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It’s been a long seven weeks

It’s been a long seven weeks…

 

Dog looking up, leg in a cast
Bowyn was velcroed to me right from when I got home from having surgery. It’s been a long seven weeks for him too.

If you follow along on Instagram, you know that way back on March 11, I had ankle surgery. They cleaned out the detritus from bone-on-bone arthritis and tightened up my slacker ligaments. Sure, I’ve never broken or even sprained the ankle; I spent a lifetime walking all those turns off. I just didn’t realize how my ankle was being destroyed from inside.

Hence, there was a forced convalescence of sorts during those weeks. Initially, I had a big honker of a plaster cast on the left leg. A few days after feeling like I was going to bust that sucker open – swelling – they took it off and replaced it with a slightly smaller fiberglass cast. A week after that, the doc checked the wound and okayed another slightly smaller and bright purple cast. Crutches quickly gave way to Blue, my sweet, little knee scooter, and I became a bit more mobile.

Knees scooter
Blue, my faithful steed through the seven week ordeal. Yes, I had to boost her pad with duct tape; it was deteriorating finally.

But while I wasn’t so mobile and had to keep the leg up pretty much all the time, I needed something to do. My ass was glued to the couch. Sadly, I’d finished a hooked piece right before I went under the knife, so I didn’t have that. But that hooking was an experiment. I was looking to create a kind of “vessel” with it. Before I had a chance to really think it all through, I picked up

Stitched vessel
Second of the stitches vessel. Wool and cotton fabrics, DMC flosses, baubles and buttons.

some tiny bits of “waste” wool and cotton, watched a little YouTube, then looked to make a kind of vessel out of them. It worked! So well, I went right on to stitch another one. Eventually, yadda yadda yadda, I got around to the hooked vessel and finished it. Now I’ve started stitching a new cotton one.

Sadly, during this time, we lost the original High on Hooking dog Tynan. He’d been slowly losing ground the past year and a half but was still very much a presence and always on the lookout for something to eat. We haven’t moved his bed out of the living room yet, and Bowyn studiously avoids it. But a bright spot arrived in the mail a week or two later. If you haven’t seen Kay LeFevre’s work, head over to her Facebook page. Within days of Tynan’s passing, Kay had created this incredible pillow in his likeness. Tom and I are incredibly touched by her kindness. You can read more about it in my Instagram post.

Pillow with dog on it
Such a wonderful tribute to Tynan, pillow by Kay LeFevre. It looks just like him! We miss you so much! (Hooking, embroidery, sequins, and so much more!)

Last year, long before I discovered I’d need surgery, I’d contracted with Interweave to teach a couple of classes up at YarnFest in Loveland, Colorado, in April. Fortunately, I was able to schedule the ankle work between that and other classes here in New Mexico. So, Tom and I traveled up to Colorado a couple of weeks ago. Having a CRV-full of

Casted leg on dashboard
On the road again. We were so lucky driving up to Loveland. Gorgeous weather. Snow on the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. Great drive. Except for the fact that I have a cast on my leg.

frames and fibers and all the crap necessary to teaching both hooking and punch needle workshops, I definitely needed a sherpa. Sure, I could drive, but getting the STUFF from the house to the car to the hotel room to the classroom was more than I could handle with only one good leg. THANKS TO TOM, both classes were successes, and there are now fourteen more people in the world who can hook and/or punch. It’s all about spreading the fiber arts gospel!

Hooked rug project
New hooking student’s chicken project.
Punch needle rug hooking project
Punch needle rug hooking project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hooked rug projects
Working, working, working…

Meanwhile, I learned during the winter that I’d been accepted into an arts fellowship here in Albuquerque. Surprise and…YAY! ABQ peeps, this is what the Arts Hub is all about:

Arts Hub’s purpose is to unleash the power of the arts as a tool to engage the community, create solutions to urgent issues, and drive the creative economy.

The arts are a thriving part of Albuquerque’s culture and community, but artists continue to face barriers to work in this city. Besides a thriving arts community, sustainable artistic creation has an added benefit: it also sustains a class of creative problem solvers. Art is a powerful tool to engage community members and catalyze positive social change.

