SLOWLY but surely

Considering I have not really had any time to hook, I can't believe I am almost done with the cover for our computer bench. 

Grandma's bench

My next project is to hook a new cover for our computer bench. It was a bench that belonged to my Grandma Larson so I figured it should have something that reminded me of her. 

Three things came to mind right away, chocolate chip cookies, geraniums and lady bugs. A stool that you sit on did not seem like the best place to hook large brown circles with black spots (cookies). I drew a blank about a design with a geranium so I knew it had to be lady bugs. This rug below is one of my all time favorite hooked rugs made by one of the women in my California Chapter- I LOVE IT! 


I wanted to use this idea but taylor it to a stool. I took a sketch book to karate and sketched out several rugs... but this was my favorite.

I drew it on poster board and played with different color options for the background.

Traced the pattern on to red dot and then onto monks cloth.

I did not have any greens that I liked for this project so Maralou invited me up to her house yesterday to look through her wool (I was in heaven... she has GREAT wool). I came home with everything I needed to get started. 

Although I had tons to do today I did manage to get a little hooked and I'm loving it! I think my background may be a little light so I tea stained some of it to make it more interesting. After the kids go to bed I am hoping to make some serious progress.

Just what I needed

I have been so busy with my kids social life living here in suburbia that hooking has unfortunately taken a back seat.

On Tuesday I pulled into my driveway to find a local hooker on my doorstep with a basket of peaches for me (from her yard).  I had never met her before but had found her through a rug hooking online forum. Within 2 minutes I felt like I had known Mara Lou forever. 

Yesterday she called and invited me to go Monika Jones's house to see her rugs and wool. I was so excited I couldn't wait. After hearing Mara Lou say so many wonderful things about Monika and looking at her web site here... I couldn't wait to go.  

So today we drove about 45 min out to Monika's home.... deep breath.... she had the most beautiful rugs all over her floors! Please forgive me for not taking photos, I was too busy absorbing every second. I learned SOO much in 2 hours.  Here are a few of the big ah ha moments for me:

She hooks with a 10 cut and it looks amazing! I never dreamed of going over a 8!

She makes HUGE rugs. I had not even considered making a rug that large, but in a 10 cut (I have been using a 6) it seems less threatening. 

She and Mara Lou both use linen backings exclusively and swear by them. I have only used monks cloth, but bought some linen from Monika today. They may have converted me.  

She hangs her rugs on the wall with those wood carpet strips. - brilliant! I used like 7 nails to hang my rug. 

She uses her rugs on the floor! Kitchen, bathroom... they were everywhere and looked great. I know this sounds ridiculous to even mention, but most rugs I have seen hooked are not used on the floor. When you consider the time and money it takes to make one, I had to put it on the wall... but my next one (after the stool) is going on the floor!

I came home from her house so inspired and ready to hook, it was seriously just what I needed. 

Somebody loves me

Hawley and John (My Mother and Father in law) not only helped us move up to Oregon, but they went out of their way while up in Washington to go the the Pendelton outlet for me.

Check out this stash of beautiful wool they mailed to me... true love.

Thank you again Hawley & John!!!

We have arrived (at least thats what the GPS told me)

It has been a long crazy move, but we are finally in Oregon and mostly unpacked. FYI-My huge hooking bag with our frames and current projects came in the car with me.

The movers that helped us unload the truck were giving me a hard time at the number of boxes marked "craft room".  I am so excited about the craft room, Eric put shelves in for me and it is going to be the perfect place for my creative therapy... as soon as I get it all unpacked.

This house is perfect for a hooker. There are huge lavender plants all around the front and back yard. It's like a fortress of lavender to protect my wool!

Although I really can't start hooking now, I have to start a new unplanned project soon. Our computer is in a hallway (again) so to have more room we are going to use my Grandma's stool for the chair.  The padding is shot and it needs to be recovered... so of course I need to hook something cool for the seat right away. Any suggestions?

Gene's house blessing

Isn't this the greatest door mat!!!  Today was the blessing of Gene's house that is 120 years old.  It was a big party and had great food.

