Category: Albuquerque Balloon FIesta

September 2, 2022

Happy New Year!

I’ve always maintained that September 1 is just as much a new year as January 1. You have a holiday and then you give yourself permission to start over. Maybe it’s a school year, your health, a job, or just a way of looking at life. In my case this September of 2022, it’s health and working on a new perspective. (And don’t get me wrong, I think renewal goes on all through the year, it’s just more celebrated in January and September.)

It’s no secret that I have autoimmune issues. Fibromyalgia was just added to the mix. I shouldn’t have been surprised; it explains so much. But so often when you’re busy, you work with the data that you have. When you’re in your late 50s, you don’t go looking for more things to go wrong with the chasse. Actually, I’m in pretty good shape, I think. Nonetheless, I could be doing better, especially regarding stress and sleep. I need more of one and less of the other. Bet you can guess which is which. LOL

I decided, therefore, that I’m taking a bit of a sabbatical from many of my local responsibilities for two whole months! I’d like to say that I’m making the months all about Laura all the time, but that’s not the case. It would also be très boring. Even to me! No, in less than a week my parents are making their second trip in six years to New Mexico from Connecticut. They’ll be here for 16 days. We’ll be doing some touristy things and even heading up to Colorado for a few days. They’ve never been there. After they leave, I’ll be teaching hooking and punching at the Mountain and Valley Wool Festival in Santa Fe. That takes us into October when Tom and I and a dog or two will take to the open road for Seattle. The kid’s now been there for three months; it’s time for a visit. And while I once spent a weekend in that area years and years ago, I never got a chance to really see it. This is an opportunity, too, to add a few missing states to my repertoire. I’ve never been to Utah (other than Four Corners), Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon.

By the time we get back, it’ll be Workshop Week 5 and even Halloween. Then the holidays and… You see why I need a break?

But I’ll be around online, certainly, and in touch with folks. Being away always lets me refresh, see things in a new way, and be inspired. All of which usually allows for some new and exciting artwork. At least to and for me. Perhaps for others as well.

PLACES WHERE YOU DEFINITELY CAN FIND ME THIS FALL INTO WINTER

Mountain and Valley Wool Festival (MAVWA): September 29 – October 2
The festival is Saturday and Sunday, October 1 and 2, but the workshops happen the Thursday and Friday before. I’m teaching Thursday. Find info HERE. BTW, if you’re thinking of coming for MAVWA, know that it’s the start of Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. Think 500 hot air balloons in the air at one time. Pictures and words can’t do it justice.

In the Studio Online Workshop Week 5: October 23 – 30
While I’m not teaching this time around, I am the general administrator, so if you need a catalog or have questions, please give a yell. We have eight great teachers and workshops scheduled. If you’re just realizing you forgot to register, now’s the time. Some classes have filled, but teachers have waiting lists, and some have already scheduled second sessions. More info HERE.

High Desert Studio Tour – December 3
After missing two or three years, the High Desert Studio Tour is back! As in the past, I’ll be camped out at the home of ZiaWoolz. Dagmar generously invites myself and a few other artists to hang our shingles out with hers for the day. If you’re looking for some gorgeous, hand-dyed yarn, check out her Etsy shop, or better yet, visit us in December.

Dogs sit with hooked art — The boys bring you a HAPPY NEW YEAR WHAT’S ON THE FRAME this week. THE REZ is hooked on monk’s cloth with old t-shirts, wool strips, and wool yarn. So far…

View our CALENDAR page to see more dates to be added as we go further into the fall.

The boys and I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR, a cooler fall, and success with all your efforts at renewal!

May 31, 2022

Looking to learn hooking or punching in 2022?

Looking to learn rug hooking or punch needle rug hooking this year? If you’re in or plan to be in New Mexico in the fall, you’re in luck.

While High on Hooking is happy to give private lessons pretty much any time, we’re now announcing that we’ll be teaching at two fall fiber events:

HEART OF NM FIBER & ART GATHERING – LEARN PUNCH NEEDLE RUG HOOKING
–September 3/4, 2022
-At the Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood.
-There will be vendors, workshops, live animals, and demonstrations.
-Workshops haven’t been scheduled just yet, so check back on their website or contact me directly to take part.

MOUNTAIN AND VALLEY WOOL FESTIVAL (previously known as the Taos Wool Festival)
–October 1/2, 2022 This is perfect if you’re planning to come to New Mexico for Balloon Fiesta!
-Santa Fe County Fair Grounds, Santa Fe
-There will be vendors, a fiber critter corner (live animals), demonstrations, live music, and food! Workshops aren’t scheduled just yet, but check back on the website.
-We’ll be teaching both rug hooking and punch needle rug hooking.

