Hook-y stuff ~

 

I assumed (and you know what happens when you assume!) everyone was tired of seeing my deer rug that was started at camp in January.  Saundra wanted to know if I finished the binding, and yes, so here it is.  It's ok but definitely not one of my favorite rugs.  The rug doesn't really have a name.  Perhaps I should just call it Damn Deer.

I have been slowly working on America Banner by Red Barn Rugs.  I have had the pattern forever so it's the perfect time to hook it.  I see I need to remove those few very light strips . . . or add some to the I C A.

Tomorrow morning I leave for rug class in PA.  I will be meeting up with my hooking partner in crime Sue.  We are looking forward to another class with Katie Hartner, owner of the Woolley Fox.  I have chosen to hook one of her antique adaptations, Indian Peace Flag.  I am in a very patriotic hooking mode.

One version of many I have found online.  Saundra is just hooking the canton.  See the start of hers here.

Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I have not yet begun to pack.  I did get the lawn mowed so now it's time!!!  It will get done, it always does 😁

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Sunday stuff ~

 

It boggles my mind to think that Christmas was a month ago and we are approaching the end of January.  I do wish time would slow down but we all know that's not going to happen, and the older we get the faster it goes 😱

As I said in my previous post, there was no rug throw down at camp so don't have too many pictures to share.  Previously completed rugs that were brought to camp were hung in the hooking room.  Sue shared them on her blog, so I will just share a few of my favorites.

I love seeing the same pattern hooked in various colorways.

The bottom rug is Sue's.  (So Sue, what surnames do WR represent?)

One of Lucille Festa's rugs.  A couple hookers in the class chose this as their pattern.

Not started at this camp.  I believe this is the cover picture from the Rug Hooking in Maine book.

I have this pattern.  I should really put it near the top of my hooking list.

Melody, a blogger from years ago, was hooking this sweet Teresa Kogut angel.  She had started it in a previous class.  Isn't she beautiful?  Being hooked in 3's and 4's . . . why there is such amazing detail and color.  (Picture stolen from her FB page because the color was so much better than my picture.)

I met Melody when I attended this camp years ago.  I did not tell her I was coming once and surprised her for sure!!!

If you don't live in an area that gets snow, this is truly how people park when they can't see the lines in a parking lot.

As in a good part of the country, the winter storm has arrived.  we are not as bad as some areas.  I am guessing we have gotten 4-5" and it is supposed to continue snowing until late this evening.  Thankfully we don't have to worry about ice and freezing rain here in northern Ohio.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Back Home Again ~

It was a fun get away to Off the Ocean rug camp in Jacksonville, Florida, but it's always good to be back home again.  (Remind you of a song?)  The drive to and from Jacksonville was mostly uneventful, but there were moments.  I am a fair weather driver since crashing on ice on a highway 14 (?) years ago.  Well, guess who was driving when there were white out conditions in West Virginia?  Thankfully it only lasted about 20 minutes!  Coming home we left the hotel in northern South Carolina at 6:21 am to beat the rush hour traffic in Charlotte.  It was dark and the traffic was heavy, but thankfully not stop and go.  Did I mention Ohio to Florida is a loooong drive?  But we did it 😁

The weather the day we arrived was gorgeous, then some rain and chilly temps and when leaving once again beautiful.  Here we are home to frigid temps with possibly large accumulations of snow this weekend and it will be in the low 70's in Jacksonville while we are freezing our butts off in Ohio.  At least we are not alone.  I heard something like 35+ states may be affected by the storm.

Anywho, back to camp.  My class was with Lucille Festa of Vermont.  Of course I didn't make nearly as much progress as I had hoped, but I never do.  Here is my progress at the end of camp.

Sue is speed hooker and nearly finished her rug!  If it hadn't been for her reverse hooking, she may have had it done.  Isn't he just the sweetest little pooch?

 

Sue has shared many pictures from camp (since she can blog from her phone!).  Check it out here.

I have a bit more to share in another post.  There was supposed to be a throw down for each class so we could see what others were working on, but it did not happen 😞

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Road trip time ~

 

This procrastinator is breathing easy!  Everything is packed that can be done ahead of time.  Tomorrow morning I need to stop at a hooking get together that I scheduled for the guild.  It is the first time we are meeting and it would be pretty rude if I did not show up!

I am not heading to Sue's until mid afternoon so I will have a few hours for all the last minute stuff.  Sue lives and hour and a half south of me and we will leave bright and early Thursday morning for the two day drive.

