Happy New Year and welcome back to High on Hooking! So excited to have you here. If you recall my last post, I talked about resting up during the holidays and considering what I want to do in 2017. Not sure I really rested, but I did manage to cut back some of my social media use, and I have to admit I enjoyed that and taking a few weeks off from blog writing too.
I did finish my class proposal for the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center. Hopefully, I’ll hear back from them soon, but in the meantime buddy Melinda and I are hoping to get up north on a yarn-centric field trip next week. We’ll stop at the Center on our way to say hi. And we have coupons for the shop. Yea!!!
Another goal was more reading; I did that! Hell, I’m still doing that. I managed to read all the stories assigned to me by Fifth Wednesday and even started a new book for pleasure. (It’s called Steps and Exes: A Novel of Family, and it’s by Laura Kalpakian. I’m enjoying it; you might too.) Meanwhile, I’m also reading a few others (you know, the ones in the car, in the bathroom, the
kitchen…) For purposes of bettering myself as High on Hooking, though, I’m deep into Grow Your Handmade Business by Kari Chapin and Deanne Fitzpatrick’s Simply Modern: Contemporary Designs for Hooked Rugs. I’ve had the latter for a while and flipped through for inspiration; now I’m committed to actually reading a few pages each evening before I start hooking.
And of course, just as in the old year, in the new year there has been hooking. After I finished my autumnal Tree of Life (okay, it’s not really finished, only the hooking’s done), I started a “new/old” rug. Someone gifted my guild (Adobe Wool Arts Guild, aka AWAG) with some old patterns last year, and even though I don’t really use patterns, I took one. It’s very traditional, but I wanted to make it more “me.” So I’m using t-shirts. So far it looks pretty cool according to guild members. I concur. Thoughts?
You might also remember that I mentioned finally getting my “big” Fiber Arts Fiesta project together as it’s due for jurying on March 1. I really do have a great idea of what I want to do. It’s a little mixed media, and it’s sitting in my brain. BUT, I’ve realized that I’m running low on time what with a lot on my plate, so that one’s going on the back burner. I’ll enter the rug above for sure, maybe something else I did last year too. AND…
Here’s a slightly updated Tynan. He’s my dog that I started back in May when Cheryl Bollenbach was here “classing up” AWAG. I meant with all my heart and soul to get back to him after High on Hooking stopped selling in 2016. Somehow that didn’t happen, and now AWAG’s made plans to have Cheryl back for another workshop come this May. Woohoo! HOWEVER, I certainly can’t have last year’s project unfinished when she returns, so last week I picked Tynan up again – slightly panicked, I admit, after all these months. We did okay, got the second eye in which was what really had my panties in a bunch. So, we’re on our way…
And if rug hooking wasn’t enough, I got a yen to do some crocheting over the holidays. Here’s what’s on the crochet hook right now (which is on the opposite side of my chair from the rug hook). It’s a child’s afghan; maybe we’ll be able to sell it this coming season. Regardless, it’s a nice diversion.
That’s my story for now and I’m sticking to it. What’s making you high on hooking this New Year?
Whew! You sound like me; so many ideas. I never understand people who need inspiration! I need to have nine lives to do everything in my head.
I haven’t really gotten going yet. Our tree is still up and I haven’t sat down and gotten organized.
I am going to do a quilting make and take at my friend’s store in Hilton Head so I need to get some samples done and sent to her ASAP. I’m looking forward to it and it will, hopefully, get my butt in gear for more teaching. I am going to be interested to see how your hooking proposal goes. I am going to “experiment on” the ladies in the neighborhood with a mug rug in March. I am going to try something I saw on Gene Shepard’s blog – a stretcher frame with bull clips.
I did want to tell you, on the subject of mug rugs, that I found some interesting stuff on Pinterest about painting mugs. Some use alcohol inks and are all drippy looking and so pretty. I thought it would be fun to make a mug and the rug! Can’t find out if the alcohol ink can be put in the dishwasher….more later on that!
We’re supposed to have SNOW this weekend, so everyone is running around like chickens and I guess I will stock up too! There’s no driving when we have rain and then snow and no plowing or salt, so will be a good weekend to hunker down and think….
Happy New Year Laura!
Hi, Deb! Hope you made it through the storm this weekend. Looked wicked, have to say. And that Tom and I didn’t miss any of that. We’re looking forward to visiting snow on the other side of the mountain soon, though. 🙂 Realized that I read this a number of days back, but somehow lost track of time with everything going on. Worse, my grandmother is doing poorly; I hear a trip back east will most likely happen soon. Unfortunately, she isn’t doing well with phone calls, so have to do with cards now. I’ve never heard of a make and take, though I get the idea. Sounds fun. Hope you put some pics up on your blog. Painting mugs could be fun; I really used to enjoy painting pottery with my girlfriend back in Franklin – before the pottery place closed, that is. 🙁 When I worked with Amy Oxford, I learned to stretch the monk’s cloth out on the frame and staple gun it. Holds very well; just a bitch to move. But if you don’t have to move the piece, it would be great. Let me know how you made it through the storm!