Category: guild

July 12, 2017

I forgot I hooked that rug!

I can’t believe that I forgot I hooked that rug! Yes, it went plumb out of my mind. Let me explain.

that rug, hooked — Unfinished and, therefore, unnamed rug being hooked with t-shirts sometime last fall.

Last night I was going through my laptop files looking for a particular rug photo. (I read a blog that encourages people to share their gardens and crafts and such. Of course, they want to see my rugs. 🙂 ) So, I’m combing through the blog file, the guild file, High on Hooking’s inventories, every file containing pics of rugs for whatever reason. And I come across this photo of an unfinished rug.

And I think, where the hell that rug? How come I haven’t been trying to sell that??? It was a pretty large, circular deal. About 28 inches in diameter.

Like many of you, I am not a woman who keeps things that bother me to myself. I less than casually mention it to Tom who responds with What rug? (Insert my eye roll here.) Once I show him the photo, oh, I remember that one! Thank God. I was starting to think senility might be creeping in. Then he asks about its whereabouts. Duh! Then he asks if I ever finished it. Of course, I finished it! I had to have done it before I started the big, blue floral rug around January 1.

I check the wicker trunk and the cedar chest. Nada. I take a cursory glance around the closet and laundry room, but they both hold my hooking raw materials, not finished rugs, most of which currently abide in my mobile store. It’s definitely not with them.

Again to the cedar chest. I do a better search, actually take things out. Nope. The rug seems to have vanished. I briefly consider that Melinda might’ve taken it. She really liked it when I was working on it. Nah, I would’ve seen it at her house. So, it has to be in mine!

Tom’s lost interest by now. I head back to the closet and the laundry room. Okay, I have not cleaned or sorted my laundry room counter in a very l-o-n-g time. Been too busy. This time I actually pick up some pile, move things around, and…lo and behold!…there, neatly folded, is that rug. I grab it, unfold it. Oh, the hooking is done – just like I remembered – but the finishing, not so much. Never bandy that word senility around so casually when you live in a glass house. It will come back to bite you in the ass.

that rug, unfinished — I definitely hooked that rug. I most definitely did NOT finish that rug.

Now I have another job to do so that I can get this baby out to the Rail Yards and the other places I’m selling at this season. (That would include, I recently found out, the Sunflower Festival in Mountainair, here in New Mexico on August 26.) Since tonight I’ll finish hooking another rug (see photo below) and have yet to design something new, I guess that I’ll be sewing binding on the “Tree of Life” when I meet with some guild members tomorrow for a mini hook-in. Like you, I’d rather hook.

Last week brought some interesting news. Along with 59 other hookers who feel a need to share the hooking gospel via social media, specifically via a blog, High on Hooking’s blog was named one of the best 60 rug hooking blogs. (It didn’t specify where, so I’ll go with in the entire world.) I admit that when I saw the email that morning, I scoffed to Tom that it was some kind of scam, false news, as it were. But, no, when I got on Facebook later in the day, congratulations were flying. Thank you, Rug Hooking Magazine and Feedspot for a lovely and unexpected boost.

Lastly, Tynan is back with “The Rug on the Frame.” Though he did mention that it felt like a demotion after being allowed to write the blog last week. I told him that if he’s good, he’ll get another chance. And if he stops calling us idiots. This rug is a favorite of his, though he’d make me take out the “WOOF” and put in his name. Then I couldn’t sell it, I explained. Exactly, he said.

hooked rug and dog — Tynan says, that rug should be mine. “Woof” is hooked all in t-shirt. Much cooler than wool this time of year.

May 4, 2017

Summer sales – be there!

Summer selling at ABQ Recycled Art Fair. — Summer selling and festivals start… The view from right in front of my booth. Could easily watch the musical groups, the watermelon seed spitting contest, and the doggie costume contest.

Had our first summer sales opportunity – okay, late spring – this weekend at the Albuquerque Recycled Art Fair at the Open Space VIsitors’ Center on Coors. Not sure if you saw my Facebook posts; the first pic I took Saturday afternoon once the sun had come out, but, baby, it was still chilly out! At least the slush and rain had ended. Yes, slush and rain, but at least it wasn’t the 8-12 inches they had on the other side of the mountain.

