A Little Bit of Spring ~

Happy Sunday, my friends  :)  Another beautiful day on Ohio's north coast.  Not as warm as yesterday (70*), but still sunny and mild.  My eranthis (winter aconite) is always the first to bloom . . .

 

 . . . along with the snowdrops, one of my favorites.  Even if winter returns (really when it returns ~ this is Ohio) they should be fine.

Now the daffodils are another story.  Here are some buds already a couple inches high.  They cannot withstand a hard freeze.

This little guy was munching away by my maple tree.  He let me get within a couple feet of him.

 

Progress on my rug :)  Just more than half done with the crosses.  Color is a real struggle for me.  I am trying for 28 different wools, all from pieces of wool that are no more than a few inches wide.  

I'm trying hard to keep everything aligned.  As you can see, I am not always following the lines drawn on the linen, but referring to the cross above and next to for the outer hooking.  As I said in a previous post, once I start on the background I will have a better idea if I am successful.  If not, it will just end up being a little wonky :)

 

As promised, here is a little give-away.  As always, the rules are simple.  Leave a comment on this post or drop me an email with give-away in the subject line.  I will draw a winner next Sunday and the winner must contact me within 3 days or I will choose another.  The winner will get their choice of a little penny mat.  Now please know that my stitches are horse-sized and not perfect like some of you out there stitch :)

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Need a Laugh?

Where to retire......
Places to live!!!

Listing some positives & negatives to help in your decision.

You can retire to Phoenix, Arizona where . . .
1. You are willing to park three blocks away from your house because you found shade.
2. You've experienced condensation on your rear-end from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for four hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door at 500 degrees.
6. The four seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

OR
You can retire to California where . . .
1. You make over $450,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
5. The four seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud and Drought.

OR
You can retire to New York City where . . .
1 You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan.
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is "nature."
4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multilingual.
5. You've worn out a car horn. (IF you have a car.)
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression

OR
You can retire to Minnesota where. . .
1. You only have three spices: salt, pepper and ketchup.
2. Halloween costumes have to fit over parkas.
3. You have seventeen recipes for casserole.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road repair.
6. The highest level of criticism is "He is different," "She is different," or "It was different!"
 
OR
You can retire to The Deep South where . . .
1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2 "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin" is a valid defense.
4. Everyone has two first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Joe Bob, Betty Jean, Mary Beth, etc.
5. Everything is either: "in yonder," "over yonder" or "out yonder.”
6. You can say anything about anyone, as long as you say "Bless his heart” at the end!

 OR
You can move to Colorado where . . .
1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home, so he stops at the day care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.

OR
You can retire to Nebraska or Kansas where . . . 
1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is three cars waiting to pass a tractor
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition; "Where's my coat at?"

OR
FINALLY you can retire to Florida where . . .
1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind - even houses and cars.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent cardiologist, dermatologist, proctologist, podiatrist, or orthopedist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.

I think I laughed the hardest at Colorado, #2  :)

I've started on my "scrap rug".  So far, I think things are lined up pretty well.  I suppose when I start on the background I will know for sure.

Stay tuned.  I will be having a small give-away soon.

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

Worm Buster ~

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

 

I'm hoping my next project will use up lots of leftover worms and small pieces of wool.  The only wool I will have to cut is for the background.  The pattern can be found in the Laurie Simpson and Polly Minick book, The Spirit of Sacagawea.

I have a couple baskets of small wool pieces and lots of worms to do the scrappy border.

 

Here is the pattern laid out on the dining room table.  Instead of 21 crosses, I've enlarged it to 28.  As you can see, I use grey window screen to transfer my patterns.

The pattern without the outer border drawn is already 22 1'2" x 38" so it's another biggie.  I probably will not hook it start to finish since I have 2 classes in March where I will be starting new rugs.  This should be pretty much a no brainer but the hard part will be keeping all the crosses in line.

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

Why Am I Buying When I'm Trying to Purge?

