A Little Progress ~

I have made a little progress on the background of Here a Chick.  I have to admit, I like hooking background.  Mindless hooking and I get along very well.  I soon may have to set this aside and get busy hooking the several gift rugs I will be needing in the next couple of months.  Too many rugs . . . too little time . . . sigh.

Just thought I'd show you the rug label I made for the sunflower mat shown in my last post.  I am happy the way it came out.  

 

I finally did a little cleaning in the wool room. Though the wool is not yet organized, at least the piles of wool are off the floor.

The small craft closet has been organized (once again), but this is what the walk in closet looks like.  (It's a small walk in closet, but for my house having been built in 1940, I am thrilled to have not one, but two of them.)  How does it get so totally out of control? Must be those damned wool fairies sneaking around at night wreaking havoc.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Sunny Sunday ~

Today is sunny but still downright C-O-L-D. Enough already.  Here it is almost the end of April.  There was an event today where Ohio Pug Rescue was set up.  I was dressed in a sweater, turtleneck, winter coat and gloves and I about froze.  After arriving home, I was sucked up to my little electric heater for a couple hours before I thawed out.  I hope we have a bit of spring and just don't go straight to summer.  

I am the exception to the rule.  I am not a big fan of Simple Goods, even though it is not far (maybe 60 miles) from me, so I stayed home and accomplished some much needed yard work.  The winter was very hard on the gardens, especially the hydrangea.  I don't think I will have any flowers this year as most of the plant was frozen.  I am getting new growth from the base of the plants so thankfully they are not dead.

My DSO assembled my garden arch and installed it for me.  PVC was not my first choice, but for the cost, I decided to go with it.  It is next to the wisteria, so when the wisteria leafs out, I think it will look fine.  After it blooms, I will be cutting much of it back.  It is very invasive but worth it for the beautiful flowers.  My garage is barely visible to the left.  That is my neighbor's garage and fence you see with the wisteria growing on her fence.

I don't seem to be accomplishing much in the hooking department.  I have finished a little sunflower mat that will be a door prize at the Western Reserve guild hook-in on May 17.  I just need to get a label on it and get it sent off.  I'm registered for the hook-in, but I recently discovered that it is the same day as Pride Day in the county and I normally have to work.  I will be really bummed if I have to miss it.  

Not much else is going on.  All work and (almost) no play makes Lauren a dull, dull girl.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Just Tuesday ~

I know, boring title for a post . . .

Easter was good.  A gorgeous day spent with family and loved ones and I didn't have to cook.

Here are two of my favorite boys.  Younger son J with grandson Jake.  Jake was so proud of his outfit.  He just grinned from ear to ear but still wasn't happy about having his picture taken.  He's taking after his father.  This was the most serious I could get them.

This is more the norm.

Here are the last few pictures from the Retreat in to the Mountains with Susan Feller.  She is working on a year long study ~ creating a 5 inch square daily in many mediums.  These are February.  You can read more about it here.

This is the second year friends Deb, Kathy and Karen have done a challenge in which each hooks 1/3 of a rug and passes it along.  What fun!

Here is my progress on "Here a Chick".  The chicks were hooked with an 8 cut (UGH).  I am so happy to finally have them done.  The majority of the rug is hooked with a 9.5 cut.  For 2+ days of hooking in West Virginia and hooking a little almost every day since I've gotten home, you'd think I'd be much further along.  The dog's face needs a little work and the cat's face needs major work.  In person it looks like a jack-o-lantern face.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Happy, Happy Easter ~

Blessed Easter to all who celebrate this day.

Thanks for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Throw Down ~

So many different styles of hooking were represented at the throw down at the Retreat in to the Mountains.  It was held outside on the porch so many of the pictures are very washed out.  I don't understand why the color on some is right on and others not . . . sigh.  In my next life I will learn to take better pictures :)  

I hope you enjoy the show. 

 

I still have a few rugs to share.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren 

It Really Was ~

~ almost heaven :)  Susan Feller's Retreat in to the Mountains . . . two and a half days of hooking, friends old and new, more hooking and in my case non-stop eating.  I am a grazer and with all the goodies in the hooking room, I spent a little too much time at the goodie table.  So many talented hookers ~ so many different styles.  

Karen Larsen of Crows Foot Farm gave a talk on the thought process she uses to design rugs.  She explained how this rug came about.  It was based on drawing by her eight year old granddaughter and aptly named Lucy's Fairy Village.  Isn't it just too sweet?

Another rug of Karen's of a local Pennsylvania barn, Star Barn 1872.

The same barn hooked by her hooker friend Nancy who was also at the retreat.  Totally different but equally as wonderful.

My partner in crime Melissa was hooking this pattern by the Woolley Fox.  This is what she accomplished the first day.  Her color choices were amazing.

Sweet Liz who also attended the retreat last year brought everyone a piece of antique paisley.  Melissa hooked it in the center of her hearts.  

She completed the rug Sunday morning. Absolutely GORGEOUS :)

Some of you may recall I posted a picture of this rug a month or so ago from a hook in and several readers were asking to see it spread out.  Shirley was hoping to finish it before the retreat but had just had a little hooking left to do.  Here she is contemplating her wools in April of 2013, having started the rug that January.

April 2013 progress.

Here she is Saturday evening pulling her very last loop.  She has been hooking since 1974 having been taught by her grandmother.

WOW!!!  What more can you say?  (The background is navy, not black.)  I can't remember if the rug is 5 or 6 feet wide (I think it is 6') by 8 feet long.  It will proudly grace her living room floor.  It is a pattern by Kate Porter of Loopdeeloo rugs of Chardon, Ohio.  It does come in a smaller size, too :)

Not having anything else to hook, she bought this pattern from Susan Saturday evening and by Sunday morning was already done except for outlining the petals, using the same wool from the room size rug.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I have lots more rugs to share in the next post.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren