My New Rug Frame

My new frame is here!! My new frame is here!!

Out of the 5 of us who hook together, 4 had the amazing rug hooking frame from The Needleworks Shop.  The first time I saw the frame was the first time all of us got together to hook at the Library in Cody, WY.  Patty, Carol, and I had all hooked together before. Carol and Patty both used hoops to hold their rugs while they were hooking and I had a floor frame. We were all unloading our things and taking them into the Library when Barb and Craig came rolling in with the most amazing frames I had ever seen. I was instantly green with envy. Oh, but I got even greener when I saw the way the frame easily turns the rug while you are working on it. My frame turned a little but it wasn't easy and it didn't turn very much.

Patty was next to get a Needleworks frame and give up the hoop, then Carol. I was so excited for them but thought my little frame would serve me fine. Eventually, it wasn't serving me well and started to slip, and my frame would drop while I was hooking. It only took a couple of times of not staying up for me to decide I needed a new frame. The good news was that I didn't have to research which one was the best. I already knew.

The large hexagon shaped frame spins as easily as a lazy Susan. The height is adjustable, the angle is adjustable, and it folds flat for travel . Jan from The Needleworks Shop  also makes the most amazing bonnets for the frame. It was an easy decision to get the bonnet to cover my frame during transportation or storing.

They also make a lap frame but I don't like hooking on a lap frame. No lap and short legs don't work well with a lap frame.

I am so grateful for our group and rug school. We all learn so much from each other, even if it's what frame to buy, what hook we like best, or what rug design we want to hook next.

Completed Poppies Rug

I couldn't believe how much I have ignored my blog when I checked it out. Since my last entries I have knitted several pair of socks, mittens, scarves and hats. Lately I have gone back to hooking my rugs.
The Poppies pattern I got from Sharon Smith is finished and on the wall next to my Sunflowers and Sheep rug. I am so happy with how it turned out.

I used some of the same wool as the flowers in the Sunflower rug so they would look good next to each other. This rug worked up so quickly. I think I just wanted it on my bedroom wall so much that I didn't do anything but hook. 

Be sure you check out the blog for the rug hooking group Wild West Rug Hookers to see what rugs my friends are working on. 

Hats for Everyone

A couple of months before Christmas I took a knitting class at Grand Loop here in Cody, WY. Our first project was learning to make a hat and cowl. While knitting a hat I jokingly told my husband that I was going to make everyone in the family a hat for Christmas. We both laughed at the thought and my husband said that maybe by next year I could have them finished. Keep in mind that I would have to make at least 15 hats.

Little did I know that I would complete the task of making 18 hats, 4 headbands, 5 cowls, and a pair of slippers. No excessive compulsive behavior here! As always, I don't get pictures so I had to get these from one of my daughters.

Lori is VERY sensitive to texture so I made sure her hat was very soft and machine washable. She loves her dolls so much that I made them each a hat too. 

 For Danny I used Noro for his slouchy hat. I think he sleeps in it.

 Ryan's hat is alpaca and SO soft and Vince has an earflap hat out of chunky wool. He also has an alpaca hat and a wool stripe hat.

Kenzie loved her hat out of chunky wool. What you can't see is the pompom off of the tail hanging down in the back. Vince's has a tail but a tassel instead of a pompom. I had originally made the infinity scarf for Jenny, but remembered she had a bad allergy to plastics and since this was a super soft acrylic I gave it to Kenzie instead.

These were all the pictures I got of my knitting adventure but you get the idea. I'm thinking next year might be socks. Who knows!

Is it a Cowl or is it a Skirt?

A couple of months ago I started knitting lessons. I had always wanted to know how to knit and when the class list at our new yarn shop, Grand Loops, came out I immediately signed up for the Beginning II Knitting Class. I had made several dishcloths when my hubby Alan was going through chemo so I had a basic idea of knitting but the dishcloth was the extent of my knowledge.

In my first class Linda Nolan started me out with a hat and cowl. I had so much fun that I went on to learn the next two steps which were lace and cable hats. Thanks to the internet I found the cutest hat and cowl to make my little granddaughter. I was going to save it for her birthday, which is very soon, but when it was cold one day I gave them to her then.

 This is the picture of  my adorable granddaughter the day I gave them to here. The yarn I used is so soft and amazing!

This is what she did with the cowl after she got home. The cowl is now officially a skirt that she wears with her leggings and boots. Who would have ever thought. Notice the bracelets. They are hair rubber bands that she wears as bangles. Most of the time she has several on each arm. She is such a fashionista. 100% girl. She even wears fake fingernails and has more lipglosses than anyone I know.
And she only turning 4 years old! I can't wait to see what the teen years bring.

Sheep and Sunflower Rug Finished

I finished the Sheep and Sunflower rug I started in August at Prairie Rose Rug School and I am so happy with how it turned out.

My biggest fear was the sheep I had to change the type of sheep it was from a black faced sheep because of the dark blue background. Thanks to Carol Messerli, who raises sheep, I found out that the face shape is different depending on the type of sheep it is. I did a little internet research and found this face, which I loved. I was so worried about the eyes and ears, but I think they turned out great. The internet is such an amazing tool.

