Tag: Old Pueblo Rug Hookers

December 6, 2017

December, it’s about the waiting…

December's a time of waiting... — December, it’s a time of waiting…

It’s December, Christmas-time here at my house, and the waiting’s begun…

— For Christmas, but that’s a given.It is Advent. In the meantime, I’m trying to get decorations up and cards written. Then there are the cookies to bake and a party to prepare for. But again, this is usual stuff at this time of year. And I’m behind just as I am most years…

— A phone call to go through. I just got back from Albuquerque’s Biopark where I was doing rug hooking demos with the guild and walked into the husband and the kid both manning phones that were on hold. If I have to listen to the disembodied voice repeating “all our agents are busy” for much longer… The kid needs new healthcare, and it’s not been an easy process. How many of you can relate?

No waiting in line. — No waiting in traffic during the day! Bossy is one of the new exhibits at the BioPark’s **River of Lights**. See it through the New Year. Sure, it’ll look better at night, but you get the general drift. It’s a beautiful show and a great fundraiser for the park.

— A brandy, new rheumatoid arthritis med to work. I started it about a month ago. I hear I’ll know within six to eight weeks if this one will do the trick. At least my own insurance finally agreed to cover it. 🙂

— A rug design idea. The Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council is sponsoring a show in April. The theme is “Earth, Wind, and Fiber.” The call for entries opens January 1 and closes February 25. Despite mulling on it for longer than I’d like after I get into bed, I’ve not yet come up with a design idea for a rug to enter. Think, think, think…

Waiting for a design idea. — The lovely lady behind those Foster Grants purchased “The First Boucherouite” last month at the **Santa Fe Fall Fiber Fiesta**. It’s still one of my favorite rugs, and I called it the “First” for a reason. Hm, do I really need a **brand new** idea this week to start working on a rug?

— A secondary rug design idea so I have a rug to work on while I wait for the above idea to come through.

— High on Hooking’s Christmas party. Okay, that’s just what Tom and I call it, but every year we plan an evening nice out at a good restaurant. No ordering at a counter!

— What Tom and I will do for our 25th anniversary next month. We’re thinking a BIG trip, but not in January. We haven’t decided where or when yet, but more on that to come…

— The Old Pueblo Rug Hookers Hook-In on January 27. I’m even more excited for the trip this year because last January I won a great door prize: free admission in 2018! Woohoo! And it’s always warmer in Tucson than it is here in ABQ.

Waiting for the Patriots. — We’re just waiting for the Patriots to continue their magic.

— For the Patriots to clinch their division next week in Miami.

— Tynan to finally get a little brother! It probably won’t happen till the spring or so, but Tom finally agreed that we’ll get a puppy this coming year. Woohoo! I love having two dogs, and Tynan benefitted from the “wisdom” of his predecessor Murphy. Albuquerque is a great city for rescues, so we’ll probably go that way. There’s gonna be a baby in the house again! (Beth Miller of Parris Hill Wool Works knows just what I’m talking about. Check out Wyeth these days!)

What are you waiting for this holiday season? Whatever it is, remember these wise words from Grumpy Cat:

Patience:

What you have when there are

too many witnesses.

Tynan’s back with “What’s on the frame this week.” He’s not showing you a lot of the rug as it’s one of nine “friendship rugs” that some of us in the guild are working on. More about them on 2018. And, yes, that is my completely undecorated Christmas tree in the background.

January 31, 2017

Many thanks, Old Pueblo Rug Hookers!

Old Pueblo Rug Hookers hooked rug — Thank you, Old Pueblo Rug Hookers, for a marvelous hook-in! Can’t wait to go again next year. Better yet, I get in free in 2018. Read on to find out why.

Sparky’s mango and red chile (from Hatch, of course) milkshake.

Just like I wrote last week, four of us from the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) did indeed pile into a Subaru Outback early Friday morning. And we were off on our annual (okay, my second and Melinda’s first) Tucson adventure, albeit with colds and coughs and arthritis flare-ups. Between the coffee/tea break, lunch at Sparky’s in Hatch (yes, home of the Hatch chiles) and a couple of gas and pee stops, we finally pulled into the Best Western around 5:00 p.m. that evening achy and tired of sitting.

