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Lying to myself

I really have been lying to myself. More than I’d like to. But I bet you do it too. Take that last blog post of mine from a couple of weeks ago. It really must’ve been the chardonnay whispering because that little slow down before breaking down that I went on and on about… Yeah, it didn’t last very long. Oh, the gratitude crap did for a bit, but the oxygen mask? I took that off right quick.

textile art from Stitch Camp
My Stitch Camp piece piece watching me, always watching me. And waiting.

But I tried. I really tried. Last week I was smart enough to sign myself up for Stitch Camp which consisted of five days of self-paced and very short videos by Gwen Hedley. I have to say – and I am not lying to myself here – I  started out well. Sunday I pulled out the paints, the fabrics, the various threads/yarns, the needles, all kinds of implements and textile substrates. On Monday I made my marks. Not sure how much I liked them, but then how often do we question our own artwork in the throes of creation? Onward ho! Tuesday, I cut the painted fabric into pieces. Come Wednesday – despite four online events, meetings, appointments – I sewed some of them together. I had momentum, a big stone rolling down a hill. I was making time for myself.

And then Thursday happened. I remember that I went out for a haircut. Where the rest of that day went, I have no idea. No worries, I told myself. There’s Friday and a weekend. Friday I watched the videos for Thursday and Friday. And then…nothing. The piece that I began last week sits draped over a dining room chair eying me with reproach. I tell it we’ll be together in a week or so. I hope that I’m not lying to it. And to myself.

Why am I lying to myself?

Like many of us, it’s because we just get too busy with all the things and people that make up our lives and relationships. I suppose that I’m grateful for that busy life; it’s certainly better than being bored and not having enough to keep me engaged. And I have great friends and family and projects.

Unfortunately, the Stitch Camp piece is destined to wait for another week or two because:

  • Tomorrow I have an online class about how to better serve on a nonprofit board. That’s two hours I’m happy to give to Susan’s Legacy where I’ve been a board member for three or four years. Women’s mental health will always be important to me, and we all know someone who could’ve used what SL provides.
  • Saturday I’ll attend an online Guild Development Retreat put on my the Handweavers Guild of America. No, I don’t weave, but it’s all about the betterment of all kinds of textile guilds. “Through panels and discussions, we hope to strengthen guild leadership, unite organizations, and provide a platform for the sharing of ideas. We want participants to end the day feeling motivated in their effort to build and grow their guilds so that all guilds can thrive.” The Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) here in Albuquerque is a fine guild, but we have our issues too. As president of AWAG, I feel this is an imperative. Two other members think the same and will “go” with me.

    Boucherouite-inspired hooked art
    This is the newest Boucherouite-inspired hooked piece that I’m using to get ready for Sunday’s class. (Hooked with old bed sheets and a little t-shirt.)
  • Sunday we kick off In the Studio’s Workshop Week 4! My Build a Baby Boucherouite class is the first to roll followed by our panel discussion led by Susan Feller and three of the teachers: “What inspires you to be creative when in the doldrums?” Lord knows we’ve all been in the doldrums! There are a few workshop openings if you’re interested. Me, I’m adding to my workload creativity toolbox and taking Jane’s watercolor class. Because I don’t have enough to do. (As I type I’m also making a chicken soup.)
  • And because we never have enough to do, I’m trying to finalize AWAG’s plans to have Donna Hrkman here for a second visit in late February. We’re praying that Covid doesn’t waylay those plans a second time. Damn, I need to come up with a project for that too!

So all those nice sentiments I expressed last post? I guess that I prefer to think that I was hopeful rather than lying to myself. There are always going to be crazy days and weeks in our lives. It seems that this January is one of mine.

High on Hooking Dogs show off newest Boucherouite-inspired hooked rug.
Tynan and Bowyn, the High on Hooking Dogs, bring you this week’s WHAT’S ON THE FRAME. Sadly, they’re frustrated with how little walking has been done in this new year, but they too look forward to better days.

And I remember now! Thursday went to buying a new mattress to deal with my lower back problem. That took a few hours. To all those who have kindly expressed concern, I’m on the mend…slowly. With steps forward and then again backward but then again forward. The new mattress is a help. We even got one of those frames that lets you raise your head and feet. Very cool. I will never live without that again, I promise you (no lying!).

