Spring Sheep Update

Today finally posted my update on the OOHRH Challenge rug on the closed group. The deadline isn't until May 1st so if you are interested in joining the challenge click on the link above and ask to be a part of the challenge group.  That link takes you to the 'open' group of hookers. And if you wish to become a part of the challenge  you would need to ask to participate.

At one time I'd not hooked even one sheep rug all tho it is their wool which gives me so much pleasure and entertainment.  So just went thru some photos to see what sheep rugs I've hooked.  Below is Flag Day Sheep (a Woolley Fox design) which I changed.  No disrespect for our American Flag as I've numerous Americana rugs and rugs with a hooked American Flag. My change was to remember a rug which Barb Carroll had just off her classroom and one I remember from my very first class there.

Naturally an E.S. Frost design has to be a part of the hooker's world.  No way I'd have tackled the scrolls without the expertise of Ms. Barb Carroll.  She is the one who guided me thru this process until I was ready to bring it home and finish it on my own with no problem.

Yet another E.S. Frost Sheep design I hooked and think this one was done in a class with Lucille Festa.

And just found this design of a Ram I hooked some time ago.

Okay, so now I feel better and don't feel like I've cheated my followers. You've had some eye candy and have seen my slow progress on the Sheep Challenge rug.

Tomorrow since the weather is going to be good I  just MUST pick up more pine cones and sticks to get ready to cut some weeds.  The yard looks yucky since it is the onion stems which makes the yard look bad. Plus must trim my lirope so the new growth is good.  

Just too much yard work for me now and when it used to be such fun ~ not fun for me any longer.

Enjoy your evening and especially your tomorrow warmer weather.

Saundra

It's Show Time

At least it is SHEEP show time.  Part of the flowers were toyed with but color to still be determined for the final hooking.  The house colors haven't even been pulled or decided yet.  

Here is my sheep in progress.  I wanted so much for the lumpy natural sheep look so was hoping the wool chosen for this project would work.

The wool used for the sheep I've had for years.  It was something  Gail Dufresne  was selling at a rug camp and thought immediately of a sheep.  I believe I've had this wool for at least 9 years and happy to finally use it for a sheep.  

 This wool would rip at wide widths but I hand cut every two rows over.  And THEN, if I needed a thinner strip would cut that piece in half.  

Here is a close up of the sheep and the hand cut strips used for the majority of the sheep.  

Was so hoping to leave some length to the strips so it would appear as a shaggy sheep but the ends wanted to stick out straight like a sore thumb rather than hanging downward.  For now will leave those few ends and see if that provides the look.  If not then I'll trim them down like we do most ends.

If anyone would like to join in the Facebook Out of Hand Rug Hookers Challenge click on the link and ask to be part of the event.  

One Down Two to Go

After having now collected 3 hooked mats it was about dang time for me to start binding before starting yet another rug.  That next one is a spring sheep challenge offered by Out Of Hand Rug Hookers (OOHRH). If you would be interested in joining the group and participating, click on the link above.

Here is the antique adaptation.  Well, with the addition of a bunny. After planning on hooking just the horse old Brownie seemed lonely so added the bunny.  It appears there is a little farm yard gossip being shared between "Old Brownie and Bunny".

Below is the original horse shape I went for.  As you can see I took some creative liberties.  Some time would like to hook one like the original.  It was, after all, the old faded worn rugs which drew me to rug hooking.

Since my OOHRH challenge rug has been drawn on linen think a couple loops may be pulled tonight.  Am wanting to keep the daffodil idea on the rug and that may be what I tackle first to see if my idea works.  So stay tuned.  

Again, click on the OOHRH link early in the post if you've an interested in joining.  The deadline is May 1st and you can make it any size you want.  One person has chosen to do the design in needle punch.  Come on in......the water if fine!!!!

Have a good evening and please be kind to one another.

Saundra

The Rainbow Cabin Update

Happy to say that Rainbow Cabin is finally hooked.  Still needs to be steamed and bound but all hooked and can move on to the next project.

Now there are 3 mats needing to be bound.  Actually that isn't a problem since the two horse mats and this one are relatively small. Plus I'll have a couple appointments at which to bind during the wait in the office.

So now I am free to start the Out of Hand Rug Hookers Challenge.  I've printed the enlargement on paper to about 18 x 25.  But, it hasn't been drawn on linen yet.  Tomorrow I'll do that and pull some wool. 

I'm so happy to hear we can share our progress.  Part of me wondered what I'd have to blog about, plus I'd be so excited to share my progress and have no outlet.  Besides, that is how we all learn, right, by sharing?

If you are on Facebook and interested in joining the challenge you can read about joining the group.

Hope you have a great evening and know that I'm thinking of all my friends, family, whether cyber and personal.

Saundra

Marching Ahead

That post name has two thruths.....tomorrow is March 1st and am marching ahead with hooking the background on Rainbow Cabin now that the rainbow angst has been calmed.  Here is a view of what it looks like now.

