Threading the Needle

I am not a Vocal+ writer, but I would like to be and I tried to register as one but at this time I really cannot afford the member dues for that side of Vocal.com. I am going to share my craft that I have been making since I was in high school or it could have been even as far back as junior high school. My threading the needle is latch hooking.

Latch hooking is to me kind of like needlepoint except with a bigger canvas mesh and instead of thread you have pieces of different colored yarn. You also have a tool, believe it or not, a latch hook to hook the yarn pieces to the canvas. These canvases can be just about any size from very small to very large creative pieces of art. When I first started to latch hook the canvases were printed now the latch hook person has to follow a chart showing where to place a particular color. They can also be wall hangings to rugs of various sizes depending on the area you plan to put your work on display.

I have made many wall hangings and rugs in this fashion from the insignia of my favorite football team, geometric designs to all kinds of patterns involving flowers and scenes dealing with the four seasons, nature and animals, etc. I just completed three pillows that I gave to my nieces and nephew and their husbands and wife with their initials on the pillows. As of now I have started on that is going to be my sister's for it is a picture grapes in a vineyard with a bottle of wine along with another one that is various flowers as a border and centerpiece. I am also planning on using the scraps from all the past latch hooks that I have done for there will most of the time be leftover yarn from the kits to be used. All of these leftovers will be used on a big piece of blank canvas as a piece of abstract art, I hope.

This picture is close to what a latch hook project looks like. I could not find any other free images of latch hook projects on pixabay.com that always led me to iStock.com, but I do not want to join those sites and pay for the images. Latch hook in a way looks like needlepoint for there is a canvas with a wide mesh and not a fine mesh, but instead of a needle there is a latch hook that has either a wooden or a plastic handle and a metal small hook and instead of thread you have pieces of yarn as mentioned earlier. Latch hook is a craft that is good for relaxing while watching television just like crocheting and doing needlepoint. Just a note I also make needlepoint projects and I am creating my own yarn sculpture that was suppose to be an afagan, but just keeps getting bigger and bigger for I only know how to do a single crochet. There are kits out there for the beginner to the advanced latch hook maker. To be honest some of the kits are for kids for you can tell just be looking at the packages, but these ones could be done by the elderly as well if they are interested. Bucilla is the company that I get most of my latch hook projects from. I just wish I could get projects with the mesh with a painted canvas and not just following a chart like they use to offer.