 

 

Blame it on the collector gene :)

 

Hooker friend Melissa and I went to a moving sale yesterday, about an hour and 45 minutes from me.  It was worth the trip!  If I had a bigger house, much more would have come home with me.  Here are a few of my purchases.  How could you not love this face?  Jackie, the seller, told me her name is Donna. 

 

She joins my antique blind bear, also purchased from Jackie in the spring.

 

The cradle was another purchase.  Not antique but vintage.  Sitting on an antique cupboard in the bedroom, it shares the vignette with an antique sampler and one of my favorite little cupboards bought years ago on eBay.  I'm guessing the cupboard was lovingly built in someone's workshop.  I'm sure it is one of a kind and has the most wonderful patina.  I just love the scalloped top.

Two vintage hooked rugs in great condition.  I just couldn't pass them up.  I'm not a pink person, but these were too good to leave behind.

A Belsnickle to add to my collection.  Not old and I have many similar, but none with a velvet coat.

Now what am I going to do with these quilt squares?  I haven't a clue.  The "X" is the front side and the back is a wonderful old homespun, all hand quilted.  Just too cool to leave behind.

 

I believe this album to be from Victorian times.  Not in very good condition, but fun to look through. 

 

 

 

Things that were glued down are now just loose.

 

 

The album paper is brittle and falling apart.  The price was right ~ free :)

 

 

I picked up a few other odds and ends.  Melissa came home with many treasures, too.  The back of my Rogue looked like it belonged to Sanford & Son.  I did find out a 75" cupboard will fit in the back but the front passenger seat then has almost no leg room.  Good thing Melissa doesn't have long legs!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Two Finishes and a Start ~

I had so little left to hook on this rug, but for whatever reason put it off all week.  I finally pulled the last of the loops this evening.  Hopefully at a later date, I can get a better picture.  Maybe when it's bound . . . lol . . . so it may be a while.

Some of you may remember this little Polly Minick whale I hooked as a door prize for last year's Western Reserve Guild hook in.  Last year's theme was "beach party".

This year's theme is "America the Beautiful" so thought it would be fun to hook again, this time with a grey whale.  The little mat measures 8 1/2" x 12".  Once again I've used a shoe button for the eye.

I thought I would also hook this little eagle mat as a door prize.  I've hooked this one before, too.  When finished, it will be about 9 1/2" in diameter.

We are having some of our worst winter weather so far this year, but it really isn't too bad.  Maybe 2" of snow and windy and blustery.  By the weekend it will be well above freezing.  I couldn't resist the pot of tulips from the store this morning to make me think of spring ~ only 39 days away.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Fun Stuff at Sauder ~

 

 

Just some random pictures from Sauder ~

 

Hookers hard at work.

 

 

Charisse's wonderful frame cover.  A Rebekah L. Smith pattern that she modified to fit her frame.  Not at all yellow in person.  Just gorgeous.

This is a H.U.G.E. rug being hooked with handtorn strips for a southern Ohio guild challenge.

Friend Bobbie working on a pattern by Lori Rippey. 

 

Her wool worms organized (what's that?) in this cool old box.

 

Melissa's rug ~ pattern by Lana Omlor, Humble Rugs.

Pam's rug she designed at a retreat with Ali Strebel and Karen Kahle.

Charisse and Sue hooking a fun pattern by Canadian designer Karen Thoms?????

Isn't this a cool technique?  The center is a small, thin chairpad purchased in Amish country with a hooked border.  I believe the hooker was Karen.

Cindi Gay's room size rug she's been working on for about 10 years.  You would not believe how heavy it is.  I don't know how she can even carry it.  I think she said the finished size will be 6 1/2' x 10'.  The first picture captures the true colors.

Fun rug at the throw down. 

 

Donna's rug.  Pattern by Red Barn Rugs.  I did not capture the rug's wonderful colors :(

I believe this was the Marblehead Lighthouse and the lightkeeper's house being hooked by Rita.

What a fun Corgi rug!  It is being donated and auctioned off to benefit a Corgi organization.  Hooked by Sandra???

Eggcellent being hooked by Kim.

Sorry I didn't take more pictures, but above is just a sampling of the talent.  There are so many talented hookers out there.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren