Happy Halloween ~

~ ~ ~ Happy Halloween ~ ~ ~

 

Here are a few of my Halloween hooked rugs. 

 

Hooked last year, this is a pattern by Spruce Ridge Studios adapted from a drawing by Lori Brechlin.  It really is not as crooked as it appears.

This Jack was hooked at the ATHA biennial in Lancaster, PA in 2011, I believe.  I think this is the first time I ever used purple in a rug.  I am so NOT a purple person.  It was a class with Maria Barton of Star Rug Company.  What a delightful teacher.  If you ever have the opportunity, be sure to take a class with her.

 

 

Little mat I designed and hooked in 2006.

 

 

Heavens to Betsy style pumpkin hooked with handtorn strips.

 

 

Patchwork back.

 

 

Pattern by Lori Brechlin punched in 2007.  (I think I need to stain this a bit.)

Progress day one.  I decided to hook Ned.  I'm using 9's and 9 1/2's so it's progressing quickly.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Getting Close ~

 

I am getting close to finishing my Magdalena dog and crows.  I just want to be done.  I'm back to not sure if I'm liking it, but it is what it is.  I will learn to like it . . . lol.  For me, it's a biggie, measuring 25" x 30 3/4".

 

 

Next week I am taking a 3 day class through the Western Reserve Rug Hookers.  It's a class with Caroline Twigg of Eagle's Nest Woolens.  It is an open class meaning we can bring whatever pattern we choose.  I think I have narrowed it down to two.

 

Ned, by Woolley Fox, which has been in my stash for many years.  It is 20" x 35".  You will remember that our Saundra recently hooked this.  You can see it here.

 

 

 Or Proud Lion by The Sampling.  It is HUGE (for me) at 29" x 44".

 

Can you believe tomorrow is Halloween?  I thought I was gaining an hour of sleep last night and could not figure out why my iPhone did not update the time.  Well, duh, that's next weekend . . . lol.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

News About a Blogging Friend ~

Dear Julia, whose blog was Of Petals and Wool, has suffered a loss no parent should ever have to deal with.  In her words ~

 

". . . it would be so good of you to let them (blog friends) know that my daughter Nicole passed away. She was Dr. Nicole Bourque and taught anthropology to PhD students at the university of Glasgow in Scotland. She passed away in her flat (condo)  in bed after she wasn't feeling well for a couple of days. 

 

The accolades keeps pouring in from all who knew her from far and wide, her colleagues, friends and students and others.  She was so loved by everyone. She went over and above the call of duty for her students. She studied cultures and has travelled extensively all over the world.

 

My husband George and youngest daughter Christine, James and Daniel's mother  are in Glasgow looking into settling her personal affairs and effects.  They will ship some of her personal belonging and will have to decide what to do with the artifact that is all over her beautiful home. Everywhere she travelled she always brought back some treasures. On Sept, 27 she flew to Virginia at a conference to do a presentation and had returned on the 4th of October."

 

Please keep Julia and her family in your prayers.

 

Hugs,

Lauren

Vacation Goodes ~

I can't believe it's taken me almost a week to take pictures of the goodies that came home with me.  Even though I no longer have a day job (woo hoo), there still aren't enough hours in the day.

 

The best thing that came home with me is my pincushion from Julie.  If you've ever been fortunate enough to acquire a piece of her work, you know it is perfection.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Julie.  It will reside in my hooking room where I spend most of my free time and can admire it daily.

 

I love pressed glass goblets.  A good ballpark date on them is the 1860's - 1880's.  They were made with a 3 part mold and you can see the mold marks on the bottom (but not in the picture).  I have way too many, but I use them for everyday wine glasses.  How could I pass them up for fifty cents each?

Giant stone fruit grapes on a white ironstone plate marked Meakin that I also bought.

Another spice cabinet that I needed like I need another hole in the head, but hey, it was a REALLY good deal, even though not as old as my others.  You can read about the others here.  Not sure where I can fit this in.  A terrible problem to have :)  Stoneware salt to add to my collection which now numbers four and the first with a lid.  Shouldn't things always be an odd number?  May have to find one more . . . lol!  OOPS!  My other 3 are stoneware butters.  This is my first salt.  The start of a new collection :)

I was so happy to find these paper mache turkeys at Greenwood Mercantile in Greenwood, MO.  The one in the center is a candy container marked US Zone Germany and the others are marked Germany.  My flock is growing and will come down from the attic next week.

 

 

Sweet little pin cube and decorative scissors that are really sharp, sitting on a piece of vintage velvet ~ also from Julie.

I have no idea what I will do with this (most likely tuck it in a drawer), but another one of those bargains ($1.00) that I just could not leave behind, dated 1948.

