December is a busy month with not a whole lot of available free time. However, I did manage to get in a bit of hooking on Monday night, which allowed me to make bit of progress on my Persian. As you can probably tell, I am simplifying certain sections of the pattern as I go along. Although this pattern was intended for cuts #3, 4 and 5, I am doing it with a #8 for everything except the gold filigree ornamentation, which uses a #6. Some of the little doo dads don’t work at all with an 8, so they are being dropped out. The drawn section on the right side will also go, as it is only used in that spot (on both sides of the rug) and not necessary for the design. However, I will be adding some things to the background, but that is a topic for another post.
This rug is just a fun project for me, started on a whim. That may be why I am enjoying it so much – no deadlines, no expectations, no pressure. Sometimes one just needs something they can hook for fun. Even so, it will probably end up as the subject of a video as there are some things about it that are worth discussing. Of course one of the things I do like about it is the fact that it is a Jane Olson design. She gave it to me some time ago after I commented on how much I liked the design. It struck me, the other day, while working on it, that this is the first Jane Olson rug pattern I have hooked. I’ve hooked one of her pillows and a couple of elements out of other designs, as well as a couple other things on which we collaborated, but this is the first full scale Olson rug pattern that I have done. Since we so often are together that may seem odd, but we usually are busy doing our own things. It was rather fun on Sunday, after church, to take her in to my office and show her my current project!
At this point, I am still working some things out. Looking at the photo points out places to tweak the next time it goes on the frame but, at this point, it is just good to be making progress.