Major Clean-Up

I am on a mission (how long it will last is anyone's guess) to clean out this house!!! Ever get the feeling that your stuff is taking over your life? Well, that's where I'm at.

I'm beginning in the office. I've successfully emptied two file cabinets of accumulated papers, financial records, etc. some of which were from the 1990s! Why am I keeping this stuff???

Next came the cabinets over the desk. They must be breathing a sigh of relief as some of the weight inside has been removed.

Next is my bookshelf and then on to my wool closet. I tend to keep every scrap of wool I have expecting that some day I will find a use for it. Hoping to make up a bag to give away to some unsuspecting hooker. Remember someone's trash is someone else's treasure!

Have an organizational prayer shawl luncheon today. Looking forward to seeing all the girls. So this afternoon will be a bit more restful.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

It's been so long since I've blogged. Been busy getting ready for Christmas. I have lots of interesting things I'll be posting about after the holidays, so keep checking in with me. Also, will be having a big winter sale in January!!

Take care and have a blessed and happy holiday season.

New Books

Here are a few new rug hooking books recently released.

From "Rug Hooking Magazine" comes Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs XIX. Always a joy to look through and draw inspiration from. I love looking through quickly at first to see if I know any of the hookers.



The new book by Jane Halliwell Green called Pictorial Hooked Rugs was released in October. The description from the amazon.com Web site follows:

One of the most challenging of all rug styles is the pictorial rug or wall hanging. This full-color book guides readers step-by-step through the process of how to create pictorial rugs. This book is the definitive instruction manual on how to create the elements of a pictorial rug. Each section contains a description of techniques, materials, dye formulas, and hooked illustrations of the elements described. It contains tips and tricks for the rug hooker to take the guesswork out of planning a personalized rug.



Check it out. I'm always fascinated with a book on pictorials. It's a goal of mine to create a rug of the neighborhood I lived in while growing up.

Amy Oxford's new book is entitled Hooked Rugs Today IV: Expect the Unexpected. Here is a description of the book I found on an Italian (!) Web site:

Explore expertly crafted, contemporary hooked rugs with designs ranging from abstract to political statement, and from adorable pet depictions to painterly expressions. The Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild mounted a great exhibit for a few short weeks in November 2008 at Shelburne Museum in Vermont, and now displayed forever in the pages of this rich book. Two featured artists - Rae Harrell and Diane Kelly -display their personal styles through retrospectives of their work. Members from the guild were challenged to think "outside the box," and they came up with a variety of imagery and form ranging from lifesize, three-dimensional sheep to extraordinary miniature punch-needle works. Other categories include animals, florals, landscapes, penny rugs, and even a small section dedicated to the smallest members of the group: the children. The colors, forms, and variety will astound and inspire anyone with an interest in fiber arts.

Dyed wool

Here are some of the shades I dyed this past week. The first is called "Amber Glass" and is a set of grads. They remind me a bit of amber depression glass. Go to the store section of my blog if you are interested in purchasing a set.


This second photo is a new set of transitional grads. There are four pieces in the set that is called "Sun Phases." It ranges from an orange to deep golden shade. It will be in the store on this blog for awhile before going to Ebay auctions. Check it out.

Next photo is the fourth grad in a set called Cloudy Sky. This is a beautiful blue shade that a customer is using in a rug along with the other three grads. I sometimes forget when dyeing grads that each color is pretty enough to stand alone.

Dye Day

Well, I never made it up to Shelburne for the rug show. Due to a never-ending sinus headache, I just couldn't face the drive. Off to see the doctor tomorrow. His last suggestion for my problem was to have my nose broken! Can't seem to get my arms around that one!

Anyway, I'm dyeing wool today. Doing some grads and overdyes and this afternoon, I'm going to do a set of transitional grads. Will post a photo later. It's a beautiful day here today, so the wool should be able to dry outside. Trying to do my part to go green!

