Hook the Town RED!

 

The Northumberland Rug Hookers are once again hosting their biennial hook-in: this year on Monday October 26, at Grace Church in Cobourg. The theme for the day is « Hook the Town Red », celebrating all things red!  

Everyone has at least one hooked piece that incorporates some of this fabulous colour!  Think fall leaves, poinsettias, poppies, tulips and hearts! How’s about Santa and his elves?  Apples and tomatoes!  And don’t forget Canada Day!  Bring along your favourite red hooked item for display and maybe it will win a prize. 

We’ll have the usual array of wonderful vendors, yummy treats, prizes and a speaker you won’t want to miss!  $5 at the door will get you in. Bring your mug, lunch and hooking and be prepared for a fun day of camaraderie and hooking!

Follow along for more details!

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip Part 7 - The Road To and From Newfoundland Leads to More Studios

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip by Gwen Brice

Part 7 - The Road To and From Newfoundland Leads to More Studios

A road trip to Newfoundland from Ontario means there are three provinces to pass through, and three provinces’ worth of rug hooking studios and yarn stops calling my name.  Needless to say, we made a few detours in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick along the way.

My first stop was Amherst, Nova Scotia at the Deanne Fitzpatrick Studio. Many a rug hooker has walked through these doors and felt instantly inspired by the rainbow of colour and texture that greets  them, and I was no exception. I arrived with a short list of staples to restock, but, was quickly sidetracked by the abundance of tempting choices. I wandered through the shop, past skeins of freshly dyed wool hanging to dry, and into the studio, where I take a moment to absorb the beauty of the many original works adorning the walls. 

Conscious of  time, I reluctantly made my way back to the shop to pay for my purchases. I happily accepted a  homemade oatcake for my patiently waiting husband, realizing that bringing him treats might become a very welcome side effect of my yarn shopping.

On the homeward journey of our trip, we stopped for a few days to visit friends in Mahone Bay Nova Scotia.  Mahone Bay just happens to be the location of another favourite studio: Encompassing Designs. I love scrolling online through the many whimsical seasonal patterns.  Several years earlier, I purchased Christine Little’s 3D ginger bread house pattern and the finished house proudly adorns my mantel at Christmas. In the back of the shop is a room with many of the patterns hanging on racks for ease of viewing.  

On this trip I finally decided to purchase two seasonal patterns, one featuring snowmen and another with a bunny, that I’ve been eyeing for a couple of years. My allotted space in the campervan for trip purchases was already quite full, but inspired by the way patterns were displayed on hangers at the studio, I borrowed a page from the organizing brilliance of Encompassing Designs and tuck my new patterns onto hangers beneath the shirts in our campervan wardrobe.  I also couldn’t resist a skein of studio hand-dyed yarn, in my favourite earthy tones and managed to find little corner to store it in. 

There were two more stops on this epic road trip, this time in New Brunswick.  Loopy Wool, located between Moncton and Fredericton, was a new studio to me. A fellow rug hooker in the Northumberland Rug Hookers group had enthusiastically stated it was a “must see” stop and who am I to argue?  The studio was gorgeous with bright coloured patterns, yarns, wool fabric, and other supplies everywhere you looked. Many of the studio patterns are printed in colour to help with colour planning and placement. I happily bought a few supplies for a project I was working on at home and we set off.

My rug hooking road trip would not be complete without visiting one final destination. The origin of many purchases since I began rug hooking. The supplier to many artists and studios. The Mill that produces the very recognizable and versatile 2 ply Heritage Yarn: Briggs and Little Mill located in Harvey, New Brunswick. The Mill was established in 1897, and is Canada’s oldest fully integrated woollen mill manufacturing pure wool yarns from scouring the raw wool to twisting, dyeing and skeining. Visitors can go on a guided tour of the factory, learning how each step in the process is completed. 

Unfortunately, the day I visited, the mill was closed for its seasonal break, but the shop was open, and really, that was the important part. I happily wandered inside while my husband, a seasoned professional in our well-established routine, took our dog Elsa out for a walk. This left me free to do what I do best: admire all the yarn, fall in love with far too many colours, and seriously overthink which ones needed to come home with me.

