Hooked Houses

Dear Blog Followers…..
I should be admonished for not blogging more regularly.  And although I have a million different excuses, like there was another pot of wool that needed to be dyed or Blue needed some attention, there really is no excuse.  I could promise to be better about my blogging, but no one would believe it at this time.

However, I have made some nice rugs lately and thought you might like to see them.  The top photo shows a Lori Brechlin design from Kris Miller's Spruce Ridge Studio.  Kris was here teaching a class in June and this was my class project.   I love the sunflowers and outhouse and the bright blue door.  All of Kris' patterns are great and I have a zillion of them here in the store to choose from .

The bottom rug is the second of the rugs I color planned with Maggie Bonanomi when she was here in May.  The first was the floral with the bunting shown in my last blog.  This HIDDEN HOUSE pattern is a charmer.  We strayed from my usual color palette and went with chrysanthemum and pink mums, persimmon and sittin' pretty.  The greens were blue greens, yellow greens, poisony greens all mixed together.  I used Maggie's method of tearing each strip wide, then hand cutting it in half.  It gives such a uniquely primative look and I actually find the hand cutting sort of relaxing.  Who KNEW?  I whined and complained about it enough when we first started, but grew to LOVE it.

It has been pointed out to me that I do whine and complain a lot when doing something new or difficult.  This became most immediately apparent during the July Diane Stoffel class.  I did the hardest rug I have ever tackled.  And….according to all who attended, whined thru most of the first two days.  Was that me?  Yes, I guess it was.  I will try to blog soon to show you the difficult little devil of a rug.  It is all done now, and looking at it, I think….what was so hard.   With Diane Stoffel standing next to you, everything seems doable.

Did you hear we are having a 3 day hooking weekend starting tomorrow.  This is FREE to all, we will potluck lunch and finish our unfinished projects, to get ready for more of the wonderful classes we have coming up this fall.

Pris Buttler is here for the annual MASTER CLASS this September.  Then I will do my yearly HEIRLOOM RUG CLASS in October.  The Hook-In Weekend will be Oct 3 and 4, with lots of great hooking here at the store after the Omaha hook-in is over.   Then Oct 31 Nov 1 and 2, Diane Stoffel will be here to teach, along with Pris Buttler for the RETREAT, then Nov 13,14,15 Donna Hrkman and Ali Strebel will be here for their RETREAT weekend.  Contact me if you are interested in signing up for any classes.  We bring in fantastic teachers every month.

All for now.  There is wool on the stove, better go.
Janice