Consider applying for a fellowship next time around. It’s been truly edifying and a great way to make new connections, particularly outside of the fiber arts world. We’ve got two more meetings. Business plans are up next week!

Hooked vessel
First of the hooked vessels. All kinds of fibers on monk’s cloth.

So, while I’ve been mostly lying low, there have been bursts of activity the last seven weeks. But the best is tomorrow! Tomorrow morning at 10:40, the cast comes off! Yes, I’ve definitely been counting down. Seven weeks of dragging a cast around when you’re almost 60 is definitely a different animal than when you do it in your 20s. (Then it was a broken wrist.) My whole body is out of alignment despite doing yoga since after the first week (okay, with a butt-load of modifications).

After tomorrow comes the rebuilding. There will be physical therapy, for sure. Bowyn and I are both bursting to get back to our regular miles-long walks in the Bosque. But I know I can’t push it for a while. If the surgery didn’t work or I mess it up in the coming months due to unnecessary roughness (sorry, Tom’s watching the NFL draft behind me, and I do have my Patriots cap on), I’m looking at an ankle replacement. Collective shudder!

But enough about that, tomorrow is all about the giddiness of losing a couple of pounds of fiberglass and walking on two legs, albeit in a boot. And getting a pedicure! I’m planning on the giddiness freedom can bring me. Oh, and Tom taking me out to celebrate after I make my toes human pretty again.

Stitching project
Current stitched vessel project. This one is cottons rather than wools.

Yes, it’s been a long seven weeks, but now I can start looking to the future. The Patriots will draft an excellent quarterback, and, along with a new coach, we have a new lease on life… I digress. Nah, really, I’m looking forward to getting back to my walking and hiking with Bowyn, especially now that he’s an only dog… I’m having fun with this vessel phase I find  myself in… I’m loving where teaching has been taking me. Colorado this month, Convergence in Wichita in July. (FYI – class is almost full!) And more to come! Keep an eye on our calendar and social media.

Going along, collaborations are on my mind. I love the hooking community, but there’s an even bigger fiber arts and mixed media arts community(s) out there. Given all the issues challenging our shared world these days, I think it’ll take everyone jumping in together to get messages out and find solutions. It’s time to mix it up and work out of the box.

Also taking up my time – planning for In the Studio Online’s Workshop Week 2025. You’re hearing it here first; we’ve decided on the dates: February 6-16. So, mark it in your calendars and keep an eye out here and on our shared social media for details. For info about WW2024, see HERE.

Rug hooking project
Finally, got a piece drawn and started to hook, so we do have a WHAT’S ON THE FRAME. Wool fabrics and yarns, repurposed textiles on monk’s cloth.

I give my sincere and profound THANKS to all of you who have kept my spirits up these seven weeks. To those who expressed their dismay and sympathy when we lost Tynan, especially Kay. To my students who had to deal with my wheeling about the classroom rather than easily moving back and forth to help. THANK YOU! And I’ll toast everyone of you tomorrow while I’m out celebrating. You all have a great weekend too!

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Tynan, 2008-2024

On March 28, after celebrating his 16th birthday, Tynan, the original High on Hooking Dog, left us for a place of eternal food on demand and no more pain. To say that we’re sad here is an understatement.

Tynan the High on Hooking Dog
RIP, buddy. We miss you!

Tynan was the last of his litter of eight. He celebrated his birthday with kielbasa, Costco chocolate mousse cake, and treats brought to him by his fan girls. All were eaten with gusto. While his back legs had given out (the night before), his stomach  and his heart had not.

A gentleman his entire life, Tynan had adventures. Initially, in Massachusetts, with big brother Murphy, and later, here in New Mexico, with Bowyn.

Again, we thank Faye of Ivywild Welsh Springer Spaniels in Connecticut with entrusting this special dog to us all those years ago.

Run and eat free, Tynan!

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Covid slows everything down!

 

Dog with sweater crocheted during Covid convalescence.
Bowyn’s been cooped up during these Covid weeks, scoring only a few short walks around the neighborhood. Still, he wanted in on the sweater photo. And a treat. This dog is a whore!

