Shadow is Settled In

I've just finished stitching Shadow's resting place together to make a rectangular coverlet.  As mentioned previously, after she passed the artist was no longer around to make a box for her ashes.  Each day I'd walk past Shadow's ashes would make a promise to her for a suitable cover.

When Shadow was alive we (uh, I) said she was meant to be a wide cut girl.  And so she was.  Here is a picture of her profile hooked in #8 and the cover for her ashes box.  The Shadow Memorial profile is hanging in this computer room so took a picture with the ashes box in here too.  However, Shadow rests in my bedroom.  Paw prints were hooked on the other 3 sides of the cover.  Rest in peace Shadow....miss you.

I'm slowly working on my son's Man Cave rug (to be a Christmas gift) and may show you an update tomorrow.  Have pulled about half yard of wool to over dye and add to what has been scrounged up and married to make a background for that rug.  I was determined to have a dirty blue wool background.  Time will tell if my plans work or not...so stay tuned.

And THEN...... MUST start working on a rug for mama....Moi, to keep me happy.  It will be a Magdalena design ~ dear Magdalena.  If she only knew when she was alive just how much inspiration for primitive rugs she gave so many who love her designs.

Welcome to my new followers, it makes my heart happy when I see someone join.  IF anyone has requests on something you'd like to see me post about, has a question, hey, all newbies have questions because I WAS a newbie.  So to contact me just click on the profile link and my e-mail address is there.  Or, to make it easier tonight, you can click HERE. 

Have a great evening everyone.  There are signs of spring all over my yard so spring really is on it's way.

Saundra

Plain Wool, Over dyed Wool, Textured Wool

Before I start writing about different types of wool I'll give you an example of how a textured wool can and will work in even the most precise hooking project.  I'd never have believed it if it hadn't happened to me.

Here is my dearly departed Shadow girl which was hooked last September at Cape May with Diane Stoffel.

The wool taken for Shadow was some dip dyed (flat) wool dyed for my Rottweiler Memorial some years prior so the colors were appropriate.  Also took some textured blacks/darks.  But sadly my stash for the over dyed wool was running out and there was way more to hook on Shadow than I had taken to camp.

So Diane took me shopping (at camp) to find a suitable wool to use for Shadow's unfinished face since I'd used up all my over dyed wool.  OMG, her face.  You have no idea how frustrated I was having to make the switch.....well, if you go back that far in my blog you will see my ongoing struggle. So this is the wool Diane chose (the plaid), and I used the light section for some parts and the darker for the darker parts of Shadow.

Interestingly enough, it worked just fine.  And if you look with a critical eye you will see the variance in the photo below. 

So, would I have preferred having enough of my over dyed wool?  YES!  While it is only a hooked piece it was a special girl of mine and I wanted her to be hooked as I'd planned.  But I'm pleased with how she turned out and Diane made a dang good choice!  I'd take another class with Diane Stoffel in a heart beat!!!!  She's funny, good at what she does and her color wheel lesson is off the charts fun.

To continue....when first starting my journey with rug hooking and having absolutely no stash I, as most of us, resorted to the thrift shop.  I mean, why would I spend good money to buy wool yardage when it can be purchased for much less at the thrift shop and just for the washing, drying and dismantling of the fabric?

My first mistakes were:

~ buying clothing with any percentage of wool no matter how little
~ buying flat colors and no textured (check, plaids, herringbone, etc.)

Some of that wool did serve me well during my practice (struggle) but as my rug hooking experience matured realized that a significant amount of wool in my stash was not usable.  You see, I'd never been to a rug camp before, didn't know any other hookers in my area so was self-taught.  And now there is the Internet where other hookers communicate on groups and blogs if you aren't lucky enough to be able to go to a rug camp.

The preferred wool is 100% wool but even then you need to be careful to NOT buy WORSTED wool.  Worsted wool is a process which makes the wool thread, will not full even when washed with tennis balls.  It is worthless.

Don't buy wool with Polyester but it is okay to buy wool with 10% nylon as it will accept acid dyes and won't harm your cutter.  It is also a luxury if you find clothing which has cashmere mixed in.  Ooh la la... it makes it very soft.  I've purchased some clothing with which was 85% wool, with cashmere and nylon making up the other 15%.  It has a feel which I can identify if my fingers ever touch it in my wool basket.

Then once you take it home do not take it into your home until it is ready to be washed and dried.  That way you don't bring in unwanted moth eggs.  I would usually dismantle the clothing out on my back deck or in the garage if too cold outside.  Then take it in and wash it on warm and dry on low with a couple fluffy towels. 