Veteran's Day

Knowing that this Wednesday was Veteran's Day got me thinking about my father's service in WWII. Having served in the 1st Battalion, 106th Infantry in the Western Pacific Theater, he participated in the Battle of Saipan. I googled some sites online to find out more about the battle, and actually discovered some film on You Tube showing some of the fighting. As with all war footage, the scenes were horrific. I also found a site that described some of the battle:

The 106th was heavily involved in the fighting for Saipan's dominant terrain feature; a 1,554-foot mountain called Mount Tapotchau. The 106th initially fought along a ridgeline near the mountain's base and in an open valley at the base of the ridgeline, two terrain features that were grimly dubbed Purple Heart Ridge and Death Valley. The 106th was instrumental in repelling the second fnad final Japanese counterattack.

One of the most lamentable events of the battle for Saipan involved the mass suicide of hundreds of families, many of whom jumped to their deaths from the high cliffs at the island's northernmost point. This tragic event could not be stopped, despite efforts by Americans and indigenous Saipanese using loudspeakers to try to convince the Japanese that surrender would be shameless and harmless.

Reading this information gave me some insight into what my father must have seen. He talked little about it during his lifetime, and today I'll try not to dwell on the horrors he witnessed, but just be proud of the contribution he made to his country during his four years in the Army in WWII.

Green Mountain Guild Rug Show

The Green Mountain Guild "Hooked in the Mountains XIV" rug show is being held Nov. 7–15, 2009 at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, VT (outside of Burlington). My sister and I will be attending this Friday, and we are both looking forward to this outstanding show. I've attended several times and have never been disappointed. Hope to have lots of photos to share.

This year's show features the rugs of Sharon Townsend, Gail Duclos Lapierre, and Diane Phillips. In addition, 15 vendors will be present.

A word to the wise.... This show is held in the Round Barn at the Shelburne Museum, and in the past, there has been no heat. Dress warmly. Interestingly, you begin on the third floor. As you work your way down to the second and first floors, it gets progressively warmer!



For more information about the show and the guild, visit their Web site at: http://www.gmrhg.org.

It's been a long time between posts

Wow! Time is flying by! I haven't posted in quite awhile, as things have been busy. My husband and I both have been sick (me with bronchitis and him with pneumonia). In the middle of all this, we left for a cruise out of Boston to ports in Maine and Nova Scotia. The weather was surprisingly good, and we had one of our best vacations ever! The sea air must have been good for both of us, as we felt worlds better during the cruise.

Got to visit Portland and Bar Harbor in Maine and Halifax in Nova Scotia. I know, kind of a crazy time of year to go north, but the day we were in Halifax the temperature was 60°! The coldest spot turned out to be the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park where there was snow on the ground and tremendously strong winds. We took some pictures and quickly got back on the trolley. I'd love to go back there during the summer months. Here are two photos I took.




Once we got back home, things returned to normal. I'm continuing work on my time travel rug and feel like I'm making progress. Here's a photo of the rug to date:


I've listed a lot of wool and binding tape on Ebay. Check it out: Michele's auctions.

Did you ever notice?

Did you ever notice that when you are hooking a rug in an 8-cut, there always seems to be some small part of the rug that needs to be hooked in a smaller cut. You resist doing this as it will involve changing a cutter head. So, you forge ahead anyway with that large cut. You get the strips put in, and you realize that your hooking just looks horrible and the motif doesn't quite look like what it is supposed to be.

Now, having wasted time, you relent and get that small cutter head out. If you have a Rigby like me, you take it all apart, insert the new head, put it back together, and wish you had that Townsend cutter you've been hinting about to anyone who will listen.

While working on my Time Travel rug, I came to the clawed feet on the shelf that holds the clock. I was sure I could make this work in a 6-cut. I gave myself credit for not even attempting the 8-cut!! Alas, the 6-cut didn't cut it (excuse the pun!). So, out came the 3-cut head. And now, having hooked the claw foot, I can indeed tell it is a claw foot! Eureka! I learned something I should already have remembered!!! Here is a photo of the claw foot:

Tuesday's Dye Session

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a dye day. Decided to do some more casserole dyeing, as I had such fun with it last time I dyed wool. Here is the result:




The pinks and blues were casserole-dyed in the regular manner. The green pieces were pleated first. I love the way they came out. Look for them on Ebay soon.

Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival 2009

I attended the Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival last Sunday with my sisters and had a great time. For a first effort, the show was great – lots of vendors and lots of demonstrations, and lots of animals! Here are some of the photos I took.


