Kathleen Harwood: Class of 2018
![](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383176/Kathleen-Harwood-Bio-Photo-2_Medium_ID-2868217.jpg?v=2868217)
Name: Kathleen Harwood
Location: South Hadley, Massachusetts
Tell us a bit about yourself. What are some of your interests and hobbies?
Art and the art world have been my profession & love for my entire life. My family occupies a big space, as do my dogs & my garden. Rug hooking keeps me centered & sane, & allows for the creative part of my soul to be satisfied. I have wonderful friends, love to travel, walk, read, go to the movies & cook, & am trying to devote an increasing amount of time to social/charitable/philanthropic causes & being a better citizen of the world.
How did you get introduced to rug hooking?
I've had my hands in fiber since I was a child; my mother was a wonderful knitter & crochet-er & also taught me to do needlepoint, to embroider, & to quilt. But there was no rug hooking tradition in my family. I was attracted to antique hooked rugs; long before I had the time, I told my husband that it was my ambition to learn to make hooked rugs & he began to give me books. In 2002 when we moved to a new community, I decided that it would be a great way to meet new people, so I sought out a rug hooking community. Lucky me, it was with Nancy McClennen & Claire DeRoos in the Binghamton, NY area, & I learned from the best.
What was your first project?
Claire handed me a traditional arched "Welcome" rug pattern with roses, a hook, & some wool, & I plunged in. Compared to the needlepoint project I had been working on it seemed enormously clumsy at first, but I soon got the hang of it & finished that rug. It's nothing I would make today, but it's on the floor in my studio where I see it every day; Claire encouraged me to "unhook" & redo the really awkward areas, but I stubbornly refused so that I will always be able to recall how far I have come.
Is there one rug that stands out as being particularly memorable?
I love the Diamond in the Square & the Feather rugs. They both represented interesting challenges & were very satisfying to design & hook. But having singled those out, I immediately think about Kai's Jack which was totally different, & how much I enjoyed making October Log Cabin. So I guess the answer is "not really."
Is there a particular style of rugs that you're most interested in hooking?
I gravitate to geometrics without always even realizing it. I'm fascinated by quilts & many of my most successful rugs have been based upon quilt patterns. I love highly graphic designs. But I'm interested in many other things; I like rugs with words on them, rugs that contain signs & symbols, or tell a story, & rugs that are highly personal (even if it's not obvious) as opposed to generic designs. Color is a guiding factor, & I'm increasingly drawn to abstraction.
What's your favorite part about hooking a rug?
Starting & finishing
What's a piece of advice you'd give to a new rug hooker?
Follow your instincts; believe that you are creative even if you think you aren't; don't be afraid of color; plan to make a big rug someday; try to find at least a few minutes to hook every day;
What do you love most about Celebration?
Seeing the amazing variety of creativity & talent in the rug hooking world
Table of Contents
Diamond in the Square, Celebration XX
![Diamond in the Square, Celebration XX Diamond in the Square, Celebration XX](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383180/DiamondintheSquare-20-2_Large400_ID-2868261.jpg?v=2868261)
"The biggest rug I've made, and so satisfying. It's probably the only one I don't think I could part with because of the memories associated with it; the golden dogs were..." Read more.
Feather Hearth Rug, Celebration XXI
![Feather Hearth Rug, Celebration XXI Feather Hearth Rug, Celebration XXI](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383178/FeatherHearthRug-21-2_Category-CategoryPageDefault_ID-2868243.png?v=2868243)
"This rug followed Diamond in the Square; I was (and remain) obsessed by American quilt designs. I had no idea what the palette would be when I began, but it seemed to fall..." Read more.
The Alice Rug, Celebration XXIII
![The Alice Rug, Celebration XXIII The Alice Rug, Celebration XXIII](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383179/TheAliceRug-23-2_Category-CategoryPageDefault_ID-2868256.jpg?v=2868256)
"I needed a project for a workshop and doodled the geometric center of this rug on a beach in Florida. I have a fondness for black cats (Alice was a special one, a bold kitten who..." Read more.
Kai's Jack, Celebration XXV
![Kai's Jack, Celebration XXV Kai's Jack, Celebration XXV](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383175/KaisJack-25-2_Large400_ID-2868205.jpg?v=2868205)
"My oldest grandson, Kai, has been fascinated by cards and card tricks since he was young (he's 18 now). Having decided to make a rug for each of my grandchildren, I asked..." Read more.
October Log Cabin, Celebration 27
![October Log Cabin, Celebration 27 October Log Cabin, Celebration 27](http://irepo.primecp.com/2018/08/383177/OctoberLogCabin-27-2_Large400_ID-2868222.jpg?v=2868222)
"I continue to be fascinated by quilt patterns and especially the endless variations on the log cabin theme. I also find the layering of images extremely interesting. This is a simple..." Read more.
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