In the meantime, in a couple of weeks, High on Hooking is headed to Sewanee, Tennessee, to teach at the SHAKERAG WORKSHOPS starting June 18. I believe that there are still openings for workshops, so take a peak if you’re looking to learn something new or just enjoy an adult-only, creative summer camp. My own class still has room for one or two more.More info HERE.

dogs and hooked art — Bowyn and Tynan bring you WHAT’S ON THE FRAME – May 31, 2022. Yes, Bowyn needs a haircut bad.

We’ve been so busy here that it’s been a while since I’ve shared what’s on my frame. Clearly, that peeves the boys who are always on the lookout for a job that provides them a treat or eight. So, here they are. And, yes, Bowyn is hiding much of the piece. More on it later.

Hooked art - glasses of red wine — LE VIN, LA VIE is hooked with repurposed textiles, old plastic bags, silk sari yarn, and wool yarns and strips. The “mini Me” inspired the whole series.

In the past couple of months, we started a fun, new series of hooked art: The Cocktail Series. So far we’ve finished two pieces: the “Margarita” and “le vin, la vie.” I’ve got more drinks in mind and will intersperse them between other larger projects. And stitching and crocheting projects as well, of course. Why do just one thing when you can fill your summer up with all kinds of fiber fun?

What are your summer plans??? I hope they include a bunch of fiber projects and at least a few margaritas.

Hooked art - margarita — MARGARITA hooked with repurposed textiles, silk sari yarn, wool strips, and tulle ribbon.

June 1, 2021

June is already a WHIRLWIND!

Orange whirlwind — Whirlwind pic courtesy of Author: PixelAnarchy / pixabay.com.

WHIRLWIND: a small rotating windstorm of limited extent. At least according to the Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.

Welcome the whirlwind that is June. So much is going on! But it will be of a limited extent for the most part. In July, we’ll pack up the CR-V and head back east for a couple of weeks. Till then, though…

Unfortunately, Cathy Kelly and I won’t be heading to our first show to vend as expected this coming weekend. When Covid numbers weren’t quite as low as they are now, the Spring & Fiber Festival at El Rancho de las Golondrinas near Santa Fe was canceled for 2021. Bummer, I know. But we subsequently applied for the Harvest Festival in October (during the big Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque); hopefully, that will pan out. The weather will be cooler then too!

CREATE DIY
Thursday, June 11, will find me back on Zoom to lead a Introduction to Rug Hooking – Not so Traditional. This workshop is part of CREATE DIY, an online textile festival from Quiltfest. Would-be students have until June 3 to register! More info can be found by following either of the links above.

Adobe Wool Arts Guild members holding hooked rugs. — Ah, the good. olde days when AWAG could hold our retreats and workshops 3 or 4 times per year. In this pic you’ll find, Liz, myself, Melinda, and Mary R. with our works in progress a few years back.

ADOBE WOOL ARTS GUILD
AWAG, New Mexico’s only rug hooking guild, will hold its first meeting since March of last year this month on June 16! One of our members has graciously offered her lovely backyard (complete with shade and breezes). If you’re a hooker or puncher in the Albuquerque area who’s been looking for company, please contact me at Laura@highonhooking.com. As the President of the group, I can get you in. Really. Plus, we’re a fun group.

GHOST RANCH
June 27-July 2, I’ll be up at Ghost Ranch north of Santa Fe to teach Hook a Rug, Save the Planet. I especially can’t wait because it appears that cell and Internet coverage are lacking up that way. Bummer…NOT! This promises to be a real get-away! We’ll be hooking and punching during this multi day workshop. And, no worries, there will be plenty of time to explore the ranch. My hiking shoes and camera are ready! There are several art-type classes running in June; find them here. (BTW, if you even think about heading to Ghost Ranch, I have one word: SUNSCREEN.)

Clearly, I’ve got a lot of workshop prepping to do! Meanwhile, for those who follow In the Studio and our Workshop Weeks, very soon we’ll be opening up registration for all workshops running during October’s Workshop Week 3. (Make sure you pen – not pencil – October 24-30 into your calendars!) We have more classes this time around -10! – and four new teachers. And, no, not every class is about rug hooking. Keep an eye out for more information! If you’re wondering what the hell I’m talking about, email me. We’ll chat. You’re definitely missing something good.

Backside of a hooked rug. — “Abundance” (aka the “automatic hooked rug“) freshly steamed. Yes, she’s upside down. She’s the latest in my HAPPY RUG series. “Whimsy,” there on the wall, was one of the first happy rugs. 2021 can’t get enough HAPPY

The boys and I would love to show you “What’s on the frame” this first week of June, but it’s a surprise till it’s pretty much finished. Saturday, though, I steamed “Abundance,” and am hoping to get to finishing her off today. Or at least starting to. She’s pretty big, and she’s got three holes! Summertime and the sewing will NOT be easy. My arthritic hands ache just thinking about it. But she’s well worth it.

