Another Wormy Mat ~

July!  Wow.  I just don't believe it.  So nice to have a three day weekend but it will be a busy one so I won't get half of what I want done . . . the story of my life.

I finished another little scrappy mat.  Before you get impressed, this one is only about 6" x 9" ~ AND ~ once again hooked ONLY with worms.  Personally I think it looks better in person :)  Digital photos always seem to brighten the colors.

I want to hook one more little mat and one more pumpkin using hand torn strips and then I need to get busy finishing them ~ and we all know how much I'll whine about that.  I'm trying not to wait until the last minute because, unfortunately, the show in September will be here more quickly than I'd like ~ and I'm a great procrastinator. 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

100% Worms ~

Greetings and happy hump day :)

I think this is only the second time I've done this.  This little mat was hooked ENTIRELY with worms.  I did not cut in to one piece of wool, not even a small piece.  Measuring just over 8" x 10", it is hooked with worms ranging from an 8 to 9 cut.  Maybe even a couple 9 1/2s, too.  It's nice having the worms separated, but I find it harder to choose from my worm pile than to cut exactly what I am looking for.  I guess that's why I have so many worms :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Hooks Like Butter ~

I have one of these Uncle Sam banks somewhere in the attic.  Not antique but I've probably had it for forty years :)

I'm sure you've heard that some wool hooks like butter ~ just passes so easily through your backing.  This wool truly ranks as one of the best.  It's either Betsy's or Rebecca's.  I'm not good at remembering whose wool it is. 

I'm using it for the background of this little fall mat.  It just makes for a nice, subtle background.  In person, I'm not sure if there is enough contrast between the background and the sunflower stem and the sunflower doesn't seem to stand out as much either.  I think I need to get some opinions at hooking tomorrow evening.  My goal is to finish the background this evening which shouldn't take long at all since the overall size is only 9 1/2" x 11 1/2".

I proddied the sunflower petals.

My hook's been smokin' this weekend.  I finished hooking all my sunflowers.  Now the not so fun part of "finishing" them.  These measure about 8-9" across including the petals.  Some of them have a single row of proddy and some a double.  And, BTW, I still haven't found my proddy hook after a couple years or more.  I refuse to buy another one because they aren't cheap and I know as soon as I'd buy one, I will then find it.

These two measure about 6 1/2" in diameter.

I should be out cutting grass and working in the yard, but there are still some of those dang bugs and I just can't deal with them.  Darn that the weekend is almost over.  At least next weekend will be a three day :)

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

Saturday Quickie ~

I took a quick trip this morning about an hour south to a primitive antique show, Back to our Roots.  Overall, things were much too primitive for my taste, but of course I did not come home empty handed. 

I got the sweetest toy sewing machine from hooker friend Karin who was set up with her daughter Gabriella.  It is about 50% bigger than any of my other toy machines.  Cast iron and HEAVY.  Also some blue and white ticking, a Peaseware jar and a couple pieces from a red coverlet.  The coverlet pieces are much heavier and coarser than the usual overshot coverlets. 

The machine has wonderful graphics.

The Peaseware jar is just slightly smaller than another jar I have by the same maker and has a shinier finish.  What a coincidence that this was bought from another hooker friend, Teri of Western Reserve Mercantile.

Gotta run :)  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

They're Baaaaack ~

Commonly known as Canadian soldiers (whether true or not, I've heard in Canada they are called American soldiers), the Lake Erie mayflies have arrived.  They are supposed to be a good thing . . . indicating a healthy lake . . . but they TOTALLY freak me out.  They don't poop or bite, but I have this irrational fear of them.  I just discovered there is even a website dedicated to them and a Facebook page.  These facts are from the website.

"Mayflies usually live for 24-72 hours. Don't forget that they've already spent 1-2 years on the bottom of the lake as a nymph living burrowed in the mud. Within that three days, though, they manage to get into about everything you can imagine. You will find dead mayflies lying around on the sidewalks, in spider webs, on window ledges, etc. They'll go anywhere where there's light at night. Wear a white shirt outside at night and you'll see what I mean.

Many mayflies stack up on the streets below street lights. This is where they land after they get tired of flying around the light for hours on end. Once on the street, they are usually run over by cars and make this "snapping" sound and it's all over. If its dry, they turn into a dust after several hours of traffic. If it's raining, they turn into a thick soup that smells something awful (read 'real dead fish'). The City of Port Clinton has gained approval from the Environmental Protection Agency, and a grant from the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, for the very first mayfly composting site in America!  Now isn't that quite a claim to fame for the city that's already The Walleye Capital of the World!!!"

I took a walk late last evening and then sat on the porch until 9:00 pm and nary a mayfly was seen.  This morning I awoke to an Alfred Hitchcock type nightmare.

Millions of them . . .

I won't be doing any yardwork for a few days.

Thankfully they are usually done hatching in a couple days, but then there are skeletons of them everywhere. 

I've been working on a few "hooky" things for my upcoming show in September.  One pumpkin is done . . .

. . . and sunflowers that will be mounted on old bedsprings are in progress.  I'll be happy when the sunflowers on the "bad" linen are done.  Reminder to self.  No matter how thrifty you are, as Kelley stated, "life is too short to hook on bad linen".

