Most mothers would not appreciate being called a “hooker” or being greeted with “So, Mom, do you want to dye today?” But there is nothing Eileen Friedrich would rather hear from her daughter, Anita Anderson.
These accomplished rug hookers, along with Anita’s daughter, Kathleen McPartlan, are passionate about their craft. Dedicated to constant improvement, this three-generation team travels all over New England to attend rug hooking schools, camps and museums, though their own private productions occur mainly at home. Their rugs reflect hours of practice and instruction, while maintaining each individual’s artistic style.
The art of rug hooking is enjoying its biggest renaissance since the 1940s and 50s, Anderson explained. Invented out of necessity to cover and warm bare floors, the early American craft has managed to evolve while remaining true to its roots. Groton artist Anita Anderson has been creating original rug art since the early 1970s and calls it “painting with wool.”According to Early American Rug Hooking, a catalogue of traditional rug hooking, the art peaked in the early 19th century. Most popular in New England and Canadian Maritimes, the artisans of the 1800s were forced to rely on ingenuity.
The amount of detail in each rug is staggering. Anderson loves the originality of each piece. She said that 10 rug hookers could each make the same pattern, using the same colors of wool, and they’d still come out with 10 completely different rugs.
Anderson said one could never know everything there is to know about this art form. Techniques for making fruit, leaves, primitive drawings, intricate patterns, shade gradations, lettering, dyeing and endless other skills are constantly being honed. But it is a labor of love. There is no mistaking the joy hooked into each piece.
Photo from Stock.xchng.
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