An Unexpected Day

Yesterday I received a phone call and very unexpected.  It all really began two weeks ago when the water pump on my van needed to be replaced.  Since I'm terrible waiting for anything will take a rug to bind and make use of the boring wait and accomplish a boring job.  Lea, receptionist and wife of the mechanic/owner, saw I was working on a hooked rug and said her mother used to hook.  

We've all had those folks who say..."I used to do that in college", or "my mom used to do that" and we learn they were referring to latch hook.  She knew exactly what wool I used .  She said her mom had passed and had no desire to hook since she had many of her mother's rugs.  So yesterday was the call that she could deliver 2 boxes of wool or I could pick up.  Needless to say I grabbed my car keys and left to pick it up.

Before I left with the wool I asked her mother's name so I could channel  her while her wool was being used.  Her name was Joyce Kloster and I googled her obit and captured this photo of her.  Joyce lived in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

I opened up the boxes and separated the wool outside in my driveway.  Must say she was quite organized by cut and color.  There were some pieces which I pulled out to wash but those wool strips went into my freezer.  Those few pieces of wool in the laundry basket was the beginning and there is another box to be emptied.

This other box had some interesting items in it which told me something about Joyce.  Her daughter had told he she dyed her own wool but there was more.

Joyce did what I do, sew strips of fabric to the sides of small foundation to fit the frame.  She also used rug warp as her foundation.  I will use that small piece to draw and hook something ~ she has already marked the center for me.

Found this pattern drawn on another piece of rug warp and first thought was that it was an aerial view of something. 

Then as I dug deeper found two red dot drawings which I placed on top of the rug warp.  One red dot says "Dragon 2"

And the other red dot says "Dragon 3".  I want to ask Lea if her mother hooked these designs for her now adult children or grandchildren but have been too busy to call.  That's yet another whole blog post.

I noticed a very pleasant aroma in the wool of both boxes and wondered if it might be the perfume Joyce used.  Then as I continued to rummage through my gifts found this aromatic wooden block by Lillian Vernon.  

For those of you who have followed me for a while you may or may not recall my story of another aroma from salvaged hooked pieces from the thrift shop.  If not, you can read about it HERE. 

 

The pieces of wool have been washed and the wool strips won't come in the house until a few days of freezer.  Then I will put some lavender in the containers to hopefully stave off any moth infestation.  However, since Joyce was a knowledgeable hooker and did her own dyeing she probably knew the proper care of wool.  But still, better safe than sorry.

I voted today for Delaware's Primary and await the results after 9 p.m.

Saundra

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