 
It was also the 1st time I was able to experience Gene's hooking room in person. I have heard about it from everyone but it was even better in person.

My girls were going "look at this... look at that" I just stood there with my mouth open in awe.  Finally after I was able to move again, I started taking pictures of everything so I could study them more later.

These shelves on the top had several large partially finished rugs that look amazing.  I refrained from opening them, but I need to go back and ask Gene if she will show them to me. 

Finished projects...
Wool, wool and more wool it was heaven.

One thing that was upsetting to me was her Mother's unfinished quilt tops stacked upstairs... They are beautiful and screaming "finish me".  I wish I had the time to help her get these backed and quilted, but I don't. So I need to convince her of the importance of getting these finished. Maybe be she can talk one of the local ladies in the quilt guild to help her complete these beauties. 

A few frustrations

I started a small version of Norma's flower to make a tote bag for myself.  I just didn't like how it looked...

So after a lot of unpicking and rehooking I still don't like how it looks, so I am going to take a break from this and try to finish packing (28 days until we move).  Hopefully after not looking at this for a while I will be able to see what needs to be changed, or I may decide to scrap it and start over with more natural colors.

One of the ladies in our chapter hooked a hedgehog.  Haley told her that she has always wanted to have a real hedgehog.  The lady gave her a copy of her hedgehog pattern and said "If you can't have a real one you can at least hook one".  Haley was really excited about this pattern, but she currently has 3 unfinished hooking projects.  So after I found out that Hedgehogs are legal in Oregon, I told her if she hooks this hog and completes it, I will buy her a real hedgehog.  She was so excited and asked me to cut the wool and get everything ready for her.  I did, including outlining the face and body to make it easier for her.  Look how much she has hooked. I am curious to see if she gets this done...

Hooking in the park

Exactly a year ago I learned about traditional rug hooking from women demonstrating it at the park. Today it all came full circle as I got to be one of those women sitting in the park teaching others how to hook.

It was so much fun!

Ruby was excited to come and hook on her bunny. She was so good about letting other children learn and practice hooking on her frame.

Ruby with Sandy, the hooker that I met in the park a year ago that taught me about hooking.

Haley hung out and hooked with our friend Laurie. Haley has decided that hooking is boring and she wants to stick with crochet instead... but she loves attending for the social interactions with all the "sweet grandma's". Eventhough she had a frame on her lap, I,m not sure that she actually pulled any loops.

My friend Stephanie came by

There were so many beautiful rugs, I am ashamed to say that I did not take that many pictures of the rugs displayed, not even my own. It was so fun to sit there hooking and see someone go over to my rug and say "Ohh, I like this one". The proud hooker in my wanted to stand up and say "That's mine!", but I sat quietly and smiled.

Here are the few photos I did take of rugs.

This is a detail shot of one of my favorite rugs ever. She gave me the pattern to make it so I wanted a close up of how she did her background. She may be 92, but she is a master hooker!

I had so much fun and really love these ladies, I am going to miss them terrabley when we move.

Norma's garden

I have been busy packing for our big move and came across these rolled up papers.  As I started opening them up I remembered Eric's Mom giving me these. They were her Mother Norma's hand drawn quilting patterns. I thought they were cool when she gave them to me (like 4 years ago), but this time when I opened them it was like finding a treasure. Some of the patterns screamed out to me that they wanted to be hooked and I agreed. 

 
Her drawings are really light so it's hard to see, but this is the perfect design for the runner that I have been planning in my head.

Of course I have my priorities in order so I stopped packing and immediately started tracing the design onto red dot so I can transfer the pattern to my rug backing. 

I really do need to pack and paint, but I can't wait to get started on Norma's garden!

Two little hookers in training...

Makes a Mama proud!

My secret life with bees

It's 10:00 on Saturday night (the night before Mother's day) and I just finished the gift for my Mother.  Unfortunately she lives in Utah so I can't even mail it until Monday.  My Mom is one of those people that is really hard to shop for so after much thought I decided to make her a tote bag. She has more tote bags then anyone I know, but she uses them for everything and I'm positive she doesn't have a hooked one!

