Painting with The World’s Most Wonderful Wool

Since the first loop I ever pulled, I’ve felt rug hookers are simply painting with wool. Like a painting, our rugs can be in any style—as complex or as simple as the hooker/painter wishes. It’s a freedom we embrace and revel in. Unlike slippery and viscous paint that’s easily layered, wool must be the right color from the start. We don’t usually change or cover it over unless we are working some unusual techniques. Even when we use tricks, it’s not easy to change a spot of color in wool.
In my last article (January/February 2022), I showed you how to make The World’s Most Wonderful Wool. It might not look like the most beautiful wool, but it is very useful for many artful flourishes. In this article, I’ll show how to use those very samples and the tricks and devices I use to make it say what I need it to in my artwork.