Have a great evening folks and if any of you newbies reading my blog want to ask questions please feel free to write me at saundra125@comcast.net.  If you post your question on my blog and you happen to be a "NO-REPLY" blogger I'll not be able to respond.  If you want find out if you are a NO REPLY click HERE.

Saundra

Finally Finished ! ! ! !

Thank goodness I finally finished pulling the last loops on Shadow JUST NOW!  Many times I was tempted to post a current picture but knew I'd rip out, hook again and question my decisions even after that.  So this time my intentions were to just fill in the neck area the best I could and call it quits.  When she is steamed, bound and hung I'm sure that all I'll see is the beauty in her eyes, remember her spirit and her neck won't even be noticed. 

Should I  make changes?  Yes.  Am I going to?  No... Uh, or at least I don't think so.  But now that I'm looking at her on the computer certainly do notice things that should be better.  Oh my but she has been exhausting.  Shadow was started at Cape May in September and it is now 3 months later.  It has never taken me that long to do such a small hooked piece.  However, other rugs have been hooked and started since Shadow.  Shadow was hooked in #8 strips and before steaming she measures 19 x 23 (for you my sweet Lauren).

While I should be doing back flips I'm feeling like she still isn't done right.  SHEESH, enough already Saundra. 

Think it is time to take my big boy Ben out for a walk and get some fresh air. 

Have a good evening everyone.

Saundra

For Better or Worse

And right now it is beginning to feel like it is 'for worse'.  When I looked at the original photo of Shadow and what I'd hooked it looked as tho I needed to make that extra flesh fold line so pulled out several loops and hooked it in.  Now this most recent photo of my hooking makes her appear as tho she has on a collar or weird hooker making irrational hooking choices.

This is the pose I chose for her portrait and you can see the fold that I made a stab at. 

Perhaps I should have left well enough alone when Shadow looked like this and before I pulled out loops and rehooked what you saw in the first posted picture.

But now I have to obviously pull out the *#!? loops once AGAIN.  And do what????  Hook back in the strips that I removed????  Were it not the fact that I'm so close to being done, and the fact that she was a precious part of my life and loyal companion, I'd roll this up and stuff it in the back of some shelf so I didn't have to look at it for a while.

Today I really thought that I would be on the right track and the change needed to motivate me to complete the rug.  Not so; I've had it, I'm frustrated and plan to pull loops on Long Island Farm for relaxation tonight. 

I'd thought of taking the rug with me to my workshop this weekend and get teacher advice to set me straight and give me direction.  But don't know if I want to taint my fun time at camp bringing it even if only for advice.  Obviously I will NOT be hooking on Shadow at camp because this will be a fun camp and not work.

Sorry to use the blog as a sounding board and I'm not normally a negative type person.  But Shadow was started in early September and it is now November 7th.  The rug only measures like 19 x 20 or something like that.  I would have had most things this size hooked inside a month or less.

So now that you've heard me rant and rave I'm wondering how many primitive hookers (like me) are interested in doing realistic hooking now?  I'm pretty sure this will be my last.  Heck, I thought I was doing good by hooking Shadow in a wide cut #8 vs. #3 like my departed Rottweilers were hooked in (below).  But think the days of hooking realistically is over for me.

It is time for me to take my boy Ben for a walk and will hopefully walk off a little frustration with the fresh air and the driveway full of pretty fallen leaves. 

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra

Forging Forward

I'm not moving along at a very fast pace but at least I put Shadow back on the frame and hooked a few loops to make a little more headway.  The jaw line has been changed 3 times yet it still isn't right.  Have pulled out loops near her temple and hooked part of that again.  I'm sick of pulling out loops.  In her neck there are 3 noticeable light strips that should be pulled out but I'm not going to do it.  Or at least not right now.  And just maybe never.

At some point I'll stop showing the actual photo of the pose so that you can just surmise my attempt at her portrait is close to correct.  But for now here is the pose chosen for my departed Shadow.

Comparing them on the blog brings out noticeable differences and I see an enormous one that I'd lost touch of working close on the frame.  She has another fold of light flesh which tapers down to the dark black which I missed when hooking.  Since I've not hooked a lot I will pull out a little of the area and do it over again. 

But Shadow is off the frame for tonight and I'll enjoy working on Long Island Farm.  Of course that means I'll need to refer to this post again  before putting her back on the frame and will do some felt tip marking on the pattern to refresh my plan at that time.

This is some enjoyable and comfortable weather right now in Delaware.  My Rug Hooking Magazine arrived a few days ago but haven't taken the time to look thru it.  So I just went out on the back deck with a glass of Pinot Noir, the magazine and Ben where we enjoyed the lovely weather and nature. 

Ben can smell the deer in the woods and he was prancing back and forth with his nose in the air.  Most likely they are lingering in the background waiting for him to be from the yard so they can come enjoy water I keep for them near the woods.

