It would seem that our weather is cooperating for our flight on Friday---since we are flying through Denver I've kept a close watch on it as well, and although it is snowing there now Friday appears to be sunny---that is a good thing.

I started wrapping the presents that are going in the checked baggage---having never flown at christmas I thought that was okay---but not according to the TSA---I am not going to unwrap them---if they have to then so be it---I will rewrap them after I get there.  Nothing is large or dangerous so hopefully all will be well.

I did finish my Kilim.  Here it is---it is 17 by 37 inches and designed by Jane Flynn.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, or whatever holiday they celebrate and a  Happy New Year!

Anita

Holiday Gathering 2011 part 2

Two posts in two days!

Yesterday morning I went for a run retracing my route that I ran the day I lost my earring hoping to miraculously find it---it was a long run that day and I had called my husband to pick me up at the Starbucks---a grande mocha light frapacinno has only 140 calories and tastes great after a long run---unfortunately he had gone out and wasn't available to pick me up so  I had an even longer run than I had planned to get back home as I had a dr. appointment that I had to make it to and no moola with me to get my frappacinno...I got home an hour and twenty minutes after i left home.  No I didn't find my earring.

After my doctor's appointment I went to old downtown Overland Park.  I went to Penzey's and got some new spices and to the Tasteful Olive and got a fig balsamic vinegar and a sesame oil---they have it set up where you can taste the oils and vinegars and come up with your own pairings...fun but my tastebuds got very confused.  I used both last night in a dish I made for supper---chicken with japanese eggplant, tomatoes, onion, capers, red pepper and used the balsamic---yummy!  Served it over whole wheat penne pasta.  I love to play in the kitchen  occasionally---I say I cook like I dye---a little of this and a little of that. I get bored with putting meals on the table so every once in a while when I have the time I like to pretend that i am on the "Chopped" show and have to create a dish---I don't give myself as many strange foods as they get but it is funk to see what I can do given 3 or 4 main ingredients.

Well here are some more pictures from the party.

 This is a pattern hooked by Anne---I think it is a Nola Heidbreder pattern but Anne redrew many of the animals---I remember how hard we worked to come up with a color for the background---I think this one works!

 Another fun rug by Anne---a Primitive Grace pattern

A  very fun Woolley Fox chicken pattern hooked by Bonnie---I like the "halo effect" around the chickens

More chickens hooked by Mary Lynn ---drawing a blank on the pattern name, duh!

 Lots of fun Christmas pieces mostly hooked by Karen---she has been busy!

 Perry hooked this Bea Brock pattern, Birds of a Feather, an ambitious project---great job!

One of the highlights of the day was Marie telling us her story as hooked in this family rug.  The rug chronicles her life from childhood to present day---what a treasure this is!!!

Well, that is it for now---while not all the rugs this will give you a sampling of what was there.

I am so proud of their accomplishments and am looking forward to 2012 with  many more rugs and good times with all of them.

This next week will bring preparations for traveling  to California---not looking forward to flying at Christmas but have been checking the  weather and it looks like things are going to be good weather wise---keeping my fingers crossed.  I have never flown anywhere for Christmas, so this is a first.

Peace, joy and happiness to all.  Enjoy your family and friends---see you again in 2012!

Holiday Gathering 2011

Yesterday brought the 15th Annual Holiday Gathering.  We had a great time and fortunately the weather cooperated this year with temperatures near 60.  Our party was held at Mimi's house---thank you Mimi!

Everyone brought some great food along with their recipe so that we can put a cookbook together.  We also do a show and tell of current projects and a rug show.  I didn't get pictures of the show and tells but took pictures of the rug show.

Here is the finished picture of the project I gave everyone for their gift.  The sheep is hooked into the wool.  I finished the edge of my pillow by inserting strips and the edge with a hemostat tool---works great!

Here we all are gathered on the steps at Mimi's.

And now for some pictures:

This is a picture of our guild rug which is being raffled off---proceeds benefitting the Spiva Art Center in Joplin MO which was devastated by the tornado earlier this year.  Anyone interested can contact me---$5.00 for one ticket and $10 for three.  We sold quite a few tickets yesterday---It is a large rug---about 38 by 50.  It will be given away on February 25th at the Lenexa hook-in.


There were lots of geometric patterns this year---

 Star Geometric hooked by Peggy

Pinwheel  Quilt---about 34" by 58" hooked by Jo Ann---I did a smaller version of this earlier in the year when I worked out the pattern---much more impressive in the larger size!