And so ends this Rug Hooker’s road trip. The final tally of rug hooking supplies after a seven week campervan road trip was 12 skeins of yarn, 1/4 yard of wool cloth, 3 patterns, 4 cards and 1 kit. Let the creative hooking begin! Let the creative hooking begin!

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Gwen for providing us with this wonderful 7 part series on her trip east. We hope you enjoyed it!  If you’d like to see more about Gwen’s trip, head over to her YouTube channel for lots more content! Link HERE.

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip Part 6 - Woody Point - Where My Rug Hooking Journey Began

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip  by Gwen Brice

Part 6 - Woody Point - Where My Rug Hooking Journey Began

As our last week in Newfoundland approaches,  we travel back across the island toward Gros Morne National Park intent on exploring the western side of the Park and the area around Port aux Basque.  Spending five weeks exploring the island has left me inspired to hook many of the beautiful landscapes I have photographed; but I wasn’t done yet. There is one more studio I plan to visit in Woody Point, a community located within Gros Morne National Park, called Molly Made Fibre Art Studio.

My introduction to rug hooking occurred during a family trip to Newfoundland in 2006, after seeing beautiful pieces in every craft shop we visited. I was intrigued, but little did I realize that this craft would develop into a fulfilling passion much later in my life. I bought my very first rug hooking kit on that trip - a Molly Made Kit of a lighthouse.  

Arriving home, ready to embrace rug hooking I realized I needed a hook, a hoop and probably a little instruction. In short, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Thankfully, my neighbour, who was a talented fibre artist, offered to show me the basics.  After picking up the essentials at a local shop,  I eagerly attended my lesson. My introduction to the craft involved cutting up an old t-shirt and hooking a simple star on a piece of burlap, all before being brave enough to  attempt my kit. During this first lesson my neighbour gave me a rug hooking book that introduced me to the work and world of Deanne Fitzpatrick. I was instantly, and forevermore ‘hooked’. 

But life and a young family had other plans.   My budding pursuit of the craft, and my Molly Made Kit, were tucked away in a craft drawer, patiently waiting for another day. That day came, many years later, when my nest was empty and I was ready to embrace the artist within.

Woody Point is a charming, little town nestled on the shore of a fjord, with beautifully preserved, colourful homes and buildings scattered along the waterfront. We strolled out to the lighthouse to soak in the views, then wandered over to Molly Made Studio, where I met Austin, busy assembling kits.  While his wife, Molly, creates and hooks the designs, Austin makes the wooden hooks and frames.  

We chatted as Austin showed me around the studio, explaining how the kits are assembled. and I shared that my very first kit had been a Molly Made lighthouse.  Austin pulled out a binder of patterns and pointed to one. “This one?” he asked. To my surprise, it was the very same lighthouse pattern still tucked in my craft drawer - one of the first patterns Molly Made sold, nearly twenty years ago.

After Austin returned to his work, I wandered about the shop, admiring the studio kits, hooking supplies (including yarn), finished pieces and the work of other artists from knitwear to watercolour paintings. I browse the coffee and preserves display, choosing something for my husband, before selecting a new Molly Made Kit to take home.

Tally of rug hooking supplies: 6 skeins of yarn, one pattern, three cards and one kit

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip Part 5 - The Unexpected Norton’s Cove Studio

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip  by Gwen Brice

Part 5 - The Unexpected Norton’s Cove Studio

Have you ever stopped to wonder why so many people love to travel? Is it the thrill of  discovering new cultures, taking in breathtaking views, or indulging in local foods you can’t find anywhere else? While I enjoy all of those things, what I love most about travel is the serendipity. The unexpected moments you never could have planned. At the start of this five week campervan road trip, I had a short list of rug hooking studios I hoped to visit along the way. But the more time I spent travelling through Newfoundland and exploring the craft, the more places revealed themselves. Some were recommended in conversation, others mentioned in passing, and a few I stumbled upon completely by chance.  That’s exactly how I found Norton’s Cove Studio.  We had stopped for lunch across the road, and curiosity led me to wander inside Keans’s General Store, home to Norton’s Cove Studio.  I had no idea then that this unplanned stop would become one of the most memorable moments of the journey.

