EASTER JOY

Happy Good Friday to everyone !

I have a few Easter related photos to show you.

Last weekend I realized that I should have been working on the darling design that Paulette from Plum Street Samplers did last year as a freebie.  Easter Blessings - I have seen a few of them stitched on linen and they are sooooooo cute - however I thought this would be perfect for a small rug so I asked my DF Katie to draw it off for me on rug linen.  Of course I asked Paulette first and she thought it was a great idea.  Most rugs have a border - I thought this rug needed a border to bring up the size a little bit and Katie and I brainstormed on a border.  I did not show the border but it has carrots all around and Easter Blessings at the bottom.  Isn't it darling??  The chocolate bunny boy looks a little ardvarky with his "too pointed" nose - I'll have to fix that next time I work on it.  I had hoped to finish the yellow daisies but I did not have time to hook any this week.  Katie is dyeing a light easter egg dye backround for this and I will probably use a spot dyed green/brown for the border backround which will show the carrots off nicely.  I was determined to pull all my wool from stash for this piece.  We'll see what Katie's backround creation looks like - hope it's what I envisioned - other than that small purchase - I think I can manage the rest from stash!  WHOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!

DF and stitcher extraordinare Henrietta also does beautiful paper crafting - her creations never cease to amaze me.  She always remembers her dear friends birthdays and holidays with her wonderful paper crafting.  Here is the oh so darling Easter card.  thanks Henri for always remembering!

Next up is Harriett on her tuffett - I showed you this lovely little primitive bunny in a previous post but she is nestled in a Longaberger easter basket along with plenty of carrots and some pretty eggs.

This very special lady was made by Jody's grandmother and mother.  They sewed many of these bunnies in the early 90's - If I recall correctly - Jody's mom made the bodies and did the embroidery on the faces and Jody's grandmother who was already in her 80's at the time made all the clothes. She passed away 11 years ago at the age of 92 and we miss her so much.  Sadly Jody's mom is now in a nursing home and has the dreaded Alzheimer's so she is slipping away every day.

 I have not used her for many years but she looks so cute on my couch and she is holding the Easter Joy bag by Shepherds Bush. I think she looks very happy there and who wouldn;t be glad to be "out of the bag"!

I wanted to share with you some more sad news in our world - our wonderful "Olde Green Cupboard" is closing.  How sad is that.  The news came a couple of weeks ago and it was sure a shock.  How awful that another great shop has been so affected by the economic woes of these past two very difficult years.  It was a wonderful respite for all who frequented there.  The retreats, classes, communing with like minded needleworkers - They are clearing out all their inventory at 50% off - I have already spent a bundle there - I'll show you in a future post the wonderful cabinet I got there for my wool room.

I'll end this post with a couple of photos of the beautiful Azaleas in my yard.  We had a very rough winter here in NE FL but the flowering trees seem to be ever so lovely this year. 

I wish for each of you Easter Joy - It is a time for renewal, for spending time with family and enjoying a bit of chocolate and hopefully some time with your needle.  Easter Blessings to you all !

SEBRING BLISS

What can I say - Sebring was total bliss - the weather was cool and refreshing. My mom and I and DF Susan traveled down together on Sunday.  The bad weather was nipping at our heels the whole time.  We stopped for a lovely lunch at a favorite spot in Winter Park and OH WOW did we ever get caught in a torrential downpour.  Once we got back on the road the rain was quite heavy - needless to say I was very glad to arrive at our destination safely.  We checked in and got settled but did not leave the hotel for the next 3 days and you will see why we did not see any need to leave the property.

Come Monday morning - the clouds and rain were all gone away and here was the gorgeous site that greeted us.

The Inn on the Lakes is a privately owned family property.  We sprung for a small upcharge and opted for  lakefront rooms. We opened up the windows and they stayed open for the entire duration of our stay there.  Sleeping with open windows was total bliss.

 Their landscaping is just magnificent - it is truly something to behold.  Take in the sites and enjoy!

