Punch Needle Rug Hooking

Punch Needle Rug Hooking:  Birds of the Northwoods

Do you love natural fibers and wild birds?  If so, this class might be a perfect combination for you!  Jump into the world of punch needle rug hooking with a selection of designs from the instructor (cardinal, chickadee, loon, owl, or hummingbird) to create a colorful and textural piece of your own.  Using yarn from the instructor’s farm’s sheep, you will learn how to stretch the monk’s cloth backing onto a frame and use two sizes of the Oxford Punch Needle to turn your chosen design into a looped pile home accent.

Punch needle rug hooking is unique from other styles of rug hooking because it is worked from the back of the piece.  The yarn is fed through the core of the punch needle, which leaves behind even loops on the opposite side of the backing.  The “coloring with yarn” process feels like magic and invites imaginative interpretation of the design.

Here’s a brief video of punch needle rug hooking:

Designed by Amy Oxford in Vermont, the Oxford Punch Needle transforms this traditionally hooked rug process so that it’s both speedier and kinder on the wrists.  Wool and wool-blend yarns are the best fibers to use in the punch needle, so please make certain you do not have a wool allergy before signing up for this class.

After you register, we’ll be in touch with you to verify which design you’d like to use:

We’ll take a lunch break each day. You are welcome to bring a bag lunch, or order something from the Dovetail Cafe!

Registration includes…

Instruction, yarn, and monk’s cloth backing, on which your final project will be fully completed. You will also have use of a frame, Oxford punch needle, a yarn swift, iron, and all other materials required for successful completion. The instructor will transfer your preferred design onto the monk’s cloth backing before class. Your final project will be a colorful 10×10 finished piece, with the image of a bird of the Northland!

You should bring…

Required:

• • Sturdy sewing needle and cream-colored upholstery thread
  • Thread Scissors
  • Fabric pins
  • Yarn bowl (a cereal bowl work well too, if you don’t have a yarn bowl)

Optional:

• • Notebook and writing implement
  • Images of the bird you’ve chosen, for color inspiration

Skill Level

No prior experience needed!

Best for ages…

12 to 112!