BACK IN ACTION…

Despite the inclement weather, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

We were so lucky – I guess we were far enough north of the lakes that the freezing rain did not really affect us too much. We decided to leave the plowing of the roads until Sunday night – by then the worst of the freezing rain was done with. Gord spent 5 1/2 hours in his tractor (enclosed in a heated space with his CD’s) and got the worst of the ice and snow off our road and our elderly neighbour’s. It did take out another sheer pin and bolt but it left our roads nice and ice free and easy to navigate Monday morning when we left for Christmas with my parents.

I was so happy to see Dad up and about and back in his real bed and dressed. The last few months have been pretty stressful for all of us as he seemed to be going downhill but while we were there he was bright and chipper and eating (actually gained 7 pounds since his most recent release from the hospital). He even beat Gord at 2 games of cribbage. So for me it was a wonderful Christmas – not a very traditional Christmas but …

And I actually did some hooking – finished the last of the celtic pillows for Sharon. Yeahhhhhh – I am of German/Swiss heritage – I should be hooking sausages and beer steins not celtic knots :-)… They are stuffed and ready and now … on to the Camp Iawah April retreat challenge – Foul Fowl!

We also managed to squeeze in a trip to Southworks in Cambridge. This is a wonderful! big antique mall housed in old restored factory buildings. Took us a good 3 hours to wander through with eyes peeled. I was looking for old silverware boxes. In the most recent issue of the ATHA magazine there was an article about repurposing these old boxes which seem to abound – gutting them and painting them and turning them into wonderful boxes to house your hooking utensils. Wellllll there were tons of these boxes – big and little – some with drawers and others without. But the price point was much higher than I was interested in spending. Many were in the 20 – 30 dollar range (these were mostly solid wood) and some in the 50 – 80 dollar range (included the silverware) but hmmm I am cheap and was looking for 10 dollars or less and not having much success until eagle eye Gord spotted a whole pile in one booth. Many were damaged or not real wood but holy cow didn’t I unearth one that was wood with dovetailed joints, not finished with laminate or too shiny and  only!!!! 7 dollars!!!!! Grabbed it and ran! Plus we found a lovely vintage rug that had faded to really beautiful old colours. It is hooked primarily of nylon strips and jute (burlap or brin) that had been dyed. It was in amazing condition – no holes and good borders and only about 8 loops that needed to be hooked back in and all for a low low price of 45 dollars. So we zipped up to the cash and brought both of these great finds home with us…

So now we are awaiting company – that means hmmm more  hooking and junking!!!! What a great way to end the year…and start the new one. I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year and the best in 2014.

RAIN, SLEET OR SNOW…

which will we get? Hmmmmm – all of them!!!! Our departure has been delayed as have many. It has been a bit nervewracking as we watch the weather channel and see what others have to contend with – streets like skating rinks (actually in Kingston someone was filmed skating in the street), power outages, etc. So we have stayed in doors trying to decide when to plow – before the ice rain or after! We decided AFTER was a good idea otherwise our lane way would also have become a skating rink and we would be stuck till spring!!! So I have been reading and hooking –  yup. Finished that Karla Gerard (well it IS only 17 x 11 inches) and am show binding it today. I think I will offer this as a kit as it is colourful but not tooooo bright (still somewhat toned down) but uses a lot of bits and pieces. It was fun to do – I did have to change out a few things – took the light strips out of the sky as they realllllly popped which meant having to hook an outline around a few things, added some “beading” to the roof lines of some of the houses and now I think it is better.

I see not even the deer are out and about today – must be treacherous for them as usually they are outside by 7 a.m. staring at the house and waiting for Gord to feed them – but today nothing… Good day to stay in doors…

A LITTLE CATCHING UP…

Today is grim and dull and snowy with freezing rain in the forecast for the next few days. I love winter – but not days like this! When you live wayyyyyy back in the bush and your propane tank is low and the roads are snowy and freezing rain is in the forecast wellllll… stress builds up reallllly quickly. Thank goodness our propane delivery man just came about an hour ago – yeahhhh I can turn up the thermostat and stop wearing layers!