I still haven't figured out how to blog from the iPad . . . but if I do will pop in to say hi.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

The best laid plans ~

Any of you who have been reading my blog for a while, know that I have my doctorate in procrastination.  This time was going to be different.  HA!!!  The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Maybe if I hadn't decided to dye a few pots of wool???  This is one of my favorite dye recipes and had not dyed it in years.  I dyed three pots of varying strength.  A little more drab in person.  Not sure if it will work in my camp rug, but I am loving it.

Speaking of my camp rug . . . choosing a pattern is one of the hardest parts of going to camp.  I finally decided on this antique rug.  

You may recall that Saundra also hooked this back in 2022.  Here is her finish.  I hope mine is half that wonderful.

Instead of packing for camp, I decided I need to make some paisley hook pouches for the camp consignment store.  They don't look like much, but I am just incredibly slow and they are taking forever.  I am hoping to defray as much of the rug camp costs as I can!

Yesterday the weather in Jacksonville was scheduled for a high of 81*.  While we are there, it will be 25*-35* colder.  I know that's better than Ohio weather will be, but I am still a bit bummed.

I was supposed to have a hooking play day on Tuesday which would have me gone most of the day.  A selvedge project was planned and I was providing the selvedges, so thought I couldn't cancel.  Thankfully the hooker closest to me (about 40 minutes) is going and will take them for me.  That takes some of the pressure off!!!

Ok. Time to work some more on the pouches.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Disorganized Hooking ~

Normally I have one, maybe two (as Saundra would say, a "plus one") hooking projects going on at the same time.  Somehow I managed to have five 😛

1.  Raffle rug.  As posted previously, my hooking part of the rug is done and passed on to the next hooker.

2.  Askew.  I started this in early March, planned to have it done before vacation, then before rug camp.  Ha ha!  Haven't pulled a loop in weeks.

3.  Mr. Jingles.  So close.  He hasn't seen the light of day in a long time.  I think I am going to need to outline the holly leaves and change the color of the berries.  In person, the leaves blend in to the background 😡

4.  Scaredy Cat.  Hooking is done and I am working on the binding using wool strips.  The cat is much more subtle in person.

5.  Hand torn pumpkin.  Hooked and binding half done.

Numbers 3, 4 & 5 are all small projects that will be given away to guilds.  I will be happy to have all the "give aways" finally done.

Today is crunch day getting ready to head to rug camp tomorrow in Ripley, West Virginia.  The pattern and wools are all ready to go.  Gotta deal with the important stuff first.

Not sure what to pack clothes-wise, but since I am driving will definitely overpack.  Temps in the low 70's a couple days.  Is that summer clothes weather?  Will the classroom be cold or hot?  Decisions, decisions.

I really must mow today but it is RAINING.  We need the rain, but not today.  Plus I want to head to an outdoor craft show after the rains.  Oh, I am my own worst enemy!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Cedar Lakes Rug Camp ~

Cedar Lakes Conference Center is set in beautiful Ripley, West Virginia.  Our weather was absolutely perfect each day.  Foggy mornings then bright blue skies and warm temperatures.

My class was with Jeanne Benjamin.  Of the twelve students, eight had taken from her previously . . . some many times.  

My progress after four days.  I always think I should accomplish so much more.  To my chagrin, much of this is hooked in an 8 cut to get the detail I needed.  8 1/2 is my preferred cut.  (It is hard to believe there is such a big difference between an 8 and an 8 1/2!)

Some of the rugs being worked on in the class.

This was the third class with Jeanne in which the hooker was working on one of Jeanne's patterns.  Simply gorgeous!!!

Tablemate and Ohio hooker finished this little primitive kitty and started another with a barn.

Teacher Bev Conway rode to camp with Jeanne and sat in on our class.  Here is the rug she was working on.

It is a beautiful day on Ohio's north coast.  Now that the weather is finally improving, I am back to walking outdoors in the morning.  Since I live only two blocks from Lake Erie, a trip through the park is a must.  Today the lake was glass smooth.

I will leave you with a bit of humor 😁

More camp stuff to share in my next post.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Cathy's Class ~

I believe this is the fourth time I have had Cathy Stephan of Red Barn Rugs as a teacher.  Obviously I think she is a great teacher 😁

Here are some of the rugs that Cathy has hooked and brought along with her to class.

This antique reproduction is one that has been on my hooking bucket list for MANY years.

A technique I had not seen before.  A shirred edge.  Sure wish I was listening when she talked about how she did it.

Some of Cathy's yummy wools.

A sampling of the rugs being hooked in Cathy's class.

And a better view of the rug.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊
Lauren