RUNNING OUT OF FOOD!!!…

Deer food that is… So have I mentioned we love our deer and that we feed them all winter. Usually, though, by the end of March they are no longer being fed the delicious but expensive grain, corn and molasses mix but are starting to munch on my gardens! Although I have caught them nibbling on the few plants that have actually made it to sunlight (since we still have a lot of snow) we are feeling guilty and still feeding them. There is one poor deer with a broken foot (hoof?) and we try to put a pile a little ways away from the other piles so that she(he) can eat without being nudged aside. However!!!!! this is cutting into my hooking money! Grain mix price has gone up a LOT and I am hoping that the last little bit we have in the can is going to last or outlast the deer! But when I look outside in the morning and they are all in a huddle staring expectantly at the house and don’t run off when I open the door and walk down the steps hmmmmm methinks we will be buying a few more bags! It has gotten so bad that they are now eating the unshelled peanuts we have been throwing out for the bluejays – caught one deer with a shell hanging off his lower lip and a guilty expression on his face! So come on spring! Don’t let me down! I could be spending that money on wool or cutter heads or linen!

Easter is coming! Jane sent me a picture of the Antique Rabbit kit she just finished in time for Easter… I love the way Jane hooks – looks so wonderfully primitive!!! and I think her rabbit has been chomping down on some chocolate as he looks a tad fatter than mine did…

So wishing you all a wonderful Easter filled with family, friends and of course chocolate! I bought a wonderful bowl last year from one of our local pottery artists, Diane Black, and it is screaming for chocolate eggs…

 

 

HOT CHILI PEPPERS…

I love to dye wool!!!! Some days I am not sure which I enjoy more – hooking or dyeing. I think the thing I love about dyeing is that the transformation from plain white, tan, grey wool into something gloriously coloured is so fascinating. I just did a red/orange I call Hot Chili Peppers. I dyed it over a mixture of base wools in tans, oatmeals, tickings, naturals so that I would have a wonderful variety of tones and textures and values. Here is a picture and the formula – have fun:

Hot Chili Peppers:

8/16 Majic Carpet Orange

8/16 Majic Carpet Red

over 1 1/4 yards of mixed wools

Have I mentioned that Wanda Kerr bought out the Majic Carpet dyes and you can order them directly from her now? We all miss Rittermere Hurst Field who did such an amazing job of supplying us with our rughooking needs for so many many years but I am happy that these wonderful dyes are still available locally.

And now a few pix of rugs hooked by friends:

Elaine’s Polar Bear rug (was this for a grandson or granddaughter?)…

and Susan’s rugs (I believe all of these are Martina Lesar designs except the one with the cat and dog which is a pattern by Briarwood Folkart which I carry)…

WOODSTOCK HOOKIN…

Well, yesterday was the first day of spring and of course it is snowing today! Our little raccoon who is always a harbinger of spring (well not the same raccoon every year!) has been hanging around eating whatever I can find in the cupboards that is old and stale! So at least I am getting a little spring cleaning done and at the same time feeding our little fellow. But with snow again today we may not see him for a few days.

Last Saturday I was invited to vend at the Woodstock Hookin put on by the Oxwood Rughookers. It was a fun day with a lot of hookers joining in. Got to visit with friends, see the beautiful show and tell and oh oh – spend! I think I bought from almost every vendor 🙂 Gord played photographer so I have a few pictures to share. Unfortunately, I did not get names or designers of patterns… although I do know a few of the designs were Martina Lesar’s and Deanne Fitzpatrick. Hope you enjoy the show…

 

 

EXHIBIT…

Michael Rikley-Lancaster and his group at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum did a wonderful job installing and hanging our rugs. Lesli and I are very proud to have our rugs on display. Saturday’s vernissage was fun and a good crowd turned out to view the display. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it – it meant a lot to both of us. Here are some pix of the display – taken with a cell phone as we forgot both camera and iPad so the quality is not great unfortunately but they will give you a bit of an idea… those lovely bright rugs were done by Lesli… my version of bright :-)… Lesli’s fish rugs… Our introduction by Michael…   Another of Lesli’s fish rugs… some of our visitors… and more… Cat and fish… A great mix of our combined rugs… Lesli’s beautiful floral… and another rug by Lesli… and another… 3 of my purses… Lesli’s eyes rug… hmmmmm Gord took the photos and I see he skipped most of mine – guess he has seen them toooooo many times…

NEXT STITCH BY STITCH…

Unfortunately, I have to change the date of my next visit to Kingston’s Stitch by Stitch to March 18th from the 11th. But holy cow, by then the snow will be gone! and robins will be pulling worms from the sweet soft new grass and – well that might be a bit optimistic, however, I have noticed that we seem to be changing the timer for our front porch lights on a weekly basis which means the days are getting longer! How wonderful!!!!

Here are a few pix from our most recent guild meeting:

Marie did a wonderful presentation on the Canadian Flag which just celebrated it’s 50th birthday. She spoke about the history of the flag and its significance and how to incorporate it into our hooked rugs…

Marie’s Barn rug sporting the Canadian Flag… 

Marie’s rugs – the one she is holding is a Martina Lesar pattern and the two on the table are my kits…
Elaine’s huggggge butterfly rug with a beautiful background…
Lorie’s ship with a bit of sky left to do :-)…
Wendy was working on a wool appliqué… somehow she managed to stitch it to her shirt!… 
Karen’s Antique Pineapple pattern by Quail Hill… Maureen’s little cottage (an M Shaw pattern)…
and her fun colourful sheep hooked out of roving… 
Another sheep hooked out of roving by Maureen… 
Karen did this amazing Elephant in punch needle!!!…and will be teaching a workshop on punch needle (miniature done with embroidery threads)… and a picture of A Winter’s Day (Joni Black pattern) hooked by Yvonne…

and Delande’s wonderful Frog chairpad…