Hints for Hookers
The picture that follows is of "Two Cats for All Seasons". I used photographs of Fermat and Pascal for the basic patterns, and took a course on hooking cats through the Rug Hookers Guild of Nova Scotia. However, with a little patience, and Joan Moshimer's Hooked on Cats, ISBN 0-8117-3041, you can immortalize your favourite companions. The secret is blending.

The primitive apple tree for all seasons is my own creation and was inspired by the tree in front of our house that the cats can see from their various perches all year round. The borders are enlarged symbols of the tree's four seasons. The little cats in the corner were shaped using a stenciling template. The piece was hooked on burlap and mounted on a board, with a corded edge, stitched around with knitting wool.

A useful source of interesting material is second hand clothing. You have to be careful that it is pure (or nearly pure) wool, and labels are notoriously deceiving. Worsted wool is virtually useless as it frays when you cut it. If your piece has enough wool, it should pass the 'burn' test. Take a strand and light it witha match. Wool will self-extinguish and have a very distinctive ordor. Have a dish handy because most other fabrics burn readily.