Life really is good. Tom and I celebrated 29 years married Sunday. Of course, there is always Tynan and Bowyn. And they have made all the difference.

 

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Shakerag Workshops in June!

Finally I can let the world know that I’m teaching at the Shakerag Workshops in Sewanee, Tennessee in 2022. TheShakerag Workshops logoy asked me about it awhile ago, but between our schedules and some electronic issues, there was a bit of a delay on the website. I’m happy to say that my class listing is now up and complete. You can find info about it HERE. I have to admit that there are some other very inviting art classes during the two week-long sessions. Take a look. And it all kicks off with a four-day knitting retreat with the folks from Modern Daily Knitting. (While I get their newsletters, I’m a crocheter; I’ve never been able to grasp the whole purl thing. A girl has to know her limits, and this girl is sticking with hooks.)

About Shakerag Workshops
Shakerag Workshops is an adult studio art workshop program. For 2022 we will begin with a Knitting Getaway retreat in Session I (June 8-11) and then move to week-long classes offered in various media in Sessions II and III (June 12-18 and June 19-25). Participants may register for one or more sessions. Classes in Sessions II and III meet from 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00 daily. Participants and faculty members often work together in the studios during late afternoons and evenings, occasionally taking time away from their artistic endeavors for sitting and talking, hiking, practicing yoga, or swimming in our mountain lake.
–from the Shakerag website

Traveling to teach in Tennessee, specifically in Sewanee, is exciting for a couple of reasons. First it’s the biggest “stage” that I’ll have taught on, certainly in person. I’m honored to have been asked. Second, there’s a LOT of synchronicity going on. Other than the song  learned by watching Looney Tunes long ago that starts “Way down upon the Sewanee River far, far away…,” I really knew nothing about Sewanee or even that it’s a town! Then, a number of years ago, a good friend from college and her husband were both hired to teach at Sewanee: The University of the South. Unfortunately, Kelly and I haven’t seen each other since they moved from Boston. Then I moved from Massachusetts to Albuquerque. Not a lot of geographical overlap between the two. LOL But a few years after Tom and I arrived here, I made an online connection with a hooker from Tennessee, Cass Gannaway. Her son lives here; she even met some of the Adobe Wool Arts Guild while some of us were demonstrating at the BioPark. Cass is pretty much a guild member at this point and has taken classes with us online during Covid. We hope to see her for real soon. Did I mention that she happens to be Kel’s neighbor? Oh, and that the director of Shakerag is also friends with Kelly and her husband.

Boucherouite hooked rug from Sahkerag adIt gets better. Cass and some of her Tennessee  hookers have taken my and other In the Studio Workshop Week classes during the past year and a half. And now, thanks to all these convoluted relationships, Cass’s son-in-law, Charlie Dalton – you might know him as The Hooking Colonel on Instagram – is teaching a second time with In the Studio come February! (I actually had the pleasure of meeting Charlie last year during the holidays when he was visiting his Albuquerque in laws.) And that, my friends, is what SYNCHRONICITY is all about. This New Mexico-Sewanee connection was meant to be.

HOOK RUGS: SAVE THE PLANET, June 19-25, will provide instruction on hooking and punching. It’s perfect for beginners and those familiar with the art forms. But we won’t be focusing on wool (not that there won’t be wool), rather we’ll look at how we can use materials that are often discarded and fill up our landfills. We’ll do our own little part to slow that process. See the links above or email me at if you’re interested in joining us.


REMINDER:
In the Studio (Online)’s Workshop Week 3 (WW3) was a resounding success in October. January 30 – February 6 will find us in WW4. Classes are filling rapidly. See the workshops and other information by following the link above. I’ll be offering last winter’s popular Baby Boucherouite class. Follow In the Studio’s Instagram as each of the nine teachers take over for a day during the next few weeks. Our Facebook page also provides plenty of fiberific findings.

 

Dog on hooked rug in front of holiday decorations
Tynan brings you what might be the last WHAT’S ON THE FRAME of 2021. Bowyn wanted to be there but couldn’t control his wild and crazy nature. The ANGEL OF 2022 should be finished next week. Tynan wishes that your holidays are filled with too many treats to count. Oh, wait! That’s what he wishes for himself.

Lastly, I hope that everyone’s taking the time to enjoy the holidays. Certainly, we’ll all have more friends and family with us than we could last year. Tom and I will actually have folks here to see our Christmas tree for the first time in years. The kid and my brother both manage to arrive on or before Christmas Eve.

