Check out my hook collection!!!

Last week I bought a Spool cabinet on Ebay.  I have wanted one for a long time with glass front drawers to display my antique hook collection.  The bottom drawer needs a new piece of glass and I used some antique restorer on  it after cleaning it up.  Most of the time they cost way more than I wanted to pay---I got this one for $77 plus $55 shipping.  What a deal!  Here it sits in its new home filled with my hook collection.  I also received my rug hooking magazine yesterday with an article on old hooks---how timely.

Enjoy these pictures.

This is the bottom drawer and has newer hooks---the rest are old ones.

Wool from Friday's dyeing---a fun, but sweaty day.  so glad the weather turned cooler!

Tomorrow I am running in a Labor Day 5 K---supposed to get down to 50 degrees tonight!  Heaven!

My daughter and her husband got two new kittens yesterday.  They are so cute...I'll post a picture later...gotta run now as i am on y way to go see "The Help".

Have a great day!

Finally a quiet morning to catch up on my blog

I really didn't mean to not post more about Texas for this long but it has been busy around here.  Where has the time gone.  Last Thursday afternoon we headed to the lake...wasn't sure I really wanted to go since I had gotten home late Tuesday afternoon but Doug wanted to go and since he had been here by himself for over a week I caved in and was glad I did.  We had a nice time, I got in some early morning runs, some hooking time on a piece that I am teaching at Teacher's workshop in November, some fishing, some jet skiing...some bad storms about 2 o'clock in the morning that made it feel like the trailer was moving--things were blowing around.  Woke me up but somehow my dear husband just kept sleeping.  We came home on Sunday and I worked on getting things ready for home classes this week, both Monday and Wednesday.  tuesday and Thursday I drew patterns and hit the dye pots.  We had a break in the hot weather yesterday and it was a delightful day with early morning temperatures in the low 60's.  I left the house at 6:20 for an early morning 60 minute run---it was great---and even better I am not sore this morning.  My 10K Plaza run is Sept. 18th---I am getting more confident that I will be ready.

Here is a shot of yesterday's dyeing---estimated at about 22 yards of wool.

Today is another day of dyeing and also have a lady coming today to color plan one of my paisley patterns.

Here are some pictures of my pictorial piece---

This is a picture that I took when I was working on it and struggling with the left side with the sandy bank and the water---I finally decided to eliminate the water on the left side and add more sand as it really is a bit of a cove there...that with some more changes resulted in this.

I still have some more tweaking to do but am happier with the piece.  It is the place where our workshop has been held for the past 6 years at lake Texoma---I plan to donate the piece to the Prothro center for their cross wall.  The lesson will be focused on "skies"----speaking of skies we are having a beautiful sky this morning.

 Almost makes me want to go out and do another run, hmmmmm...maybe I will do a short one.

Okay, I really want to do sue more Texas photos.

Sherry was working on a Be a Brock pattern---this is a fun pattern to color plan---so many possibilities 

 Cathy was working on Susan Quicksall's Crazy Horse rug---the backgrounds are always a challenge on this piece and we were able to get that worked out for her.  See the color code at the top of the rug---if you closely you can see that I colored them in on the rug.

Cyndee was working on Comstock---this is a favorite pattern on mine and hers is going to be beautiful---she was hooking it in a #6 cut.

Carol was hooking another Susan Quicksall rug---I can't take credit for this one---she was trying to get it finished to take to the ATHA biennial in Louisville---I think she will make it---it is beautiful.  We worked mostly on some of the center flowers.

Stephanie was working on a Primco pattern called Early Frost Adaptation---I taught this piece at Teacher's workshop two years ago---a great Primitive Oriental.  good job Stephanie!

This is an Edyth O'Neill design called Tulip Runner.   Georgeanne was wearing many hats during the workshop and didn't get much time to hook, but this is going to be a beautiful runner.  Love it!


That's it for this morning---gotta go!

Great time in Texas

 What a great time I had last week in Texas.  I used to live in the Dallas area so on my way to teach in San Antonio I stopped to visit my good friend Lily, my old next door neighbor.  They say you can't go home again but Lily is sure trying to get me back to Duncanville.  I left early Thursday morning to head to the Riverwalk in San Antonio to teach for the Heart of Texas hookers.    After unloading all my stuff and getting set up, can you say HOT!!!  We went to the Westwood's for a Texas welcome and make your own pizza in an outdoor wood oven.

We rolled out our pizza dough then headed to the table with all the fix ins.  Yummy pizza!

