Writing
I write because I must.
If I don't, I start to feel sluggish and slow, grumpy and agitated.
Writing allows me to share my thoughts, my life experiences and my sense of humour. I've been a people watcher forever - aren't we the most fascinating species of them all?
We're complex, yet straight forward, hilarious and dull.
People are worth observing, their foibles and individuality are both intriguing and baffling.
My hope is that my writing is thought-provoking, poignant, relatable and funny enough to make the reader at least smile, at best laugh loud enough that someone nearby hears them and asks why they're laughing.
Rug hooking
The process of hooking involves drawing a design onto a piece of burlap or linen, then sewing it taut on to a frame or hoop and using strips of fabric to create art. Yarn, wool cloth, cotton or any fabric preferred by the artist, is cut into strips to create cushions, wall art, or rugs for the floor. In 2014 my cousin bought me a cushion kit from Canadian artist, designer and rug hooker, Deanne Fitzpatrick. The gift of Deanne's cushion kit inspired me to design and create my own unique hooked rugs.
Over the past six years, I've gone from using a mixture of fabrics and yarn in my pieces to only using yarn. This has been a gradual evolution and I've now landed in a place where I know the yarns I love to use and my own style is slowly emerging.
Hooking is a tactile, meditative process which restores, comforts and inspires me.
With love,
Kathleen x
Kathleen KettlesWriter, Designer & Textile Artist