I’m hoping to slow down in the next week or so to write cards and bake. And I’m almost done with my annual angel project; the Angel of 2022 will be finished shortly. It’s time to start planning the project that will take me into the New Year. What about you? Working on anything special these last days of the 2021?

 

 

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Time to register for Workshop Week 4!

Workshop Week 4 classes announced; registrations are open!

A little déjà vu…Classes offered for Workshop Week 4

Thanks to Covid, a new type of “art camp” was born last year, one that lets folks from all over come together without worrying about the high costs (in money and germs!) of travel and hotels. Those of us involved in In the Studio – brought together by Karen Miller – had such success and fun, that we did it all over again in Februaryand then again last month. So as not to get too complacent or predictable, we now regularly invite other artists to join us.

Workshop Weeks are a little different than the usual rug hooking camps. While we have plenty of classes involving hooking in some way, we also look to offer new skills to our students. New skills can involve different textile arts traditions. They also might be about ancillary arts and processes that can enhance your hooking or your other artistic endeavors. “Why limit ourselves?” is a big part of our philosophy at In the Studio.

Artists participating this go-around include the usual suspects: Elizabeth (Beth) Miller; Meryl Cook; Susan Feller, and myself. You’re probably familiar with at least a few of our guest teachers: Charlie Dalton (you might know him by his Instagram handle @thehookingcolonel); Yvonne Iten-Scott; Hayley Perry; Jane M. Mason, and Deirdre Pinnock.

Again, all Workshop Week 4 classes will be conducted on Zoom. I know, I know, it’s not the same as being there in person, but how else could you be part of these incredible line-ups? And we’ll have the two bonus sessions again during the week – an evening gathering (February 6) and a panel discussion (January 30).

Just like Workshop Weeks 1-3, there is a wide array of workshops available. Scroll through the document below to find your favorite(s). Feel free to take more than one. Email individual instructors directly for registration and more info. Don’t tarry, as classes filled up pretty quickly last time.

BTW: If you see a workshop that you’d love to take with your guild or other social group, most of us are happy to run our classes again.

 

WORKSHOP WEEK 4 – Scroll away to see the classes being offered. Enlarge image by clicking on bottom right symbol.

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Things we’re thankful for

Here at High on Hooking we’re thankful for many things this November.

The Bosque "forest" of New Mexico
See why we love New Mexico? I took this pic during one of my early morning walks with Bowyn in the Bosque.
  • We live in a comfy house in the beautiful state of New Mexico. And we’ve had an incredible, albeit warm fall season. We’ll be welcoming good friends here to celebrate Thanksgiving. Bring on the turkey and the pies!
  • We’re all healthy and have avoided the Coronacootie. (In fact, we just received our boosters!)
  • The kid will make it home Saturday. And she’ll actually be here for Christmas this year! That’s something to really be thankful for.
  • In the Studio Online‘s Workshop Week 3 was a hit in October. Stay tuned for a BIG announcement about WW4 in the very near future. Till then, find out who’s teaching teaching this time around HERE.
  • High on Hooking will be teaching on the road in June of 2022! Stay tuned for more news on the trip.
  • The supply chain disruptions aren’t an issue to us. We’re thankful we already have everything we need for the holidays in-house: each other, food, shelter, music, wine, and yarn and other art supplies. What else do we need?

High on Hooking wishes you a happy

and healthy AND thankful Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for the High on Hooking dogs who love thanksgiving.
And, of course, we are most thankful for the High on Hooking dogs Bowyn and Tynan.
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IN THE STUDIO – October is our month!

In the Studio Online logoIn the Studio is having quite the month! Make sure you’re caught up with all that’s going on so that you don’t miss anything.

 

#showingupinthestudio2021

Search Instagram using this hashtag. We at In the Studio are urging folks to jump into our new daily “challenge” that’s not so much a challenge as it is a gift to yourself. As Meryl Cook put it: “Just do something to stretch yourself creatively for the rest of 2021.” And, hey, if you can only do it every other day or weekly, do that. Just do it for yourself. Because I had a show this past weekend to prep for, I only got to join in the fun yesterday. I started an improv stitching mini-project that I’ll work on a little each evening because I haven’t been good at starting a stitching PROJECT earlier in the year like I wanted to. This will put me on a path of exploration so that I can really get into something come 2022. There are almost two months to see where this takes me. Find more examples at @artwools and @karenmillerstudio .