Built in 1890, Kean’s General Store is located in Brookfield off Route 330 on the north side of Bonavista Bay. Stepping into the long and narrow room, I feel nostalgia for a bygone era, as I take in the long sturdy wooden counters worn smooth, wooden floors that creak underfoot and floor to ceiling shelves covering the walls behind the counters on each side of the room.  Rather than canned goods, barrels of flour and glass jars of sweets on the counters; colourful fishing rope repurposed into baskets and trivets, Lino-cut cards, watercolour paintings and t-shirts fill the counters and shelves. 

In a sunny room off to the side,  I meet studio owner, Janet Davis, an accomplished painter, printmaker and rug hooker. A Cheticamp-style frame, perhaps ten feet long, fitted with a linen backing sits against the wall. My curiosity is peaked as clearly this work is still in the early stages and I strike up a conversation with Janet.  The mat will replicate one of her paintings hanging on the wall above the frame, of fish in the sea.  The entire mat will be hooked using repurposed fabric.  She points to a pile of cut green strips that are destined to be reimagined as fish, sharing that her husband hasn’t yet noticed several of his T-shirts are missing. 

Next I am treated to a special gem, as Janet brings out a worn yet beautiful mat, hooked by her grandmother. Janet shares that it was her Grandmother who taught her the craft. It’s a familiar story for many, and thankfully, it’s this sharing, from one pair of hands to the next, that keeps this traditional art form alive. 

Wishing to support this talented artist and studio, I select a colourful lino-cut card depicting a fishing building next to the sea. I head back to the campervan feeling inspired and confident that I still have storage space for a lovely card. 

Tally of rug hooking supplies: 6 skeins of yarn, one pattern, three cards

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip Part 4 - The Beautiful Bonavista Peninsula

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip  by Gwen Brice

Part 4 - The Beautiful Bonavista  Peninsula

A popular destination for travellers exploring Newfoundland is the Bonavista Peninsula, known for its quaint fishing villages, rugged coast, adorable puffins and its place in history as the landfall site of explorer John Cabot in 1497.   Intrigued by where Cabot first set foot in what he called “the New World,” we make our way through town toward the Cape Bonavista, home to the iconic lighthouse and a statue commemorating Cabot’s arrival aboard The Matthew. 

According to a plaque at the site, the name ‘Bonavista’ is believed to have originated from Cabot’s reaction after 35 days at sea. Upon sighting land, he reportedly exclaimed “bueno vista,” meaning beautiful land. Although we arrive at the Cape on a windy, overcast day, I can definitely see his point, this place is truly beautiful.

We wander up to the lighthouse and spot our first puffins of the trip, perched on a rocky outcrop rising from the sea just off the cape. We watch as these small birds scurry to the edge and simply step off, appearing to free fall toward the sea until the last second, when they somehow manage a perfectly graceful landing on the water below. 

As we head back to our campervan, I duck into the Art and Craft Shop next to the lighthouse, leaving Derek and our dog, Elsa, outside in the wind.   I assure them I’ll only be a minute.  Famous last words. 

What a wonderful shop, filled with all the things you expect in a great Newfoundland gift shop and then some.  There’s the usual touristy stuff, plus books about the province, beautiful jewellery, cozy knitwear, t-shirts and hoodies, and even quilted table runners and placemats. And then…there’s yarn.   A small display of dyed yarn catches my eye. It’s from a studio called Seascapes and each skein is inspired by Newfoundland’s landscapes, with colourways named for specific places like Bonavista, Twillingate, and Gros Morne. One in particular draws my attention, a rich blend of reds, greens, and golds, and a little sparkle called Newfoundland Vintage Christmas. Given my love of all things Christmas, naturally, this is the skein that I choose to purchase.

I later look up the studio, thinking it might be fun to stop in, only to discover it’s located near St. John’s. Unfortunately, we won’t be heading that far south on this trip—perhaps this is just as well, as my allotted space for purchases in the van is filling up.

Tally of rug hooking supplies: 6 skeins of yarn, one pattern, two cards

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip Part 3 - The Inspirational Fogo Island

Hooked on Newfoundland: A Rug Hooker’s Road Trip  by Gwen Brice

Part 3 - The Inspirational Fogo Island

What is the one thing you think of when you hear “Fogo Island”? It is only in recent years that Fogo island has become an ever increasingly popular destination for travellers to Newfoundland. Certainly the distinctive architecture of the Fogo Island Inn, has created an international awareness of Fogo Island and a curiosity for many visitors.

