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Rebecca Erb

A sampler is a great project to use for reference, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned rug  hooker. While it may seem easy to envision how a tweed will hook, it’s not always as obvious when you’re hooking a plaid or a stripe.

Samplers are not a new idea. In fact, many other fiber arts, like crochet, embroidery and knitting use samplers (or swatches) to create a sort of scrapbook of stitches and ideas. The benefits of rug hooking samplers are often touted at camps and workshops. I designed my first sampler to see how plaid and checked wools would hook. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my end result was more than just a functional rug. It was a very interesting-looking rug hooking experiment.

To read this complete article, please see the March/April/May 2010 issue of Rug Hooking Magazine.