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What’s next for High on Hooking?

 

Two dogs and a crocheting project
Tynan and Bowyn present “What’s on the Hook” this week. By the way, the little guy is feeling much better and is back to all his mischievous ways.

What’s next? Why we’re officially into the holidays! Interestingly, that means that, at the moment, there is absolutely nothing on the frame. Not that I’m sitting on my butt, eating bon bons. No! Especially since the damn Coronacootie has seen fit to provide me an extra five pounds given how it keeps me at home. New Mexico has been pretty much locked-down till yesterday. Even if it wasn’t, the surge numbers scare the crap out of us.

Uncharacteristically, there’s absolutely nothing “On the Frame” this week. (Yet.) There is, however, something on my crochet hook. I’m making a cute basket-bag; the pattern and yarn are courtesy of We Are Knitters, if you’re interested. And I’m putting the finishing touches on “The Angel of 2021.” Will show her tomorrow, I hope. That almost-lockdown made it difficult to get a couple of items.

And we’re getting some classes ready for the New Year. God knows it’ll be a l-o-n-g winter, so we need something to keep us busy.

Baby Boucherouite class is what's next for High on Hooking
You too can “Build a Baby Boucherouite” or, as I like to call it, Barbies Magic Carpet. It’s what’s next on Zoom for High on Hooking.

First class up will be BUILD A BABY BOUCHEROUITE on Saturday, January 16, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Email me at Laura@highonhooking.com if you’re interested in coming. I ran that class in October during In the Studio’s Workshop Week and it was well received. More info to come, though you can see the basics here. If you’re on my waiting list from last time, no worries, I’ll be contacting you.

Speaking of Workshop Week, in the Studio’s Workshop Week 2 is coming! We’ve got a couple of new teachers this time around, so be watching for registration info too!

 

Let us not forget that it is the season of gift-giving. Remember that old adage: RUGS MAKE THE BEST GIFTS! Especially, hand-hooked rugs. Check out our Etsy shop to see what we have in our section of Santa’s Workshop this year. Spy something you like, you can buy it there or contact me directly at Laura@highonhooking.com and get $10 off the Etsy price for items over $50. As usual, I’m also open for commissions.

I wish everyone a safe holiday season. Although I’ve removed “autumn” from the house, I haven’t put the tree and other Christmas decor up. I suppose that’s really what’s next here. I have time; Advent just started Sunday. Besides, it’ll be a “small” Christmas this year, only the favorites will be out. What about you? Going all out as usual?

 

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Fall fiber frenzy, Part 2

 

Fall fiber frenzy continues. The year here at High on Hooking culminates in the Fall Fiber Fiesta, Friday – Sunday, up in Santa Fe. You are coming, yes?

Fall fiber frenzy - post card for Fiber Fiesta
Feed the Fall fiber frenzy by attending Fiesta! Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center does a great job with this event.

 

Postcard info on Fall Fiber Fiesta
Pertinent info regarding Fall Fiber Fiesta this weekend.

A BIG THANK YOU to Dagmar Beinenz-Byrd of ZiaWoolz for opening and sharing her beautiful home during Saturday’s High Desert Studio Tour. Yes, I did buy almost, but not quite more than I sold. But who can resist those hand-dyed yarns and fingerless mittens (yeah, I bought another pair of those), etc., etc. Because Dag’s yarns are too light to hook with, I’ve never been able to purchase any of her yummy colors. (Tom just wouldn’t understand me purchasing yarn to look at. He’s so silly, I know.) BUT, having just finished crocheting a shawl (sized more like a scarf to me) – my first “big” crochet project in years – I rewarded myself with some of her yarn to repeat the project in BRIGHT summery colors. More on that another day.

Fall fiber frenzy things to buy
Goodies by ZiaWoolz. She’s got an Etsy shop, peeps.

