Tag: Tynan

February 20, 2018

I got a cutter just like the big girls!

My new Fraser wool cutter. — I love how I can clamp the Fraser cutter – Brad – to almost any table I’m working near. So much better than the way those little rubber cups under the Bliss dehydrate out here in the Southwest and then slip all over my granite counter tops. Just like my pencil sharpener.

It finally happened. After hooking for maybe 14 years, I finally got me a cutter! No more cutting wool by hand with the old scissors unless I wish to (for some dumb reason). Check him out; my husband named him Brad after the insurance commercial. You know, the one where the girl goes on about her long relationship with her car Brad. Until she totaled him. We will NOT be totaling Brad in this house!

He’s an old Harry M. Fraser 500-1 that had been donated to the guild. And he works much better than the old and very sad Bliss I’d tried. Brad was accompanied by a #4 cutter head. What am I going to do with a #4 cutter head – me who spends most of my time cutting up old sheets and t-shirts to hook with? That’s like hooking with crazy thin sock yarn or something. But, but…

Wool for rug cut with Fraser cutter. — My penguin addition to Mary S’s tesselation rug. You can barely see those #4 strips, they’re so narrow! I love how his feet came out. Okay, like his white front, they’re hooked from yarn too. The little button eye could be an issue if the rug’s going down on the floor. That’ll be Mary’s problem. 🙂

Remember how the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) is doing our friendship rug project? Well, after finishing the Mystery Rug last week (currently at the framer’s), I could finally work on the friendship rug that’s been sitting in my house for over a month. Mary S drew a tessellation – very cool. Mary S, along with many of the gals in AWAG, often hooks with #4s. Laura does not. But, when all you pretty much have is a #4 cutter head… So, I threw on the big girl panties and cut #4 strips. And then, to the blue light of the television’s Olympic coverage – mostly figure skating, I hooked my part of Mary’s rug. On the linen it came on, not monks’ cloth. Okay, I used a little cream rug yarn for texture, but I THINK IT CAME OUT SO COOL! I am not so bad at this hooking thing after all.

Sewing hooked rug — Sewing the binding onto the “Big Boucherite.” Took three sewing sessions. Thank God for all the freaking figure skating.

So, now I’m hooking with the big girls – wispy, little strips of wool. Is this my new medium? Hell, no! Sure, I’ll definitely use the cutter. In fact, I ordered a #6 head because I’m in the midst of a rug that I started using Mary R’s Townsend cutter. Then I found a #8 that was with the junky Bliss cutter. So, I’ll have a nice little stable of three heads to use WHEN I’M NOT CUTTING BY HAND/HOOKING/UP-CYCLING T-SHIRTS, BEDSHEETS, AND OTHER UNLOVED TEXTILES. (The plastic bag mystery rug was a good experiment, but not one going into the permanent repertoire.) In fact, just last night I finished sewing the rug binding onto my new project. (Remember, I’m one of those who was taught to do that first, makes it easier to finish later, and NO WHIPPING!) It’s BIG, the biggest I’ve tackled thus far, but I can’t wait. It’ll be the “Big Boucherouite,” done up mainly in bedsheets because of how much I loved that in the “First Boucherouite.”

Hooked rug and dog. — While it’s not on the frame yet, here’s the “BIG Boucherouite” with Tynan posing to show the size. It’s about 55″x49″. It’ll take a bit of time and not be particularly portable. Cue the “Baby Boucherouite”!

Nonetheless, like I said, I’ll definitely use the cutter. It’s kind of funny, though. Last week, there was a post on one of the hooking Facebook sites. Someone made mention of how disappointed she was in her old Fraser, that she could only cut two strips at a time. Very slow going, and what cutter did others use and recommend? Life’s relative, I guess. Here I was – same evening – pleased as punch that I was getting three (!) nice and even #4 strips cut at once. So much easier and quicker than using my scissors. But, like I said, it’s all relative. I’m sure that if I was hooking exclusively in wool, I’d be salivating over a Bolivar or the absurdly efficient Sizzix.

What about you? How do you cut your wool?

February 6, 2018

Hooking and not sharing the plague

How I’ve been spending my days. Damn, I forgot to put a cough drop or twelve in the photo.