We’ve been pretty warm since February, had lovely weekends. Hell, I even took in an outdoor quilt show last weekend. The fair staff had asked us to set up our tents (generally needed for SHADE her in New Mexico) Friday, but once it started to pour that afternoon, Tom and I took a pass on that, deciding it was better not to completely wet-out the tent. Judging by the foul weather report, we’d need it to keep rain out on Saturday…when we woke up to a temperature of 36ºF. Fun times! Fortunately, I received an email saying that the show would start an hour late, 11:00 instead of 10:00. At 9:30 we were approaching 40º. Hey, it was better than the 30s.

But the question remained: who in their right mind was going to come to the fair to see the exhibits and buy from all of us no matter how wonderful our recycled art was? And they were calling for sun on Sunday. But bless some big, old hearts. It shows what a great art city ABQ is. There were actually quite a few folks who showed up that morning and then later when the rain dried up and blew away. In fact, I sold more items Saturday morning to those die-hards than I did the rest of the fair. Amazing. And while Sunday indeed dawned shiny and bright, those New Mexican spring winds were galing away at full blast. Still, it was a fun fair – lots of good music and things to see. I’ve already told the organizers that I want the same spot next year. And they said YES!

In the meantime, I wanted to post where High on Hooking will be the next few months. I’m hoping to add in a few dates and shows here and there, so more info to follow as it comes in.

Albuquerque Rail Yards Market
Albuquerque, Sundays, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

May 28
June 11, 25
Need a rug? call High on Hooking.
July 9, 23
August 6,20
September 10, 24
October 15

ART in the Park and Ice Cream Social
Amigos de Cerillos Hills Park, Cerillos (just off the Turquoise Trail)

Saturday, June 17, 10:00 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The next few weeks are busy ones:

The Adobe Wool Arts Guild is hosting Cheryl Bollenbach again this year for a class. That starts Friday and runs through Sunday late afternoon.
Sunday early afternoon we have family coming in for a first-time visit to New Mexico. The Sunday after that: more company!
Albuquerque’s Fiber Arts Fiesta sets up Thursday, May 18, and then runs from the 19th-21st. I’m still sewing binding on my big rug that’ll show. Have to sleeve it and another one for hanging.
The Rail Yards Market opens the 28th, and I have to make more inventory! Summer sales do take work.

“Mama’s Kitchen” Mug Rug Set: sold! By Tom!

Something’s got to give for a few weeks, and, in this case, it’s the blog. So, no more entries till June, peeps. But I will definitely put updates and photos – especially of Cheryl’s class and Fiesta – on the Facebook page. Check in there.

I hope that your spring is going well and that it’s warming up wherever you call home!

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March 29, 2017

Here’s to the hookers!

I was wondering, trying to come up with something interesting to write about this week. It’s a week that’s got me running around with my metaphorical chicken head cut off. My class up at the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC) is supposed to run Saturday assuming, that is, we have two folks signed up to take it. Last I heard – over a week ago – there was one person on the list. You need two students for the workshop to run. “Don’t worry,” they told me. “Everyone likes to wait till the last minute to sign up.” Okay, I get that, have even done that. But what it means to me right now is that I have to prepare for this class whether it runs or not.

The reality is that, even if it doesn’t run, I can use the materials I put together for a class in the fall when they’ll have more time to publicize the class. (There was a little issue getting the info up on the website after their web coordinator left EVFAC.) And there is a nice arts and crafts show here at home that I’ll have to miss if I’m up in Española.

Here's to the hookers! — TO THE HOOKERS!