A group of Episcopal nuns raise these goats and spin their fur into yarn. Surprisingly soft!

These cute little guys were so funny to watch. I bought some roving from the owners of this trio and intend to try my hand at dyeing it.

Ran into the Easton Rug Hookers who had a beautiful display of rugs. Patty Varley and Phyllis Riley are working away on their latest masterpieces!

My friend Jean Fleming is working on a spectacular rug. I love the colors in this one!

Some of Easton's finest!

Check out this hand-dyed roving. What a feast for the eyes! Couldn't resist buying some of the greens. It hooks up surprisingly well.

This picture and the next two show some of Linda Van Alstyne's needle felting. She was there demonstrating her craft. You can check out here Web site at: http://www.northeastfeltmakersguild.org/vanalstyne.html


All in all, it was a great day. The show was such a success that it will be held again next year.

Hooker's Dilemma

O.K. Your basic hooker's dilemma. You've finished a rug. And now, what to do with all those stray strips, small pieces of wool, etc. HELP!

Here is my basket of wool leftover from my garden rug. What to do with all of this is my question. Do I separate the strips into colors for use in later rugs, pitch them (heaven, forbid!), give them away (does anybody really want this stuff?)????


I'm curious to know how others clean up from their latest projects. Pass on some words of wisdom!!!

Wedding Photo and Time Travel Rug

My son's wedding went off without a hitch! Thank God! There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Here is a photo of the bride and groom.


The reception was held at the National Museum of Racing where we were surrounded by colorful jockey silks and Hall of Fame plaques; a beautiful setting for a party. I had a wonderful dance with my son to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Remembering how I used to sing that to him as a baby, of course, brought tears to my eyes! Kind of a letdown now that everything is over.

The groom, unfortunately suffered a dislocated shoulder while playing softball the next day. Yes, he couldn't miss the game. Looks like surgery is in his future. But, they did vow "in sickness and in health!"

And now on to my Time Travel rug. Thanks to the 10-minute challenge, I'm progressing nicely on this rug. The clock face is finished. I used my Dust Storm color at half strength for the face itself, and I think it gives an aged look to the clock. Here is Dust Storm at full strength:


And here is the rug. Any constructive criticism is always welcome!


Don't forget to send photos of your rugs if you'd like for me to post them to the Web for you. Happy hooking!

1st Annual Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival

Just a quick post as I am up to my eyeballs in preparations for my son's wedding this Saturday!

Got a card last weekend about the 1st annual Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival to be held on September 26–27, 2009 at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Greenwich, New York (about 30 miles north of Albany).

There will be demonstrations, workshops, live animals, vendors, etc.

For more information check out their Web site: www.washingtoncountyfair.com.

Wool Stash

As I begin my Time Travel rug, I'm hunting out wool to make the perfect blend of colors. I realize how lucky I am that I dye my own wool. I have a cabinet full of textures, overdyes, spot dyes, etc. to choose from. And if I find I need a color I don't have, I dye it (or keep dyeing it!) until the perfect shade is realized.

Rug hooking is an expensive craft. For those of you who don't dye wool, you have to guard your stash of wool carefully. You never know when you'll need just a small bit of gold, the right green for a leaf, or that sky blue to make your landscape complete. I have quite a bit of wool left over from my garden rug, and I'm finding use in my new pattern for some of those odd scraps left over.

I thank my stars that my rug hooking teacher, Dick LaBarge, encouraged me to learn to dye. He so loves dipping into dye pots, that he wants to share the experience with his students. Not everyone wants to be bothered, but most are willing to give it a try. For me, it turned into a small business, and a lifetime supply of color.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but if you get the opportunity to learn to dye wool, try it. Imagine not having to wait for others to ship wool to you, only to find it's just not the color you hoped for. The real bonus, however, is the satisfaction you'll get from seeing a finished rug knowing that not only did you hook the rug, but you also dyed the wool for it!

New Rug Project

Here is a photo of my next rug pattern project. It is called "Time Travel" and was drawn by my sister, artist Marian Ross. The pattern measures 30" x 33". I've had this pattern set aside for awhile, and was waiting to finish my garden rug before starting it.