Yes there is a bit more background to hook but shouldn't take long hooking this small mat with #9 cuts.  THEN, to decide what size to hook the Out of Hand Rug Hookers Spring Challenge piece.  If you aren't a member and seem interested click on the link to join the group.

Oh, another thing this leap day has given me is another day logged as a post for the month.  Yippee, since some days cannot think of anything creative to write about and fear boring you with redundancy, I don't post. 

I so enjoyed last nights episode of Downton Abby to see the differences in the culture during the decades of life in England and the vast differences between life upstairs of the aristocracy and the downstairs servants.  Also, the differences between the Brits and the US.  

I only I'd started watching this show in it's first season because I refuse to pay to binge watch the show for all those seasons.  

Have a great evening everyone.  Hopefully spring will really be here full time soon since the daffodils and last two days of weather has been mild. Hmmm, weatherman tells me differently, we may have some snow this Friday or weekend.

If at First You Don't Succeed.......

Oh my.....today I've been treading water trying to stay afloat with the Rainbow Cabin rug.  After reading some of the comments from readers realized that the secret to the red situation was within the rainbow.  

Okay, how to hook that section?  Looking at the design wondered if the rainbow colors should go completely to the edges on each side of the rug OR should that background color have one row all the way around.  

Hooking the rainbow all the way to the edges presented a real problem with tails meeting at the end.  And hiding the ends in all the ways I know wasn't pretty at the sides either.  So, I've pulled out the ends of the wool and will try and salvage what has been hooked in the rainbow. Have decided to hook one dark row of background along the edge of the rainbow.  That way the ends can be hidden or ended less noticeable.  

There's a lesson for you guys but if you're like me you'll have to try and learn what works for you.  Now...could be I don't know the right way so if any of you know the secret to doing the rainbow to the end on each side without a lump or too many ends, let me know.  Sure wish I'd taken a picture before I pulled out the sides of the rainbow.  

Oh well ~ will try and salvage the rainbow and hook my butt off tonight because Kelley has posted her challenge rug design on Out of Hand Rug Hookers  so will want to start that tomorrow or soon after.

Have a great evening everyone.  

Saundra

Out of Hand Challenge Rug Finish

At least I think I'm finished with it, other than the binding of course. The one brown foot on the dog to the right is still questionable.  The brown foot of the other dog was replaced and thought I'd keep this one but time will tell.  Since it won't be under the binding tape could always opt to change it out at a later date.

Oh dear, it does still bother me.  Anyway, the above picture was taken with a flash.  And the one below is without a flash.  If you tap on the photos they will enlarge for a closer view.

Yesterday I steamed the rug and let it rest overnight.  Today I marked the foundation 1" beyond the last row of hooking, sewed two rows of straight stitch and then a row of zig zag connecting the straight rows of stitching.  This is to ensure the foundation doesn't unravel with use even under the cotton binding tape.

On occasion people will write asking if I know of a cutter for sale.  It still maybe there or not but did see this Fraser being offered for sale on a blog:   http://ticklepie.typepad.com/ticklepie/ 

Have a great evening everyone.  

Saundra

Out of Hand Rughookers Challenge Rug

Since arthritis was bothering my hands two days ago I switched over to hooking the Out of Hand Challenge rug as the wool was softer. My hands are feeling better but am so close to finishing that it will stay on my frame until all hooked.

This is what Puppy Love looks like right now but am thinking about pulling out the brown in the foot of the pup on the left and making it light.  The pup on the right has a bit lighter similar wool which seems to show up more.  But will decide whether to pull loops later or not.

Tomorrow afternoon I'll be drawing a name for the small Christmas giveaway pattern.  So if you are interested or want to see the pattern, scroll down to the previous post and make a comment there.  Please read that blog post so you know what the requirements are.

Have a great evening everyone.  Guess I'll get back to hooking on Puppy Love so I can bind it soon.  Then there will be two UFOs left to work on.

Saundra

'Twas The Night Before.......

...yup, have mentioned before that going to rug camp is like waiting for Santa.  

Just pulled a few more loops on my Out of Hand Challenge rug and need to put it away.  Want to pack it up to work on before the teacher gets to me on my next rug.   Wanted to get the stepping stones hooked and while waiting for the teacher have several hooking options (the dog, grass, border).

This camp is in Ocean City, MD and we will stay at The Dunes Hotel where all the rooms are facing the ocean.  That would be the magnificent big structure to the right.

Below is a view of what I'll see from the sleeping room as well as the classroom in the afternoon.  There are rockers on the deck for hooking pleasure during warm balmy evenings.  But probably not this weekend.

Teachers this year are:  Terri Schaefer, Sibyl Osicka and Lisanne Miller. Lisanne is a primitive teacher and my choice.  I've never had a class with her before but my gal pal Evelyn Lawrence has.  Am looking forward to the class and seeing all the folks who frequent the same hooking circles.

I'll have my iPad with me at camp, check in and hope to take time to do some blog hopping.  However, it always feels like I've lost so much time away from on-line friends once returning home.  

