MiVT: Vermont Rug Hooking Studio

CABOT, Vt. (WCAX) - Cabot’s Sandy Ducharme has loved fiber arts since she was a little girl.

“Learning to sew, knit, crochet,” she said.

With a family full of fiber artists, it comes as no surprise. But it wasn’t until 2004 by way of her sister-in-law that she found her favorite fiber craft -- rug hooking.

“She said, ‘I know you’ll love this.’ And I said, ‘I don’t need another hobby.’ And needless to say, she got me to start and I was so hooked after the very first rug,” laughed Ducharme.

Fast forward to 2022, and Ducharme is the proud owner of Vermont Rug Hooking Studio.

Inside the walls are decorated with her countless, award-winning works and shelves are stocked with wools she dyes herself.

“They’re handmade, all of the colors are original, the designs are original. You’re not going to find these anywhere else,” she explained.

Nowadays, Ducharme is eager to teach others about this relaxing, meditative craft, as she has done since 2010.

“That’s really where my passion is, sharing my love for nature and color, and the gift that I’ve been given to paint wool on canvas,” said Ducharme. “And it’s wonderful.”

When she’s not teaching, she’s working on hooking herself, on either personal projects or custom commissions.

Her price sits at $250 a square foot, as these rugs take months, sometimes even upward of a year to complete.

To some, that may sound tedious. But Ducharme tells us this is rewarding to her and that she loves being able to create art with fabric.

“The feel of the fiber is wonderful,” she said. “Being able to create a flower from a piece of wool was exciting.”

While she gets a creative outlet, her customers get stunning, one-of-a-kind rugs that will last a lifetime if taken care of -- decorated with flowers, animals or scenes across Vermont, hooked by hand in the mountains.

“It’s just amazing what you can create with a piece of wool,” Ducharme said.

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