I must admit lately I have not been in much of a hooking mood – well to be honest I have not been in much of a mood for anything! But dad is home from a repeat hospital stay of a week, propane tank is full, roads are cleared and we are leaving tomorrow to spend Christmas with my parents! So today I have been prepping a piece to take along and finish off while we are gone. This is based on a much reduced and simplified version of one of the new Karla Gerard patterns I now have in stock. I wanted something small and colourful to make up for the dreariness of the weather. So this is the picture of Karla’s pattern:

and this is my partially hooked version:

And HERE IS MY LATEST AMAZING FIND! From a little but wonderful antique store in Watertown (Paddock Art & Antiques). A wonderful vintage storage unit that perfectly fits my Prochem dye containers (well it will once I clean them up a bit!). I am not sure what it held but it has little stencilled colours under each opening. It needed a bit of repairing but for 22.00 holy cow was I going to leave it behind – nope!!!!! Now I just have to find a spot for it! Well maybe clean it up a bit as well. The back is open but has those thin dowels running down the back so that the containers will not slide out so it could be hung or set on a counter.
And a sweet rug to share by Alexandra:

Since I probably will not be able to post again before the holidays I wish you and all your loved ones a Merry Christmas. May all your wishes come true…

NEW PATTERNS…

I thought I would post some of the new patterns I have in stock – the first are Karla Gerard patterns on primitive linen:

Fall in Maine 23 x 29 inches $60.00

Colored Tree 25 x 25 inches $60.00

6 Houses and Moon 22 x 29 inches $60.00

Follower 23 x 29 inches $60.00

A new visitor to the studio – he must have heard about the new pattern!:

I will also gradually be adding patterns based on the paintings of Lison Salois. Lison is an artist from Quebec and for years I have thought that her paintings would make wonderful rughooking patterns. Welllllll Lison has consented to have some of her pieces translated into patterns and this is the first one I will have available – more will follow. They are whimsical pieces that will bring a smile to your face:

21 x 28 $55.00

PRESENTS AND ORNIES…

My absolute favourite gift is something hand made. It thrills and inspires me and somehow speaks to me. I cannot even begin to describe the beautiful pieces everyone made and the fun we had picking, stealing , restealing and finally opening each gift and ornie. So without further ado, here are pix of the gifts and ornaments made and exchanged:

You should be able to click on the photo to see it larger and get a better idea of what each item looks like. This is the first set of ornies – the santa face is actually a recycled light bulb and the star was made of pipe cleaners and then left to hang in a solution of water and borax and all those amazing little crystals formed on the pipe cleaners. 

The punched tin is actually a mason jar lid! and the angel has a head made out of a hmmmm okay I forgot the name but a dried husk and vintage hand made lace…

Anticipation!!!!…

and more anticipation…

and the mutual admiration society…

and now we start – wire bird and nest made by Betty…

hand carved santa candy jar made by Donna…

what could those be – somewhat bowed legs?…

The angel – this is an amazing vintage christening gown from Britain – angel made by Liz…
Wool applique pillow made by Wendy…

Table mat and braided mat and poinsettia made by Sandi…

cutter bag made and appliquéd by Louise…

Pillow(s) made by Laura(needlefelted!!!)…

Candle holder made by Andrea…Quilted table runner made by Elizabeth…

Velvet and wool stuffed punkins made by Karen…

Joy sign made by Linda…

Before pictures – hmmm guess these should have been at the top :-)…
and darn I forgot to take a picture of the gift and ornie I made…

CONVERTS TO HOOKING…

I Lovvvveee converting people to rughooking. It is so exciting to watch someone who picks up a hook and becomes addicted. This past summer my friend Suzanne asked if I would teach her two granddaughters (aged 6) and their mother to hook. Wellllllll I had never taught a 6 year old but oh my it was fun. We drew out their patterns, they picked their wool and away they went. Mom was instantly a convert as well. I recently received pix of their finished projects and a request from Mom to make up a kit for her next project – the girls are working on ideas for their next hooked pieces as well. Here are pix of their finished pieces:

Then last week I got an email from a new hooker in BC – Dale has finished since she picked up a hook for the first time in August – 6 pillows!!! Here are pix of some of her holiday rugs:

Today is our Hooker Holiday Party – food, fun and oh my beating heart – hand made ornie and gift exchange!!!! As I worked on 11 ornies for the exchange I was cursing the person who suggested we should do this (blush – was that me?) but ohhhh today I am sooooo excited. This is always one of my favourite days in December. Tomorrow I hope to post pix of presents and ornies (I know you are all green with envy!)…

DRUM ROLLLLLL…..

And the moment you have been waiting for (I know this because I was getting anxious emails yesterday!)….  and the winner is… BONNIE LESLIE from Chesley Ontario! Bonnie your package is being mailed this morning and should be in your mail box sometime early next week. I hope you have fun hooking your little candle mat… And I want to thank you all for your lovely comments and helpful words – I am overwhelmed by this caring thoughtful community.

Yesterday was our guild’s final get together for the year 2013 – we celebrated with a delicious pot luck lunch.  Even Gord got to participate from afar as some of the food found its way back to our house. We held a hand made ornament exchange – the ornies were all so unique and fun and I got TWO. Plus we had wonderful show and tell so I have attached a few pictures from our show and tell (no pictures of the food because drooling into your keyboard is not a good thing!):

Margery hooked my Midnight Beaver pattern – it is wonderfully primitive…

Cheryl’s plaid bubbles rug…

My two ornies – how sweet are they…

Lou’s stained glass elephant from her class with Carol Shewan…
Elizabeth’s stained glass rug from the same class…
Cathy’s story rug from her class with Laura Boszormeny.. and another of Cathy’s rugs (design by Joan Boyle)…

Chrissie is doing her version of an Alana Kapell design…
 Pauline’s Sunflower rug from our recent Karen Kaiser WIDDDDEEE cut class…

and Marie’s Boneyard (another Alana Kapell design) done all in recycled as is wools…

Pat is hooking into a dollar store tote bag – Chilly(a pattern in Create and Decorate magazine a number of years ago)…

Sue’s hooked guardian angels (which MANY OF US thought were part of the ornie exchange :-))

France’s Owl rug – another piece started in the WIDEEEE cut class…

Maureens almost finished M. Shaw chair pad pattern…

and her Christmas tree done in yarn and needle felting…

Wendy’s flower basket which she started in Karen’s WIDE cut class..

Joyce’s beautiful geometric (trying to use up left over worms)…

and I am not sure if you noticed but on the walls were many paintings done by local children which I think are absolutely wonderful and inspiration for some lovely holiday rugs…

IN TIMES OF TROUBLE…

we need our rughooking and our friends.  Rughooking is my therapy and friends are my support. Well to thank all my rughooking friends for their support and help during these the last few months I am offering this rughooking kit as a gift. This was my little hooking therapy over the last few days (not very big I know but kept my mind occupied in between the multitude of phone calls trying to get support for my parents). So the name of everyone who comments on this blog post will go into a bucket (lets hope it is a fulllllll bucket) and the winner (ONE – HAD TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE GORD THOUGHT I WAS GIVING EVERYONE A KIT HAHA!!!!) will be drawn on Thursday. The kit (10 inch wide on primitive linen with all the wool cut 8.5 and a show binding included) will then be mailed out on Friday – just in time for you to hook it up and add your own candle for the holidays (oh and I should say that the antique grater does NOT go with the kit :-)). The wool is actually married and a bit older looking than shown in the picture…

On Wednesday morning I will once again be at Stitch by Stitch on Gardiner Road in Kingston with cutters and wool in hand and then next Saturday December 7 I will be vending at the Nick of Time Christmas Show in Perth. This is a lovely little Christmas show held every year at McMartin House – it runs from 10 – 4 on Saturday only and is a great opportunity to shop for some of those last minute Christmas gifts and decorations – for others or for yourself!!!