Hello boho crafty friends! Question for you…Have you ever heard of Locker Hooking? (Insert funny, off-base comments from my husband here!)
I was a child of the 80s, so every kid I knew who was remotely crafty had to go through a creative rite of passage: Receiving latch hook kits for Birthdays and Holidays. And making goofy pillows in middle school Home Economics class. (My pillow was an apple with a worm coming out of it and my sister’s pillow was a turtle. I think we both also completed horse latch hook kits).
I have to be in the mood to work on hand stitching projects because, at times, I still find them a little tedious. I also really have to pay attention if I am knitting so I don’t drop stitches and have to take out numerous rows. So I recently found a fun craft that is in between- not quite as slow as latch hooking but easy to fix in a hurry, unlike most knitting screw-ups.
Introducing Locker Hooking!
About Locker Hooking
Locker Hooking is a continuous rug hooking technique that uses latch hook rug canvas and fibers such as yarn, string, and narrow fabric strips. A locker hooking tool has both a crochet end and a needle end. You simply use the crochet hook end of the tool to pull your yarn or fabric up through the latch hook canvas holes. Then use the needle end to thread a simple black cotton yarn through the loops to “lock” the loops in place. Click here to get step-by-step locker hooking instructions.
According to Theresa Pulido, author of the books, Hook, Loop & Lock, and Locking Loops, locker hooking originated in England in the early 1900s where wool yarn was used to create rugs. Some Americans took up locker hooking in the 1940s, but it never became a widespread craft. More recently, artisans have begun experimenting with fiber techniques and with the help of Lisa’s books and projects, locker hooking is becoming more popular worldwide.
My Locker Hooking Projects
So far, I have completed 3 locker hooking projects so far and I LOVE the art!
1. I started by making a square pillow using dyed sari fabric yarn from India. The yarn is so colorful and I love the texture the fabric makes when it is looped through the latch hook canvas.
2. For my second project, I experimented with multiple colors of bamboo yarn and designed a tribal pattern. The loops of bamboo yarn are super soft (like kittens), but slippery to work with. Because the yarn is super soft, the pattern also came out a bit less structured, but the design is still eye-catching.
3. For my third project, I decided to run with a serious pattern. On Pinterest, I noticed people posting cool designs that were created on Grid-Paint.com. I selected one of the patterns pinned on Pinterest, then went onto Grid-Paint.com and doubled the design to make the end result big enough to be a pillow or wall hanging. I then chose black and gray chunky cotton yarn to complete the locker hooking. I love the result! The chunky yarn held the pattern well and this piece adds wow factor to our living room.
To learn more about locker hooking, check out my instructions here. I also suggest you get your hands on Theresa Pulido’s books to give you further locker hooking project ideas. She also sells some great colorful locker hooking kits and supplies on Amazon and her site, ColorCrazy.com. I am also happy to see her cat participating in her instructional videos.
Happy Boho Crafting!