Sadly, the day after Easter, Covid darkened the Salamy home. Unfortunately, that also meant that three of our holiday dinner guests received a “souvenir,” and I’m not talking leftovers. Thankfully, they’ve all tested negative again this week. Tom and I, however, are still stuck at home with a case of rebound Covid. Seems like double jeopardy to me. At least, this week’s been more like a bad cold with congestion and runny noses  rather than the sore throat, chills, and terrible fatigue of earlier in the duration.

The worst thing was that first week when I couldn’t really concentrate on anything. Forget hooking and the Yearlong Environmental Stitching project (YESP). Because I thought I had plenty of time till Sketchbook Revival 2023 closed on April 20, I’d held off doing all the sessions, planning on a leisurely pace. Yeah, that didn’t happen either.  The sweater I’ve been crocheting. Nope. No books started or finished either.

But this week’s been different. I’ve actually gotten some things done and even attended a meeting on Zoom. I started a new novel and am almost halfway through it. I’ll finish the second sleeve on the sweater tonight. The Sketchbook Revival workshop I was most looking forward to didn’t involve a sketchbook at all but was about stitching! Emma Freeman presented MAKE SLOW STITCHED WABI SABI FABRIC SCROLLS. Most happily, mark-making comes in many forms as does experimentation.

No hooking’s happened in two weeks, but not just because of Covid. The reality is that I was bogged down on a project that wasn’t working the way I anticipated, so it’s back to the drawing board to rethink it or another design.

 

Scroll from Sketchbook Revival
Although I’m still finishing up with some beads and maybe more stitching, here’s the wabi sabi scroll I started in Sketchbook Revival 2023.

Meanwhile tomorrow is Earth Day, something I always try to celebrate in some fashion or another. Taking environmental care is one of the main bases of my artwork be it upcycling all kinds of textiles for hooking or scavenging the news for stories to represent in the YESP. What I find saddest about our troubled natural environment is that we have the technology to do something about it; we just lack the communal and political will. And for that coming generations will suffer. USA Today had a article about what 2050 could be like. Sadly, I fear it’s more of a pipedream than anything else.

Nonetheless, a girl can hope even if she lives in the desert during a prolonged, 30-year drought. In the meantime, I’ll try to take shorter showers and use less paper towels. Some habits are difficult to break, I know. But till this Covid thing exits my house, I guarantee that the tissues will keep piling up .

Keep yourself and our shared environment healthy!

 

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The gifts of time and learning

High on Hooking Dogs wish you a joyous holiday season!
High on Hooking dogs Tynan and Bowyn wish you a joyous and restful holiday season. WOOF! (Meanwhile they await their gifts from Santa Paws – very serious business indeed.)

The gifts are wrapped; it’s Christmas for real now. I look forward to taking a week off from things I HAVE to do so I can accomplish some things I WANT to do. Like working on a new hooking project and planning some new ones for 2023. (More on those in a few weeks.)

If you’re still looking to fill a creative’s stocking or or even gifting yourself, HoH has a few ideas. Our winter teaching schedule is filling  – for both in person and online events. Yay! After the holidays, I’ll give more info, but find the salient info below.

 

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR ALL EVENTS!

INTRODUCTION TO PUNCH NEEDLE RUG HOOKING
Saturday, January 21, 2023
New Mexico Fiber Arts Center, Espanola, NM
More info HERE.

IN THE STUDIO ONLINE WORKSHOP WEEK 6 – Various Fiber Arts
February 16-26, 2023
Nationally known teachers! 9 workshops and 5 lectures plus 2 bonus events!
More info HERE.

FULLER LODGE ART CENTER / LOS ALAMOS ARTS COUNCIL
Introduction to Rug Hooking – Saturday, February 25, 2023
Introduction to Punch Needle Rug Hooking – Saturday, March 4, 2023
Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, NM
More info HERE.

We here at High on Hooking thank you for all your support this past year – students, festival organizers, schools, and customers. We wish you the best of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, whatever winter holidays you might celebrate. Here’s hoping for a  joyful and peaceful 2023. 

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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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