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Color Me Crazy ~

In the last couple of weeks I've posted that I bought a rug pattern, a couple applique patterns and one applique kit.  I put away dog and crows to work on some fall items for an upcoming show where I'm vending in September.  So what do I do?  Order a kit from a friend who is selling lots of wonderful patterns and wool on Facebook.  (Check her out . . . Cindy Lott.)  I've always loved this pattern and knew one day I wanted to hook it.  I was sure the wool would be wonderful since the kit came from The Old Tattered Flag.  Meet "Antique Rooster", an antique adaptation.

Wool.  There's no such thing as too much, right?  Sweet friend Cathy surprised me with a box full recently.  That orange will make some wonderful pumpkins and a couple are perfect for overdyeing.  Blog friends really are THE BEST.  Thanks, Cathy.

Another weekend bites the dust.  They do pass quickly.  Heck, life in general is passing quickly. 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Stuff ~

I know I often say that time is flying by, and the month of June is no exception.  Here it is already half over . . . sigh.  We got a bit of much needed rain today.  I should have worked in the flower gardens this evening, but just couldn't make myself.  I'll have to work doubly hard this weekend.  I did snap a picture of my clematis.  It's probably 40+ years old, dug up from the farm where I grew up and I've had it for about 15 years.  It is a prolific bloomer.

The worms are finally sorted (unless I find more hiding somewhere).  It took me several days.  I can understand the hugs pile of neutrals and the darks, but look at that pile of green (to the left of the basket).  I don't get it.  I really don't use much green when hooking.  Now I must figure out how to store them.

All linen is not created equally.  When I first started hooking (11 years ago), I purchased some linen on eBay.  I have no idea whose it is or from whom it was purchased.  I found it very difficult to hook on and haven't used it since.  I found this piece and thought I would give it another try.  You can see I had started a dog and then tore it out because it was just too hard to hook on, especially being a newbie. 

I still find it unpleasant to hook on, but will use it to make a few sunflowers to be mounted on an old bedspring.  I am vending at a show in Michigan in the fall and thought I would hook a few fallish items.  I'm not sure why because last time I did the fall show, none of the hooked pieces sold.  Maybe I'm just a slow learner ~ or hoping to be luckier this time.  I will put away my dog and two crows rug for a while and concentrate on sunflowers and pumpkins.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Flag Day ~

Happy Flag Day, dear friends.  I am trying to comprehend the evil that has taken place in Orlando and like most of you, I just cannot.  My heart aches for the families of the victims.  Please keep them in your prayers.  May God Bless this Land that I so dearly love.

I am battling the worms (and narrow pieces of wool)  and at the moment, the they are winning.  Had I realized how many I had, I would not have tried to sort them on the couch.  I still have one huge baggie full and another basket.  I guess it's been a while since I sorted :) 

I dreaded going in the one basket because I knew I would find one of Ellie's bones.  She loved to bury them there.  I found not one but three in the first basket and in the next one found a pizza crust.  Oh, she was a funny dog. 

Bone Ellie stole from my granddog :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

A Finish & More ~

The binding on Daisy is DONE :)  Just need to give her one more light steaming.  I am trying so hard to keep up with my binding.

Today's mail was a real treat.  No bills and my package from Cee Rafuse, Early Style Penny Rugs, arrived.  I ordered her Corrie Penny Runner kit.  Gorgeous wools, all precut.  (Pictures are from her etsy shop.)

I also purchased two patterns.  The templates are already drawn on freezer paper so all one needs to do is pick out wool, cut and start stitching.  The first pattern is the marriage rug . . .

. . . and the second, Early Menagerie.

I just love her work.  If you haven't already done so, check her out on You Tube.  She has some wonderful tutorials.  I still have not completed (well, actually not even started) the Ned and Jake kit I purchased last year . . . sigh.  One of these days ~ in my spare time . . . lol.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Just a Quickie ~

I've gotten the dog hooked for my Magdalena dog and crows rug.  He is a big boy, measuring about 20" long by 12" high.  (Surprised, aren't you, Saundra?)  The colors are much more subtle in person but this gives you an idea as to how many different wools I've used.  I did a bit of reverse hooking on his tail and one of his legs, though they still seem a bit chunky.  I guess he will have to be a chunky big boy.

I've long admired this pattern and finally purchased it.  Yes, I need another pattern like I need another hole in my head.  There are SO MANY patterns on my bucket list and this wasn't even one of them.  It's by Maggie's Farm 1846 and you can find her here on Etsy.

Not much else going on.  Seems I'm busy all the time but never get even close to being caught up . . . sigh.  I did finish edging the flower beds this evening which is a major accomplishment for me.  Now if I can just keep them up.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Rug Show ~

By the time I got out of class, some rugs had already been removed from the rug show and the hooker bees were in the process of taking down the rest, but  I do have some wonderful rugs to share.

I do not know who hooked most of the rugs, but I do know that friend Carole ~ hooker extraordinaire ~ hooked this magnificent runner.  Pictures just don't do it justice.  Pattern by Anne Bond - Visions of Ewe.

If you are in need of rug hooking linen, Searsport Rug Hooking is having a Facebook only sale.  One yard of primitive linen is only $25 which includes shipping.  I've never used their linen, but thought I'd give it a try.  You can only order one yard and I believe the offer expires on June 12.  Go to Facebook and look them up if interested.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :(    {How we miss our Loocie . . . and Ellie)
Lauren