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Category: Albuquerque fiber arts

Current state of affairs…always hooking…

Damn, I wrote that headline and realized that it looked vaguely political, something I try to avoid on social media especially these days. At least the freaking election is finally over, and we can only wait to see what January will bring. In the meantime, the holidays are rushing at us like there’s no tomorrow. A portend? (Sorry. I said I wouldn’t say anything political. I won’t.) And there is hooking, always hooking.

The bag is burlap, about 6 inches by 6 inches. It's hooked with wool yarn, ribbon, and stretch velvet. Very cute.
The bag is burlap, about 6 inches by 6 inches. It’s hooked with wool yarn, ribbon, and stretch velvet. And a little pearl. Very cute, if I do say so myself.

So, what am I working on these days (always hooking)?  In hopes that I’ll get a call from the waiting list at the Rail Yards for the holiday market next month, I’m still creating rug mugs. I’ve also come up with a new item; it’ll be a great stocking stuffer, gift card holder, hostess gift, or little girl’s purse. Here’s a pic of the prototype. Like it?

I plan on filling them with candy canes for Christmas time and maybe some faux flowers or something next spring. The bags are from Hobby Lobby, too inexpensive for me to bother making. The hooking’s a bit tricky since there’s no frame involved, just your hand to stick in and hold it all. (I don’t know how Rachelle LeBlanc hooks without a frame ALL THE TIME and then gets those beautiful results.)

Albuquerque’s Fiber Fiesta is also keeping me busy and not just because I’m a guild rep to the Fiber Arts Council. I think I know what I want to create for next May’s show, and I’m doing some research, though I’m not ready to share just yet. But I better get a move on as it has to be pretty much finished by the March 1 entry deadline. For those who are interested, the Call-For-Entries is open and waiting. Consider joining us.

In between projects, I’m still working on my “fall” tree of life rug, the one I started last month. It’s coming along despite being thrown to the side on a regular basis. Always hooking….

It's about a yard across, t-shirt and bedsheet.
It’s about a yard across, t-shirt and bedsheet.

As an aside, how many of you saw this rug on page 56 of the newest ATHA magazine?

"Kenya FLora and Fauna" hooked and designed by Sylvia Huntington.
“Kenya Flora and Fauna” hooked and designed by Sylvia Huntington.

I was flipping through it the evening my copy came, when I caught sight of “Kenya Flora and Fauna.” That’s really familiar,” I said then looked a little closer. “Ha, I do know this rug!” Nancy Huntington submitted the pic; it’s a large mat that her mother-in-law Sylvia hooked after an adventure in Africa. Nan brought the rug to one of the demonstrations our guild does at the Albuquerque BioPark a couple of months ago. Kids loved it! Here are a couple of close-ups I snapped at the BioPark. (Nancy generously shared the photo above.) Fabulous rug!

Mr. Snake and a giraffe.
Mr. Snake and a giraffe.
A closer view of Sylvia's rug.
A closer view of Sylvia’s rug.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your current state of affairs? On your frame, that is.

PS – Before I let you go, for anyone in the general New Mexican area, if you’re in the mood for a field trip this coming weekend (Friday-Sunday), make sure you look into the Santa Fe Fiber Festival brought to us by the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center. My partner in crime, fellow native New Englander and new New Mexican, Melinda, and I are heading up there Saturday. Hope to see you!

 

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Vending opportunity this weekend.

There’s no better fiber friend than one who surprises you with a vending opportunity. That’s exactly what my guild mate and yarn-dyeing-woman-extraordinaire Dagmar Beinenz-Byrd did during our latest AWAG hooking retreat a couple of weeks ago.

Mary bought the mug rug set on the left, but the one on the right will be available this Saturday during the High Desert Studio Tour in Albuquerque.
Mary bought the mug rug set on the left, but the one on the right will be available this Saturday during the High Desert Studio Tour in Albuquerque.

Because our guild is making rug mugs to sell (for charity) for next May’s Fiber Arts Fiesta here in Albuquerque, someone unfamiliar with the idea asked me to bring some in to show as examples. I brought their matching mugs even though buyers will just get the little rugs at Fiesta. Lucky for me, though, one member bought a set, and Dag invited me to sell them and some smaller mats at her house during the High Desert 8th Annual Studio Tour this coming Saturday here in Albuquerque. Woohoo! They make excellent Christmas and hostess gifts, you know.

If you live nearby, check out the High Desert website for a map of participating studios. There should be approximately 20 artists spread among the 13 sites. The tour includes painters, jewelry makers, potters, and different types of fiber artists – including Dag and me!

Not only did Dagmar dye this late fall-looking yarn, but she also knits extraordinary sweaters and sews and sells very cute project bags.
Not only did Dagmar dye this yummy, late fall-looking yarn, but she also knits extraordinary sweaters and sews-to-sell very cute project bags.