But you know what I was reminded of again as I was getting ready for the class this week? How really, really nice hookers as a group are. Sure, we see it all the time when we’re on Facebook and sites like Heidi Wulfraat’s Rug Hookers Daily and Wanda Kerr’s Welcome Mat what with all the freely offered advice and such, but sometimes it just smacks you aside the head. These are just some of the people I’m grateful to this week:

My guild. I put out a plea to the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) for frames people weren’t using, frames I could borrow that would make life easier for someone learning how to hook. There are currently four frames sitting in my car that members provided to me yesterday afternoon while we were doing our regular Biopark demo gig. Thank you, Mary, Nan, and Melinda! Even more amazing, one woman I’ve never even met offered me a frame! She’s not active in the guild but remains on the distribution list. Is Jan not the best?
Cathy Kelly in my guild offers frames, hooks, whatever. She’s been teaching all along, and I’m just a lowly newbie.
Laura Kenyon and Deb Walland of Seaside Rug Hooking in Rhode Island, I salute you! (And not just because I miss the Ocean State.) A few days ago I saw a great offer for sari yarn on one of their Facebook posts. I was out and couldn’t order it then and there, but I was able to ask if they could hold four skeins for me. Yes! Later I got back to them; long story short: They mailed the yarn to me without having me pay ahead of time. I’ve received the very “wicked” (RI parlance) colored yarn and an invoice and will shoot a check off to them tomorrow. How many businesses are willing to spot you the product before you pay? Actually, quite a few rug hooker-to-rug hooker businesses I’ve found.
And lastly, there’s Letty from Winnipeg. She sent me a lovely email after reading about my class in EVFAC’s promotional material. A rug hooker, she regularly spends time in New Mexico. She’ll be back in October and asked if she could visit and spend some time in my studio with me; she’s even willing to pay for that. Bless her heart! Who charges to sit with soon-to-be friends? Definitely not me. Guess I’ll have to tell her that my studio consists of a narrow laundry room, my admittedly kick-ass walk-in closet (half full of clothes, half with hooking stuff), and, of course, my chair next to the couch. I’ll do that when I get off my butt and properly respond to her mail.

Do you have a hooker or three to thank? Feel free to do it here. Better yet, thank them directly on their own Facebook pages where everyone can see how much you appreciate them.

To the hookers! from the dog. — As promised, Tynan’s back this week with the current rug on the frame. You might remember the little chile mug rug I did last week. Well, I liked it so much that I decided to do a larger version of it. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. In the meantime we’re celebrating Ty’s birthday. He’s nine!

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February 13, 2017

Adobe Wool Arts Guild excellent February adventures

Adobe Wool Arts Guild rug hooking retreat. — Adobe Wool Arts Guild members at our winter retreat in Albuquerque. From left to right: Mary R., Nancy, Mary S., and Melinda. Here we are after we moved into the much warmer hallway to hook.

February’s a big month for the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) here in Albuquerque. In addition to our usual monthly meeting and two demo days at the BioPark, we’ve been participating in the Artful Threads show down in Belen’s Harvey House (February 2, 11, and 18). The 25th brings the BioPark’s Winter Wool Festival (make plans to visit that day!). Best of all is our own winter retreat which started today.

Hooked rug. — Mary S. is working on a large Currier and Ives design. She loaded it up on her Cheticamp frame, which was new to some AWAG members.

Melinda’s almost done hooking her 10-year project (much of which she hooked in the last year after she moved to NM from NH). This rug is 5 feet by 3 feet. I will definitely feature this fabulous rug when she finishes it.

Two women and a hooked rug. — Mary S. advising Liz on her rug.

We held a fall retreat last October. It was a chance to get together and hook uninterrupted for three whole days! Liked it so much, we decided to do it again this month. The good thing is we can reserve a local police substation for free. Worked like a charm twice before for us. There was a little hitch this morning, which happened to be the day winter returned to Albuquerque for a few days. (Yeah, we got an inch of snow, and temperatures DID NOT reach 70 like they did last week. It got to maybe 40. I hear your “sympathies,” New England.) When we opened up the room, it was 53º. It never hit 60. Except in the bathrooms.

Snowy New Mexico scene. — This is a winter storm in Albuquerque. Sure, you can’t see the Sandia Mountains looming behind the cloud, but all we got was about an inch of snow. An inch. It’ll be in the 50s come Wednesday. THIS IS WHY I MOVED HERE FROM NEW ENGLAND! (Sorry about that extra foot or two today, Maine.)