You know you’ve got excellent lodging when the desk clerk tells you about the free, yes, free, happy hour. Sure, we’d brought quality alcoholic provisions, but why open them when someone’s willing to give you something just as…as efficient for free? We hung there the next evening too. Lest you think we drank our way through the evenings, we actually hit up Guiseppe’s, an Italian place across the street from the Best Western Friday night. I had the best mussels! (And not just because they were the first ones I’ve found since I moved out this way a year and a half ago.) Saturday night we headed to a traditional AWAG stop, the deli, Shlomo and Vito’s. Just like being in New York If you don’t happen to notice the ubiquitous saguaro cacti in the area.

Sun and 31°F greeted us Saturday morning when we headed off to La Paloma Country Club. The Old Pueblo Rug Hookers (OPRH) throw a swanky affair. Good food (even for those of us handicapped by a gluten- free diet), door prizes, vendors, views of the golf course, and a silent auction. Melinda, Cathy, Mary, and I joined up with Nancy and Mary S. and parked ourselves at a table with a view. Cathy and I set up to vend. Me, some mug rug sets and Cathy, a butt-load of hand-dyed wool. Display rugs were in another room.

A close-up of Adele Yorke’s display rug.

Despite the posh surroundings, it was a hook-in just like the others I attended in churches back in New England. Lots of chatter, food, wool, and rugs, lots of rugs. I was asked to speak for a few moments on hooking with t-shirts. Better than that, I won a surprise door prize: free registration for next year’s hook-in. Woohoo! And I managed to snag an old rug in the silent auction. Anyone know anything about this mat?

Hooked rug at Old Pueblo Rug Hooker Hook-In — A rather elderly hooked rug I acquired in the silent auction. Anyone know the artist? About the mat?

Rug hooking women. — Adobe Wool Arts Guild members from left to right, Melinda, Mary S., and Mary.

Hooked rug by Rita Vail, one of the Old Puebo Rug Hookers — Check out the “quilling” in Rita Vail’s saguaro cactus rug. Rita’s one of the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers.

Hooked rug by Beth Carlson. — A most beautiful rug by Beth Carlson.

Now that I’m back, it’s time to get down to business. I have to finish my Tynan rug for March 1 so that I can enter it into Albuquerque’s Fiber Fiesta. I did decide to not kill myself to get the traditional rug done for then too; too much hooking and too much going on in my life. Plus, I need to start making product for the summer and any shows I’m doing. The jury’s still out on the Rail Yards Market. I’ve got a class to prep for April

Hooked rugs — Rugs at the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers Hook-In in Tucson Saturday.

at the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center. You all know the drill: Life relentlessly marches on. But for one weekend, at least, I escaped thanks to the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers.

Hook-in news? How was Eliot? Others?

Lastly, below is the weekly report from Tynan the Dog on the current rug. We didn’t get as much done this week as we’d like, but so much was going on. And who hooks that much at a hook-in what with all that chitchat and other activities?

Hooked rug and dog. — Tynan’s weekly update on the traditional rug (hooked in t-shirt). Photo taken January 30.

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January 25, 2017

Heading off to the Tucson Hook-In this weekend

Hooked rug by Old Pueblo Rug Hookers. — Tucson’s Old Pueblo Rug Hookers will host their annual Tucson hook-in January 28.

It’s a busy, busy week here at High on Hooking. And a short one too. Today six of us from the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) were doing our regular demo schtick at Albuquerque’s BioPark – at Heritage Farm in the Botanic Garden, specifically. (We’re there the first and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Feel free to visit.) Come early Friday morning, four of us will saddle up (okay, we’ll climb into Cathy’s SUV) and make the eight-hour trek to Tucson.

What’s in Tucson, you ask. Besides warmer weather, of course. Well, I’ll tell you. Saturday, the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers are hosting their annual Tucson hook-in at La Paloma Country Club. Last year I was a OPRH virgin. Not this year, sisters! And I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I had a great time on my hooker-girls’ weekend. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might

Anderson rug hooking frame. — 2016’s prize! An Anderson frame at last.

remember how last year I managed to “win” an Anderson frame in the silent auction. There was some serious back-and-forth with another woman, but she already had an Anderson, and I’d wanted one for years. (The reality is that there were two up for auction, and she got the second one with it’s smaller hooking area.)

