Welcome to Wooley Mountain! I'm Leah, the owner and sole employee here. Wooley Mountain Rug Works has been a long time in the making and is my way to share my passion with the rug hooking community and you, whether you're experienced at the craft or just learning.
I was not originally interested in hooking, as my mother did so many rugs. Instead, I started braiding rugs with Anne Eastwood. Anne introduced me to the many shapes and sizes of rug that it was possible to create: hearts, stars, double and triple circles. It was here that I learned how to put a braided edge onto a hooked rug. Anne also became my first rug hooking teacher. Twenty-five years later, I create my own designs and dye my own wool. I love to see a rug in creation, to feel the wool slipping through my fingers to become a beautiful piece of art. I think that is what we all get out of rug hooking - a creation of our own, an original work of art. I hope that I can help bring the joy of that experience into your life. Please look around and feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments.
About me
Fiber arts seem like they must be in my family's blood. Rug hooking is documented as far back as my great-grandmother in Nova Scotia. My mother, Irene, has been hooking for about fifty years; she got her start with McGowan Certified Instructor Ethel Bruce. Now that she is in her late eighties, she no longer dyes her own wool, but she chooses her own patterns and colors and continues to produce beautiful rugs. You can find examples of her work in the section of the website dedicated to her, "Irene's Hooked Rugs". My mother continued this tradition in her children; my sisters and I were never allowed to simply sit idle watching television. We always had to keep our hands busy with some craft - embroidery, crochet, or the like - and that habit has always stuck with me. My sisters and I are passionate about a number of different arts, from rug hooking to quilting to watercolors. Mom has now passed on , April of 2018, we will miss her love and artistic encouragement.
Leah
Irene
My son Matthew working on his first rug. He started in 2013, the new generation in my family, that makes the 4th generation to hook. He drew his own design and color planned it himself. He likes to work in military and medieval themes. I am very proud of him.
Matthew
Matthew just recently won First Prize at the Berlin Fair with his First Rug!