Spring Fling

 Oh what a good time. We left early on Thursday  morning, stopped at several antique shops on the way there and arrived at our airbnb house. We had trouble with the plumbing. We'll have a good laugh about this someday.

This was a different, larger place this year. There was plenty of room. And lots of pretties for sale. 

I did purchase a couple pieces of wool and eight hanks of wool thread. I plan to learn to needle punch and or cross stitch using the wool thread.

These are the pieces from the women in our small hooking group. This is Valerie's piece. She sewed some faux fur onto his hat.

This is Linda's piece. She started this in a class with Kris Miller. I love the colors.

This is Lauren's. She's making a heart to mount onto a piece of barn wood for an upcoming sale. 

And this is mine.

Lots of tables, lots of women. Most were hooking

 Some were punching or doing embroidery. 

This is Jo's. Barb and Jo took a mini class from Jenny Smallridge to learn that scrappy hooking technique. They both said they had a good time.

And lastly is Barb. I'm so glad she could attend. At the last minute Michelle could not attend, so Barb took her place. I hope next time they all come. 

The shot I got into my hip has helped, a lot. I was nearly pain free until I picked up and stacked wood. I know there's no rush on clean up. But I do not like looking out the window and seeing the mess. The mess from the second downed tree doesn't bother me at all ( because I can't see it ). 

There's always more to do. I'm also trying to get stuff ready for the sale. This time around I'm not making anything. I'm just trying to get rid of stuff. I consolidated two houses to just this one and I have too much stuff. I hope the sale goes well.

Sue

New Rug for the Spring Fling

 On Thursday I leave for spring fling hooking event in southern Ohio. I usually do not attend a hook-in as I find it a lot of work for a few hours of hooking. But this time I am excited to attend. We'll leave Thursday morning and eat and shop on the way there. The event is Friday and Saturday. 

I'll be starting a new rug. It is my interpretation of an antique rug called Kinderhook. 

And just when I've made up my mind, pulled the wool to take. Well....

I see this.

 

It was on the Woodland Junction blog a couple of days ago.  And I love it. I mean I LOVE it. I can see this on my frame soon. 

I went to the orthopedic doctor. It's either hip bursitis or a spine issue. I let her give me a kenalog shot into my hip. If I don't get better I am to follow up with the neurosurgeon. I sure hope it gets better. I do not want another back surgery. 

Fun coming right up. Sue

Is it Spring or Winter??

 Ohio just cannot make up its mind. One day it's gorgeous, clear blue skies and 70. The next it's 32, snowing, thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds. 

Sunday at 430

This is my son's house. Next, Sunday at 930.

I had marble sized hail at my house too. I just didn't venture out to take pictures.

Spring is trying her best to be here. Just look.

 Daffodils from the garden and a bluebird at the feeder. 

Yep, springtime is on her way. We just have a few more bumps to get over. 

Sue

Hook & Thread Society

 This is such a fun group. There were only four of us today, but we are becoming good friends. We share so much more than our love of rug hooking. 

Hooker Jo and Michelle just started hooking about a year ago. You would never know it by looking at their work. 

Jo made this purse. She said she saw it in an old Rug Hooking magazine and set to work on finding all the needed supplies. It is wonderfully hooked and finished. The whole top closure is magnetic.

Below is a cupid pillow, again wonderfully finished. 

And Jo's current project.

Michelle is working on this cute little bunny. 

And dear Barb is still working on her red penny rug. She only has about 18" of binding to finish it. I would never have thought of making the background red. In person it's beautiful.

 

I finished my Lancaster Barnyard rug. It is a Notforgotten pattern. I bound it in a fairly bright orange and I love it.

The dogs and I have been a bit under the weather. Henry was doing a lot of head shaking and becoming smelly, he had yeast infections in both ears. Daisy became suddenly unable to walk, vomiting, and just laid and looked so pitiful. I took her in for an emergency vet visit. Cha ching. $400 later to be told she is constipated. And me.. I'm going on 6 weeks of hip pain that is impeding what I want to do. As Lauren would say, getting old is not for sissies. I went to the doctor this morning and am waiting for an orthopedic appointment. 

Next week we're going to a spring fling hook-in put on by Jennie Smallridge. I just know it's going to be so much fun. I'll be traveling and rooming with Lauren, friend Valerie, and Prim Dollie Linda. Valerie found us a VRBO close to our event. And then we'll meet Barb and Jo there. They are going one day early to take a class.

I drew up my next pattern. I made a few alterations to better suit my likes. And I have not hooked on my monster rug. I need to order those clamps, but I'm frugal ( so frugal ) that I'll wait until I have enough in my cart to get free shipping. 