 

 

 

 

Really, can you resist these? And I’m not just talking Hersey’s Kisses here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly, this week’s “What’s on the frame” feature is really about what’s NOT on the frame. These little rugs have to be finished up in the next couple of days to be ready to go Friday morning. So much to do, so much to do…

Fall fiber frenzy - littel rugs to finish
You know, mug rugs give quick validation, but I’ll be glad to get back to bigger rugs after this weekend. BTW, if you can’t make it to Fiesta, we do have an Etsy shop. I’ll have time to update it after I cook Thanksgiving dinner. Give a yell if you don’t see what you need. Or want. We can help. Really…

 

 

 

 

Again, feed the Fall fiber frenzy by visiting High on Hooking up in Santa Fe this weekend. As always, mention the blog and get 10% off any rug. See you there!

 

 

 

 

 

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When you fall, you better get back up

 

After the fall, a cast for Christmas.
Santa, you really shouldn’t have…

 

When you fall, you just have to get back up no matter how much your wrist and your ass hurt.

Okay, if you follow on Facebook and/or Instagram – and I strongly encourage that you do – you probably know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, let me clue you in.

After my last blog post w-a-y back on December 12 (where I shared how one of my rugs, barring director cuts, will be performing in the TV show Better Call Saul), I took a few weeks off to enjoy the holidays. Having a little time, I figured that I’d get my ice skates sharpened and perhaps, finally, after about four years off the ice (because the blades were much too dull and, frankly, dangerous to skate on), take a turn around the rink. Being from New England, I’ve done most of my skating on ponds, but out here in the desert, you find a rink. There are only two in the ABQ area.

Maybe I should’ve trusted that they were sharp enough. Tom was waiting for me, albeit in a comfy patch of sunlight on a couch in the entrance area. He can nap anywhere. All it would’ve taken was a couple of laps around the rink to know they were sharpened just fine. But, as in many things, I’m enthusiastic. So there were some back cross-overs and a few little hops. It had been four years, but I was doing pretty well. Till I wasn’t.

Ice skater takes a fall
So, in this photo you can see how I fell on both my ass and my right wrist. I admit that I was probably showboating a bit wearing a dress on a weekday morning. (It’s amazing how much Sasha Cohen looks like me in this pic.)

My sister-in-law texted me afterwards: Old people don’t skate. Oh, but 53-year olds do! And I got back up and skated some more. I was not going to let those other  younger and less proficient skaters think that I’d hurt myself skating…more enthusiastically than they had. Besides falling is part of the game! Did you not observe all those “professional” folks eating ice during the National Figure Skating Championships last week? Then I fell again. On the same wrist.  A couple more limpy turns around the rink, and I headed out to Tom and my shoes.

No, I did NOT tell him how much my wrist hurt. Truly, I figured that, given my arthritis, I could probably shake it off (like I do every morning). Besides, we had a party to go to that evening. Where much merriment was had; I headed to the urgent care and then the orthopedist early the next morning. Where they they gave me an early Christmas present, a nice, baby-blue cast.

Wrist brace after the fall
And how it looks today. Kind of steampunk or Borg, don’t you think? It’s better than a cast, though in the house I prefer a smaller, more flexible brace. Much better for hooking and such.

Actually, they couldn’t tell if the wrist was broken but, because of the bone involved, for two weeks had to treat it as if it was. Lucky me. Here’s a short list of the things I do with my right hand/wrist/arm combo:  write; shift my car; type; hook; crochet; brush my teeth, shave my legs; cut and chop my food… While I did find a way to hook, shift, and shave some, Tom valiantly took up my slack. What a great husband I have! He didn’t even complain about the crankiness, though he did snark a fair bit about my skating prowess and age. 😉

Friday, we found out that my scaphoid bone is NOT broken. Woohoo! It just hurts like hell with certain movements. But I’m being good as I settle back into writing a legible grocery list, crocheting a shawl, and hooking (!!!) a new project – more on that later, but I’ve included a pic. I’ll hold off on the ice skating till the wrist and my tailbone have fully healed. Tom threatens to bubble-wrap me.

Now that I’ve disclosed my own tale of stupidity and triumph – I did get up and skate on not once but twice – feel free to share yours here. But before you do that, head to your closet. Do you have any quality purses in there that you don’t use anymore? You know, the kind with brand names. I need them. Bad, but for a really good cause. I’ll tell you more about that next week. Now run to your closet and check…

Hooked rug.
“What’s on the frame” this week will be clarified in the coming weeks. And Tynan will be back too. Stay tuned!