Have a great weekend my dears.  OH!  And don't forget to turn the clocks back.... FALL back.....SPRING forward.

Saundra

Update on Ben and Shadow Profile

This morning I received a phone call from Ben's vet as he had just opened his mail and Ben's lab results were among the delivery.  Lab reports that there is no sign of lymphoma, no sign of cancer, the red and white blood cell count in the spleen sample was normal but it was a reactive spleen. 

What the vet told me about "reactive spleen" is that Ben may have had an intestinal bug or similar illness which made the spleen enlarge but didn't interfere with his behavior.  So I am to continue Ben with the broad spectrum antibiotic until it is gone and Ben should be good until his next visit.  So FANTASTIC news about the health of my handsome boy.

OH!  Something else about my vet.  When I brought Ben home from the vet the other day, after sedation, noticed that all his nails had been trimmed and there was no charge on my bill for that.  Now, Ben will let me cut his nails but admit they did need the tips cut.  When my vet called this morning with the good news I let him know that Ben's nails did not go unnoticed and that his care for his clientele is magnificent.

Now to my girl Shadow's profile.  I used some of the found similar dye wool to fill in spots to the right and it is hardly noticeable, so that's good. 

The ear to the left I re-hooked (to hopefully give it more depth) and it probably could use a little more tweaking but I'm not going to bother with it, at least right now.  Frankly, the eye to the right (Shadow's left) needs to be honed in better but hey, I've open linen which still needs to be hooked and I'm not making progress if I'm still pulling out and hooking something back in.

 

So I'm taking Shadow back off the frame and putting a more relaxing project back on my frame.  I figure that at this speed, if I hook a few loops every week Shadow might be done by spring.

 

Finally today I was forced to turn on my heat due to the low temps and rain.  The thermostat is set on low but at least it will take the chill out of the rooms.  Yuck, winter will soon be among us.

 

Hope you have wonderful weekend everyone.

 

Saundra

 

UNCLE!

Yes, I'm crying Uncle.  Actually it is more of a sabbatical as I need to take time from my girl Shadow project.  That will give me a fresh vision (I hope) of what has to be done to do her justice.  Here's what my girl looks like now mid pulled loops from the left ear and background holes on the right.

Yes, sadly what didn't help was the fact that I was just a long wool strip away from filling in all that background.  Here is a close up of those small areas where background is missing and you can see the pins.  These were pieces of wool I found in my stash and not something I had to over dye with the remaining dye solution from the previous dye job. 

 Another reason for the time away is because I'm even thinking of using a strip of the 'found' wool to fill in the spots rather than dying some wool. 

And then the ear to the left.  It also bothered me and knew something wasn't right but couldn't put my finger on it.  Thanks to my hooker/teacher/friend, she gave me some advice.  So I proceeded to pull out some strips, looked for the right colors of wool but of course these are what I had close.

The short squiggly piece of wool I'd just pulled out from the area so not good.  The other strip had a too red /brown at the one end.  So basically that is when I decided to cry "UNCLE" and take a brief sabbatical.   

DEAR FRIEND...... it has nothing to do with your wonderful advice on the ear as I know you are right.  It just so happens that I was walking on the ledge for the last week or so and just now decided to take some down time from my girl.  I'm sure I'll have a renewed energy when I put Shadow back on my frame.

Meanwhile I'm going to start a primitive, wide cut design which has no particular color plan and if I hook outside the lines or don't get it just right it will be in the name of FUN HOOKING.  I think mama needs a break since it has been a month since my good girl Shadow portrait was started.

Have a great evening.

Saundra

Shadow Slowly Coming Together

This has been a very slow process working on my Shadow girl.  And when she and I would chat on our walks (okay, I'd do the chatting), we agreed she'd 'be a wide cut sorta girl'.  I thought it would go faster and easier than this has been.

Trust me when I say that you CAN realistically hook an animal in a wide cut and make it look real.  The problem is when it becomes personal.  If this was a project being hooked by someone else I'd be in awe at the similarities.  But this was MY GIRL and I want to feel her presence.  So that is where my stress is coming from.  ANYHOO.......  moving right along.....

This is what my girl looks like now; a picture without a flash...... 

....and  my girl with the flash.

Not sure about that additional strip under the ear on the left and just might make changes, pull it out all together???  Looking at it on my blog might help me.  Her ear would flop and turn or roll on itself and I'm trying to capture that.

Actually, in all honesty she looks beautiful and my eyes are welling up.  So I will keep on hooking as I'd like to soon place her on my wall so that I can see her every day.  I have a perfect spot and it will be to my left as I'm sitting at the computer. 

Have a great evening everyone.

Saundra