9 and counting...

Well, I have been hooking for the last nine days in a row. I'm not sure if this is a record or not...but it is definitely much more than I have been hooking for the last year or so.

I finished the third checkerboard last week (I like it a lot more now--sorry I forgot to take a picture), and they are all pressed and waiting to be whipped. I am trying to decide how to finish them...and whether or not I should line the back or not (and hold it in place with the whipping) so they are temporarily on hold for now. Also, I was going to sew a skinny bag for the pieces (the mat would be rolled around the bag and tied with a strip of ultrasuede for storage)...but now I am wondering if I should just make a bigger bag for storing both the mat and the pieces. Any suggestions?

Meanwhile, my Christmas workshop continues to be busy. I started on the Christmas stockings on Thursday night...and just finished sewing them together and giving them their final pressing last night. Voila!

Tonight I am starting on top-secret Christmas Present #1 (of 2)...so unfortunately there won't be much to tell or show you about these for a month--but I will continue to keep in touch ;-)

Happy holiday gift making!

'Twas a productive weekend!

So there was much hooking done this weekend--so much that I decided I needed take a break last night after only about 30 minutes. My neck has been bothering me. I starting using my big frame again, and at first I had it set too high and on too much of an angle. Several adjustments later it was a lot more comfortable--but not before I had buggered my neck/shoulder. Oh well, it is better today...so hopefully I will be able to get back at it tonight. Plus, I am going for a massage on Friday morning, so that will help, too ;-)

What was I working on? Well, I finished the first checkerboard on Saturday...

...and I started the second. Finished the second.

...and started the third...

My favourite so far is definitely number two. I'm not really happy with number three, but I'm using the "just keep going" philosophy (and hoping for the best!)

In other news, I am already sold out of the Fall/Winter 2006 issue of the R.U.G. sack. There are still a handful of copies of Spring/Summer 2006 available if anyone is interested. It is impossible to guess how many spares I should print--I don't really want to be stuck with extras, since each copy costs money. Sorry to all who still want a copy of this issue--if you subscribe anytime between now and the end of April, I guarantee I will have a Spring/Summer 2007 for you ;-)

...back to work...happy hooking!

I'm back...finally!

Wow, what a crazy busy couple of weeks! The workshop at the Neilson Park Creative Centre in Etobicoke was great! A lovely bunch of ladies....and they were all excited to get to work on their purses. It will be great to see some when they are done.

While in the city I visited Village Yarns for the first time...what a nice shop! I think that I roamed around for over an hour admiring all of the beautiful yarns and colours--sometimes too much choice can be overwhelming and you can't decide or it takes forever. Eventually I picked (more than) enough to fill a bag....and I also bought a really pretty purse handle. The abalone shell handle reminds me of Table Cape (where we lived in Tasmania)....and I think that it will inspire another new pattern soon...

Christmas is creeping up quickly...and I still have many projects to complete (and several yet to be started). There are only two stockings to make this year ;-) I took a picture of my friends' stockings on the weekend and I will soon start making one for baby Adelaide. Sheri & Spencer's stocking were the first ones I made (in 2001)...

I also had great plans to make checkerboards for everyone this year, but the progress has not been swift--I have been too busy knitting of late--and I might have to suspend production until next year... There is always the One of a Kind show in a couple of weeks--I can always shop there instead ;-)

I am hoping to get a couple of solid days of hooking in this weekend, and will hopefully have some pictures early next week...

I (heart) Dollarama

Almost forgot...I had an amazing discover at Dollarama in the summer months and only bought 3 at the time. Once I realized how great they were, I returned only to discover they were sold out. What is the product? multipurpose Craft Mats. This heavy-duty plastic is great for templates - not too hard to cut and substantial enough to trace around without shifting.

I was surprised to see them back in the store this week. They come in 3 colours (purple, lime and blue) and the dimensions are 51cm by 43cm. Here in Huntsville they are in the same aisle as the craft supplies....good luck and buy lots - you might never see them again!

Hip Hip Horray!

I'm finished my evening bag. I designed, hooked, and mostly sewed together this evening bag in 2-3 days at the end of September...and then it got lost in my apartment. It barely took any time at all to do the finishing touches, but I guess that I was not very satisfied with the design (i.e. motifs) although I liked the pattern (shape and construction) well enough...and that was sufficient reason to delay indefinitely the final 45 minutes of work. Well, it's done now and I was able to take a couple of pictures, too (yes, I know I should have taken them in daylight--but daylight savings time is now over!) Ta da!

I have also been digging through my pictures to copy some for an upcoming article in the OHCG newsletter...and I came across two of my more recently finished purses. I am still working on the making up the patterns for them and the plan is to offer the designs in a limited number. I will also have blank patterns available, so that people can add their own motifs to the patterns.


Both of these purses are currently on display at the Bruce County Museum & Archives in Southampton until the end of the month.
As soon as I get my Christmas presents made (sorry....not too many sneak peeks on here since most of the recipients are frequent visitors....) I will be designing a couple more purse patterns.

It's glaze night at pottery today...so I will have more bowl photos soon.