 

 

PS: A BIG shout-out and thank you to Mary Jane Peabody of Mary Jane’s Rugs for including not just my rug and thoughts in her New Year’s post, but those of a few other hookers as well. If you haven’t seen the post yet and are in the mood for a little rug porn, head over to Mary Jane’s website. (But NOT Cathy Kelly; you aren’t allowed to see the page for a few weeks. Trust me. 🙂 )

 

 

 

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My rug’s going to be a TV star!

 

Rug is going to bea TV star.
“The First Boucherouite” hooked from old bed sheets and a little t-shirt added in. It’s going to be a TV star!

My rug’s going to be a TV star! I just know it. Of course, it’s leaving me…in the New Mexican dust.

I can explain.

If you remember, I told you that I did well selling at the Santa Fe Fall Fiber Fiesta last month. In fact, someone really liked one of my personal favorites, the “First Boucherouite,” so she purchased it. While I knew I’d miss it, I’d named it “First” for a reason; I’m going to make another Boucherouite, bigger even, and maybe actually keep it for myself. I’ve already started buying the bedsheets at Savers.

Anyway, after the buyer had settled up with the cashier and left, show organizers paid my booth a visit. Turns out that the woman works for Better Call Saul – you know, the TV show created as a prequel to Breaking Bad. Both shows not only take place here in Albuquerque, they’re filmed locally as well. It appears the chick’s a set designer and always on the lookout for new materials to dress the set. All I knew is that she not only bought my rug, but a couple of lovely Navajo rugs and some other items too. (That I know because she and a friend – who bought one of my signature rugs! – were keeping their treasures behind my table as they perused the fair.) I was informed that if the television show intended to actually use any of the artists’ pieces, we’d receive a release to sign.

So life goes on. The episode makes a good story to tell, and that’s about it. Until yesterday afternoon when I opened my email. Loe and behold, there’s a message with the subject line:  BETTER CALL SAUL TV REQUEST. I’m in the car. Tom’s driving. The kid’s with us. I tell her the story; she’s properly incredulous. Then she says, “You better be prepared when they cut the scene. They do that a lot.” Duh, but thanks so much, Debbie Downer. And I carried her in my own body for nine whole months…

Regardless of Miss Pessimism, we’ll see what happens. And I better start watching Better Call Saul. That’s not a hardship; I just have to find the time. Having been a big fan of Breaking Bad, I was planning on firing up Netflix at some point to catch the new show. New – ha! The email said that they’re currently filming the fourth season. Guess I better get a move on.

And on that note, I bid you all wonderful and light-filled Hanukkahs, Christmases, and New Years. I’ve decided to take the rest of the year off from regular blog posts. No fears, you can always find me on Facebook and Instagram. (I’m pretty new to Instagram, but I love it. It’s so much quicker than other social media, yet you still get to see lots of cool pictures of peoples’ work.) ‘Tis the time for parties and such (and concomitant cleaning of one’s house to make ready for those parties). Make the most of the holiday season. Find some time to relax. Gift yourselves with TIME to read and rest and to enjoy your family and friends. Oh, and to hook. Make sure you hook. See you in 2018!

Dog and Christmas tree.
Tynan and I wish you the brightest of holiday seasons! We have no “rug on the frame” this week; I’ve been crocheting lately, and the one rug I am currently working on is a surprise for Brigitte Webb to view when it’s finished. See you in the New Year!
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Planning for the hooking New Year

Happy New Year and welcome to 2017! Yes, my tree is still up. Tomorrow begins the de-Christmas-ification here at High on Hooking.

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

Photo of book by Deanne Fitzpatrick: Simply Modern.
Simply Modern by Deanne Fitzpatrick. If you don’t have this book yet, get it!

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?

Traditional rug hooking pattern being hooked in t-shirts.
The start of my new/old rug being hooked in t-shirts. Anyone have an idea who might have created the pattern?

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…

Rug Hooking dog in the New Year.
An updated “Tynan” with a second eye. though it undoubtedly still needs some tweaking.

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.

Crochet stitches in the New Year.
I’m crocheting in Bernat Blanket Yarn; it’s so cozy-comfy!

 

 

That’s my story for now and I’m sticking to it. What’s making you high on hooking this New Year?

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