SPRING HAS SPRUNG HOOK-IN & WORKSHOPS
April 24- 26, 2026
2026 Rug Hooking Event in Maine
Come join the fun at the Spring Has Sprung Hook-In & 1-Day Workshops. 5 Workshops will be held on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Elk’s Lodge, 108 Odlin Road, Bangor, Maine, followed by Hook-Ins on Saturday & Sunday, April 25 & 26, 2026. Event runs 9-3:30 each day.
Hook-In fee: $40/day (Snacks, beverages & lunch will be provided)
Workshop fee: $80 plus class supplies. See class descriptions for details (Workshop fee also includes snacks, beverages & lunch).
Workshops offered for 2026:
- Punching With Wool Strips – Kevin LeMoine
- Finishing – Judith Hotchkiss (Waiting list)
- Borders- Nancy Jewett
- Hooking Faces – Emily Williams
- Hooking & Painting a Rug- Rita Anderson
See below for class descriptions and costs. You can sign up for 1, 2 or 3 days. Please note registration is not guaranteed until payment is received and you receive confirmation.
Hotel accommodations: Country Inn at the Mall, 936 Stillwater Ave, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone: 800-244-3961 or 207-941-0200. Nightly Charge is $119.00 (plus taxes). Use “Spring Has Sprung” for the event code.
Cancellation policy: Workshop & Hook-In reservations are NOT TRANSFERABLE without contacting Hooked Forever. Cancellations after April 1st, 2026 will not be refunded. If a class does not draw a minimum number of students we may be forced to cancel the class & all fees will be refunded.
To Register, follow below instructions:
REGISTRATION
- Fill in REGISTRATION FORM here.
- Send check payable to Hooked Forever to: Stacey Van Dyne – 916 River Road – Orrington, ME 04474
- Once payment has been received, a confirmation email will be sent confirming your class.
Class Descriptions & Costs:
Punching With Wool Strips (Waiting List)
Kevin LeMoine – New Brunswick, Canada
Time: 9-3:30
Workshop Fee: $80 – Due on registration
Supply Fee: $60 Payable to teacher the day of class
Skill level: Students must have basic Punch Needle Rug Hooking knowledge or experience.
Class Description:
Using wool strips in an Oxford Punch Needle!!! Learn how to Punch a Historic 14” Bluenose Pattern using a # 6 cut Wool Strip and a # 10 Regular Oxford Punch Needle. This workshop is geared to expand your abilities and visions going forward.
All students will punch needle the same pattern as shown.The finished size of the project measures 14” Round and is on a 24”x24” piece of Monk’s Cloth so that you may add to your piece at home. We will be using 100% wool strips in a # 6 Cut. All wool colors will be slightly different for each piece, but will all be in the same family and will be a mix of off the bolt and over-dyed. Kevin will be providing, for use during the workshop or for purchase, a 15”x15” Gripper Frame, Frame Cover and a # 10 Regular Oxford Punch Needle for all students.
Teacher will contact students prior to class: Yes
Kit Description: Each Kit will include the pattern on a 24”x24” piece of Monk’s Cloth and all pre-cut wool strips needed to complete the project. Oxford Punch Needles and Gripper Frames are NOT included in the Kits but will be available to use or purchase during the workshop.
Students Need To Bring: Scissors, Note pad and Pen.
Bio: Kevin was born and raised in small town Amherst, Nova Scotia and is now settled in Shemogue, New Brunswick, Canada. He started his arts path in his early teens with Oil Painting, to be followed by Tole Painting which he successfully taught for 5 years. After many forays in the Fiber Arts, including Punch Needle Embroidery, Cross Stitch, Needlepoint and Latch Hook, Kevin was introduced to Traditional Rug Hooking by his Mother. Kevin has evolved into Punch Needle Rug Hooking where he has found great peace and relaxation in using the Amy Oxford Punch Needle. He is a Certified Oxford Punch Needle Rug Hooking Instructor and is offering classes throughout the area and is excited to spread the joy of Punch Needle Rug Hooking. In 2020 Kevin built his 400 sq. ft. Studio where he offers Punch Needle Rug Hooking classes as well as sell basic supplies for both Traditional Rug Hooking and Punch Needle Rug Hooking. Kevin has also enjoyed traveling to teach the art of Punch Needle Rug Hooking throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ohio, Maine and has become a annual instructor at The Hooked Rug Museum of North America in Hubbards, Nova Scotia.
Teacher’s Website – www.punchneedlerughooking.ca
Teacher’s Email – kevinlemoine506@yahoo.ca
Specialties:
ABCs of Finishing (Waiting list)
Judith Hotchkiss – Deer Isle, ME
Time: 9-3
Workshop Fee: $80 – Due on registration
Supply Fee: – $20. Payable to teacher the day of class
Class Description:
Tired of finishing your rugs the same old way? Do you love the hooking/punching but procrastinate when it comes to finishing? It is often said that the finished edge can make or break a rug, but what does that mean? This workshop is designed to inspire and expand your ideas on how to finish your punched mats while still maintaining a technically sound edge. While we will not have time to try all 26 finishes, one for each letter of the alphabet, we will enjoy hands on practice of several and discuss the rest. The goal is for you to leave with enthusiasm for the finishing stage and new ideas to apply to future projects.
Teacher will contact students prior to class: Yes
Skill level:
Supply/Kit Description:
Students Need To Bring: Basic rug hooking supplies: frame, cutter, hook, scissors.