I've been googling clock faces just to get some ideas for color. Can't wait to get started!

Sorry the photo isn't a better one.

The 10-Minute Challenge Pays Off!

At last! After fourteen years, two and a half months, the hooking on my garden rug is finished!! I still feel as if I need to pick up my hook and keep plugging along, but it really is done. Now, I have the finishing process to complete, but that is something I can do while watching TV. With the weather cooling down, the rug will feel like a blanket. FYI, the finished size is 38.5" x 66". This is the biggest rug I have ever completed.

The background for this wool is a spot dye from Prisms I. I took the formula and doubled each dye to get a darker brown. This was one of the first things I ever dyed, and I was helped in the process by my teacher, Dick LaBarge. The pattern is a Patsy Becker design, and it was Patsy whose class I took at Green Mountain Rug School in 1995. She dyed the wool for the vegetables and got me started on the hooking. I learned a lot in that class. She taught us how to hook points, finishing techniques and did some dyeing with those who were interested. I know Patsy passed away recently, and I'm glad I got to learn from her.

This rug has been sitting around for so long most likely because of its size. I would work a bit on it, and then decide to do a smaller project. This went on for a long time. When April DeConick started the 10-minute challenge, I thought that this would be a great way to finally finish this rug. The best thing that came out of this, besides finishing the rug, was that I wound up hooking way past the ten minutes.

Here are two pictures of the rug. The first is a full size, and the second shows a close-up of the top part of the rug. The rug is dedicated to the memory of my father who was a master gardener.

A few thoughts

In the past few days, I have spent a lot of time watching the coverage of the passing of Senator Kennedy. As people waited in line to enter the JFK Presidential Library for the public wake, the media would often interview people for their personal reflections. One woman spoke of how at age 60 she was so inspired by Kennedy that she joined the Peace Corps for the next eight years and what an incredible experience it was.

It got me thinking about our little world of rug hooking, not a craft as well known as knitting or crocheting. But, it is still something we are able to pass on to new generations, and I encourage us all to do this. Not only to keep this craft alive, but think of the wonderful life lessons that are also taught along the way. A sense of getting the job done, perseverance, of being proud of your accomplishments and the accomplishments of others, the gift of friendship, the joy of simply creating something that will live long after you. We need not do great deeds to make a difference in this world. Simply giving of ourselves by teaching our craft to others can accomplish so much. So find a young person and give them some strips of wool, a hook, and just a little bit of your time!

Paper Patterns

I listed my first paper pattern on Ebay. It is called Pumpkins and Gourds. The design measures 22" x 28" and is great fall pattern. The pattern is printed to size, so it is ready to be transferred to a foundation of one's choice.

Here is the link to the Ebay auction: Pumpkins and Gourds paper pattern

Here is a picture of the pattern:

Intensifying dye formulas

Had a special order this week for a variation on my Dancing Leaves formula. This is a picture of the spot-dyed wool using the original formula. As you can see it is a nice mix of light greens, tans, and golds. My customer asked for gradations of this wool, so the first thing I did was double the formula. That definitely darkened the wool. But then she asked for an even darker piece. I tried tripling the formula, but it resembled the doubled formula piece. I realized that the wool was only going to take up so much of the dye. In order to get my darker version, I had to turn to darker greens and deeper tans. I also added 1/128 of black to two of the cups of formula. Here is the darkest of the variations.

In this shot, you can see the deeper green areas, and although it is hard to tell, the golds are richer.












I started the dyeing process for this color with a yard of Dorr yellow wool. I soaked it in synthropol for an hour.











After it soaked, I drained the excess liquid and scrunched the wool up with lots of nooks and crannies to give the wool a super mottled look.













After that, using a criss-cross method, I put the dye on the wool.








The next step was to loosely cover with foil, and steam in a 300° oven for an hour. When I took the wool out, here's what it looked like:

After the wool cooled, I machine washed and dried it. The finished wool is shown above.

By the way, it was 90° outside the day I dyed this wool. Thank God for air conditioning!!

