THIS and THAT

To start I'll show you a couple old rugs.  For you chicken rug folks here are a pair of roosters facing off.  Sorry, no date provided but it looks to have some age.

Described as a fat dog, this rug was said to be hooked between 1890-1920.  It measures 33 x 39.5 textiles used are cotton on burlap.

The rug below of fur, feathers ..and a fish, I have no clue about.  But saw it somewhere and loved it.  Is it an oldie or did someone with great skills to make it look old hooked it?  If anyone seeing this knows, please advise.

Switching channels now to homeownership.  You may recall this photo I posted after a large limb fell on the side of my newly shingled home with new leaf guard protection.  Yup, couldn't have happened before the work was done.  Here is the damage.

I called the company who did my roof and gutter work, told them about the damage and asked if someone could drop by and give me an estimate to repair.  Within a couple days the owner did drop by, evaluated the situation and said he'd give me a call with an estimate.

Weeks went by and no call back.  So decided to call a local handyman who has done work in the neighborhood. 

A day or so later the roofing owner finally returned my call and said I'd need new gutters, new leaf filters and cost would be $1,200.  WHAT?????  That's when I told him I'd called someone else since I  hadn't heard from him in so long.

Frankly I didn't believe all that needed to be replaced.  Plus I did have 2 extra leaf filters left over from the original work.  Just in case it did need replacing I went outside and guesstimated the length of gutters and leaf filters that might be required and do my own cost analysis just for supplies.  The figures below are prices found on Lowe's web site.   

~ 10' brown gutters = $16

~ gutter hangers per each = $3

~ 16' Atlas gutter guard = $50

Yesterday the handyman dropped by and repaired the area using the same gutters and guards to the cost of $50.  Mark straightened out what was bent, tightened hangers of the gutter to the house and placed the bent shingles back over the guards.  He did explain that when it warms up the shingles will fall back down in place.  But they've been frozen in that bent upward position for weeks. 

Yup, $50 compared to $1,200.  Am pleased with the results and particularly the price.  As Lauren will probably comment..."welcome to homeownership".

 

Saundra

DECISION FINALLY MADE

Yes, finally decided which color wool to outline the corner petal bursts.  The top right side is what the test section looked like for me to choose from.  The bottom right is what I decided ~ I went for the gold.

Below is a photo of what it looks now and I'm happy with my decision.

I've a way to go on this project before even thinking about what is next on my frame.  Frankly there's not anything on my radar yet.

It is FRIGID here in Delaware and cannot imagine what those of you who live up 'nawth' are dealing with.  Last week I used 10% of my remaining in ground propane to heat the house and I keep the thermostat low.  Which means I'll need to order more propane next week because if I use another 10% the level will be at 30% or less.  Thankfully it will warm up a bit next week but winter isn't over so will still require more propane.

Lunch break is over so it's rug hooking time to help generate some heat in these hands by working with wool.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

MY RUG REVIEW of 2025

First I'd like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2026.  Now to my rug review which is inflated by one.  That is because the last loops of the rug below weren't hooked until 4 days into January 2025.  So felt guilty adding it to my 2024 count since it wasn't completely hooked in 2024.  The first rug finished January 4th was Magdalena's Animal Parade adaptation.

My next project was another big antique adaptation which I named Animals Great and Small.

The Deer Torsos adaptation was next on the frame.

Then decided to hook one third of a triptych patriotic antique rug, the Eagle section.

Again, another antique design was chosen to hook for my kitchen, the chicken pair with food bowl.  Robin had a lot of fun with my hooking of this one and I did a bit of reverse hooking.

Since Lauren was attending an event where she'd be doing some 'scrappy' hooking I decided to challenge myself too, at home.  Am not too pleased with my puny border design.  I believe the angled hooking directions altered the shape of what used to be a square piece of linen.

Appears that I was following the leader....Lauren, again.  She said her next project was going to be Ezra's Farm, a design by Cinnamon Creek.  So what does a follower do but follow. 😉  I did take some creative license and put a little patriotic flavor in mine.

A birdie told me that daughter-in-law love wished for a snowman rug for Christmas.  Since I'm selfish and only like hooking what I want, the Christmas gift was started in August, plenty of time for me to have it done by Christmas and have time to put it away when not in the mood.  This is my design and was made specifically for my girl Cathy.  The label on the back says just that.   Surprisingly it was finished way before Christmas and was fun to hook.

My next project was an antique adaptation commemorating a personal historical event.  A few of my paternal ancestors came to America (Baltimore in fact) on sailing ship The Ark.  There were originally two ships which sailed together known as The Ark and The Dove.  My family were on the Ark so I hooked that ship's image on the antique rug.  This is my adaptation which hangs on the wall.

Back to the animals ~ another antique adaptation which I named Farm Menagerie.

Then after posting one of my antique rug shows Lauren and I decided to do a hook along with a design I called 'Hearts and Squares' in the blog post.  What started out to be just the pair of us, Lauren thought  it would be more fun with more people.  Turned out 12 people joined and Hearts Hook-along was born.  This is my drab rendition but you can view what 10 of the 12 have accomplished HERE.  

The final hooked and bound rug of 2025 was the Geometric and Floral antique adaptation below.  When designing my adaptation from the original, a couple elements were removed, making it more eye appealing to me.  Someone wanted me to draw a pattern for them but I declined as it was a bear to draw my own.  But boy do I love the rug.

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, the dozen rugs is inflated due to  the first rug which needed 4 more days' hooking into 2025.  Lauren suggested that if the count bothered me that much perhaps I should say only 11.25 rugs were hooked in 2025.  That girl is always thinking.  

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy 2026.  Remember that happiness must be grown in your own garden.  For me, hooking rugs is the seed.

Saundra