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Nicky was my daughter’s first dog. I knew I needed to make this rug for both of them. I hooked Nicky in a traditional style using #3-cut wool. I love how her collar with her name tag turned out. To make the collar, I used a braiding technique called kumihimo and tied the ends off in the back for the O-ring. Attaching the tag without ripping the braiding was harder than I thought it would be.
Nicky would melt your heart when she looked at you. I struggled to capture her expression, but Donna Hrkman got me through the process. I also struggled with the background.
From the Judges:
Great use of color and lovely expression on dog’s face.
Cut wool just wasn’t working to make it look like grass. Gail Dufresne nailed it with her suggestion to use mohair. I dyed it a bright green, and it worked perfectly.
Nicky’s coat has what is known as “ticking.” It was incredibly hard to make it look realistic. I did a lot of reverse hooking before I finally got it right. This project seemed to say, “Don’t give up; take your time and make it right.” I finished the rug with a three-color kumihimo braid, which was then sewn between the rug and the wool-yarn binding..
“Nicky the Great” Dane, 18″ x 22 ½”, #3-cut hand-dyed wool, wool yarn, O-ring, and charm on monk’s cloth. Designed and hooked by Barb Powell, Redmond, Oregon, 2024.
Barb Powell
REDMOND, OREGON
Barb began rug hooking in 2008 when her daughter left for college and she had some time to pursue an interest she’d had for the previous 30 years. She has been inducted into the Celebration Hall of Fame, with seven of her rugs appearing in Celebration. Her rug Stairway to Heaven was chosen to be on the cover in 2021. She was certified as a McGown teacher in 2016.