Hi, I'm Erin Peacock!

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I've been an artist my entire life. When I was really young, I loved coloring, playing with playdough, painting in kindergarten class, and doing puzzles. I was happiest when I was playing and much of my play included creativity and crafty things.

Art class was always one of my favorites, of course. In high school I took as many art classes as my schedule would allow and I continued on to study art in university because, well, what else would I do!?

I started traveling the world and living abroad with just a backpack of belongings, so my art took a big pause for over a decade. I couldn’t quite figure out how to be a traveling artist or how to make a living from it, which has always been my dream, so it got put way on the backburner. I always had this nudge and knowing that creating art is what I am meant to do and share with the world. 

I have worked with a wide variety of mediums and styles over the years including ceramics, sculpture, 2-D drawing and mixed media, acrylic painting, and fiber arts.

One day I was looking for creative inspiration on YouTube in early 2020 and I came across punch needle. I had never seen it before, but knew I had to get my hands on that tool. There was something immediate and instinctive that said “This is for you!”. All I wanted to do was punch needle, so I decided to take a course and I became a Certified Oxford Punch Needle Instructor in early 2023. During that course, I had an introduction to traditional rug hooking, but that particular style of rug hooking didn’t resonate with me at all. I simply had no interest in it. 

I continued making punch needle rugs, but began to sense I needed some other kind of fiber technique to incorporate into my pieces, so I made rugs that included embroidery and sculptural elements, but that didn’t feel like quite the right fit. 

In Fall of 2023 I had the pleasure of taking another course to become a Certified Mindful Crafts Teacher. Again, rug hooking came up in class, so I gave it a go, but it still didn’t resonate with me at all. 

I continued to create a variety of crafts to see what inspiration would come of it and one day on YouTube, I came across Deanne Fitzpatrick, who is a very well known and incredibly inspiring modern day rug hooker. I saw about thirty seconds of one of her videos and I was absolutely captivated. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her beautiful rugs. Seeing her style was exactly what I needed and what I was looking for. From that moment, everything changed. 

I began practicing rug hooking using a variety of wool yarns and being more free and open with how I hooked so I could create designs with more varied colors and movement.

Rug hooking has become my passion and I feel so grateful that it has appeared in my life to inspire me to live my dream as an artist. 

There are several reasons. 

*It’s a very simple craft. It’s easy to learn and easy to do. I just pull one loop at a time and go loop by loop to fill the space.

*The repetitive nature of pulling loops is very relaxing, calming, and meditative because I don’t have to think very much once I get into the flow of it.

*It doesn’t require very many materials, so I can bring smaller projects with me on the go anywhere.

*I sketch out a design and start hooking. I like that I can see the loops being pulled up. The image or composition comes to life before my eyes.

*It’s always a surprise to see how the different yarn textures and color combinations look next to each other. I never really know what I will get until I hook it. 

*The design possibilities are absolutely endless.

*I like being able to work with natural fibers because it connects me to earth and to nature. As someone who grew up in the woods of Vermont and lived near farms, it feels wonderful to use gorgeous, luscious wools that come from sheep that graze freely and be able to support small farmers who tend to the land over generations with such care. 

*I enjoy the tactile nature of feeling the qualities of the fibers as I hook.

*The community of rug hookers is incredible. The support, encouragement, welcoming demeanor, and sheer artistry in talent is wonderful to be a part of.

*It’s versatile in use. I can make functional pieces for my home, like a rug for the floor, and beautiful decorative pieces of art for the walls.

But what I enjoy the most is…

A feeling. The connection to tradition and place. Traditional rug hooking is a craft that dates back to the 1800s in northeast North America, which is the region where I’m from. Though I never knew about this craft until a handful of years ago, I somehow feel deeply connected to it, as if I need to care for it and hold it as something truly special, like a treasured heirloom, which I think it is. I feel humbled to learn a craft that comes from generations of talented and dedicated rug hookers, which were mostly women. I feel honored to be a part of this lineage and community and to continue to carry the traditions of this wisdom, knowledge, and skill. 

Traditional rug hooking reminds me of my childhood and days of growing up in small town, rural Vermont. At its essence, it’s a craft of necessity where people were very resourceful and used materials and tools they had available. It reminds me of a simpler time, like when I was a kid and the ways my grandparents and great grandparents lived. When I hook, I feel like it’s who I am. It’s a deeply heart centered, grounding craft that brings me to my roots and my essence. 

2025 (April-May) - Mindful Crafting: Connecting to Creativity and Reducing Stress through Fiber Crafts - Mindfulness Based Crafts Course - Mindful Crafters Institute

2024 (Feb) - Certified Mindful Crafts Teacher - Mindful Crafters Institute

2023 (Apr) - Certified Oxford Punch Needle Instructor - Oxford School of Rug Hooking

2023 (Apr) - Afternoon of mindfulness with Plum Village Monastics - Ecuador

2016 (Dec)- 1 week practice - Plum Village, France

2016 (Oct) - 10 day silent meditation retreat - Vipassana Center, USA

2015 (May) - 2 week practice - Plum Village Nhap Luu, Australia

2015 (Feb-May) - 9 week practice - Dharma Gaia Mindfulness Center, New Zealand

2015 (Feb) - 1 week practice - Chandrakirti Meditation Center, New Zealand

2014 (Dec) - 1 week practice - Plum Village, France

2010 (May) - BA in Geography and Studio Art - University of Vermont, USA

I'm fluent in Spanish. 

I have lived in / visited 15 countries.

My favorite book is The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. 

I enjoy making art as gifts for all occasions. I love gifting my own handmade goods. 

I could watch tiny house videos for days. 

1,000+ piece puzzles are one of my favorite past times.