Author Tynan here. You know, I’ll be 11 this year, and I’ve only recently been allowed the pleasure of hotel beds. This one belongs to my friend Nan. She took the photo while I was spending a little time with her Friday evening. I look gooood. Tucson was terrific!
Tuscon was terrific! The idiots sidelined me less than usual; even better, I was allowed into happy hour at the hotel! And they had a popcorn machine! One of my ladies Mary R. brought doggie bagels for me too. And Nan babysat me for a while Friday night while the idiots went for some food. (They did NOT bring any back for me. 🙁 )
Because the mistress is rushed this week getting her rugs ready to take up to the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC to you and me), and typing is difficult for me given my lack of thumbs, this is an abbreviated post. She insists that next week, I’ll be able to tell you all about our Arizona road trip. Okay, and the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers’ hook-in too.But I was allowed to post a couple of photos to whet your whistles.
Again, just to make you eager for my post next week, here’s one of the mistress and me up on Mount Lemmon in Tucson. What a view. And there was snow!
This week’s TINY VIEW of “What’s on the frame.” Yep, she’s finally starting to fill in some of the “Big Boucherouite.” It’s looking pretty cool.
She’s insisting that I suggest strongly that you make your own road trip up to Españolastarting Saturday. The scenery’s beautiful up in that part of the state what with the snow on the mountains and all. There’s New Mexican food there at El Paragua. Oh, and don’t forget to see her “window” at EVFAC. Don’t forget too – she’ll be teaching a 4-hour introductory rug hooking class on Saturday, February 16. We hope to see you! (As if they’ll let me in.)
Okay, she wanted me to put this picture up. It’s of the finally completely finished t-shirt rug she calls “Kleeful (Autumn).” The other thing in the picture is a jar. She’s taking it, the rug, not the jar, with us to Tucson to show off, because isn’t that what they’re all doing there at this hook-in thing? Besides buying even more rug stuff, I mean. Wouldn’t her money be better spent on dog treats?
So, the idiots tell me we’re off to Tucsoncome Thursday. And NOT because their anniversary is tomorrow and we’re celebrating somewhere warmer than Albuquerque. No, it’s a rug hooking event, something she calls a hook-in. (Stupid name.) Apparently, some folks called the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers hold it. She goes every year leaving him and me at home. Bored.
Not this year; we leave Thursday morning, so we can be there by dinner (I love dinner) that evening. Eight hours in the car each way. And just like that, it’s October once more, and we’re back on the road again… They insist that I will not be left in the car while they do fun things without me, that we’ll go hiking. This remains to be seen.
Personally, I think that she wants me along so that he’s distracted after she buys all the crap she usually wins buys at the hook-in’s silent auction. (That and Darlene’s in Florida and isn’t available to dog-sit.) Two out of three years she’s come home with yet another frame! I tell you this, no frame is taking up my seat in the car. If it doesn’t fit, she’ll just have to get one of hooker friends to take it home in their car.
So, here I am, her little prop doggie. I think I deserve a better title. Marketing Manager? Top Dog? She told me to tell you that this is the only little section of the “Big Boucherouite” you’re seeing this week. At least you’re seeing more color. Not that the color-blind Marketing Manager is though.
Never fear, I will be recording everything on this Tucson trip and will report back to you. Follow me on my High on Hooking’s Instagram/Facebookfeeds in the meantime. You’ll see what I have to put up with.
Española Valley Fiber Arts Center in…Española, New Mexico. A place filled with fiber. Visit and you’re sure to have a fiberific time. My rugs will spend February in the window on the left.
Good news! How often do we get to yell that? Actually, it’s news I wasn’t ready to share last week, but after hanging out at the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC) for awhile today (and shopping, of course), I can reveal: I’m the center’s “Artist of the Month” in February. Yes, really!
The “Artist” will have their fiber creations filling up one of the big windows at the front of the building. And available for sale. EVFAC’s just starting the new program this year. They announced it in the January newsletter and asked members to apply. On a lark, I did just that. I mentioned though, because I vend during much of the year, a winter month would be good. They got back to me right quick and offered February. Woohoo!
Yes, I accepted.
Need colorful wool yarns? EVFAC’s your place.
Today the High on Hooking helpers – Tom and Tynan – and I took the hour-and-a-half drive up to Española (a half-hour north of Santa Fe) so that I could talk logistics. Then…they asked me to teach an introductory class during the month. And give a little talk. Alrighty! It actually won’t be the first class I’ve taught there. A talk though…
So, that’s my good news. If you’re local and have thought that maybe you’d like to give rug hooking a whirl, this is a great opportunity. The class will be Saturday, February 16, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. We’ll lunch at the table while we hook. After that, we’ll talk more hooking. We’ll have plenty to chat about as it’s still not that well known in these parts – the Southwest – where weaving traditionally dominates. But we’re making great strides, people!
Do you have any good news? 2019 is starting strong here at High on Hooking, and I already have a l-o-n-g queue of rugs just waiting to be hooked. (Truthfully, this is somewhat daunting…) It will be the year of many rugs. And many rug events. Share yours here!
Tynan’s providing your last look at the ENTIRE “Big Boucherouite” until it’s done. No worries, I’ll still share bits and pieces each week and on Instagram/Facebook. Let me tell you how heavy it’s getting! BTW, isn’t Tynan looking handsome with his new haircut?
Rugs on the frame are the thing this week, peeps. We’re busy, busy, busy. Not only is Christmas coming, and the tree’s not finished, but a student will be here Wednesday and Friday too. Then tomorrow I’m at a friend’s for a day of dyeing wool for my friendship rug (more on that later). Okay, Cathywill be doing more of the dyeing while her five new puppies distract Melinda and me. Who can resist baby dogs??? No worries, I’ll take some pics. Maybe even a couple of the wool-dyeing.
Are you ready for the holidays? Have time to work on your rugs? How do you feed your creativity during this often frenetic time of year???
Tynan brings you the “rugs on the frame this week.” Despite being sick – I’m only feeling truly human today, thank you – I managed to do some work on both “Kleeful” and the “Big Boucherouite” last week. The latter is off the Anderson frame because it became a pain in the neck to use. One leg pulled out from the base, and one side wouldn’t keep the rug as tight as I need. So, it’s onto the Puritanwe go. Bet that’ll be fun when I get to the middle…
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.
“New Mexico Geometrics” just went up into the Etsy shop last night! It comes with 4 blue mugs (if you choose), but also has a ring on the back for hanging. It’s 12×12 and hooked with recycled t-shirts!
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…
I walk by this poor rug all day long. In the kitchen I try to sit with my back to him, but I can still hear him calling. “You promised we’d be together today…” The truth is that I long to sit and work on him more than any other rug. (But don’t tell that to “Kleeful” below.
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…
Tynan and his new best friend Opossum (thank you, Nan Huntington!) bring you this week’s “What’s on the frame.” Still working on “Kleeful.” Oddly enough I’m working on its (wide) perimeter before I fully decide on the small inner squares. I figure that it ought to be real fun when I try to hook those center squares what with the heaviness of the t-shirt loops. Not!
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…
EVFAC’s just starting the new program this year. They announced it in the 