Friday morning the workshop was under way with 17 eager students ready to hook.

we hooked morning, afternoon and night all weekend.  There was a great rug show on Saturday as well as a sale of handmade items by the students.  I didn't get pictures of all my students pieces but I have some to show over the next few days.  On Sunday afternoon at 2 the workshop came to a close and the packing and loading began...I left San Antonio and headed back to Dallas to see Lily again before heading home to unpack again.  The last day I was in Duncanville it was 111 degrees in the shade.  I did get to eat at Pappadeaux's---my favorite restaurant.  Lily and I shared a fish dish.

My almost 30 hours of drive time was occupied by several books on tape---one called Rescue and one called Thursdays at Eight.  Both were an enjoyable way to pass the time.

Okay back to the workshop pictures.

This is Karen's Rabbit---she is putting paisley in the bird's wing and the rabbit's bow, but decided to wait to put it in till the end.  I love the great rich brown background.

This is a M Shaw Folk Art Fruit Basket hooked by Janyth---what a great pineapple!

Melanie hooked this fish, a Spruce Ridge pattern.  It took us a bit to get this fish going the way she wanted but she persevered and it is looking great!!!

Denice was hooking this Mosey and me pattern---we played with the curls on the sheep and decided to go black---check out the sunflower center---sculpted---and the stem is chained.  It was a fun pattern made even more fun with her creativity.

                                                 this view shows the border...

More pictures tomorrow...have a great day!

My bags are packed---I'm almost ready to go

Well here it is---almost time to head to Texas.  I am leaving for Texas on Tuesday.  I get to stay with my friend and old neighbor, Lily, on my way to teach in San Antonio.  Early Thursday I will head to teach at
The Angela Pumphrey weekend workshop on the Riverwalk.

I packed my wool in my new Ikea bags and since I wasn't sure exactly how things would fit this time I partially loaded my car on Friday.  The last minute stuff will go in the back and then I'll put the platform on with the tubs and strap them down.  Oh and I guess I'd better make some room for some clothes.  There is always the front passenger seat.

Tonight we are going to friends to cook out and play Bocce ball---if it isn't too hot.  This morning I thought that I would run outside and changed my mind when I opened the door---went to the gym instead and ran on the treadmill and on the upstairs track---yeah air conditioning!  I am planning on running a 10K on Sept. 18th so I need to be increasing my running time if I am going to be ready.  Fortunately they say it is a flat race so it shouldn't kill me.

this is where I spend a lot of time in my house---my dye area in the basement---I have a four burner stove and a two burner hot plate---

Gotta go!

Oh no, not again

Here we go again.  Today I went shopping at Stein Mart for a shirt for my husband and a top for me...i was about ready to leave and I reached up to my ear and oh no---my earring was missing again !!!  I have been praying to St. Anthony again---don't know if I lost it in the store or elsewhere...haven't found it yet...I am beginning to wonder if I was supposed to have that earring...keep the faith, keep praying!  I left my name and phone number in case it would get turned in.  There is obviously something wrong with the clasp.

Any help with prayers would be appreciated!

Anita

Raining in Kansas

I woke up this morning and headed out for a run and got caught in the rain---so I headed to Starbucks and called hubby to come pick me up.  Just had some delicious french toast made with made with whole wheat tuscan pane from Trader Joe's---yum!!!  Served it with fresh strawberries and fage yogurt.  Now I ready to get to work!

Yesterday I was cleaning up my studio downstairs and took some pictures of my wool.

At my home classes last week Wanda has been working on her Crazy Horse rug designed by Susan Quicksall.  She is having fun hooking this pattern---she is flying through it.  Here is a picture of her progress.

 I'm betting that she'll be finished when she comes back to class on Wednesday.

I hope everyone has a great weekend---time to get to work!

New Cupboard Series---Acorn Vine

Here is a finished sample of Acorn Vine, one of my newest Cupboard designs.  I hooked all the way home from the lake in the car.  I still need to do the binding but you can get the ideas---I like it in the green frame.  the background was an as is dark stripe of Rebecca's.  It is almost too plain for me but it is what I took with me and the green frame really helps.

We caught more crappie this morning before we headed home---my biggest one broke my line just s I was bringing it up---I should have had a net but most of what we were catching didn't need a net---I was bummed!  Oh crap!

Tomorrow is supposed to be the hottest day of the year and I plan to dye wool---guess I'll just turn the thermostat lower and make sure I keep the pots covered as much as possible.

Today I got the pattern in the mail that I will be teaching at Teacher's workshop this year.  Hmmmm!  the lesson is on skies---As a student what do you want to learn about skies---any feedback would be appreciated as it might influence how I decide to approach the piece.  It is a small pictorial that was inspired by a photograph that I took at workshop last year at Lake Texoma in Texas...rocky cliff, sky, water, trees, but the main emphasis is supposed to be on how to hook skies.