As I said, Dag creates fabulously colorific yarns at Zia Woolz. Check out her website and Etsy shop here. Not only that, she’s just fun to hang with. Plus she has absolutely AWESOME views of the Sandia Mountains from her living room window. And she makes a mean lentil soup.

If you’re in the area Saturday, stop by and say HI to both of us. Hopefully, I’ll have more info regarding yet another vending opportunity by then.

For those who might be interested, the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council has put out the call for entries for next year’s Fiesta. Have a look or give a yell if you have any questions. Please join us for this great fiber event!

 

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Where to find the fiber in Albuquerque this week

Looking for fiber in Albuquerque this week? And I’m not talking oat bran and pinto beans!

Look for the Adobe Wool Arts Guild's sign when you're at the Biopark.
Look for the Adobe Wool Arts Guild’s sign when you’re at the Biopark. Here are some demo particulars.

 

If you’re in the mood for hooking, try the Biopark’s Botanic Garden tomorrow between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. As I’ve mentioned before, the Adobe Wool Arts Guild demonstrates our craft/art (that distinction is a discussion for another day) on the first Tuesday of every month. As of last month, we’ve been doing it on the fourth Tuesday as well, same time. Why? you ask. Because WE LOVE HOOKING! And sharing it, of course. Stop by if you’re in the area tomorrow or even next week.

The ladies are ready to answer all your rug hooking questions when you visit Heritage Farm at the Biopark.
The ladies are ready to answer all your rug hooking and fiber questions when you visit Heritage Farm at the Biopark.

 

 

 

Maybe you’re already really into rug hooking and you’d like to try your hand at another fiber art. Knitting? Machine knitting? Spinning and dying your own yarn for your knitting project? Doll-making? Weaving? Quilting? No matter, we have pretty much all fiber activities covered come Saturday. The Yarn Store at Nob Hill in conjunction with Albuquerque’s Fiber Arts Council is holding an all-guild demo day (scroll down the page some) from 10:00 – 4:00 at Immanuel Presbyterian Church (114 Carlisle NE). All ages are invited attend and encouraged to try something new. See the poster below for more info.

Will we see at one of these fabulous fiber events?

demo-day-poster

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Taking stock

The rug I was working on as I moved last summer. "Welcome to New Mexico."
The rug I was working on during last summer’s exodus: “Welcome to New Mexico.” Since then I’ve been taking stock of our first year here.

 

Taking stock – that’s what I did with some of the time I took off from the blog these past couple of weeks (which passed by REALLY QUICKLY). July 30 held particular significance and not just because it was the day before my kid’s 19th birthday. This year it marked exactly one year since we rolled into the state of New Mexico to stay.

Wow! We can’t believe it either. At times it’s been tumultuous, there’s no denying that. The holidays, they were tough without family and friends. The kid crashing her car – no injuries other than to pride! – means that just like in high school, Tom’s stuck driving her back and forth to work till she saves for a new vehicle.

Big picture, though, the move’s been most everything we wanted.

 

Where Tynan and I walk in the Bosque along the Rio Grande.
Where Tynan and I walk in the Bosque along the west side of the Rio Grande. This is city living Albuquerque style.

CLIMATE:
Certainly, the weather’s wonderful: lots of sun, lots less winter (compared to New England). One day last January, we hiked in the snow on the east side of the Sandia Mountains then drove the 45 minutes to home where it was 55 degrees. No need for a stinkin’ snowblower here!

 

RUG HOOKING (this is a hooking blog):

You'll find many of AWAG ladies demonstrating rug hooking at Albuquerque's Biopark the first Tuesday of most every month.
You’ll find several of us AWAG’s ladies demonstrating rug hooking at Albuquerque’s Biopark the first Tuesday of most every month.

Who would’ve guessed that there’s such an active guild of hookers out here in Albuquerque? I’ve made some great friends this past year, even one, Melinda, who moved from New Hampshire about the same time I moved from Massachusetts. Now the two of us try to get a hooking afternoon in each week. Better yet, she and her husband are New England Patriots fans just like us. Tom and I are no longer alone in a sea of blue and orange Bronco fans.

 

"Desert Gone Wild" went to a good home just last week.
“Desert Gone Wild,” a table runner or wall hanging, went to a good home just last week.

As High on Hooking, I’ve managed to start selling pieces and been involved in not one, but two shows. The Adobe Wool Arts (ATHA) guild volunteered me as our representative to Albuquerque’s Fiber Arts Council which is currently planning next May’s Fiber Arts Fiesta. Then back in January, three of us headed down to Tuscon in Arizona for a hook-in with the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers. It was 80 degrees there! In January! I even managed a little sunburn!

 

You can't get much closer to a balloon without being in the basket. This one landed behind the house last fall.
You can’t get much closer to a balloon without being in the basket. This one landed right behind the house last fall.

 

 

 

 

HOUSING:
While we didn’t down-size like we planned (hey, with no cellar or attic, we realized we needed an extra room for the treadmill and bike), we found a great house close to the Rio Grande. That means the dog and I can head out to walk the scenic trails of the Bosque (the forest) whenever we wish. In summer this is best done in the early morning hours.) So far we’ve come across a snake, hawks and hummingbirds, lots of bunnies and geckos, two coyotes, and, just last week, a porcupine.

 

Tynan running free in the Bosque. Like, Just like New England, autumn is the best time to be in New Mexico.
Tynan running free in the Bosque. Just like New England, autumn is the best season to be in New Mexico.

 

 

PERSONAL:
I turned 52 this summer. Moving here signaled the start of the next half of my life. (You think I’m optimistic, but one of my grandmothers died as an active 93-year-old, and the other is still very much alive.) One reason we moved here — besides the BIG sky, the art scene, and there being less people — was for the outdoor lifestyle. We like to hike. Unfortunately, a couple of months before we left the east coast, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I won’t lie, it’s been a pain in my ass, amongst other places, but especially for my knees. That’s limited our hiking some. But I’m on a new med; here’s hoping it works without too many side effects (the scary kinds they recite to us in all the TV ads). And that the damn hot flashes stop soon. (I am 52.)

20160522_121931
On the trail again at Tent Rocks.

Luckily, though, while my fingers have swollen some, they’ve suffered little pain. Maybe all the hooking keeps everything lubed up. Thank goodness. I know that most of you feel like I do: hooking is therapy. Without it, life would, to put it bluntly, suck.

Life here in Albuquerque definitely does NOT suck. There are all kinds of new experiences:

 

Tom posing in Tent Rock's curves.
Tom posing in Tent Rocks’ curves.
Navajo rugs up for auction.
Navajo rugs up for auction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could go on, but I won’t right now. There’s too much to do. Rugs don’t hook themselves. Plus, we have company coming early September through mid-October. I can play Julie McCoy to the relatives.

 

How’s your summer been going?

 

Mass ascension at Balloon Fiesta 2015. Have you ever seen so many balloons in one place?
Mass Ascension at Balloon Fiesta 2015. Have you ever seen so many balloons in one place?

 

"Welcome to New Mexico", 29.5"x20", $225, Recycled t-shirts
High on Hooking says “Welcome to New Mexico.” Stay for a while and see why we love it here.
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Summer hooking New Mexican style

One set of mugs and rugs that's sold at the Railyards Market this summer.
One set of mugs and rugs that’s sold at the Railyards Market this summer.

Summer hooking New Mexican style is…busy! Mostly because I’m selling at Albuquerque’s Rail Yards Market so often. Then there’s a possible show in August that I may do with a friend. And let’s not forget the rugs that I’m coming up with in my head – for me! The Albuquerque Fiber Council’s Fiber Arts Fiesta isn’t until May of next year, but any rugs I submit have to be ready to go in March! Now’s the time to start baking those ideas.

 

Next mug and rug in the queue. I see bright colors with that black.
Next mug and rug in the queue. I see bright colors with that black.

 

 

 

 

 

Mug rugs are selling best at the market. It’s not surprising; they’re pretty cheap – beginner’s rug buying – and I include a mug with them. They make nifty, little hostess gifts. Above is one that sold a couple of weeks ago. Let’s hope that the one I’m starting tonight sells just as quickly. You can see it to the left here; it’ll be done in t-shirts.

 

 

 

 

I can't wait to see how these hook up.
I can’t wait to see how these hook up.

After that, I’ll be doing a little experiment based on the bedsheet rugs. Check out these fat quarters I picked up just this morning in a local quilt shop – Hip Stitch. Sure sheets are nice, and I do love to up-cycle, but look at that batik! They’ll look fabulous with a tea cup and saucer I picked up at Savers.

Also on the frame this week, but not for much longer, is my current bedsheet rug. This one’s hooked into monks’ cloth rather than latch hook backing. Makes for a much tighter rug, though it takes longer to hook, certainly. It’s cute, though, and hefty enough for floor use.

MY current bed sheet rug. I'm trying to be "un-fussy" as someone put it in another blog. I'm making up the rectangles as I go along. Only rule: None of the rectangles can look alike.
My current bed sheet rug. I’m trying to be “un-fussy,” as someone put it in another blog, by making up the rectangles as I go. Only rule: None of the rectangles can look alike. “Summertime and the hooking is easy…”

In other news, let me first apologize for the quality of my pics lately. I finally realized that something was really wrong with the camera on my phone, a phone just purchased four months ago. I had Tom look at it after I tried to clean it yet again and wouldn’t you know it, it wasn’t dirty; it was scratched clear to hell! I grabbed his phone – same make and model, a little older even – and took a photo. Perfectly clear! We think I received a bad one. What are you gonna do? A new phone’s on order. We’ll make a close inspection of its camera when it comes in. Next week’s blog should have better pictures, though, in the meantime I’m using hubby’s camera. (See how much clearer the second, third , and fourth pics are above?)

 

Do you take a summer break from hooking and wool? Take up another activity? Or do you crank up the AC and loop away?

 

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