Category: photos

June 27, 2016

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.

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?

June 22, 2016

Escaping the city

On Route 4, the Jemez Mountain Trail, somewhere around Jemez Pueblo. — Southern Route 4, the Jemez Mountain Trail, somewhere around Jemez Pueblo.

Escaping the city heat was only one of the things on our minds yesterday when Tom and I headed off for a day out. The kid’s been driving us crazy, my RA won’t stabilize, and once in a while I need back-to-nature.

Much as I like Albuquerque, I come from a succession of small towns in Connecticut then Kansas then Connecticut again and then Massachusetts. Albuquerque’s got a population of just over a half million. Sure, it’s spread out – much as most western cities – but that can make for a butt-load of cranky-pants people driving in 104 degree weather.

Soda Dam is a 300-foot long natural dam created by mineral deposits from a hot spring. Very cool.

We’d promised the dog that he could get out too, so northward ho the three of us went. Mountains sounding coolish (compared to here), we headed up the Jemez Mountain Trail, a national scenic by-way, towards Los Alamos. Enjoy some pics!

Welcome to Battleship Rock; it marks the confluence of the Jemez River and San Antonio Creek. Yesterday it also marked the location of a nascent forest fire. Maybe you can see it to the right of the rock. Fortunately, the fire was contained by last night. Especially fortunate as I took the photo standing in the driveway of a YMCA camp, and I could hear all the kids int he mess hall. — Welcome to Battleship Rock; it marks the confluence of the Jemez River and San Antonio Creek. Yesterday it also marked the location of a nascent forest fire. Maybe you can see it to the right of the rock. Fortunately, the fire was contained by last night. Especially fortunate as I took the photo standing in the driveway of a YMCA camp, and I could actually hear the kids celebrating someone’s birthday in the mess hall.

Vibrantly green conifers all over the mountains.

New Mexico - it's not all brown and dry. We hiked about a half-mile down to the stream, but my knees opted not to continue on to the hot springs. — New Mexico – it’s not all dry desert. We hiked about a third of a mile down to the stream, but my knees opted not to continue on to the hot springs.

To come around a curve and find...this amazed Tom and me. It's the Valles Caldera National Preserve. It's one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world, about 17 miles in diameter. You might have seen it on the news this week. A woman running a marathon stumbled upon a mama bear and her three cubs. Thank goodness she lived to tell the tale. — To come around a curve and find…this amazed Tom and me. It’s the Valles Caldera National Preserve. It’s one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world, about 17 miles in diameter. You might have seen it on the news this week. A woman running a marathon stumbled upon a mama bear and her three cubs. Thank goodness she lived to tell the tale.

I loved it up there so much that the next plan is to spend a couple of nights in Jemez Springs when we get a chance. Tynan's happy; there are a couple of little motels that allow polite dogs to stay. — I loved it up there so much that the next plan is to spend a couple of nights in Jemez Springs when we get a chance. Tynan’s happy; there are a couple of little motels that welcome polite dogs. He can be very polite. As long as we give him lots of snacks.

Will you be escaping the city this summer? Where will you go? What will you do?

April 13, 2016

Heading down Memory Lane looking for a rug

Memory Lane can take you to the best places. In this case, Story land around 1970. — Memory Lane can take you to the best places. In this case, New Hampshire’s Story Land around 1970.

Memory Lane’s got me in her grip, but I managed to come up for air for a few moments. For one thing, this post is due tomorrow. As long as I can get a draft done today…

I’ve been going through hundreds of old family photos that my brother and his wife generously uploaded to Shutterfly from slides my father’s been taking for decades. It’s a huge undertaking and the job’s not done yet. But at least family history – the good and bad of it – won’t be lost, and the collection of pics doesn’t have to be split between the four of us kids.

Why am I going through photos today? And not just my father’s but my own family’s as well? It actually has to do with rug hooking. Really! In less than a month Cheryl Bollenbach is paying a visit to Albuquerque, specifically to the Adobe Wool Arts guild, to facilitate an open class with us. I know, it’s exciting. It’s open, so we’re choosing our own projects. Cheryl will be informed ahead of time, so that she’ll know what we’re looking to learn and what we need help with, then she can prepare accordingly. Actually, she’s waiting to hear from us, um, me right now. I received her email Friday. Still haven’t responded.

Dancing with Grandpa. Maybe I was 13-ish.

See, between creating hopefully saleable small mats and working on the bed-sheet rug (which presented a not-so-small backing challenge this past week) in order to have enough inventory for the Rail Yards Market come June 5, I haven’t been thinking too much about the class. Sure, now and again – usually at 2:00 a.m. in bed – I’d agonize a little over it and what I wanted to accomplish with Cheryl, but I’d comfort myself with “Hey, it’s not till May. You’ve got plenty of time.” This week I realized that May 4th is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

Deep breath. More thought. One goal I’ve had for 2016 is to hook a sefie. Not something particularly realistic, but one of those whimsical, full-of-color mats I’ve seen some of you put up on Facebook and Pinterest. What fun! I’ll do that. But then I got to thinking, I haven’t done

Tynan, family dog extraordinaire. (We all say that about our dogs, I know.) Love his color, but not interested in hooking that much Welsh springer spaniel red and white.

Tynan. He’s our dog who simply must be immortalized in wool or t-shirt or something. Again, not looking to make him realistic either. Did that with another dog and really didn’t enjoy it. Ripped out a LOT of loops. Hooking’s supposed to be my happy place. And what I want to do in one of these rugs is show that and the joy that Tynan and/or I get from life. That means bright colors, people.

So, I’m looking at pics, and I see my beloved grandmother. And my brother who passed away from cancer at 14. I could hook them! Or pictures my dad took of Nova Scotia during our camping trips! What about the mountains of New Mexico that I’ve fallen in love with? Or my daughter behind a feathered Mardi Gras mask circa 5th grade? Now I’m out of control. Really, I’ve never mined my photographs for ideas given my love of abstract. I guess it’s time.

I know that many of you do use your pics to hook. I’m looking for some advice regarding Photoshop. Looks like it can definitely be a great tool. Thoughts? Ease of use? (I’m Windows based, not Mac.) Happy to hear from everyone. And I’ll let you know sometime soon who’s getting a portrait done.