See ya later, 

Saundra

Challenge Rug, Wool and Selvage Edges

Today a reader wrote to ask what wool I was using for the brown border (yesterday's blog post) as she was looking for a brown for her background.  Below is an updated photo of the Challenge rug with that brown border.

This is the wool used in the border along with brown worms.  The wool on the left is what is used most and hooks up darker than shown in the photo.  The wool on the far right is used only sparingly just to add a little variance and movement.  She liked the middle wool and asked if it was still available.  I don't sell wool and frankly am not sure where or when I acquired it.  So if anyone one reading knows where it can be purchased, let me know and I'll pass on the information to her.

For years I unfortunately threw away my wool selvages.  Then one day realized they could be used for hooking....DUH!  So here is what I've collected so far.  But there are still lots of selvages on numerous yardage of wool in my house.

My plan this winter is to hook an oval hit and miss rug using the selvages.  Most definitely I'm not ready to start that yet since there is still the UFO Sheep rug, the Out of Hand Rughookers Challenge Rug just shown, plus the rug that will be started at rug camp beginning Monday.

So if any of you are interested in gathering your selvages to do a rug hook-a-long, start collecting now.  I think I'd like to make mine oval so it (hopefully) will resemble a thick braided rug, albeit hit and miss.  This would be a project that I could work on as my selvages increased and in-between fun hooking projects during the winter.  It wouldn't require color planning, no extra buying of wool, just using up which would be thrown away otherwise.

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

Color Planning by the Seat of My Pants

Seems I do this a lot ~ color planning at the last minute when I need a wool for the grass, or the sky, or whatever.  When first starting the Out of Hand Challenge rug tried to use as many worms from my bags of various colors as was possible.  

For the sky there were several worms pulled from the bag then went directly to the source of the over-dyed flat wool in my stash.  Will be nice when that is gone too.

But now a decision needed to be made on grass/ground color.  Since I'd recently tried to organize my wool stumbled upon this textured over dyed wool which I think will work great.  Have cut a few strips to hook with tonight and hope it looks like grass and not water.

For at least one of pups I'm hooking the spots in the lighter brown and tan for the body.  The other pup will be close but not quite same colors.

As for Nantucket Broom Ride I did do a little more wool yarn whipping the under edge of the rug but still have one and half sides to whip and then the tacking of the inside edge.  

Have a great evening everyone.

Challenge Update

Hooking on this challenge rug is still slow as I'm also slowly binding Nantucket Broom Ride.  Putting in an hour a day on the binding seems like a lot and one would think it would be done by now.  Seems I can't bind and watch TV at the same time.  Anyway.....

Here is a picture of my Out of Hand Challenge rug now.  This is a picture with a flash.  And if only I'd planned several times and drawn just once there wouldn't be all those border lines.  They are very confusing to even me when I get ready to hook.  In the penny circle tree there are a couple stems which still need hooking.  

The photo below is without a flash so will be a bit more blurry but real colors are between the two photos.

 

Hard to believe in two weeks I'll leave for another short rug camp and then nothing for 6 months.  Yet there is the Challenge rug, the Sheep UFO and the camp rug.  But during the winter months hunkered in might be good and a time when lots of hooking and binding will be completed.  

Happy Saturday eve.

Back to Out Of Hand Rug Hookers Challenge

Now that the other rug is presently being bound it was time for me to put the Out of Hand Rug Hookers Challenge rug back on my frame.  I named it Puppy Love.

When I was playing with the motifs had thought of putting the penny rug tree on both sides of the house but with two dogs decided to not duplicate the trees too.  Besides, folk art sometimes has flowers and birds which are way out of context to the rest of the designs anyway.

There will be a border of sorts but haven't figured that out yet.  For sure it won't be that premature wide border you see drawn on the linen now.

Have a great evening everyone.  And, once Nantucket Broom Ride is all bound I'll bore you again with another photo.

Hey you worker bees.... tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!  So enjoy your evening as you look forward to tomorrow and the weekend.

Saundra

Betwixt and Between

Yesterday my plans were to take the challenge rug off the frame and get back to my girl riding the whale on Nantucket Broom Ride. However, it didn't seem right to stop right in the middle of hooking the house.  So today I finished hooking the house and here is a picture.  I figure the windows are a reflection of the daytime sky.

Ignore that inside border line as I changed my mind after drawing it. I'll have some sort of border but not sure what it will be; certainly not this one.

The Out of Hand Rug Hooking Challenge has been extended until October 10th.  So if you are interested in participating, please go to Out of Hand Rug Hooking Group and ask to join.  The instructions are there to inform you how to join.

I'm so looking forward to hooking on Nantucket Broom Ride again; it's a lot bigger than the challenge piece but was so excited after coming home from camp to work on it that I just didn't want to stop.  Yet, wanted to participate in Lori's challenge.  Hey, I'm a big girl and can multi task, right?  To hell with house cleaning, lol.

Have a great evening every one.

Saundra