 Two Kilim pillows hooked by Kate

This is the  same pattern as the pillows hooked as a runner---I didn't get the binding finished but I used the opportunity to give a little finishing lesson on how I did the binding.  At the top of the picture is a glimpse of a bird nest hooked for me by my good friend Jody---I had to bring it to share with the group.  Love it Jody!!!

 A great way to use up leftovers!

 

Cheltonham, a Martina Lesar pattern hooked by Kate

 Another scrap rug hooked by Marie

A great wall hanging hooked by Phyllis

This next group of pictures will show the popularity of some 

Susan Quicksall rug patterns.

 This is Amy's Crazy Horse runner in two parts---too big to get in one picture!

 Crazy Horse rug hooked by Cheryl

 Crazy Horse rug hooked by Wanda

 Seed Basket hooked by Sally---love the tongues!

Amy's Floral pillows---found the perfect wool for the pillow backs!

That's it for today---will post more pictures tomorrow!

What a wonderful group of very talented ladies---I am very thankful for the great year I have had with them and hope everyone enjoys the holidays!!!

checking in

Well it is a busy time of the year---lots of parties and holiday cheer!
We had our Rug Hooking guild Christmas party on Saturday and I forgot my camera, but I will have pictures thanks to Karen later this week.  Wednesday is my party for my students---I am so looking forward to it.  We will be having a rug show so there will be more pictures to come.

We went to a party last night and have another one on Saturday night---so much fun this time of year.  Our neighborhood Bunco party is next week.

Today has been a day of finding things and losing things.  I found my hooked braided mat which has been missing for some time but unfortunately I lost my earring again---more prayers to St. Anthony---if I don't find it this time I am not replacing it.  Still hopeful, but not holding my breath.  I hope I didn't lose it when I was running this morning.  Between yesterday and today I have run over 11 miles---no way to trace it back!

I am getting excited about my trip to California to see my daughter at Christmas...we are going to be going to Grass Valley, Bodega Bay and Oakland.  I am also going to get to see my sister who will be joining us in Bodega Bay.

I am looking forward to getting my hair cut and colored tomorrow---I am past due!

I am almost finished with my Kilim---just another hour or less of hooking time---planned to do it tonight but got distracted.

I promise some great pictures after the party on Wednesday---looks like the weather is going to cooperate this year---no snow!  yeah!!!!

Where has the time gone

It is hard to believe that two weeks have gone by since I last posted.  Thanksgiving has come and gone---it was a quiet one this year.  Last week my husband and two friends who were newly certified to scuba dive went to Cozumel which left me home alone...I thought I would be able to get so much done but actually I took the opportunity to be lazy and get some much needed down time, so I hooked a lot, watched TV, went for runs, and did whatever I felt like doing.  On Thursday a good friend came to visit and we played some more.  We went to the River Bottoms ( Good Juju and Bottoms Up to name a few) on Friday and did some antique and vintage shopping---we hooked and several nice dinners that I cooked and just enjoyed ourselves some more.  Late Saturday night Doug came home, and it wasn't until after the Chiefs game on Sunday that I finally set myself in motion to get the studio ready for Mondays classes.  Into hight gear and now I think I am back on track.  Lots more to do today for classes tomorrow.  These are my final two home classes for the year as next Wednesday is our end of the year party---a big celebration and fun day---we do a pot luck, show and tell of current projects and a rug show---I'll be posting pictures of their work.

Here is the Kilim that I have been hooking.  I started it at Teacher's workshop in November---it is a #4-6 cut.  I have enjoyed hooked it---hope to finish it before the Party next Wednesday---no promises.

Qashqui, designed by Jane Flynn---this is the first picture that I have seen of it---looking at a digital image is a good way of seeing things you might want to correct and I see a few, but overall am very pleased with it.  Yesterday i was looking on Etsy and there were some wonderful pillows and coasted that were made out of old Kilims being sold by someone in Turkey.  They were really nice and it was interesting to see the colors.  Etsy in a fun way to shop for interesting handmade and vintage items for Christmas.  I found several of my gifts this way.

When I looked out the front door this morning this is what I saw---white stuff!  It is still coming down but very lightly.  I am not a big fan of the white stuff.  The trash can in the neighbors driveway reminds me it is trash day.

Well I guess that is it for this morning---have a happy and healthy week!