Spring has sprung!

Been working away in my garden clearing away the winter debris. It's amazing how in just a few days, there are leaves on the trees, and plants seem to be popping up over night. The cats are already nibbling away at the catnip. What a peaceful thing it is to dig in the garden.

Have also been knitting away for my prayer shawl ministry group. Finished a hat and fingerless gloves set for a teenage boy. This will go in The Ladies of Charity Giving Store at Christmas. What a great job they do for the underprivileged in the area. I've also been crocheting a bit. Our group was given several small lapghans which need to be englarged. They will be going to the Veteran's Hospital in Albany and need to be more of a bed size. I have been surprised at how much yarn this blanket is using. Finally went to A.C. Moore and bought a few of the "pounder" balls of yarn. Hopefully, this will finish it off.

I also joined Heidi Wulfraat's new "felting" group on .ning.com. The address is: http://feltbook.ning.com. I love felted pieces, but really don't have any experience with it. I'm hoping this group will have some tips for beginners.

As some of you may have noticed, my Ecrater and Etsy shops are in vacation mode. I've decided to take some time off for a bit and work on some projects of mine that need finishing. I still have a rug to hang, a rug to bind, and a rug to finish!! Also, I just found out I'm going to be a grandmother in the fall (a very young grandmother!), so I'd like to do some blankets and perhaps hook a rug for the new baby. My daughter is getting married in 2011, so there is a rug needing to be planned for that event also. Busy times, but I love it.

Here is a picture of my "Silent Night" rug to date:


I haven't worked on it for a bit (not meeting the 10-minute challenge these days), but I have been crafting. Does that count? Anyway, mostly sky left to do. That is going to be a darker version of my Scary Night formula. Here is a photo of that:

I'd like to use different textures when I dye to give it more depth.

One other note. I just finished reading "The Postmistress." It is a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it!

Ramblings

I think I've found just about every rug hooking blog I'm going to find. I was surprised at the number of blogs out there that I had never heard of. So check out the final list in the previous post along with my sidebar of blogs to see who's out there writing about rug hooking.

Recently had to move my office/studio to a new location in the house. The good thing about it is that the light is much better, and I have a lot more space. The bad thing is that I have not kept up with the 10-minute challenge pledge. I'm telling myself to count in all those times I hooked for more than 10-minutes and use the extra minutes to cover this time of little hooking.

I've been doing a lot of knitting for my Prayer Shawl Ministry group. The name is deceiving as we do so much more than just prayer shawls. Currently, some of us are knitting blankets to be given to a new home for female veterans to come to and recover somewhat from combat. It is called Guardian House, and we are excited to be a part of this special endeavor. Here is a photo of the blanket I've just started. It's being done in strips with each block within the strip done in a different pattern and yarn color.

Obviously, I'm just beginning!! Knitting is so portable. I've been taking it everywhere with me lately. It's amazing how many times you find yourself waiting and wishing that you had something to do.

As soon as I finish the flower section of my angel rug, I'll post a photo.