I also got a black darner and some silverplate spoons.  I gathered many rocks from the places we stopped and gave them to my grandson and he loved them.  Also brought home a branch with several large pinecones attached (thinking about the "C" season) and this . . .

Both my son and DSO gave me "the look" when I picked this up in the desert near an abandoned  mine my son was showing us.  Disbelief when I said I was going to take it home :)  Well, a few days later in an antique shop they had some nearly identical rusty springs just a bit bigger and they were asking $55.00 for them.  I have no idea if I will take it apart to use the springs or figure out some other use for it . . . or it just may end up in the garage with lots of other useless stuff (like the large broken insulator that also came home with me).

 

Thank you so much for following us on our travels and for all the sweet comments and emails.  Though blogging seems to be dying, you all make it worthwhile and for that I thank you :)

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Totally Overestimated ~

I grossly overestimated how much hooking I would get done on the trip, but I did finish a few things.  I needed mindless hooking and these fit the bill.  This table runner is 12" x 36" and barely made a dent in my worms. 

 

 

Below is a pattern by Connie Bradley/Wool Yankers.  She will be launching a website soon and asked some of her regulars that hook with her to hook one of her patterns.  Honeycomb is 12" x 23 1/2".  I wanted something neutral and calming.  Not too sure if I like the results but I'm hoping Connie does :)  That worm on the left side of the rug is all I had left of the border wool and I wasn't sure if I was going to make it.  It was dyed wool I bought years ago so I probably would not have been able to find a suitable match. 

 

 

This was an impromptu mat that was hooked on the last leg of our trip.  Another no-brainer that used some of the worms I had cut for the above rug.  It measure about 9 1/2" x 13 1/2".  I just need to finish tacking down the binding.

 

 

I am now back to working on my Magdalena rug.  I thought I was not liking it, but after not having seen it for over 3 weeks, I think I do :)

Still need to get pics of my treasures that came home with me.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

More Salt Lake City & Home ~

Salt Lake City is the Capitol of Utah and their Statehouse is breathtaking.  (I've used that word a lot on this vacation.)

Utah's nickname is The Beehive State and it is their official emblem.  The beehive is a symbol of hard work and industry and appears on the state flag, seal, and coat of arms.

Looking to the mountains from the steps of the Statehouse.  A former Statehouse, now a visitor center and gift shop, is to the right of the flag pole.

What's a trip to Salt Lake City without a trip to the Great Salt Lake?  It is a shallow lake to begin with, but the lake level is about 7' lower than normal.  DSO insisted I put my feet in.  Though I look frozen, it was not as cold as I had anticipated.

Leaving SLC, we first encountered this . . .

. . . then this . . .

. . . and this along with high wind warnings for many, many hours.

And then back to this before we were out of the snow completely.

The next three days we covered 1700+ miles.  We drove, ate and slept and I think my butt grew a couple inches from all the sitting :(   DSO was such a sweetie.  I offered to drive but he said he didn't know how to hook, so I was along for the ride :)  (And I didn't have to fly home . . . lol.)

Yesterday afternoon we were greeted by this.  A couple hours later we were home.  The vacation was WONDERFUL.  We travelled over 6500 miles through thirteen states.  Saw the most amazing sites.  Spent time with my son and his (the best part). 

I must say, though, being the homebody I am, there's no place like home.  I'm still sorting through all my "treasures", some bought, some picked up in the desert.  One of the best parts is being able to blog from my desktop computer!!!

  Thanks so must for stopping by.

  Pug hugs :)
  Lauren

Reno & Salt Lake City ~

I'm not much of a gambler, but I figured since I was in Reno, I had to gamble.  I was prepared to lose a yard of wool ($20) . . . lol :). I know, big spender.  I played the penny machine and hadn't a clue why I was winning or losing.  The minimum bet, even though a penny machine, was 30 cents up to a $1.20.  I usually just bet the minimum and was pleasantly surprised when I ended up winning on the first $5.  

With my second $5 I ended up with only 10 cents, but on the third $5 I again won just over $30.  I decided to take my money and run.

From Reno we headed to Salt Lake City.  

Around Temple Square ~

We missed the Mormom Tabernacle Choir perform Sunday morning, but did hear the organ recital at the Tabernacle that afternoon.  Wonderful!

Many flowers were still blooming.

Very interesting how the leaves were drying from the outer edges in.

Still more to share from Salt Lake City.

We are currently in Davenport, IA, and will be home tomorrow.  It has been an amazing trip but it will be good to get home.  We've travelled over 5000 miles and still have about 450 more to go.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren