High on Hooking’s got a little problem. We’re supposed to be in two places at once tomorrow night. We’ll actually be at the Fall Fiber Fiesta in Santa Fe. In fact, we’ll be there till Sunday evening. Fortunately, this show, “What is holiness?” at the Santa Maria de la Vida Abbey in Albuquerque WHICH OPENS TOMORROW runs till December 13. My piece “Sacred Life” was juried in. Maybe we can go together?
Much excitement going on in our little fiber art world here these days. How about yours?
I’m busy, busy finishing up rugs for this weekend’s annual Fall Fiber Fiesta at Santa Fe‘s Scottish Rite Temple. Unlike Albuquerque’s biennial Fiber Arts Fiesta which is primarily educational in nature, this event brings you items for sale: hooked rugs (!); felted objects; knitted and crocheted items; yarns (you supply the creativity when you get home); Navajo rugs; woven creations to wear; and so on.
Saturday and Sunday are free. Friday night’s Artists’ Reception will cost you $10, but then you have first dibs on…everything! Plus there will be live music, a silent auction, eats, and drinks. See more info on the card below. LOTS of info can be found on Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center’s website here.
Hope to see you at Fall Fiber Arts Fiesta. In fact, if you mention this blog post, you can take 10% off any of High on Hooking’s rugs! Did I mention that this is an excellent opportunity to shop for those upcoming holidays?
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…
Fall fiber frenzy continues. The year here at High on Hooking culminates in the Fall Fiber Fiesta, Friday – Sunday, up in Santa Fe. You are coming, yes?
A BIG THANK YOU to Dagmar Beinenz-Byrd of ZiaWoolz for opening and sharing her beautiful home during Saturday’s High Desert Studio Tour. Yes, I did buy almost, but not quite more than I sold. But who can resist those hand-dyed yarns and fingerless mittens (yeah, I bought another pair of those), etc., etc. Because Dag’s yarns are too light to hook with, I’ve never been able to purchase any of her yummy colors. (Tom just wouldn’t understand me purchasing yarn to look at. He’s so silly, I know.) BUT, having just finished crocheting a shawl (sized more like a scarf to me) – my first “big” crochet project in years – I rewarded myself with some of her yarn to repeat the project in BRIGHT summery colors. More on that another day.
Really, can you resist these? And I’m not just talking Hersey’s Kisses here.
And lastly, this week’s “What’s on the frame” feature is really about what’s NOT on the frame. These little rugs have to be finished up in the next couple of days to be ready to go Friday morning. So much to do, so much to do…
Again, feed the Fall fiber frenzy by visiting High on Hooking up in Santa Fe this weekend. As always, mention the blog and get 10% off any rug. See you there!
Like I mentioned last week, I’m kind of slammed for the next couple of weeks in my own personal Fall fiber frenzy. This Saturday is the High Desert Studio Tour on the east side of Albuquerque. I’ll be at Stop #3 on the map below (if you click, you’ll get a better one) where Dagmar Beinenz-Byrd runs her ZiaWoolz business. Each year she generously offers me space for the event. This year Catherine Wies, another multi-talented Adobe Wool Arts Guild member, will have her wares there too: all kinds of versions of her “Everywoman Tote Bag.” I may have to buy another one to put Dag’s hand-dyed yarn and project bags in. Yeah, I’ll spend more than I’ll ever make. But the goods are all worth it. Plus we have a lot of fun. Stop by!
Meanwhile, I’m busy hooking away for Saturday and next weekend too up in Santa Fe at the Fall Fiber Fiesta. Then there are the meetings: guild (I told you I’m president now, right?); next year’s Fiber Fiesta here in ABQ; the Fiber Arts Council’s Education Committee; the food pantry I deliver to, and Susan’s Legacy. All this with a cold that won’t quit. I swear that between us, Tom and I can incubate it till next spring…
I hate meetings, but they’re a necessary evil for worthy organizations and causes. And if you have any interest in Fiesta or the Fiber Arts Council, click on those links above. Regarding Susan’s Legacy, if you’d like to help women trying to help themselves out of mental health and addiction disorders, see our website. Disclaimer: I’m a Board member, and such troubles have run in my family.
Hope to see you this weekend in Albuquerque or next in Santa Fe. Remember: Mention the blog post and get 10% off any rug. It’s part of spreading the gospel of rug hooking and buying handmade this holiday season!