Like I said, four of us AWAG members will drive the l-o-n-g drive to Tucson Friday. Two other members will meet us there, their significant others left behind to fend for themselves in hotel rooms while we hook, chat, purchase, eat, make friends, bid, hook, eat, and chat some more. It’s going to be a great weekend!

Photo of dog and hooked rug. Rug going to Tucson hook-in. — Tynan presents this week’s current rug update. He will allow me to bring it to the Tucson hook-in to work on and share.

Attend a hook-in lately? (I’m talking to you, New England peeps! I know all about the Eliot Hook-In happening the same day as Tucson’s.) What made it so worthwhile for you? Share any hook-ins coming up!

January 27, 2016

Tucson hook-in report

Sadly, the Tuscon hook-in, 2016, has now come and gone. But what a great event the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers (OPRH) put on! The location, their hospitality, the silent auction… All guaranteed a fun time to be had by all.

Tucson. It’s a damned good thing that when we were scoping out southwest cities to move to, we visited during the worst weather time of year possible – July. We spent a week there way back in, maybe, 2000. The kid was pretty young. After spending most mornings doing some geographical and touristy investigations, we’d hang around the pool drinking Tom’s homemade margaritas (if you come visit us

Tucson sunset, Santa Catalina Mountains.

here in NM, he’ll make you one or five), the temperature climbing to at least 115. Occasionally, monsoon storms rained down just to inject a little humidity into the mix. Winter in Tucson is a different animal. We ate lunch outside at the hook-in. I got a sunburn and my freckles came out! It wasn’t quite like Jamaica in January; days started in the 40s. But they warmed up right quick.

The view from where we ate lunch at La Paloma Country Club. It was 80 degrees!

Location. La Paloma Country Club was a lovely venue for the event. Round tables for six to eight ensured conversation between all of us ladies and our gentleman, Russ. Vendor tables were centrally located for maximum exposure to wool, yarn, hooks, and other paraphernalia. As usual, coffee, tea, and pastries were provided during the morning. For lunch, we made our way down a sumptuous salad buffet that more than satisfied even those of us who were gluten free and/or vegan. A+ for the food.

Cathy Kelly selling her wares. (She's one of my guild members!) — Cathy Kelly selling her wares. (She’s one of my guild members!)

Fabulous portrait by Russ. — Fabulous portrait by Russ Nichols.

Show-and-tell. Tables lining one wall provided a perfect place to set out our mats for ogling. I’ve included some here for your pleasure. Later in the afternoon, our OPRH hosts had some of us stand up and talk about what we were working on. Yours truly, being the only one working, not with wool, but with old t-shirts, was one of the presenters. Folks were fascinated by the colors I can use and how heavy the cotton rugs tend to be. (I tend to pack them pretty tightly.)

Hooking straight onto a wool backing. By guild-mate Nancy Hart.

Close-up and personal to penguins in a rug by ____. — Close-up and personal to penguins in a rug by Julie Gibson.

Bag and pattern by _____. — Bag and pattern by Judith Maiewski.

Grenfell-style mat by Marja Walker. — Grenfell-style mat by Marja Walker

Silent auction. Little did I know this would be my favorite part of the whole day. The guild had put out a nice spread of items. Bids started at a dollar. I identified a number of things I wouldn’t have minded taking home. Then I saw them: not one, but two Anderson “Puncher” frames! Since trying one out at a punching workshop with Amy Oxford years ago, I’d had it on my mind. In fact, I was supposed to get one for my 50th birthday a year and a half ago; but by the time I finally got around to ordering one, I found that Mr. Anderson was no longer taking orders. That’s made me very sad. Not anymore! After an intense bidding war with “Claudia,” I scored the larger one. We packed that puppy into the car, and it’s now happily ensconced next to my fireplace.