I'm loving hooked bees right now (and she lives in the beehive State) so I hooked her 7 little bees symbolic of her 7 grandchildren. 

The bees were quick to hook, but the background took forever.  

I added eyelash trim around the top and black and white polka dot lining inside.

When I showed it to my kids my 10 year old said "Oh Mom, that is SO stinking cute!"

I hope my Mom agrees.

Sarah

I posted about Sara a while ago and how she hand carves rug hooks. I have been waiting to see her at our meetings because I really would love to add one of her hooks to my collection.  Unfortunately she has not been to a Saturday meeting since I took this photo in February.  

So I called to check on her and she is doing fine but has been too busy to come to our meetings.  I told her I was interested in buying one of her hooks and she said that I could meet her at the senior citizen center Friday because she has a painting class there. 

So I went over to the center to meet her and found her painting a beautiful picture of a little girl. She is very talented. She pulled out a little tin full of the hooks she has been working on recently.  She also pulled out little wood vases with wood flowers all that she has hand carved.

I asked her how she was able to make all these beautiful things and she very seriously said:

"I don't do housework...I dont!"  

I was laughing as she continued... 

"I go to quilting on Monday, ukulele class on Tuesday, rug hooking on Wednesday, violin class on Thursday, this paining class on Friday and Saturday is the day I wash my hair."

Gotta love the priorities of a true artist. 

TA- DA!

It's done!

I un-hooked everything I didn't like and re-hooked it. I think changing the leaves made a huge difference. I also love the 1 inch green border around the outside edge. Sandy taught me how to sew on the rug tape by hand.  It was much easier then I was anticipating. 

I  am super happy with it and glad to have it finished.

 
I couldn't wait to show the girls at our chapter meeting my completed rug. Even though they have been hooking longer then I have been alive and they are on a completely different level then I am, they all ohhhed and awwed and made me feel like it was the greatest thing ever.  You have to love it when other people appreciate your work (I don't even care if they were faking it). 

I wanted to have a photo taken with Sandy. Sandy was the lady we met in the park a year ago that introduced my girls and me to rug hooking.  She also has all of us local hookers over to her house every Thursday night. She has been amazingly wonderful to me helping me with everything and answering all my never ending questions. 

Here is a detail of the front

And the back. According to Sandy the white areas that is showing are called vacations. She said that mine look great and show I am not a packer. Good hookers are not packers.
I have already started my next project... but it's a gift so I can't post about it yet. 

So close

Technically I was done with my rug, but I am unhooking the leaves and re-hooking them with a darker green outline. I think it will look so much better with the leaves outlined.

Now that I almost done I am worried about finishing the edges. When I asked the ladies last Thursday night they said that round rugs are the hardest to finish because you don't want the edges to be wavy. The lady that taught our color class finished her rugs like a binding on a quilt. I could do it that way, but I really want to learn the traditional way 1st. These women are such amazing hookers, I am trying to soak up what I can and learn from their experience before we move away.

I am already playing with designs in my head for my next rug.

Hmm, what to do, what to do?

A little break from the bee hive

My good friend Stephanie just had a baby and I wanted to make something for her. She (and her husband) are great quilters so I did not want to do a quilt.  Honestly since I have started hooking, I have not quilted anything so it was not hard to decide to hook something for her new little girl.

I used a fairly simple pattern but then dyed the wool super bright almost crayon like colors.  It was really fun to hook something so bright. 

I loved the idea I heard from the color class I attended. She said that you should hook a small portion of each part of the rug before you continue to check the colors together.  Such a great idea- it's much easier to unhook one line then a whole section!

After I was done hooking it, I blocked it by putting a moist towel over the top of it and ironing it with high steam. Then I let it lay flat overnight to fully dry.

Once it was dry, I found a groovy trim to sew around the pillow. I thought this was the kind of thing that a kid would like to touch and play with.  

I LOVE polka dots, so of course the back of the pillow was a no-brainer.

I asked Lucy if she thought Jocelyn would like it and she said "No... I like it, will you make one for me?" I am really happy with the way it turned out and happy to give it to such a beautiful little baby.