Not the Sharpest Knife on the Christmas Tree ~

I don't dye wool.  I want to, but the only thing I've ever done is tone down a bit of wool with a black walnut dye that I made.  I have all the supplies - books, some Cushing & Pro Chem dyes, spoons, pots, etc.  Last night I thought I'd give it a try to create some of Saundra's "dirty muddy".  Saundra blogged about it here. 
I chose these wools.

Since I didn't have all the dye colors she used, I thought just using the khaki drab would be a good choice.  I mixed 1/2 tsp of dye to one cup of boiling water, figuring I'd add about 5-6 tablespoons to the dye pot.  I even made the label for my jar so I'd know what dye was mixed.  I then proceeded to walk over to the stove and dump the entire cup of dye in the pot of water.  It took a few minutes for me to realize what I had done.  Crap!  Even as I was dumping about about 3/4 of the dye mix, I'm thinking I should save it but continued to dispose of it.  I then added more water to the pot.  I also broke what I believe is another cardinal rule of dyeing.  I failed to use rubber gloves and now have a couple of brown cuticles.  
So here is my dye pot in progress.

When the water was almost clear I added a glug of vinegar and let it simmer about 15 minutes more.  By this time, it was past bedtime, so I removed the pot from the burner and let it cool down overnight.
This morning I threw the wool in the washer.  The results are definitely not dirty muddy, but a really wonderful green that all blend well together, nothing like is showing in this picture.  It is much closer to the color in the dye pot.  I guess I can call it a happy mistake.

A couple things I've learned about dyeing ~ don't try to dye when you don't have much time and THINK BEFORE YOU DUMP :)

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

A Visit to Merry Wind Farm ~

Last Friday I took a vacation day to have an extra long weekend.  I wanted to head south and visit with Melinda of Merry Wind Farm.   The reason for my visit was Oliver.

You see, Oliver is one of Melinda's furbabies.  Last fall when I posted that I had purchased this picture, Melinda commented that it looked just like her Oliver, so how could the picture not go to her?  There is an uncanny resemblance :)

That was a great excuse for a visit.  It is a delight to spend time with her and to drool over her house and gardens.  She lives in a 200+ year old home filled with antiques and her handwork.  She is an excellent quilter, rug hooker and sampler maker.  She has dozens (and dozens and dozens) of HUGE reproduction samplers she has stitched over the years.  She puts me to shame :)  The rugs she hooks are big, too.  Isn't this one wonderful???  Here she is with Oliver and little Bella.

  

We did a little antiquing but of course ran out of time before we ran out of shops to visit :( Anything I really wanted to bring home was more than I was willing to pay, so I didn't buy much of anything.

But look what I came home with.  A reproduction Quaker sampler she stitched.  What a kind, generous soul.  How lucky I am to call her friend.

She also gave me this little stack of pillows made from old quilt squares.  Look in the bottom right corner of the middle one and see how the maker pieced that block to not waste any fabric.  Waste not ~ want not.

We have been having delightful weather here on Ohio's north coast.  I've been busy in the yard and hopefully will have some pictures to share soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Memorial Day ~

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,

AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT

SHINE UPON THEM.

* * *

Thank you to those who have served

and to those who continue to serve.

God Bless America,

Land that I love.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Just a Couple Hooky Things ~

I finally did it.  I broke down and bought another Hartman hook.  One of my biggest fears was losing/misplacing mine.  (After many months, I still haven't found my proddy tool.)  I have several other hooks, but have been hooking with my Hartman since day one and have not had any success with any other hook.  I was all set to buy one at the hook in from Alice.  Thankfully she let me "test drive" the pear handle hook (she didn't have any ball handle hooks) and for the way I hold the hook, it just didn't work out.  I know you are supposed to periodically switch hooks so your wrist gets a break, but I ended up buying the same ball handle hook I had, except that the shank is a 9 mm rather than an 8 mm.  I found a couple sites that sold them but they wanted $9.95 for shipping.  I HATE being gouged on shipping, so finally found one on etsy with a better shipping deal.

Another great tool I recently purchased ~ at the pet store.  I heard dog brushes were good for cleaning gripper strips, and let me tell you, this one works great and it was about $5.00 on sale. It cleans the strips much faster than anything else I had tried.

I know, boring post, but just wanted to pop in and say hi.  I thought I'd have Hearts and Clover done by now, but just can't seem to find any time to hook.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Hook-in ~

Today was the annual Western Reserve Rug Hooking guild's hook-in.  What fun.  Of course, I barely got the camera out and only have a few things to share.  

Betsy's bunnies ~ Betsy of Heavens to Betsy fame.  They were hooked with handtorn strips . . .

. . . and finished "Betsy style".  Aren't they fun?

I purchased the pattern for the medium sized bunny.

Rhonda (My Glory Stars) and Betsy.

Oh, I do love this rug Kaye is hooking.  She always chooses THE BEST primitive colors, but she did say she hooked the rooster THREE times.

Alice's gorgeous wools . . .

. . . and Donna's.

Isn't this bulldog a hoot?  The dog was hooked in handtorn strips.

My winnings from the Chinese auction.  It also came with the finest rug hook I've ever seen.  I think you'd use that hook to hook dental floss . . . lol.  I gave it away before I thought to take a picture.

For the second year in a row I got lucky and won a door prize.  

Even without a flash the colors are too bright.

Yummy new wools (not the true colors, either).

And another Heavens to Betsy pattern. I still haven't hooked the cat pattern I bought from her a couple years ago :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

So Thankful ~

Northern Ohio had torrential rains Monday evening.  Somewhere around 4" of rain fell in a couple hours.  I've never had the tornado warning come over my phone before and it scared the bejesus out of me.  They say one touched down for a short period of time but did not cause any major damage.  So many basements were flooded.  I am thankful I just had a few streams of water that seeped in.  Many people had 3-4' of water in their basements - some having sewer backups.  Rain is in the forecast for the next 3 out of 4 days.  I wish we could save some of this rain for the months of July and August.

I'm pleased with the progress I've made on Hearts and Clover.  Saturday is the annual Western Reserve hook-in.  Always a fun time with good friends, good food and lots of good vendors.

Maya the granddog is still with me for a few more days.  She is such a mouthy little thing.  She moves so fast it's hard to get a picture of her.

The funny thing is that she is the alpha dog over Ellie . . . Ellie who wants to kill most other dogs and people.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Happy Mother's Day ~

MOTHER'S DAY QUIPS  (An Oldie but Goodie)


PAUL REVERE'S MOTHER:

"I don't care where you think you have to go, young man. Midnight is past your curfew!"
 

MONA LISA'S MOTHER:

"After all that money your father and I spent on braces, Mona, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"


HUMPTY DUMPTY'S MOTHER:

"Humpty, if I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times not to sit on that wall.

But would you listen to me? Noooo!"


COLUMBUS' MOTHER:

"I don't care what you've discovered, Christopher. You still could have written!"


MICHELANGELO'S MOTHER:

"Mike, can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"


ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S MOTHER:

"Again with the stovepipe hat, Abe? Can't you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"


MARY'S MOTHER:

"I'm not upset that your lamb followed you to school, Mary, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you."


BATMAN'S MOTHER:

"It's a nice car, Bruce, but do you realize how much the insurance is going to be?"


GOLDILOCKS' MOTHER:

"I've got a bill here for a busted chair from the Bear family. You know anything about this, Goldie?"


ALBERT EINSTEIN'S MOTHER:

"But, Albert, it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?"


JONAH'S MOTHER:

"That's a nice story, but now tell me where you've really been for the last three days."


SUPERMAN'S MOTHER:

"Clark, your father and I have discussed it, and we've decided you can have your own telephone line.

Now will you quit spending so much time in all those phone booths?"


THOMAS EDISON'S MOTHER:

"Of course I'm proud that you invented the electric light bulb, Thomas. Now turn off that light and get to bed!"


Hope your Mother's Day was the best ever.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Totally Random ~

There was an antique/primitive show that I wanted to attend today, but I just could not talk myself in to the 5 hours I would have spent in the car . . . sigh.  I guess I need to look at the bright side and think of all the money I saved ~ in gas alone besides what I may have purchased.  I am just in dire need of an antique fix.

Since I probably won't have any hydrangea blooms this year due to the harsh winter, I bought this one at the discount store the other day.  I just love the blue.  I really need to amend the soil with ??? to keep the blue color.  

The lilac has started to bloom.  Ahhhhh . . . heaven.

A few more pics from around the yard.

 

I found this little guy in the yard today.  Actually I ran him over with the lawnmower.  Thankfully he is okay.  I'm hoping he'll stick around for a while.

I've started a new little rug though I have not yet tweaked the faces on Here a Chick.  I hooked Hearts and Clover last year and it is one of the few rugs I've ever sold, so I thought I'd hook another.  The hearts are the same color as last time.  The clover is slightly different and I'll hook the bird differently, too.  I think the pot and the background will be the same as before.

Meet Maya, my granddog.  Son J and girlfriend Jessica are on their way to Florida for a much needed vacation.  She might weigh only 4 pounds but is a mouthy little thing.  My son wants a Great Dane . . . girlfriend came in to his life with a rescued Chihuahua.  Makes me laugh.  Notice Maya's studded collar my son made her . . . between the studs are pink rhinestones.

Thankfully Ellie doesn't want to rip her throat out like she does most other dogs.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs (Jack Russell and Chihuahua, too) :)

Lauren

Seis de Mayo ~

As usual, a day late and a dollar short :)  

Tonight I met a friend for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.  I hadn't seen her in forever so it was nice to catch up.  (In less than a week I've been out for Italian, Chinese, Mexican plus 5 Guys and I wonder why the scale hates me . . . lol!)

I finished the hooking on Here a Chick, a Barbara Carroll pattern found in this book.  

The finished size is about 26 1/2" x 24".  

I need to do a little reverse hooking on these two faces.

The chicks were hooked with an 8 cut (ick), some 8.5 was used, but the majority of the rug was hooked with a 9.5.  

Now it's time to plan and get busy on the gift rugs.  Why do I not do a better job planning ahead?

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren