ONE Whole YEAR Away From Blogging......Seriously!

It really is hard to believe that a year can pass this quickly :(
Did I even notice it whiz by? What can I tell you that I was doing for a whole year - well I can't really can I? AND you probably don't want to know.
Les Tapissiers de St. Henri/The St.Henri Rug Hookers had our first hookin of the season today in Montreal. A good time was had by all. It was fun to see friends and meet new people passionate about the making of rugs. It felt good to have wool surrounding me again. The cooler temps made the touching of wool a pleasure. It was great to see the progress made over the summer by some of our more prolific hookers and it was equally wonderful to see new projects just started.
If I don't get lost again, I will be back soon....

St. Henri Rug Hookers Annual Exhibition Rug Show 2012

Our poster for our upcoming Exhibition featuring the latest work of the fabulous  

Françoise Vezina titled   

"Sainte Famille au Printemps (circa 1929)" 2012.. 

Please come for a visit and see all of our rugs!

Not to be missed, the evening of the Vernissage our special Conference on Antique Hooked Rugs

Down Home Hospitality, Hookins and Late Summer

Can you believe how fast time flies by. In my last post I was talking about summertime bliss and now I am finding myself looking for those cool late-summer mornings. We had a gloriously hot and dry (maybe too dry) summer and I did not touch much wool at all. Our month spent in our little cottage on the Atlantic ocean was the only time I really had my hooking out and even then it was brief. 

We were very fortunate to be guests and the recipients of down home Cape Breton hospitality at two spectacular hookins this summer while vacationing in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. 

The first was with the Down East Rug Hookers, who meet weekly in Sydney, N.S. at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design. The hookin was held at the beautiful home of Rita Wojtyniak in East Bay on the incredible Bras D'Or Lakes. We were spoiled with all kinds of sweets and other goodies, including Rhubarb Punch! A fabulous time was had by all. Thank you Down East Rug Hookers! We look forward to sharing good times again!

The second hookin was with the Spanish Bay Friendship Matters, who also meet weekly and with my dear friend Marie Mac Vicar. The hookin was held at the lovely summer home of Lorna Mac Donald on the very one and only Mira River. We were overwhelmed with the talent and enthusiasm of this wonderful group. We were treated to a fun day filled with delicious food and warm fellowship. Thank you to all the Spanish Bay ladies! We can't wait for our next visit.

Our first hookin of the new season of the Tapissiers de Saint-Henri/Saint-Henri Rug Hookers will be on September 15th, 2012. We meet at the CRCS St-Zotique,  75 Du Square Sir George Etienne Cartier, Montreal, QC, between 10am and 3:30pm.

Come and join us, everyone is welcome :) Hope to see you there.

Finally Found Some Bliss....

It only took a week....to unwind the tightly wound spring inside my body...funny how we don't realize how stressed out we really are until we get off the roller coaster for awhile. I have been slowly letting go and detaching from my daily grind work life to vacation mode. I walk the two dogs on this beach in Gabarus, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in the mornings ...they love it and so do I.

LAME.....

Can you imagine how you would feel if someone copied your design of your rug???? Can you imagine if you were a supplier/designer and someone ripped off one of your designs???? Copy right laws are very clear....and yet people continue to steal. Isn't it interesting that someone would not go into a store and steal a pair of gloves...however, they feel OK about stealing someone else's idea or intellectual property. How difficult is it to give credit to the original artist or owner of the rights - not very. This is so LAME........ :(

Remembering Kilims

If you have been following me you know that I LOVE Kilims....
This is a Kilim that I designed in a class with Anne Boissinot...awhile ago...the hooking has been finished for awhile and I have been struggling with how to finish it. I have whipped both sides (long) ( only one is whipped in this photo). I want to fringe the rug warp that remains on each end. BUT before I do that I needed (wanted) to put some kind of finishing stitch to hold the loops in place and prevent fraying....with the help of THE big giant head....I put two rows of single crochet in corresponding colored wool (to the whipping) and I am happy with that. I will now remove the weft threads and knot the warp threads to make a fringe....stay tuned for more progress...

Mother's Matrix Mat...and More

Zipper

Design by Jen Manuell

Hooked by Lois Latham (my Mom)

I was visiting my Mom over the holidays and snapped up this photo of her Zipper rug from Jen Manuell's Amazing Matrix Booklet. I think it is really beautiful - simple, colorful and fun.

I have been at it again - knitting that is.....I have finished another September Circle. This time in blues and mauves...I could be addicted....I love all that lacy-ness going on....

I have NOT given up on hooking. As I said last week, I have been trying to hook a little each day. Sometimes easier said than done, however.... my studio looks like an explosion happened...

 

One of my large work tables is completely covered with my various piles textures...you see I NEED to see my palette in front of me to see what colors I will put next to each other.....you understand ...right???

I gave my niece Camille this funky cowl for her birthday yesterday, called Wasabi Cowl. Although, I made hers from multi-colored thick and thin Australian wool slightly less bulky. She was filled with gleeful delight. She is only 8 years old and was eager to show it off to her friends who, according to her, would be very jealous ! How much fun is that?

I am starting to think I may have an addiction....I was shopping at Mouliné today....my neighborhood yarn shop and I could NOT leave without several balls of this YAK yarn ....50% yak and 50 % merino wool.....so so soft. I wonder what will become of it...?

Well, I 'm off to the dye pots to rescue my wool. I have been dying up a small storm today. I have several orders to complete to keep my wool consumers warm and wooly and hooking :)

Until next time...happy hooking!