Friends. Four of us from the Adobe Wool Arts guild attended the hook-in. Three of us road-tripped and stayed together. Of course, we all sat together Saturday. Nonetheless, I met

My fellow road-trippers Mary Schnitzler (l) and Cathy Kelly (r). They even indulged me on the way home, letting me commandeer the radio to listen to the Patriots-Denver game. (Not such a good outcome for us Pats' fans.) — My truly excellent, fellow road-trippers Mary Schnitzler (l) and Cathy Kelly (r). They indulged me on the way home, letting me commandeer the radio to listen to the Patriots-Denver game. (Not such a good outcome for us Pats’ fans.)

and chatted with plenty of new friends. And plenty of northeastern transplants. It was fun talking Connecticut (where I’m originally from), Massachusetts (where I lived the last 23 years), Rhode Island (where I went to school and then worked for many of those 23 years), and Maine, well, just because there are so many hookers there.

Tucson hookers Barb and Lynn sat at our table. Sorry; didn't get their last names. — Tucson hookers Barb and Lynn sat at our table. Sorry; didn’t get their last names.

If you’re out this way next year at this time, I urge you to visit Tucson and the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers. They’re a class act and they host a great hook-in.

Share your hook-in news. I know Eliot, Maine, is coming up. I was supposed to attend last year, but illness and snow thwarted me. There are events in Milford and North Attleboro, MA, coming up too. If only I was still living in Franklin…

(But then there’d be snow…)

Sunday morning. Good bye, Tucson. See you next January! — Sunday morning. So long, Tucson. See you next January!

January 20, 2016

Nature as inspiration

Tynan having a grand old time in the snowy Sandias. — Tynan having a grand, old time in the snowy Sandias.

New Mexico is a great place for nature. It was a big reason for moving to Albuquerque; that is, we wanted a more outdoor lifestyle than New England’s winters afforded us. (And I hated being cold for six to eight months straight.) Make no mistake, there is winter here. We’ve had snow a couple of times now, and morning temperatures are usually in the high teens to lower twenties. Makes for cold walks with the dog in the Bosque, the forest along the Rio Grande.

The Sandias as viewed from our neighborhood in the west of Albuquerque. Winter hiking and skiing are excellent on the other side. — The Sandias as viewed from our neighborhood on Albuquerque’s west side. Winter hiking and skiing are excellent on the other side.

Monday was a big, bodacious day in Albuquerque with lots of sunshine filling the sky. Tom and I packed the dog and some gear in the car and headed around to the other side of the Sandia Mountains. Winter abides more forcefully there. They even have a ski area. One of the last big storms dumped about 21 inches of the white stuff on the slopes. And on the trail we decided to hike.

I had considered bringing my snowshoes, but Tom needs new ones, so they stayed home. No worries. The trail is a popular one. Other “snowshoers” and hikers had blazed the way creating a nice hard-pack. Boots were fine. Of course, if you stepped off the trail, you dropped way down to at least your knees. And your boots filled with snow.

I spy a nature-inspired abstract mat here! — I spy a nature inspired abstract mat here! Check out all the bore holes.

I always take my camera (i.e., phone) with me when we go, hoping to find something nature-ific that might inspire a rug or four. We weren’t disappointed yesterday. Clearly, there’s been a fair amount of evergreen dieback in the forest in the Sandias which is actually part of the Cibola National Forest. But as the trees decay, they make for the most interesting subjects to study, if only aesthetically. I was quite taken with the one in the photos. It might have a future in fiber.

After our most pleasant of snowy, winter hikes (it was about 45 with the slightest breeze), we wound our way up to the Crest of the mountains. By car. Much colder with a wicked wind, from there we could look out over Albuquerque metro area and to other snow-covered mountains to the north, south, and west. Very impressive.

The view from Sandia Crest looking to the southwest. Our house is somewhere to the right.

Then it was goodbye to the snow and the cold. A quick 40- or so minute ride down the mountain and through the pass and we were home, on the city’s warmer west side. Tired, we opened a bottle of red wine and toasted our good fortune. Next week we’re off to the west (by only a couple of miles) to further explore Petroglyph National Monument.

I know that nature inspires many of you when you hook, paint, write, and make other forms of art. Please share some of those marvelous creations.

PS – I’m off this weekend to Tucson to attend the hook-in put on by the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers there. I’m told it’s an eight-hour drive. Four of us from the Adobe Wool Arts guild are going. Hope to have lots of pics for you next week. In the meantime I’m off to the liquor store for a bottle or two of chardonnay to share with the ladies.