This rug camp had 3 national teachers - Mom and I and DF Susan were all in the same class.  We've had Vivily Powers (Colorama) before.  My rug is rather small 24" x 24" and is designed by Bea Brock - a texas artisan - I had given the canvas to mom as a gift several years ago but she never warmed up to it so she suggested I take it and see what I could do with it - here is my progress as of the end of the workshop.

Mom started a darling 18" x 18" canvas by Not Forgotten Farm - we just adore Lori's designs and this one is just so dang cute.

here is DF Susan's progress on her little pastoral scene - she is an awesome hooker.

here are a few of our classmates rugs - sorry I can't show them all and no these egrets were not worked in class - these were ongoing projects.  Same with the rug called Alphapets - many hours have already gone into these rugs.

There was an exhibit held - it was small as the camp was small.  I only snapped a couple of photos and regret to say I did not get a good enough photo of my mom's santa rug and there was a big glare on Susan's Houses rug I showed on the blog last month.  WHAAAAAA - however - here is a few snaps from the exhibit.  enjoy! 

Hope you are all having a good time with your projects.  Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving your comments.  Without them - the blogs would not be as much fun to read.  Happy Springtime Stitching!

MARCH 17TH

I was planning to do a Happy St Patrick's Day post but here is what I see out of the french doors in my office.

Naked trees, gray, drizzly, gloomy, nothing green about today.

!

I was very honored to receive my first blogger award from Margaret - one of my stitching idols. Thanks Margaret !

I am supposed to nominate 7 other blogs but as I have seen several others do I am going to decline with that part because there are SOOOO many talented people out there whose blogs I love and I'm sure dozens more that I have  yet to discover so kudos to all my friends in blog land.

I'm not even sure I can come up with 7 interesting things but I'll try.

1.  I'm an only child and I have no children myself - never minded being an only child except now that my parents are aging (aren't we all) I am a little sad to think that one day I might be very alone.

2.  I exhibited purebred dogs for 25 years (Afghan Hounds) - I owned and bred a number of champions and traveled all over the US to shows.  No I don't have any dogs - my last old champion died about 8 years ago and honestly - if I never pick up a brush again as long as I live - it won't hurt my feelings.

3.  Jody and I have known each other almost all our lives - he is almost 5 years younger than I and he was and still is good friends with my only cousin (my mom's sister's only son) We aren't close but he and Jody keep in touch.  He grew up in the neighborhood and we have been together for 30 years. 

4. I lived in the same house for 50 years - it was a tiny cottage my grandparents built after the depression when they moved to Jacksonville - needless to say it was very traumatic for me to consider and execute a move 20 miles away however we love our home and I'm glad we made the move.

5.  When I was much younger I dated a member of a prominent southern rock band from jacksonville and even went to concerts with them.  I was back stage lots of times and it is just as bizzare and seedy a lifestyle as you could imagine.  Lots of drugs, sex and rock and roll (please god don't let my mom read this!)  Lots of times I would tell her I was going to a dog show and I would go and park my van at a friends house and then get on a plane or meet the tour bus.  My boyfriend bought me lots of extravagant gifts and it was fun for a while but the first time I got slapped and knocked around by a jealous groupie I was ready to give up the rock and roll life style. Another scary thing that happened was that different members of the same band were fighting and feuding and someone crashed a chair thru the windows of the hotel room we were staying in and glass shattered all over the place - needless to say that was the final straw - the last concert I went to with him. I saw the guy in the rock band not long ago at a local concert  and he is even fatter and older looking than I - geez - I wish I just had remembered how he looked in 1979 on the album cover.

6.  I've been in the car business for 30 years as well.  With a Ford dealership for 21 years and now a family owned management company that owns dealerships in 3 states.  I am a network admin and love my job.

I'm afraid I am not a very interesting person since I can't even come up with #7 - sorry !

I'm really excited to be going to another rug workshop this weekend.  We have been going down to Sebring Fl which is below Orlando in the orange grove region for a number of years now.  It will be a welcome vacation and time to spend with mom at a lovely inn on the lake.