No matter. We fired up the little hotpot and made tea. And kept our jackets on. Eventually, we moved into a hallway that was a bit warmer. And after entertaining a curious, young officer with a background in graphic design, a maintenance man showed up, hopefully ensuring a warmer retreat day tomorrow. Just in case, a few of us will show up with space heaters. Moral of the story: Nothing screws with a hookers’ retreat.

What does your guild or hooking group do to spark creativity and camaraderie?

Have a happy Valentine’s Day, all!

January 31, 2017

Many thanks, Old Pueblo Rug Hookers!

Old Pueblo Rug Hookers hooked rug — Thank you, Old Pueblo Rug Hookers, for a marvelous hook-in! Can’t wait to go again next year. Better yet, I get in free in 2018. Read on to find out why.

Sparky’s mango and red chile (from Hatch, of course) milkshake.

Just like I wrote last week, four of us from the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) did indeed pile into a Subaru Outback early Friday morning. And we were off on our annual (okay, my second and Melinda’s first) Tucson adventure, albeit with colds and coughs and arthritis flare-ups. Between the coffee/tea break, lunch at Sparky’s in Hatch (yes, home of the Hatch chiles) and a couple of gas and pee stops, we finally pulled into the Best Western around 5:00 p.m. that evening achy and tired of sitting.

You know you’ve got excellent lodging when the desk clerk tells you about the free, yes, free, happy hour. Sure, we’d brought quality alcoholic provisions, but why open them when someone’s willing to give you something just as…as efficient for free? We hung there the next evening too. Lest you think we drank our way through the evenings, we actually hit up Guiseppe’s, an Italian place across the street from the Best Western Friday night. I had the best mussels! (And not just because they were the first ones I’ve found since I moved out this way a year and a half ago.) Saturday night we headed to a traditional AWAG stop, the deli, Shlomo and Vito’s. Just like being in New York If you don’t happen to notice the ubiquitous saguaro cacti in the area.

Sun and 31°F greeted us Saturday morning when we headed off to La Paloma Country Club. The Old Pueblo Rug Hookers (OPRH) throw a swanky affair. Good food (even for those of us handicapped by a gluten- free diet), door prizes, vendors, views of the golf course, and a silent auction. Melinda, Cathy, Mary, and I joined up with Nancy and Mary S. and parked ourselves at a table with a view. Cathy and I set up to vend. Me, some mug rug sets and Cathy, a butt-load of hand-dyed wool. Display rugs were in another room.

A close-up of Adele Yorke’s display rug.

Despite the posh surroundings, it was a hook-in just like the others I attended in churches back in New England. Lots of chatter, food, wool, and rugs, lots of rugs. I was asked to speak for a few moments on hooking with t-shirts. Better than that, I won a surprise door prize: free registration for next year’s hook-in. Woohoo! And I managed to snag an old rug in the silent auction. Anyone know anything about this mat?

Hooked rug at Old Pueblo Rug Hooker Hook-In — A rather elderly hooked rug I acquired in the silent auction. Anyone know the artist? About the mat?

Rug hooking women. — Adobe Wool Arts Guild members from left to right, Melinda, Mary S., and Mary.

Hooked rug by Rita Vail, one of the Old Puebo Rug Hookers — Check out the “quilling” in Rita Vail’s saguaro cactus rug. Rita’s one of the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers.

Hooked rug by Beth Carlson. — A most beautiful rug by Beth Carlson.

Now that I’m back, it’s time to get down to business. I have to finish my Tynan rug for March 1 so that I can enter it into Albuquerque’s Fiber Fiesta. I did decide to not kill myself to get the traditional rug done for then too; too much hooking and too much going on in my life. Plus, I need to start making product for the summer and any shows I’m doing. The jury’s still out on the Rail Yards Market. I’ve got a class to prep for April

Hooked rugs — Rugs at the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers Hook-In in Tucson Saturday.

at the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center. You all know the drill: Life relentlessly marches on. But for one weekend, at least, I escaped thanks to the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers.

Hook-in news? How was Eliot? Others?

Lastly, below is the weekly report from Tynan the Dog on the current rug. We didn’t get as much done this week as we’d like, but so much was going on. And who hooks that much at a hook-in what with all that chitchat and other activities?

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