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…
Unfortunately, International Rug Hooking Day finds me sitting alone on my couch. I’d much rather be out at Albuquerque’s BioPark, the Botanic Garden specifically, doing demos and spreading the the rug hooking gospel with the Adobe Wool Arts Guild. That wasn’t in the cards; instead I’ve had the privilege of falling asleep to old movies like “Camelot.”There was a crapload of overacting in that one. And I’m pecking this out one-fingered on my tablet. I make no promises regarding quality.
Hey, the reality is that I wasn’t ready with a post anyway. Sunday morning Tom, Tynan, and I had to make a sudden trip up to the kid in Durango. That’s in southwestern Colorado if you’re new here. She slid on some ice going to work and put her minivan into a tree. Yes, she’s fine, but not the van. After pondering on it a few minutes, Tom and I decided to go on up and get her a car so she could stay there and keep her job. We figured it was best for all involved. Nothing good would’ve come from her returning to New Mexico without a ride or a job. Okay, and I just got that studio/guest room set up. Freedom is expensive.
Now while the trip in no way helped my then burgeoning cold, it did remind Tom and me why we moved to New Mexico. I love Durango in summer and fall, but in an almost-winter storm, it’s cold!!! Still charming, but cold! And the driving pretty hairy. They don’t salt the roads, and their use of sand is meager at best. But the mountain scenery around it is incredible. And the sights driving back through New Mexico aren’t too shabby either. I figured I’d share a few. Enjoy while I go cough up a lung. We’ll talk again next week. (Hopefully.)
The view on the road between Cortez and Durango in Colorado. The mountains are the San Juans. Sorry about the focus issues. Jumping out of the driver’s seat without a lot of breakdown lane to use a cell phone camera was nerve-wracking and cold. At that point Tom was ahead driving the kid and her new old car back to Durango.
Pretty, isn’t it?Pretty, but cold.Snow, snow everywhere..It’s been a while since I’ve driven through snow squalls.Fortunately, the snow evaporated as we drove southward. (Well, Tom drove and I crocheted.)
And the shadows lengthened.
It looked as if we were approaching the start of another world…
And as always, the trusty passenger, Tynan. At this point he was wondering why we kept stopping and I kept getting out of the car. Pictures don’t take themselves, dude.
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…
Something to be thankful for: When you meet an Instagram friend for the first time! Josephine of lonnieandjosephine Instagram fame showed up out of the blue, surprising me at my booth this weekend. And she bought a rug! Nothing’s better than that. Except that… she’s coming to next week’s Adobe Wool Arts Guild retreat here in Albuquerque. Woohoo!
Santa Fe Fall Fiber Fiesta 2018 is in the books, so now it’s time to lay low for a bit. Well, not exactly. It’s Thanksgiving week, and the kid is coming home tomorrow. Thursday’s dinner for our little family and a few friends is here, and you know what that means: cleaning and cooking! Not so much the hooking for a couple of days. I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your own kin and whoever else circles your table – in body and/or soul. Enjoy one another! Lay low and tell your stories. Eat! Hook rugs! But do it together.
Happy Thanksgiving, 2018! What are you most thankful for this year?
Couldn’t resist. I think this is actually last year’s pic, nonetheless, Tynan and High on Hooking bid you all a very Happy Turkey Day.
One of Catherine’s kick-ass “Everywoman Tote Bags.” And what do I use this one for? To carry all my meeting paperwork, of course. Come see all the colors she makes them in at the High Desert Studio Tour Saturday!
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.
Info on the annual High Desert Studio Tour this Saturday in Albuquerque. More info on the website, www.highdesertliving.net. Remember, three of us will be at Stop #3. Follow the purple balloons!Tynan whores for a treat brings you this week’s “What’s on the frame?” As you can see, there are actually four little rugs on there right now. I’m low on mug rugs which make excellent and unique gifts for the holidays. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Check out our Etsy shop. There may be one or two there right this minute. If not, give a yell and tell me what you need.
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!
