Friday, June 22, 2007

still kicking...

...but no hooking equals no posting. Not that you can tell if you're over at my place. There are still piles of cut strips, little snips and wool all over my coffee table and dining room table. I hate to put it away for fear of forgetting about my project and not doing anything creative until Fall.

So what have I been doing instead? Swimming. Walking. Camping. Playing with my nieces, nephews and cousin's kids. Reading ('cause there's no good TV in the summer). ...and of course, there's been a lot of work - this is the busiest time of year with my day job.

Happy hooking and happy summer. I'll post again soon when I have something of note to report...

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

new project

Saturday was a great day! I don’t get to go to hook-ins very often, so I really enjoy having a chance to sit and hook and chat and snack ☺ It was also nice to be able to just be a participant (unlike R.U.G., where I seem to run around like a chicken with its head cut off).

I arrived home on Friday night and started scrambling….pulling wool off the shelves, digging through random pieces of backing, flipping though my idea book, and doing a little sketching.. My first couple of ideas were discarded and I finally settled on “the one”. A good friend and local artist R.W. “Bobbi” Haviland had sent a couple of cards in the last few weeks, and at some point in my mad scramble, one caught my eye and it became the inspiration for my latest project.

Bobbi has been a friend of our family for a long time and I have long been an admirer and collector of her work. For the last year or so, I have received “Bobbi Bucks” for special occasions from my folks and some from AJ, too. Two weekends ago, she had a show at her studio and my BBs were burning a hole in my pocket. I was very happy to pick up this piece… (yes, that's my TV reflected int he bottom left corner -- sorry!)

The cool thing about Bobbi’s work is that she has a unique style….and there is so much variety in her work, you can always find something new and different at her studio. If you are ever in the area, it is worth the short drive to her studio in Burk’s Falls. Just south of Burk’s Falls, turn west onto Old Ferguson Road, and then travel about 1-2km…and her studio is on the right side (just look for the sign).
* * * * * * *
So back to the project….
Have you ever noticed that when you don’t hook for a while, your sorta forget how? I find that I have a much greater tendency to pack when I have been away from it for a while. On a bigger piece, it wouldn’t matter too much, or on a piece where you started right in the centre, but this piece is pretty narrow, and I started at one end. Packing ended up distorting the shape of the perimeter….so I ended up ripping out almost everything on Sunday. What the picture shows is the part I hooked on Sunday, and the amount of wool I ripped out (I forgot to take a picture beforehand, but the pile gives an idea of what I had accomplished in Powassan) from Saturday’s efforts.

Friday, June 01, 2007

what do you bring?

What do you bring to a hook-in when you don't have a project on the go? I'll let you know after tomorrow.

I'm off to the northern hook-in in Powassan tomorrow...and I haven't hooked anything in months. The only real WIP kicking around is something I started 5 years ago (and I haven't hooked on it for at least 2 years). I love this rug, but it feels like it's too much work to try and gather the wool together. It doesn't help that I already know some of it has been hooked up into other projects.

Last night I had an idea to just bring some miniature punch needle work...it won't take up too much room and it won't be an unnecessary "cloak" in the heat. The problem of what to hook...what design and motifs remains.

I could also start a new pattern -- I am my mother's daughter afterall, and there is nothing like a deadline to spring me into action. Maybe I will whip up a purse pattern tonight...or a pillow...a runner....or a small mat. It has to be small, I don't want too much of blanket on my lap. In any case, I won't get anything done sitting here typing.... keep posted.