So, vending is over for the year; time to relax. Yeah, if only. Instead, I have LOTS OF WORK here at High on Hooking, both new, old, and some things I’ve been putting off till now.
Filling the Etsy Shop
Unfortunately, because I was so busy getting ready for and then actually doing the vending of October and November, I’ve had little to no time to devote to my Etsy shop. I was even forgetting to take down items that sold “in person.” Finally got around to that just before heading up to Santa Fe for the Fall Fiber Fiesta. In fact, I was in such a tizzy that day, that I initially deleted the wrong rug! With no time to put it back up, I hoped desperately to sell it that weekend. And you know what? Sometimes desperate prayers work! A lovely volunteer bought it. Now, though, I’m in the midst of putting up those items that didn’t sell at various shows. If you know someone who’d like to give a rug a forever home, send them here. There are all kinds of sizes and prices. And remember, every little rug deserves a home!
ATHA Biennial Favors
Because the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) here in Albuquerque is so close – out west, eight hours is considered close – the Denver guild putting on next August’s ATHA Biennial asked us if we might help out a bit with an item to be included in the swag bag. We agreed, of course, and now I owe them some hooking. Vending put me behind the other AWAG members who will now laugh at my hurry-up attempts this week at our three-day retreat. See if I make them brownies…
The BIG Rug
Still languishing on the Anderson frame, shooting daggers every time I walk through the dining room, which is nothing more than the area next to my kitchen in my open-concept home, is the BIG Boucherouite of which I’ve hooked nothing but some outlining. Working on him is far more imperative now what with Albuquerque’s Fiber Fiesta (not to be confused with Santa Fe’s Fall Fiber Fiesta; ours is MUCH bigger and more educational in nature) right around the corner. Big Boucherouite is to be my primary entry. By the way, anyone, including YOU, can enter multiple pieces of fiber art; there are several categories. We receive stuff from folks all over, even Europe! But the important take-away is that entries are due online by March 1. Check out the Call for Entries here.
Unfinished Projects
You know, before I moved from Massachusetts to New Mexico, I never allowed myself to start a new rug before I finished the one I was working on. That went to crap pretty quickly out here as I started vending and taking annual workshops with AWAG, let alone doing commissions. Mats are always bumping others in my now not so insignificant queue of UFOs. Really, I’m not particularly happy about that, but it seems to be a fact of life these days. One day…
So, you see, vending is over but more work remains. Fortunately, I love my work! Maybe hemming a rug up not so much. But it’s getting colder even here in New Mexico, so the timing’s good. Oh, except for Christmas is in less than a month! Time to de-autumn the house and trim a tree. It never ends…
Are you like so many of the rug hookers I’ve seen on Facebook and Instagram this week who already have their trees up and their houses looking like Santa’s home up at the North Pole? How? Already? Maybe you’d like to come do my house too…
NO!!!!! No tree or anything red & green yet! I really like having some days between brown, mellow Thanksgiving and crazy Christmas. I am just putting turkeys to bed. I see Saturday is the first so I will think about what to do. I have a lot of Christmas stuff and I put it out in stages. We have a new fake tree which we got last year and it’s so odd not to look at the tree lots as I drive by. We liked it pretty well – we use our own winky lights so I find it more natural looking.
I am the Queen of UFO’s and I have been particularly bad this year with all the class samples and a bunch of lone star quilts I worked on (which I need to blog about!). I even neglected the outdoors a good bit…. The studio is a wreck as well. {sigh}
First Friday is next week where I show folks what classes I am offering and so the deadlines will be done for a bit.
I am longing to work on my sampler hooked rug from Sauder.
Oh – and I am disappointed in the offering for ATHA. Too many product classes!
Yeah, I think that I’ll just sit and hook while we’re there. Wouldn’t mind taking a class with April DeConick, but not crazy about the one offered. In fact, would really like her to come here and teach. My house it still filled with autumn. Was going to break it down this weekend and start Christmas decorating, but this morning Elisabeth called; hit a patch of ice and wrecked her car. She’s okay. Have to go up tomorrow and find her a new car first thing Monday so she can stay there and get to work. The Christmas cards are calling too… In the last week, I’ve had two different women from out of state email me about lessons when they come to New Mexico. One’s in March, but another’s in less than 2 weeks!