Bio: Judith Hotchkiss grew up in a hooking household and watched her mother, aunt and older sister punch beautiful rugs. As a young girl, her mother often let her choose colors and practice punching on her big floor frame. Now Judith loves to teach the art to others, and likes to combine punch and traditional rug hooking as well as use lighter weight yarns for fine shading. She is an Oxford Certified Punch Needle Instructor as well as McGown certified to teach traditional hooking. She produces her own line of hand-dyed wool and yarn, specializing in multi-value swatch dyeing as well as one of a kind spot dyed skeins. She lives in Deer Isle, ME where she is constantly inspired by the colors and beauty of Downeast Maine.
Teacher’s Website: JudithHotchkiss.com
Teachers email: jhotchkiss50@gmail.com
Specialties:
Design Your Own Border
Nancy Jewett –
Time: 9-3
Workshop Fee: $80 – Due on registration
Supply Fee: – Pattern fee – $40. Payable to teacher the day of class
Class Description:
In this class you will design your own border with the help of some tools and visual inspirations . I have always loved borders and consider them to be the frame that finishes a rug. It can be approached in a variety of ways we will talk about. You will have 2 designs to choose from to design your border around. You’ll have paper and all the tools you need. When you are happy with your border you will transfer your design to your pattern. Pattern choice will be a fun flower of a folk art style bird.
Teacher will contact students prior to class: Yes
Skill level:
Supply/Kit Description:
Students Need To Bring: Basic hooking supplies – hooks, scissors, frame.
Bio: Nancy Jewett is a self taught artist who grew up on a farm in Vermont, surrounded by animals and memorable rugs hooked by her grandmother. She later learned to hook from her former mother in law and soon began designing her own and dyeing wool. Her designs, which often reflect her fondness for animals and sense of humor, might include animals having fun, playing musical instruments or simply being a bit mischievous. Her passion for color transforms wool into an irresistible palette encircling the color wheel. Nancy is the owner of Fluff & Peachy Bean Designs which she founded in 2003. Nancy has a love for teaching color planning, dyeing and design with an emphasis on borders. Her specialty is in color planning no matter the style of rug. She is a frequent contributor to Rug Hooking Magazine, TIGHR (The International Guild of Hand Hooking Rugmakers) Membership chair 2006-2009, 3 year term (2009-20015) ATHA Region 1 Representative and current McGown Chairman of Activities and Members at Large. She co-hosts the ATHA Region 1 Hook In at Bedford, MA and The Down East Hook In in Bangor, ME.
Specialties:
Hooking Faces
Emily Williams – Cumberland, Maine
Time: 9-3:00
Workshop Fee: $80 – Due on registration
Supply Fee: To be determined. Payable to teacher the day of class.
Class Description:
“The most important thing in a portrait is the soul of the person.” ~Yousuf Karsh
This one-day class will provide an overview of the basics of capturing a face in rug hooking. We go over face proportions, visuals, and light sources. We will focus on eyes, noses, and mouths. A sampler pattern consisting of an eye, nose, and mouth will be used in this class to teach you the basics of these elements. You will receive a handout with helpful tips, tricks, and resources. You are welcome to bring your own face pattern instead of the sampler. We’ll explore both fine and wide hooked faces, but size 3-5 is recommended for the face sampler pattern.
I look forward to exploring hooked faces with you this April.
Teacher will contact students prior to class: Yes
Skill level: Students must have basic rug hooking knowledge & experience.
Supply/Kit Description:
Students Need To Bring: Basic hooking supplies: frame, cutter, hook, scissors.
Bio: Emily Williams was introduced by her mother to the wonderful world of rug hooking in New Jersey in the nineties. A certified McGown teacher, she lives in Maine and delights in sharing her enthusiasm for the artisan craft with others through teaching. Inspired by nature, art, and her community, Emily enjoys designing her own rugs and hooking commercial patterns in both fine and wide cuts. She has taught classes at Northern McGown Teachers’ Workshop and Rugs by the Sea in Cape May, NJ, Hunterdon County Rug Artisans Guild Camp, and co-runs a small rug hooking business with her mother, Corwyn Cottage Fiber Arts. Emily is an active member of the Tin Pedlar of Maine Atha Guild and chairs the yearly exhibit at the Cumberland Fair. She currently serves as the Vice President of McGown National Guild and was the guild secretary for three years (2016-2018). Emily works full-time as a professional fundraiser and keeps busy as the mother of two children (ages 16 and 12). A lifelong swimmer, she still wakes up early to swim with her local master swim team.
Specialties:
Hooking & Painting
Rita Anderson – ME
Time: 9-3:00
Workshop Fee: $80 – Due on registration
Supply Fee: Cost will vary depending on pattern & materials chosen. Payable to the teacher at the beginning of class.
Class Description: To follow
Teacher will contact students prior to class: Yes
Skill level: Students must have basic rug hooking knowledge & experience.
Supply/Kit Description:
Students Need To Bring: Rug frame, hook, scissors,
Bio:
Specialties:
Other Events:
Harvest Hook-In- October , 2026, at Bangor Elk’s Lodge, 108 Odlin Road, Bangor, ME. Contact Toni Philbrick of the Keeping Room.
Downeast Hook-In – October 30 -November 1, 2026 at Morgan Hill Event Center, 82 Morgan Hill Lane, Hermon, ME. Contact: Nancy Jewett or Judith Hotchkiss.
Hooked Forever will be a vendor at the following events in 2026:
Harvest Hook In, October, 2026 at Elk’s Lodge, 108 Odlin Road, Bangor, ME. (Maybe)
Downeast Hook-In, October 3 -November 1, 2026 at Morgan Hill Event Center, 82 Morgan Hill LN, Hermon, ME.
