Fritz Mitnick: Class of 2018
![](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383115/FritzMitnick-2_Large400_ID-2867413.jpg?v=2867413)
Name: Fritz Mitnick
Location: Indiana Township in Pennsylvania (just outside Pittsburgh)
Tell us a bit about yourself. What are some of your interests and hobbies?
Gardening, pets (favorites are dogs and chickens), cooking, reading, but rug hooking is more than a hobby. It is my way of life.
How did you get introduced to rug hooking?
A woman I knew sold me a ticket for a rug being raffled at a local guild rug show. I marveled at the show, won the rug, and my life was instantly changed.
What was your first project?
I started a simple geometric, but the guild was having a story rug workshop with a teacher from out of town. I signed up and hooked the story of my life on a 2 ft. by 3 ft. rug.
Is there one rug that stands out as being particularly memorable?
Being from a farm in Indiana, Pittsburgh, with its hills, was so exotic to me. I hooked Pittsburgh Nocturne after working on the idea for two years. It is still my favorite.
Is there a particular style of rugs that you're most interested in hooking?
I am particularly attracted to geometrics, but I feel my rugs tell my story and I make more of those.
What's your favorite part about hooking a rug?
To me, rugs are a puzzle to solve, and you have something useful at the end. I love the planning and then the decisions made as you execute your plan. I must add that once the decisions are made and there is just repetitive pulling of loops, I am never bored as I also appreciate the meditative quality of that action.
What's a piece of advice you'd give to a new rug hooker?
Keep your first piece simple. I was nervous doing my first piece and cannot say I enjoyed it. I knew I was not making a masterpiece to be admired by all. By the second piece, I was relaxed and knew this was the beginning of a new chapter.
What do you love most about Celebration?
The variety of what people are hooking. Though I travel more for rug hooking than for anything else, in Celebration I get to see this gathering of fabulous rugs and enjoy every bit of the story behind each rug.
Table of Contents
Pittsburgh Nocturne, Celebration XV
![Pittsburgh Nocturne, Celebration XV Pittsburgh Nocturne, Celebration XV](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383881/Pittsburgh-Houses-Fritz-Mitnick_Large400_ID-2876876.jpg?v=2876876)
"I am a flatlander from the Chicago area, and after a move to Pittsburgh, I was so inspired by the sight of all the houses up and down the hills along the Allegheny River. The lights..." Read more.
Look Out, Celebration XVII
![Look Out, Celebration XVII Look Out, Celebration XVII](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/05/371764/Lookout_Large400_ID-2730208.jpg?v=2730208)
"I love crows, pumpkins, and trees and was intrigued by the idea of a series of "looking out windows" rugs. By far the biggest challenge was making a crow visible against..." Read more.
Mighty Moose, Celebration XXI
![Mighty Moose, Celebration XXI Mighty Moose, Celebration XXI](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383117/MightyMoose-21-2_Large400_ID-2867434.jpg?v=2867434)
"With a family member living in Alaska, several of my visits to the north inspired rugs. When leaving my cabin to go to the main house, I was once surprised by a moose silently..." Read more.
Blackbird, Celebration XXIII
![Blackbird, Celebration XXIII Blackbird, Celebration XXIII](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383116/Blackbird-23-2_Large400_ID-2867421.jpg?v=2867421)
"I knew I wanted to use a paisley shawl I had purchased, but I thought cutting it in strips would diminish the lovely pattern of the shawl. I made little pillows of paisley an..." Read more.
Quilt Sampler for Wide Cuts, Celebration 26
![Quilt Sampler for Wide Cuts, Celebration 26 Quilt Sampler for Wide Cuts, Celebration 26](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383118/QuiltSamplerforWideCuts-26-2_Category-CategoryPageDefault_ID-2867455.jpg?v=2867455)
"I designed this and gave it to Honey Bee Hive, thinking I would never get to it and maybe someone could benefit. I signed up for my annual vacation to Ohio Rug Camp and realized..." Read more.
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