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Monday 30 April 2012

Spring is in the Wool

I'm a Yahooker. That is not some fancy name for a Yankee hooker or a slang-talking hooker or whatever else your imagination is conjuring up. If you're a hooker and have a Yahoo account, you too can join. Check it out, if interested.

One of our members has orchestrated a swap for four seasons. We swap with a new person each time. So far, we have swapped winter and spring. I have received two beautiful yet very different rugs from a couple of talented ladies.

I don't have them both available in pictures, but I can show you the rugs I've done. I just finished my summer rug to swap, which will be mailed in a week or two. Look out Indiana, here comes the incredibly sloooooooooooowwwwwww mail from Canada!

Here's the winter swap rug I did for a hooker in Texas:


Oops, bad photo of the little fella, he must have moved when I took snapped it. It was not bound when I took the photo, and sadly I never took another one.

Here's the spring swap rug I did, another 8" square. I decided to do an abstract for this round, and was very excited about it. This one was sent off to California.


My summer swap rug is also an abstract, and I did it in two evenings because I was fired up! Let me just point out the obvious, that was a hint. Can't show you until it's jetted off to Indiana and been received.

I'm hooked on hooking and cliffhangers. Hah!

Where's the Baking, You Ask?

If you know me, you know I love to bake and cook. I intend to share some good recipes with you through this blog. There's a reason I haven't shared yet. I did pass kindergarten, so I know how to share. I've just been a little challenged of late. No, a lot challenged.



What is that you ask? That is a cabinet with no sink, no countertop....hence no water. We're about 8 weeks into a kitchen renovation. I have cooked though, and I have baked...just not a lot. Not to my usual proportions.

We were here about 7 weeks ago......



So there has been progress. In fact, I can now say that I'm the proud owner of a lovely quartz countertop as of today. Now in a day or two I should have plumbing, assuming the Rocketman and his Pop can make all the bits and pieces play together nicely. Stay tuned!

Soon to be hooked on plumbing like it's some new invention. For those concerned about my personal hygiene - don't be - we have had running water in the rest of the house. Seriously people, you need to use your imagination on more productive things. ;)

Saturday 28 April 2012

Contemplating a Portrait

For many crafters, artists, artisans....a portrait is a challenging, even daunting, prospect. I took a great portrait class (online) with Wanda Kerr last year. I learned so much it's mind-boggling. Yet I haven't done a portrait rug since then and need to carve out some time to get to it.

I think what's really stopping me is the thought of doing a portrait of a loved one. What if it's not exactly perfect? What if it doesn't look like them? What if, what if, what if. I did have the idea of doing a portrait of a random person, but then it's difficult to get jazzed about that too.

Every now and then I surf the net for inspiration about portraiture. There's lots out there about painting or shooting a portrait photo. There are lessons to be learned from such information that can be applied to rug hooking.

Here's an article that discusses taking a self-portrait. After the tips, you can scroll down to see their picks for 100 great pics. That's the really fun part of the article - see what you think.

And yes, I'm hooked on photography. Not doing it, just looking at it. ;)

Thursday 26 April 2012

Dyeing to Hook

Oh, we hookers have fun with our plays on words. We'll just crack you up with our hooker jokes, if we're not dyeing. Oops....
Nothing makes a rug hooker happier than more wool. Well, maybe one thing - more colours of wool. I'm proud to say that I probably have one of the smallest stashes of wool in Canada, nay the world. I have to say I'm proud, or else I'd cry at my lacklustre pile of stash. Ah well, I added a wee bit recently, by buying a small stack of wools at Green Mountain Hooked Rugs and another assortment from Dorr Mill. Sadly, I was so bedazzled by it all (that's a song too isn't it? probably showing my age with that comment), that I neglected to take any pictures in, out or around either store. What was I thinking? Clearly I wasn't.

Sadly the trip ended and I found myself back in the regular mayhem of every day life. Then along came Sista. Well, actually, along came me and Rougey to Sista's house. Aside: Rougey is my car, and yes I name inanimate objects to make life more interesting. Let me translate: I went to Sista's to hook this past Monday. And what to my wondering eyes should appear? No, not Santa, it's April for crying out loud. No, she had the dye pots a-blazing when I arrived.

So after having my arm twisted (quite badly I might add, she's a bruiser that one), I decided to do a spot dye with Sista's dyes since she owns a few different brands of dyes that I don't have. Without further adieu, here's the result:




Thanks Sista, for getting me hooked on dyeing again. Ain't it a beaut?

Hooked on Hooking

Outside of family, I have a couple of passions that I just can't shake. Not that I'm trying to. One is traditional rug hooking, hence the name of my blog. 'Cuz I-I-I-I'm hooked on a feelin'. Do you hear BJ Thomas singing that song in your head like I do?

Focus, focus. I ran across an article yesterday, that I thought I would share. It's about Green Mountain Rugs, which I visited a couple of weeks ago while on vacation. It's their 30th anniversary of holding a rug hooking school in Vermont. I'd love to go, but can't. The reality of everyday life forbids such unbridled joy.

I thought I had some pictures of the Green Mountain Rugs store, but apparently I was too busy drooling on the wool to get my camera out.

So, let's do a 90 degree turn and share some pictures from the trip. Here's an interesting warning sign seen roadside in Pennsylvania. Wise words.



And check out this very cool retro Pepsi sign on a building of the same era. This is in St. Marys, PA, if my memory serves me correctly (which it rarely does).


I'm hooked on cool signs, apparently.

Charlie Catburgers

I decided there's no better time to start a blog than during the two months of hockey playoffs, as the Rocketman is occupied nightly. :)

I thought I'd start by introducing the other 'man' in my life, Charlie Catburgers, since he'll be figuring prominantly in an upcoming post, but ssshhhhh, I can't give it away.



He's a reluctant model at best. Oh, and if you're wondering about his name, the Rocketman dubbed him 'Catburgers' because of his propensity for clawing our carpets. It was his private threat, though you have to know that R relocates bugs found in the house, to the garden. He wouldn't really make catburgers out of Charlie....not while the 5-year-old is looking at least.

Good night Charlie, be good. Get ready for the weekend, buddy.


I'm hooked on Charlie, even though Charlie is far too hooked on my carpets.