I truly though the sunflowers were going to me the focal point of the rug but after the sheep was finished she took center stage. I did use creative license on the sunflowers and sheep. The original pattern is by Woodcrest Rug Designs.

Prairie Rose Rug Show

One of my favorite things about going to Prairie Rose Rug School is seeing the amazing work of other rug hookers. Just looking at other rugs a person can learn so much about backgrounds, borders, shading, or even the beauty of a very primitive piece.
Our teacher Joanie Reckwerdt took us on a tour of the rug show to discuss different sky techniques. Lessons in art are all around us if we take the time to look. When you look at the sky do you pay attention to how it flows, how the clouds look, or what colors you see? When you look at a tree do you see how the branches grow, or whether you see leaves or just color? The lessons are there if we take the time to see them.

 Sue Cunningham designed Chief Black Hawk. He is a very large rug and the only way I can describe Sue's work is insane OCD. She is as meticulous as they come. She also designed the purple geometric below. This is the rug she was working on last year at Prairie Rose.

 The owl is a rug that Catherine Vance hooked as part of her McGown certification. Notice how she hooked the background up and down with the dip-dyed wool instead of across. Beautiful.

 This little guy wasn't in the show but I had to get a picture of it anyway. JoHanna Hergenrider hooked the Blue Gill and she was finishing it at Prairie Rose.

One of the teacher at Prairie Rose, Sharon Saknit, designed and hooked this outstanding colorplay rug called Geometric Squares. Perfection is the only way to describe this rug.

Terryl Ostmo hooked this 1790 bed rug adaptation called Norwich. This is such a dramatic rug and beautifully hooked.

 Doodle Dala is a Jane McGown Flynn pattern beautifully hooked by Bonnie Pelczar. 

The Carpet Bag designed by Karen Kahle was hooked by Darlene Buckner. You can see part of Carol Messerlie's floral rug in the background to the right.

 Darlene Buckner also hooked this beautiful Primitive Squares. Darlene is as much fun as she is talented.

 Valerie Begeman designed and hooked this stunning sunflower design.  Beautiful design Valerie!

 The Day Lily Pillow is designed and hooked by Caroline Godfread. All of Caroline's work is original designs. Anne Bonney hooked the floral rug in the foreground on the right. Stunning work ladies!

 Caroline Godfread wanted to try her hand at a wide cut so she designed and hooked Karen's Rocket. You can just feel the movement in this rug.

This concludes the rug show for today. I need to find better picture for the rest of the show before I try posting them. We all know my photography skills are lacking.

Prairie Rose Rug School, 2014

Assumption Abbey in Richardton, North Dakota is the perfect setting for a successful rug school. You can't ask for better hosts than the Monks who call the Abbey home.

Patty Tyrrell , Barb and Craig Pearson, and I, along with another Wyoming rug hooker Sue Cunningham, from Laramie, Wyoming, all shared Joan Reckwerdt as our teacher. On our first day of class Joan told stories that were so funny my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. Besides her ability to tell a great story, she is an outstanding teacher.

 Joan is the teacher behind Barb Pearson's crewel rug. Barb has taken classes from Joan at Friends, in Oregon as well as at Prairie Rose. Joan has been the teacher throughout this outstanding rug.

Below is the rug Craig Pearson was working on and below it is a pictorial he got a little help with also. The pictorial is mind blowing. He also did another pictorial that is in the rug show but my picture turned out very blurry. Maybe Patty took one that turned out better. If so, I will show it later on.

Joan color planned and dyed the wool for Patty Tyrrell's Lacy Heart by Bea Brock. It has a stained glass feel to it. I can't wait to see it finished. We made the comment that Patty seems to like burgundy since her last rug had burgundy also. 

I know the angle of this photo is upside down but I wanted to show the pattern right side up. On the left is my Sheep and Sunflower rug. My other two sunflowers will both be red. I learned one major lesson on this rug. Never draw on your pattern with colored Sharpie. It will bleed on to your wool when you steam it! Since I will be adding a dark background to the rug, I will be hooking a white face on my sheep. I changed her face with the red sharpie so I spend the first night of rug camp washing the red out of my face.

The rug s next to mine are done by Katie Knoelke. She was in Ingrid Hieronimus's class and I was so impressed with the backgrounds she used at Ingrid's suggestion. One stripe went horizontally and one went vertically with a red line and the background extending out from it. Ingrid has a plethora of background and border ideas as well as being a fabulous teacher.

Carol Messerli, our other Wyoming rug hooker's elk came to life in Ingrid's class. Carol learned so much from Ingrid and I can't wait to see how this rug looks when it's finished.

Our other Wyoming gal Sue Cunningham, who has been going to Prairie Rose for years, was working on a beautiful Poppy design that Joan was helping her with. Sue's work is meticulous and I will show more rugs from her and others in another post.

The week went so quickly. The company was wonderful, the food amazing, and the teachers were all top notch. Suzy Jones did a fabulous job as our Director and we can't wait until next year.

Post written by Sylvia Gauthie