It snowed here today. Insert sad face.  I'm so ready for spring. 

Sue

It's Friday

 Saying it's Friday does not have the same impact as when I was working. Everyday is similar, sometimes I have to think really hard on what day it is. In my working life I was a nurse. Sometimes Friday meant it was my weekend to work. That was a sad "it's Friday".

I've worked a bit on My Primitive Things rug, AKA the monster. 

I've held off on hooking Lancaster Barnyard so that it can be my mobile project. Hook & Thread Society is this Sunday. If I don't finish it I'll be really close. 

Spring is just around the corner. Some days I can feel it and some days winter has it's hold on us. 

Spring is coming. Do you see those peeks of red and yellow?

Winter's hold, 

 A snowstorm is once again predicted. I do not like the snow, and being cold. I do not like it at all. 

I hope you have a good weekend,

Sue

My Primitive Things

 My new rug is called "My Primitive Things", a pattern by Lois Roy. And it's a biggie. 48x60. I hope to finish it this year. Key word, hope. I've ordered some clamps from Amazon to help with the excess linen that hangs over the frame. It has been difficult to turn the frame or even to reach under it with my left hand. There's just so much fabric. 

I couldn't decide if I should start on one side and move across. Or start in the middle and work out. Or start with my favorite motifs. I finally decided to start in the middle. So far I've only hooked the yellow house. So many decisions to make. Where do I start? What colors to use? Do I have enough darks for the background? Can I use up a lot of worms? 

I've gone through my worms and got most of them out and ready to go. I did put the too bright ones back in the storage box. I plan on using up as many worms as I can.

I've only seen pictures of the original and one other. The other lady changed many of the motifs to make it more personalized to her. She added a dog, and a cat, a sheep, and several others. She took out the goat. And the little goat is my favorite. I used to raise goats when I lived in Georgia. 

Now I have dogs. 

Cute little dogs. 

Sue

Pondering

 Another bleak winter day. I'm so over winter. 

I've continued to work on Lancaster Barnyard. It's been a fun rug to hook. Even with all the wool I have I cannot choose a "good" color for the basket. I've already tried twice. One was too golden, one was to patterned. 

This is my stash. I love using browns. My son once asked me if I ever made a rug that wasn't brown. Why yes, silly.

See? Just a bit of wool. I should be able to find something that will work. 

I used a piece of overdyed green wool for the leaves of Lancaster Barnyard. These three little pieces are all that was left over. Whew, that was close. But I could have filled in little spaces with another wool. 

I'm using a very dark green for the background. It is very soft, very pliable and easy to hook with. But I was wondering, have you ever seen a label like this on your piece of wool ? I hadn't. And it won't come off. 

I splurged and bought a new huge pattern. It's 48x60. Huge. I've had it about a week and just cannot start it. I don't want to mess up. This will not be a rug I take to hooking events. I wonder how heavy it will be when completed. I wonder how to bind it, like that will happen anytime soon. But I still wonder, and ponder. 

Sue

Sunday Putterings

 I'm not doing much of anything on this Sunday. I'm just staying home and trying to keep busy enough to not be bored. I'm also nursing a sinus infection that I picked up on my trip to Florida. I'm slowly getting better after a trip to urgent care and a trip to the real doctor. 

I've been working on a new rug. Did you guess which one? I wasn't feeling good so I went with the one that was already drawn out, Lancaster Barnyard. It's a Notforgotten Farm pattern by Lori Brechlin. I really like her stuff. I wish I could draw and stitch like she does. She is so talented.

My colors will be similar to what Lori used as I really like her version.  Lauren dyed a yard of light colored wool for me. She called the recipe "putty". Thank you so much. I am using several of those dyed pieces in this rug.

And the background is a dark green wool. 

It's hooking up pretty quickly. I'm going to soon have to decide what's next. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions. 

It's still below freezing here, so no snow has melted. Yet. It's supposed to get up to 40' one day next week. That'll feel so good. 

Sue

 

 

Rug Sharing

 On Sunday I attended our hooking group.  This group inspires me to get more hooking and dyeing accomplished. When someone else shows their beautiful work it makes me want to go home and get busy. 

These were some of the rugs they shared.

Michelle just started her hooking journey a year ago. She's doing great. She's been selling wool and hopes to start having some hand dyed wools soon.

Lauren is the overachiever of the bunch. Seems to me she has boundless energy. Kinda like the Energizer Bunny.

Barb is the newest member of our group. She said she's been working on this rug for years and it's so boring. But look, she's almost done. 

Valerie got this cute little gem from a hooker who's passed. It was already started. Isn't the squirrel wonderful. I like the colors she's hooking with. 

Last but not least. The life of spoiled dogs .

Have a good week 

Sue