Punch Needle Winter Pouch: An In Person Workshop with Rose Pearlman

Discover the fundamentals of punch needle rug hooking while creating a soft and functional winter pouch — a small vessel to hold and carry. In this workshop, students will learn how to transform a textile surface into a three-dimensional object, no sewing machine required. Through the rhythmic, meditative motion of the punch needle, participants will explore how loops of cotton string can be built into texture, shape, and form.

The class begins with an introduction to the history and practice of rug hooking, considering what a rug is — its two sides, its structure, and its potential beyond the floor. Students will learn how to thread and use a punch needle, change yarns, fill in a surface, and repair small mistakes.

Working with common cotton string and a provided punch needle and frame, each participant will design and make their own needle punched winter pouch — soft, tactile, and textural.

The course will conclude with finishing techniques: trimming, poking, pressing, and whip-stitching edges to create a reversible surface, and simple hand construction methods to shape the work into a pouch.

From this foundation, students will leave with a finished object, a high quality punch needle and frame, and the skills to continue experimenting — creating pillows, accessories, wall hangings, and more.