Workshop Weeks 3 and 4In the Studio Workshop Week logo

Last year the In the Studio artists began Workshop Week (WW) to fill a hole that Covid dug. Sure, we couldn’t attend workshops and classes in person, but we put our heads together and technology to work and managed to come together anyway. It stuck! We’ve realized that getting together via Zoom allows students and teachers (most of us have played both roles) to meet one another and learn new techniques for a fraction of the cost of traditional schools. (Not that we’re giving up on those, but WW is a nice complement and the only thing available to many of us.) We don’t limit ourselves to rug hooking, but encourage the presentation of other arts and complementary techniques and subject matter. If you haven’t perused the WW3 options, check them now as classes have been filling. Personally, I have room in my October 23 session of Hooking with T-Shirts. Contact me at Laura@highonhooking.com if interested. We are currently soliciting proposals for this winter’s WW4. Teachers, find more info here.

In the Studio Online with JESS STEPONAITIS – October 22

Join Nova Scotia textile artist, Jess Steponaitis, as she discusses how she uses bold colours and unique designs to approach the traditional craft of rug hooking with a fresh perspective! You can find tickets for this online talk HERE.

In the Studio presents Jess Steponaitis October 22.About Jessica Steponaitis:

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Jessica has been designing and crafting hooked rugs since 2002.  Her work is best described as “contemporary folk art” or “folk art meets pop art,” and she frequently creates work inspired by her proximity to the ocean and all of its creatures.  All of Jessica’s work is created using linen foundation cloth.  She cuts all of her wool by hand and frequently dyes wool to create custom colors.  The edges of each rug are carefully finished using locally sourced wool yarn.

Jessica’s work was featured in Rug Hooking Magazine in 2020 and she has been invited to participate in the Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival.  She is also a member of the Rug Hooking Guild of Nova Scotia.

To learn more about Jessica and to see her work, you can find her on Facebook and on Instagram @rughookerjess.

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ FOR ALL IN THE STUDIO TALKS:
The Zoom link for this presentation will be emailed to you the day before the talk (or after you purchase your ticket, if you purchase on the day of the event).  If you don’t receive it, you can contact the organizer at info@karendmillerstudio.com.  
Tickets will be on sale until 10 am the day of the event.  After that time you will no longer be able to purchase tickets.
Please note that the time of the talk is 1:00 pm EASTERN (EST).
FAQ’s
* Will this talk be recorded for viewing later?
Unfortunately, no. Due to the logistics involved, we decided some time ago to keep these events live. Hopefully if you can’t make it to this talk, you’ll be able to make it to a future talk.
* It’s the day of the talk and I’m having trouble finding or using the link for the talk. How can I find help?
It is very advisable to LOG INTO THE EVENT A FEW MINUTES EARLY to be sure that you have no trouble with the link, and if you are having trouble the organizer can help you out. You can email or message the event organizer up until one hour before the talk on the day of the talk for help. ONCE THE EVENT STARTS, however, messages and emails are not able to be monitored.
* I’m finding it distracting during the talk seeing all of the other participants on my screen. What can I do?
During the event the organizer will put the screen setting on “spotlight view” so that the presenter is the focus on your screen. Depending on your device, you may still see audience members on your screen and changing your setting from “gallery view” to “speaker view” should help with that.
* What Time Zone is the time of the talk in?
The time indicated on all ‘In the Studio’ talks is the EASTERN (EST) time zone.  If you live in a different time zone, be sure to check what time you should tune in to ensure you don’t miss the talk.
*I can no longer make it to the talk.  Or, I missed the talk.  Can I get a refund?
Unfortunately no- the price of the ticket is so low that it is not cost-effective to refund those amounts.  If you are unable to make it to the talk and you already have a ticket, or you forget to attend, please do contact me at info@karendmillerstudio.com.  I always offer a ticket to the next talk to make up for it.  All of the artist speakers receive a portion of the ticket proceeds so we very much appreciate your contribution to supporting artists!

The artists of In the Studio – Karen Miller, Susan Feller, Beth Miller, Meryl Cook, and myself – hope that you’ll join us for at least one of these events in October!

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