Photopsia Rug

Strange name for a rug… Photopsia is actually a vision disorder where the patient perceives multiple spots of light, usually white spots but sometimes in color as well. I went for the color… and by the time I was done this project, I certainly was seeing many spots of color (lol).

This project was a time filler while I waited for some supplies that I ordered to arrive. (That story will be next). Meanwhile, I wanted to try something incorporating all the colors of wool I have accumulated so far. That’s about fifteen or so (not counting the neutral shades of white, gray, brown and black).

I decided to do a round design 18″ in diameter. I drew a wedge shape 1/6th of the pie and covered it with various sized circles. Then I used that paper template to draw all 6 sections of the bigger circle onto the linen.

The artistic challenge was choosing the colors for a harmonious distribution around the piece. I tried to avoid repetition of color combinations. Here it is 3/4 complete before the background was added.

The technical challenge was in keeping a tension on the cloth for easy hooking. Once the design got over 75% filled, my 9″ plastic hoop would no longer fit snuggly over the bulk of the yarn. So…, I cut a 1-inch ring off the top of a 5-gallon pail and used Bungee cords and skate laces to secure the linen stretched over the ring.

It actually worked out okay. I enjoyed many comfy-chair studio hours in both daylight and nite light. It was a satisfying project. I tried a new technique in edge binding which failed. But, I learned what not to do next time so that was good.

Thank you for reading. This is my Photopsia Rug.