A HUGE THANK YOU

I'm sending out a heartfelt thank you to April DeConick for helping me to make changes to my blog. She took the time to sit down and type up many pages of instructions to alter the .html in my blog layout. Because of her kindness, I have been able to expand the possibilities for getting information out to readers.

Although I've been meeting online hookers through the Internet for years, it still amazes me that perfect strangers will take the time to help you out. For all the complaints we hear about the Internet, I try to look at all the positives that can come from it. Meeting such wonderful and helpful people is certainly proved to be a great benefit.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

I'm stepping up and taking the ten-minute rug hooking challenge that April DeConick proposed on her blog last week. Ten minutes, it turns out, is very doable, and doesn't require a big effort. I often find myself hooking a bit longer and am making progress on my garden rug. What a great idea!!!

Wedding date gets closer

Come September, my son is getting married. Where has the time gone? Hard to believe he is old enough to be out on his own and taking a wife!! He arrived home from Las Vegas on the 11th after placing 884 out of 7000. Although he did not finish in the money, we were proud of him getting as far as he did. Now, back to his regular job!

My daughter and I are hosting a bridal shower this weekend for his fiancé Stephanie. Favors have been purchased, games planned, and all my favorite people will be there to celebrate. For once, I don't have to worry about the weather.

Haven't had much time to hook as this last week seems to have been devoted to invitations, menus, flowers, and schedules. It has been fun though, and we are looking forward to a wonderful day come this September.

My husband and I are off to Boston next week to visit my daughter and see her new apartment. Hope to visit the aquarium while we are there and also stop in at the Old North Church where Paul Revere began his ride during the Revolutionary War. We'll top that off with a dinner in the North End, famous for its Italian restaurants.


Then back home to Saratoga. The thoroughbred racetrack opens on Wednesday, the 29th of July for its 146th season (I think! The track was closed during WWII for two seasons.) We so look forward to the horses coming to town. My husband and I are both lucky to have backstretch passes that allow us seeing the goings on behind the scenes.

Hope to post more soon about my garden rug.

Garden Rug Update #2

Well, the original garden rug pattern is finally done! 14 years in the making! I could leave it the way it is, but I want to add a border. I'm also going to add the words "Dad's Garden" to the top of it. My father was a master vegetable gardener, and I'd like this rug to pay homage to that fact.

I fiddled around in Adobe Illustrator trying out different type fonts. I was able to print out, to size, the words. Illustrator allowed me to take the original font and "fatten" up the letters. Unfortunately, I am unable to show the lettering.

Will post a picture as soon as I get started on the border and the lettering.

World Series of Poker update: my son is still playing! If he makes it through Saturday, he'll win at least $21,000!!!

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope all of you have a wonderful fourth of July weekend! If the rain holds off, we are looking forward to a picnic at the lake and fireworks in the City Park in the evening.

Both of my kids are in Las Vegas. My son is competing in the World Series of Poker starting today. He won a spot in the tournament in April, and we are all keeping are fingers crossed that he does well. My daughter and her boyfriend along with my son's fiancé are all there to cheer him on. Can't image what kind of fireworks they'll get to see on Saturday night!

Here is a photo of my only patriotic rug. American Cigar was completed a few years ago and is a design by George Kahnle.

LOTS OF GREEN WOOL!

Here is a pile of green wool for sale. I've been sorting odds and ends this week and came up with this nice mix of shades. On the right side of the photo is a set of Dorr swatches. Not all of the pieces are full pieces. Still a good amount for foliage. The greens on the left are a nice mix of brighter shades. I'm selling the whole lot together for $12.50 plus $4.25 s/h. There is just about a 1/2 yard of wool altogether. A great stash builder. I'll leave the wool up for sale on my blog for a few days, and then, if it doesn't sell, I'll list it on Ecrater. Email me at mictype@nycap.rr.com if you are interested.

Tidbits

I got an interesting picture of a rug recently from Sandra Greenwood. About this rug, she says," My cat just loves to sit and stare at it. We say he's time traveling!"

Thanks, Sandra for sharing this rug. It reminds me of the old TV show "Time Tunnel."

Also, got a link from Lisa Mulligan with photos from the Estes Park Wool Festival. Check it out; there's lots to see! www.mountainwildhook.com


Here is a sneak preview of a new pattern I'm working on. Haven't placed the border on it yet. It's called Court Jester.