What's on My Frame

What's on My Frame....and NO I didn't fall off the edge....

I have been working away on a mat called MORE from Jennifer Manuell's Amazing Matrix. It is an adventure in TEXTURES and VALUES. I am trying to hook a little each day as this rug is a good size......Not so easy as I have caught the knitting bug again.

I was totally inspired by Jen Manuell's overdye of her September Circle Cowl, so I knit one for a Christmas gift....in Black Crazy Zauberball - a sock weight yarn... 

Well, this really got me started on knitting again....I used to knit alot years ago... and let it go when I started to hook. When shopping for the Zauberball yarn...I found some great yarn at a reduced price at my local knitting supply store Mouliné...

This yarn was being liquidated as it is a discontinued line of ROWAN yarn. It is a 50/50 blend of Silk and Merino wool DK weight....so soft and luxurious to knit with. The available colors were NOT to my liking so, I overdyed them in various rich colors and knit NOT 1 BUT 9 Infinity (one Loop) scarves for holiday gifts. Shown here is the scarf designed by Stephen West - Purl Ridge Scarf - find the pattern free here on Ravelry

As one thing led to another... I continued to knit....another free design called Boneyard Shawl from Stephen West on Ravelry.

 Well, I am still knitting and trying to hook a little each day. Most of my textured wool comes from Heavens To Betsy. Check out their Remnant Bags and their line of lovely textures...

I also get some lovely textures from Searsport Rug Hooking. Check out their Wool of The Month for great samples.

Until next time.....happy hooking!

Dyeing Darks

I have been dyeing lots and lots of darks lately for a geometric I have been hooking away madly on. These above colors Licorice and Republic Red are dyed over textures with formulas from Susan Quicksall's book Dyeing For Color. Check out her website Hollyhilldesigns.
These darks do a wonderful job of showing off the lights and mediums....contrast of value is what it is all about in geometrics. I will post a photo soon of my progress. 

'Tis The Season to Be Dyeing...

Lots of yummy colors.....all over textures. Ready to be hooked. Tried to keep my steamy dye kitchen under wraps today as we had SO much humidity (read RAIN) from the tropical storm already...didn't need more to make the house extra humid. It seemed to work, most of the humidity was contained and sucked outside with my venting system. Here are the fruits of my labor....today. What fun it is to play in the dye pots again. Some of these are dye by eye, but most are reproducible colors....a necessity when customers want the same color...right? These lovelies are headed off in the mail tomorrow...

I hope this post finds everyone safe!

OUCH!!!!

I am back at work after being off for awhile on vacation AND being back ....feels kind of....

...nice..... but really is very PRICKLY...lol

Cactus from New York Botanical Gardens

Give Away Over at ...THE WOOLY RED RUG

Help Laurie CELEBRATE over at The Wooly Red Rug ....A Give Away

Congrats Laurie! The NEW website looks great! 

Wishing you much success!

Find Laurie's New Website ....here....The Wooly Red Rug Website. 

 Find Laurie's blog...here....The Wooly Red Rug.

A Portrait Study

Here is what I have been working on lately. This past spring/summer I participated in an online class with an amazing instructor - Wanda Kerr. For more info about Wanda and her online classes visit her blog at WandaWorks . The learning experience was exciting and wonderful as I acquired many new skills that will translate into my future work.

 Each student benefited greatly from tons of individual
attention  and assistance to build the skills necessary to hook a portrait independently. The study that we completed incorporated many exercises to build not only our skills, but also our confidence in working with values and shapes to successfully (re)create a portrait in wool.
If you are looking for an enriching learning experience to enhance your hooking and looking skills  - then I suggest checking out what Wanda has to offer.

A Folk Crow

If you have followed my blog you will remember that my Mom and I both like Crows. Well, here is yet another one. Enjoy!

 Folk Crow

Hooked by Lois Latham

Design by Judith Dallegret

A Heart For Wanda

I was wandering on the beach the other day and found this lovely heart shaped flat rock. It reminded me of my friend Wanda Wandaworks .

I can't believe how time flies....

I have been busy working on a project and will show and tell when it is complete. It is really great to finally have time to hook!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Color Inspiration at The New York Botanical Gardens

A recent Easter weekend trip to the
New York Botanical Gardens. 

A wonderful way to welcome Spring. The riot of color is amazing. From the Spring bulbs to the extraordinary Orchids. A feast for the eyes.

  More to come. Stayed tuned! Enjoy!

Dying for Spring...

OK Mother Nature has been fooling with our weather again. It was WINDY and COLD this weekend with RAIN and SLEET....So, I dabbled in the dye pots....one of my favorite things to do. I had some orders to fill for some students and customers. Here are some of the results....

I dyed this skein of RAGG 2 ply in the microwave. Here it is cooling on the back deck. The yarn is Briggs and Little 2 ply RAGG.

This is what it looks like dried and twisted. It is a nice soft spring green.

I used Wanda's float or wandering method to dye this . It is a lovely parade of browns. The wool is Dorr natural.

Here it is dried and ready for hooking. It is simply delicious. I hope the richness and variation of color and value comes through. Yummy!

This one does not have a before. I got carried away and forgot to take the photos of it in the electric fry pan. I used a spot method to get this wonderful beauty. Inspired by maple syrup and sugaring off. The yarn is Briggs and Little 2 ply Heritage natural.

 

Another one that escaped the camera. What can I say my hands were busy....LOL. Anyway, I dyed this one in the electric fry pan as well. It is also spotted with several colors to yield this softness. The yarn I started with is  Briggs and Little 4 ply washed white.