Fogo Island is a small remote island located in the New World Island area and it is here where the Newfoundland Rug Hooking Guild celebrated its 30th anniversary in May 2025. 

Fogo Island was both a challenge and a delight to explore. It is also an artisan’s meca. The barren island landscape is scattered with windswept and dwarf trees and shrubs. Caribou roam across the island and small traditional coastal fishing villages scatter the bays and inlets. There is a beauty in this harsh landscape that I have experienced only once before in Canada’s arctic.

We spent a cold, windy and drizzly day exploring various art and craft offerings on the island. One such stop was located in a traditional Fogo Island wooden house. A quilt thrown over the front porch rail caught my attention and I directed my husband to pull over.  Inside, each room is filled with handcrafted items such as mitts and table runners. What is just as interesting is the interior of the home, which  reflects life circa 1960s or 70s.  Having been born in the early 1960s, it is a little strange to refer to many of the gems I recognize from my childhood, as artifacts, but I guess that is what they are. Miniature ceramic animals that came in boxes of tea, metal biscuit tins, and certainly the upholstery suggested a by-gone era. Heading up a creaky narrow staircase to the second floor,  I find quilts displayed throughout the hall and former bedrooms. One bedroom is full of Christmas themed quilts draped across the bed and hung from the walls. I begin to wonder how one of these quilts, depicting my favourite season, would look in the campervan. Even though its only 6 C out today and winter-like,  I know a Christmas themed quilt will be a hard ‘no’ from my husband. I sigh and head back downstairs. 

In the kitchen I find shelves of preserves for sale. I select a couple of interesting and new to me jam flavours made with partridge berries, bid my fairwell and head back to the van, where my husband is quite pleased with my jam purchases.

We continued on to Tilting enjoying the wild scenery of rock and waves, and colourful traditional salt box houses and fishing outbuildings. Settlement here was based on access to the sea and not the traditional British grid system the way much of Canada was developed. The road meanders up or around the rocky coast. We follow the road to its end and find ourselves at an active fishing pier on the edge of Tilting. Our dog, Elsa becomes excited when the smell of fish reaches her. We decide it’s time to stretch our legs and pull in to park.  I read the sign on the building in front of me and realize I have hit the jack pot!  Before me is “Winds and Waves Artisan’s Guild”, the Fogo Island Art and Craft Centre run by the Guild for Island artists to learn traditional crafts and a place to sell their work. I can easily stretch my legs as I wonder about the centre. My husband and dog head out to explore the pier while I make a beeline for the Centre. 

Inside the Centre I’m greeted by Carol, a friendly volunteer, and immediately experience a delightful sensory overload. Every nook and cranny showcases beautiful work. The Guild displays an impressive collection of quilts, knitwear, felted pieces, and books about life on Fogo Island written by local authors.

Hooked mats are displayed on tables and walls alongside quilts, weaving, and woodworking. A rack of brightly dyed yarn drying nearby catches my eye. Beyond the riot of colour, several vintage Eaton’s rug patterns hang behind a desk. It’s inspiring to see these vintage rugs and patterns hanging on the walls next to newer pieces hooked by talented local artists. They sell Briggs & Little yarn in a wide range of colours, some of which is dyed in-house. The yarn, dyed by the Guild’s aptly named “Dye Witch,” is also available for purchase. Only a few skeins remain, and I choose a dyed silvery grey with hints of “Blueberry”. 

I’m then treated to something truly special: a commissioned piece by a local hooker.  

As the sizeable work is slowly unrolled, I’m struck first by the back-don’t all rug hookers check out the back? The back of perfectly neat rows, evenly spaced, is a testament to the care and skill the piece was completed. Then comes the reveal. Wow. The front is a vibrant geometric design. I learn that a similar piece is hanging in a gallery in Korea. Carol pulls out the gallery booklet and shows me the original work, making the moment feel all the more extraordinary.

Tally of rug hooking supplies: 5 skeins of yarn, one pattern, two cards