9C66 =@@AD 2 52J[ J@FC DEC6DD 8@6D 2H2J[’ 2?5 :E 5@6D]”k^Am

kAm~E96C E92? E96 AC@5F4E:@? @7 92?5>256 2CEH@C<D 7@C @?6’D 9@>6[ {F?58C6? D2:5[ CF8 9@@<:?8 AC@G:56D 6?5=6DD @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C D@4:2=:K2E:@?[ C6=2I2E:@?[ 4C62E:G:EJ 2?5 564:D:@?\>2<:?8 E92E <66A E96 >:?5 D92CA]k^Am

kAm“xEVD ?@?\6?5:?8] *@F 42? 5@ 5:776C6?E 723C:4D[ J@F 42? 5@ 5:776C6?E 56D:8?D… xEVD @?8@:?8 2?5 ?6G6C DE@AD 492?8:?8[” {F?58C6? D2:5] “tG6CJE9:?8 :? J@FC 9@FD6 D9@F=5 36 362FE:7F= 2?5 FD67F=] %92EVD H92E CF8D 5@]”k^Am

kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? E96 CF8 9@@<6CD’ >66E:?8D[ G:D:E E96 {6824J @7 E96 !=2:?D |FD6F> H63D:E6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^=6824J@7E96A=2:?D]@C8^6G6?ED^CF8\9@@<:?8Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm=6824J@7E96A=2:?D]@C8^6G6?ED^CF8\9@@<:?8k^2m]k^Am