Welcome 2021

Happy New Year, at least I hope it is a happier year than 2020 was. This rug is called New Years Eve but wanted to save it for the post today since I'm showing the projects hooked during 2020.  Believe it or not I hooked 15 projects during the hibernation ~ quarantine ~ shut-down ~ or whatever name you wish to give it.

The first rug hooked in the beginning of 2020 Was Winter Sled, a Cushing design which was kindly given away to me by Cathy of Acorn Hollow.

In preparation for February's Valentines Day my next project was Heart Butter Mold by Primitive Heartstrings. 

I had Lori Brechlin's Lancaster Barnyard pattern for a couple years and finally it moved to the top of my list.

Posies and Stars is an antique adaptation I hooked and offer in pattern form and still love it.  Was attracted to this antique because of the blotchy background as well as the neutral hit and miss border.  It still makes my heart skip a beat.

After a few days of harsh winds the rug on my frame next was  a pattern I saw on Cushing's web site and purchased it immediately.  It is aptly called Windy Day and will be my March display again this year.

By this time I wanted something which didn't need much concentration and decided to use up some neutral but various value wool and drew Cat's Paw.  

With spring near it was time to hook Lori Brechlin's Early bird, a pattern offered by Spruce Ridge Studios.  Confession is that I did do a little change by making the border all the way around instead of the top and bottom.

Was time for me to get back to my love of antique adaptations so chose one I named Bespectacled Lion.  Again it is the blotchy background but also the quirky naïve appearance of the lion.  Would love to know about the person who drew and hooked this many years ago.

Was comfortable to be working on antique adaptations again and what luck to find an antique patriotic themed rug, right up my alley.  The original was hooked around 1830 and I named it Pride, Honor, Freedom.

Saw Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) hooking this adorable pattern called Jack's Crow and had to have one for myself. It's a design by Terri Leamer of Winter Cottage Studio.  I couldn't wait to hook those pants with the left over wool strips from a Polly Minick pattern and think one day I'll hook it again with different colors since it was a PDF pattern.

The months are moving right along with me in the cocoon and time to finally hook Old Tom, a Lori Brechlin design.

Good heavens, my fingers are getting tired and getting vertigo from flipping from PC to flash drive, finding the pictures, yada yada.  But am almost..uh, almost done.  

Then on Facebook Lori posts a photo of a design called Merrie October 31st and a couple of us went nuts.  Kris accommodated us with a smaller version to our liking and this is what mine looks like.

Another PDF pattern I'd had for years was a Karen Kahle pattern named Woolly Santa.  Each year I'd tell myself to hook it but years flew by and decided it was time!!!!!  Again I made a change to the design to suit me and didn't hook the top sheep sticking out of Santa's sack.  Instead chose to hook Santa's mittens black to fool the eyes to see the sheep's legs.  I'm happy with my decision.

In chronological order New Years Eve would have been next but I placed it first since it is New Years Day.  But after that was Over the Moon, a pattern offered by Spruce Ridge Studio.  As you can see it still isn't' completely bound.  If I were one to make 'new years resolutions' it would be to be faster at binding my rugs; but then I DON'T make new years resolutions.

If you are interested in purchasing a pattern offered by me, you can look for them in the link below.  Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year.   My black eyed peas and salad are waiting for me as cooking them and doing this blog has taken longer than planned.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com 

Heart Butter Mold All hooked

Yippee, all hooked and steamed; now just needs to be bound.  So it will be done to display during February in time for Valentine's Day.  Again, the PDF pattern was designed and offered by Julie of Primitive Heartstrings.

Here it is.

In case you're wondering, yes I already have a new project picked out and it is already drawn.  It is another PDF pattern which I've had for a few years and envied everyone who hooked theirs.  Now it is my turn.  But first must bind this one.  

Happy Monday everyone.

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.com

Update on the Heart Butter Mold

Still not done hooking Heart Butter Mold by Primitive Heartstrings but getting closer.  Hope it will be done before February to enjoy for Valentines Day.  

Drew mine out measuring 15.5 x 17.5 as I was hoping for it to be a quick finish with no narrow cuts.  Ends up the squiggly lines are hooked in #6 (not my fav) and so far the leaves are mostly #8 and #8.5 with a few #7 thrown in.

If you look closely at the bottom squiggly line you can see I must have been in an intense mood.  The same thing would happen to me when knitting ~ if I was upset or worried my stitches would be tight and smaller.  So will need to pull out loops and get that remedied when I'm chilled.  Most definitely it won't be finished looking like this.

Hmm, wonder if that tenseness occured when catching some of the damn impeachment hearings on TV?????

Just me...Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Heart Butter Mold Update

Accomplished a little more on Primitive Heartstrings design.  It was a pdf pattern which I enlarged to 15.5 x 17.5.  As you can see, the holding line was hooked just outside the exterior drawn line so the finished piece will be a smidgen larger. 

I'm using cuts #8.5, #8 and for the squiggly lines using #6.  The leaves above the heart were hooked with #6 and will probably use some #7 or #8 as well.  Will see what happens as hooking continues.

Early April I have a class with Cindy Irwin so must step up my game on the Cousins rug I want to hook.  Wasn't pleased with my initial try at the drawing on linen so want to redo the sketch of the photo and flip the linen over and redraw the pattern.  It WILL NOT be a narrow cut rug as I plan to hook us in #8 with smaller detail for a hint of an eye, nose, etc.  

Yes I know April is 3 months away but I can only endure so much tension with detail as rug hooking is supposed to be fun and plan to keep it that way.  Have already alerted Cindy that I'm a fickle hooker and may hook it in class or not ~ so plan to take two patterns.  

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

On the Frame Again

As I'm typing the title of the post the tune of a Willie Nelson song just popped in my head (On the Road Again).  I'll probably hum that tune all evening long now.  A couple years ago I purchased a pdf pattern from Primitive Heartstrings called "Butter Mold" but I refer to it as Heart Butter Mold since it will be my Valentine's project and has 5 hearts on it.  Actually more if you count the ones inside each other.

Since there is no way to improve on perfection will follow Julie's original color plan.  If you wish to start your own Valentine's project click on the hyperlink above and order yours.  You can enlarge it to whatever size you want, do needle punch or hook it.

Okay, want to check the colors I've used so far.  And as expected I'm not happy with the wavy orange gold ~ I want the more mellow gold.  Found two strips of that in my worm bags and went in search for a more substantial piece.  Can't find anymore in my stash but it's no wonder I can find anything in that pile of wool.

So back to the wool room I go for an intervention ~ an emergency search and rescue.....at least am hoping for a rescue of more of the other gold.

Happy Saturday, or at least it was here and felt like spring with temperatures close to 70* Fahrenheit.  Tomorrow is supposed to be an okay day too but the weather in Delaware is so unpredictable we could have snow in two days.

Saundra
www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com