So, it’s not the flu, but I’ve been coughing for days. Much like many of you. There’s a virus out there, people, and it ain’t pretty! All I can do to combat it is to mainline coffee and cough drops. Okay, not coffee. I said that because I like how it sounds. I’m a tea girl through and through. Copious quantities of the stuff: green tea, white tea, Sleepy Time Sinus Soother, Sleepy Time Peach, Sleepy Time Echinacae Complete Care. Celestial Seasonings should be paying me, I’m drinking so much of their stuff.

The upside of not feeling well is that you can tell people, No, I’m sorry, but for your own good, I have to stay home. I do not wish to share my personal plague with you, when you really wanted to stay home all along. You people-pleasers out there, you know what I’m talking about. And when you stay home, you can get a fair amount of hooking done on a rug that needs to be completed and photographed for submission by February 25*.

And that’s what I’ve done. Saturday afternoon I hooked and watched a couple of shows that had been taking up space on my DVR. Sunday’s Superbowl helped too even if my Patriots didn’t finish the job this year. I willingly admit that Philly was the better team. Sunday. Only Sunday. And all you green Eagles should enjoy your win. This year. Only this year.

Do you have a favorite brew when the germs come crawling your way? Please share here!

Dog on rug — Tynan presents “What’s on the frame” this week. The mystery rug is coming along. Finally, I can use more color. The drab nature of much of this rug is killing me. I’m starting to dream of a new and more color-full rug. And fibers other than plastic bag.

*Don’t forget, the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council is calling for entries for its 2018 show Earth, Wind, and Fiber. Submissions due February 25!

January 31, 2018

Rug porn from Tucson

In front of Sparky's oon the way to the hook-in in Tucson. — This fine metallic gentleman greeted us at the door when we stopped to lunch at **Sparky’s** in **Hatch**, New Mexico. You know, the chile capital of the world. It’s an **AWAG** tradition to stop there for lunch on our way to Tucson. (Even if you’re on a stupid elimination diet…)

Like every good blogger who goes to a hook-in, I have returned home from last weekend’s Tucson Hook-In to share the event’s rug porn. Okay, I’m a little slower getting to it than the ladies who were at the Eliot Hook-In in Maine last weekend – a couple had there photos out by Sunday! – but does that matter? No!

I’ve got pics for you. Enjoy!

Flowers growing in January in Tucson. — Okay, NOT rug porn. But I love bougainvillea so much. This big bush was growing outside my hotel room. And blooming in January! That doesn’t even happen in Albuquerque.

Rug porn. — Did I mention our guild’s project, our friendship rugs? Here’s a sneak peek of Nancy Hart’s. It’s done; all she has to do is finish it off. Lucky girl.

Paloma Country Club in Tucson. — This was the view from the terrace where some of us ate lunch. Have to hand it to the **Paloma Country Club** and the **Old Pueblo Rug Hookers (OPRH)**, they certainly know how to feed folks. Always a fabulous salad bar and BIG cookies. (Although, those of us who are gluten-free and also on an elimination diet at exactly the wrong time, might feel a little sad about those cookies…)

This spectacular rug “Mimbres” was hooked by members of OPRH: Kathy Kavoric, Julie Gibson, Adrienne Price, and Diana Foltz.

“All is Well” was hooked by Kathy Kovaric. Cheers the heart, no?

Silent auction rug porn. — I have to stop making a habit of picking up frames at the silent auction. Two years ago it was the **Anderson frame**. This year I admit to somewhat aggressively pursuing this **Puritan frame and stand**. Hey, I have students coming in March. I needed one more frame!

Lastly, I bring you a gorgeous picture of some seriously cool rock formations. I took the pic at a rest area on the way home. See why I love New Mexico? Thanks to Melinda, Cathy, and Mary for a fun weekend!

Thank you to OPRH for once again putting on such a classy and fun hook-in. One that was worth the eight hours of travel each way. See you next year!

Tynan’s back with this week’s “What’s on the frame?” As you can see, the **mystery rug** is coming along. It must be because I’ve started to make some corrections. Still not completely sure how it’ll look when it’s done, but I press on. More next week!

January 17, 2018

Where rug hooking takes me

Rug hooking - pumpkin — A close-up of the first rug that I ever hooked. Note that those are wool strips. Thank you, Franklin, Massachusetts, Adult Education program.