One other pattern in the works is based on this
liberty torch pin featured in Country Living magazine. It's a great piece of jewelry, and I think it would make a lovely rug.

Paper Patterns and Computer Software

As I have a lot of rug hooking patterns, I've been toying with the idea of offering paper patterns and allowing hookers to trace on their own foundations. It is a less expensive way for hookers to purchase patterns, and also gives a wider choice for the foundation material one is most comfortable with.

Over the years, I have used Adobe Illustrator to create the full size patterns I sell. The pattern is drawn by hand on a piece of paper then scanned into my computer. Once in the computer as a line drawing, I am able to open it in Illustrator and enlarge it. From there I tweak the drawing, add borders, and when satisfied with the result take my completed file to Kinko's where they print the pattern on their oversize printer. I then am able to reproduce the pattern using a light box on to whatever foundation material I choose. The pattern can be used over and over again. In addition, Illustrator is useful in letting me place colors on the completed pattern to color plan a rug.

This can also be accomplished in Photoshop. Photoshop offers many other choices when working with a pattern. For instance, a photo can be scanned into Photoshop and enlarged to size. Once in the program, filters can be applied to help with shading, provide special effects, and expand the possibilities of creating a good design from a photo.

Because it is Father's Day weekend, I'll use a photo of my father taken during World War II.


After I open the photo in Photoshop, I can apply different filters for different effect. For example, here is an effect called poster edges that has been applied to the photo:

You can see that tracing this photo would be much easier and shading becomes a little more apparent.

The next photo shows the effects of "cross hatching." Again shading becomes more simplified.


As you can see from the above examples, Photoshop offers a myriad of possibilties to change your photos into images that are more useful for the rug hooker. Because these are black and white photos, the palette would be limited to shades of gray, although it is possible to change the photo to a color representation. At that point, the color possibilties become endless.

Once you have gotten a photograph into a condition that is pleasing to you, Illustrator can then be used to add other graphics, such as borders and type. I realize that these are expensive programs, but if you become serious about designing your own rugs, these tools can certainly expand your horizons!

Dyeing Day

Did some dyeing last week and here is the result. All the colors are available for purchase.
One of the colors I made is Montana Skies. Since it is
made in a two-yard batch, I used the formula over a
yard of natural and a yard of yellow. Here is a picture of the overdyed yellow, now a lovely green with subtle blue overtones. Areas of yellow peek through. I call it Water Reflections. Would make lovely water, leaves, etc. I have four quarter yard pieces of this wool that I'm selling for $8.50 each (plus s/h).

Next, I marbelized some wool. In one pot, I had some very light blue dye leftover, so I put one of my bundled wools in there. Here is one of the lighter shades, called Marble A. Piece measures 34.75" x 13.25." Cost is $8.50 plus s/h.










Next piece (Marble B) measures 25.75" x 16.5" (1/4 yard). It also sells for $8.50 plus s/h.
















Marble C was originally a piece of yellow wool that melded with some purple. Would make a wonderful sunset, peach, or flower. It measures 24.5" x 15.5". Cost is $8.50 plus s/h.


















Soft pink wool is the next marbleized piece (Marble D). A beautiful shade, this would make lovely fruits and flowers. The other side is more cream. It measures 25"75" x 16.5". Cost is $8.50 plus s/h.
















The next marbled selection (Marble E) consists of two pieces of speckled oatmeal marbleized to softpink shades. Duller pink due to the oatmeal background. Nice primitive flower in the making. Larger piece measures 27.5" x 11.5". Smaller piece measures 29.75" x 4.75". $8.50 for both pieces plus s/h.

The following group of dark pieces is the wool I used to marbelize the lighter shades. There is some variation in this wool. They coordinate well with the marbleized lighter pieces. Here are measurements and prices. S/H additional.













1 .... 29.5" x 16" .... $6.50
2 .... 31" x 13" .... $6.50
3 .... 33.5" x 10.5" .... $5.50
4 .... 33.75" x 13.75" .... $6.50
5 .... 25.5" x 28.25" .... $6.50