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