One day you take a community adult education class; rug hooking it’s called. For the life of you, you can’t remember why the hell you did that. In fact, your ex-husband’s mom was a hooker, and you paid absolutely no attention to that. Really. None! All you can remember is that she used a lot of black backgrounds. (Something you despise because all-black is such a pain to work with. 🙂 )

Now and again, maybe fifteen years later, you think about where this rug hooking thing’s taken you, what it’s given you. And it makes you shake your head in wonder.

It’s given me a good bit of self-confidence
As an artist. Especially one who doesn’t really fall into the category of a traditional rug hooker but only because of my use of alternative fibers and other materials. Originally, because I hooked with t-shirts and such, I was afraid to hang with other hookers, join a guild. I got over it. Thanks, Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) for such a great welcome to Albuquerque’s fiber arts scene two-and-a-half years ago. And especially for your encouragement. It helped when I went out to sell at art and other shows. And it appears that I’ve made a little name for myself. Just yesterday, as I was wandering through Kohl’s, I got a call from some woman up in Santa Fe who found me online and asked if I could repair her punched rugs. Apparently, her dogs regularly do a number on them. Of course, I can!

Relaxing after rug hooking. — AWAG members Mary Schnitzler and Kathy Kelly relax after a day’s hooking at the hook-in hosted by the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers in Tucson. We’ll be there again at the end of January!

Oh, the friendships!
Never mind that most of my friends here in my adopted city of Albuquerque are hookers. Hooking’s introduced me to folks all over the world – thanks, Facebook and now Instagram! Make no mistake, these are friends with benefits. Just take a gander at yesterday’s Loop by Karen Larsen. She’s working on a commission, a rug featuring two dogs and mentions how we learn from one another.

Judy Carter’s book, Hooking Animals [© 2014 Stackpole Books], is bookmarked and often referred to as I go along. Judy mostly hooks with narrow #3 and #4 wool strips, but I am hooking these dogs with wider #7 wool strips. That’s as narrow as I like to go, so I have used Judy’s book as an inspirational jumping-off point.

It has taken me years to realize and accept that I hook the way I hook. Although I have learned and incorporated many helpful hooking tips through the years, I must have confidence in my own abilities. I plan to look to my friend, Nancy Parcels, for inspiration as I do the background.

It does indeed take a village!

I’m doing a little teaching
Because of the feedback I’ve received when I sell my less-than-traditional rugs, I’ve been asked to teach people how to do it themselves. I was even invited to teach a rug hooking class up at New Mexico’s famed Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center. Woohoo!

Rug hooking exhibit — A view of AWAG’s Fiber Fiesta rug hooking booth this last May.

To be a part of Albuqueque’s larger fiber arts scene
There’s no better way to get to know your new town than to volunteer and join things. And the guild knew a sucker when they saw one. They made me AWAG’s representative to Albuquerque’s Fiber Arts Council. That meant meeting all kinds of fiber artists and working with them to make Fiber Arts Fiesta 2017 happen. I must’ve done a great job, because somehow I also became our rep to the Education Committee which is currently planning our biennial spring show “Earth, Wind, and Fiber”. (Entries are due February 25!)

Susan’s Legacy helps women with co-occurring disorders regain their lives and their families.

Susan’s Legacy
Last week I asked you if you have any purses languishing in your closet, that I need them bad. Clarification: I need brand name-type purses. Frankly, the kind they DON’T sell at Kohl’s. I also mentioned that I’d explain why this week. Turns out that as a guild rep to the Fiber Arts Council, I had to vote on a charity to be promoted at the Fiber Arts Fiesta last May. We chose Susan’s Legacy, a non-profit that serves the needs of women with co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders. Having some family experience with such things, somehow, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I clicked my heels, and was suddenly on the Board of Directors. Long story short, we need money to make our programs go. One thing that’s worked in the past has been a silent auction at a women’s networking luncheon. Albuquerque’s Women Make a Difference puts that on – a big WOOHOO for them! We at Susan’s Legacy find the purses, clean them up, and run the auction at the luncheon this Friday, March 9. Registration starts February 19, on Women Make a Difference’s website. If you’re local, maybe we’ll see you??? (Or at least your purse. )

Where is rug hooking taking you?

Dog on rug hooking — Tynan”s back! He brings you this week’s “What’s on the frame.” Yes, it’s the mystery rug. And I am hooking it with an alternative “fiber.” Must get a move on; it’s due February 25 as an entry for the Fiber Art Council’s Spring Show.

December 12, 2017

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!