SUMMERTIME AND COVID’S ON THE WANE. What are you planning this June that you couldn’t do last June? Tell us in the comments. And stay safe!

October 1, 2018

Studio time! And an Etsy faux pas?

Studio and guest room — New studio/guest room! Rather, this week it’s a guest room/studio!

The studio is as done as it can be for now which is good because COMPANY ARRIVES TOMORROW! Hence, it will be a guest room starting then rather than a studio. But that’s a good thing. (If I remember to go out tomorrow morning and get some soap and tooth paste.) Not unlike New England – remember, we arrived here just over three years ago from Massachusetts! – this is Albuquerque’s hopping time. No, not for colorful maple leaves and apples, but because it’s Balloon Fiesta time! The party starts Saturday and runs through next weekend.I’ll actually be at the Rail Yards vending on the last day of Fiesta; here’s hoping that some tourists mosey on in and can’t stop themselves from buying some hooked rugs. 🙂 Hey, it can happen. Last year a nice young man from San Francisco did just that very thing.

Hot air balloon in Albuquerque — Albuquerque: the hot air balloon capitol of the United States. Caught this one while I was walking right near my house. The other day I counted 26 up, up, and away!

In the meantime, “Fireworks” was purchased from my Etsy shop. I mention it because 1) I love that rug so it was hard to see it go and 2) I might’ve made a faux pas when I put a pic of the rug up on Instagram and mentioned that it was on its way to its forever home.

Funny story. Etsy tells me the rug is going to a guy in Texas. No problem. We package it up, and my courier, i.e., Tom, takes it to UPS. Off it goes. I put the post up on Instagram. Marketing, I call it. Next thing I know, some woman is responding on Instagram that it must be her rug, that her boyfriend was going to buy it for her, but she told him he should make it a Christmas surprise or one for her December birthday. Huh??? I don’t know her, so I check her profile, and – lo and behold! – she’s from the same Texas city! I tell her that I hope I haven’t ruined the surprise and…that she needs to take a pic of it in its new home. 🙂 Long story longer, the purchaser/boyfriend messages me through Etsy. He’s laughing and confirms the whole thing. So, I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t mention when I sell something??? Nah!

Have a great week all! And if you’re in for some spectacular fall scenery, come on down to Albuquerque and see the balloons!

Tynan dog and hooked rug — Tynan brings you this week’s “What’s on the frame?” The primitive is almost done! Think I need to make some color adjustments, though. Either way, the hooking will be finished tonight. Woohoo! Remember, it’s hooked from recycled t-shirts.

September 26, 2018

Another year, another chance at a studio

Dare I trust that a studio finally awaits me?

So if I haven’t mentioned it, though I can’t imagine that I didn’t, the kid’s moved out of the house again. But this time it seems as if it might be a bit more permanent than last year’s six months. She managed to get herself a job up in Durango – that’s in southwestern Colorado not far over the New Mexican border. About 3½ hours from Albuquerque. Fabulous little town, not even too much snow. I’m rather jealous. Anway, she found an apartment (with deer in the back yard!) and needed minimal parental assistance in securing it. Hurray for her! We’re proud of her.

Tynan just had to get in the pic of the soon-to-be studio/guest suite. Pray that the kid loves Durango.

But this means that once again her room is available for new use. Like…as a rug hooking studio. Okay, not completely dedicated to that, but almost. A twin bed purchased just this week will allow for guest quarters when necessary. I can deal with that.

Again, if you remember last year I’d just ordered the shelving from IKEA when she moved back in. Damn, she arrived before they did. Been in the garage unopened since early last October. Well, they’re opened now! (Thank goodness they were the right color…) They’re even installed, and Tom attached them to the wall just yesterday. (A wall of rug hooking materials falling on someone would be a crappy way to die.) Unfortunately, she says slightly red-faced, everything won’t fit into the room. There aren’t THAT many shelves. Luckily, my kick-ass closet and laundry room are both still available.

Consequently, I’ve been distracted by sed studio and implementing my plan for its best use. Oh, and did I mention that we’re expecting company next week. Just in time for Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque. (If you haven’t been here for that, put it on your bucket list this very minute!)

Tynan presents “what’s on the frame” this week. Does anyone know who designed this rug??? I inherited the pattern. More on that later.

I have managed to hook more on my primitive rug. Tynan models it for you to the right. I’m actually liking it; it being my first primitive rug. Oh, did I mention that I’m hooking it in t-shirt? The plan is to finish it this weekend and start something new right away. Hooking, hooking, hooking. I received confirmation that I’ll be vending again at the Fall Fiber Fiesta November 16-18 at Santa Fe’sScottish Rite Temple. It’s a great event. Will I see you there?