Hope the luck of the Irish is with us all !

THE PROOF

Well - I made it thru a difficult week at work but it's FINALLY FRIDAY !  I felt so liberated when I left work -  headed straight for the LYS and knit night with friends.  I thought I was too tired but Jody encouraged me to go and I'm actually glad I did - I finished the back of my Rowan Colorscapes jacket.  The yarn is lovely - the colorways were designed by Kaffe Fassett and it shows - brillant colors - a little out of my comfort zone but unbelievably dramatic.  This would be a fast finish if I just devoted any attention to it but I'm all about what catches my attention at the moment and then poof - I'm off to something else.  So I got the front cast on and I'll try to be a little more attentive to this beauty.

While I'm showing knitting - here is a photo of the yarn I mentioned in my last post - I found the simple capelet pattern and yarn at the yarn shop in St Augustine.  It is easy mindless knitting and enjoyable to watch the color changes - the mohair stranded along with the striping wool gives a lovely halo and it is just the effect I was looking for - so I'm glad that my impulse purchase is turning out so well.  It will always remind me of the bittersweet day I spent in St Augustine and how special my connections are to that place.

Another fun purchase I received in the mail last week is some Spud and Chloe - that is a charming spin off company from Blue Sky Alpaca - one of my fave yarn companies.  They put out this cute pencil bag for accessories and knitting notions with their darling logo on it.  Here are 2 skeins of their "Fine" yarn which is a fingering weight in Clementine and I got a skein of their "sweater" which is a worsted weight cotton/wool blend and also a design by them called Tea Party Cardi - which uses the sweater weight yarn - I wanted to see it in person and swatch it up before I ordered the yarn for the cardi - I don't care for cotton yarn however I love Blue Sky's cotton and this proves to be even nicer with the addition of the wool.

and now to the proof - I do still stitch - I really really do - I just don't get much done - Here is a darling piece I got from the Attic - it is the class piece that the BBD gals did for Jean's retreat in November.  It is an adorable thread pocket with a tiny hornbook charm - on the back you can affix the LHN "schoolgirl lessons" piece which is stitched in one color of Belle Soie.  OK granted - some of my stitching idols (and you all know who you are) could have stitched up this little piece in a week but I just work on it when I feel like it so this is all I have done.  Cute huh?

                                                                                            

Last but certainly not least is an updated progress shot of the SL "Hart" sampler I am doing for my folks anniversary.  I have mostly been working (or not working) on the filling in.  There is tons of fill in work on this sampler and now I am somewhat worried that I don't have enough of the maroon silk for the outer border so I am probably going to continue trying to fill the 4 sides to see if it holds out.  Compared to my last WIP photo of this piece I can see progress so I guess I am pleased enough to show you the progress.

So - no rug hooking updates for this post.  I am however looking so forward to another rug workshop down in Sebring Fl - it is held at a family owned inn on Lake Jackson and is a beautiful place - so lovely so picturesque on the lake - the landscaping is gorgeous.  It is something I look forward to doing with my mom every year.  We have a wonderful teacher with whom we've had great sucess in previous years.  Mom is doing a small Not Forgotten Farm design and I am doing a 24" X 24" design by Bea Brock - the same designer as my Angel Sampler -however this piece is more like an oversized quilt block - I'll show you what I end up with after the workshop.  I did not give my teacher much direction about the color plan so it will be a surprise - I love surprises don't you?

I am so moved by the comments so many people made in regards to the passing of my dear cousin.  I had some new commenters to my blog and I appreciate so much your kindness and I hope you will all come back and visit me.  I read and enjoy all of your messages.  No matter what your chosen handwork - be sure and make time to enjoy it and to stop and smell the roses along the way.

SAD DAY IN ST AUGUSTINE

Yesterday was a truly sad day for me - I attended the funeral of a very dear cousin of mine.  She lived in several different places on the east coast of Florida but I think she spent her happiest years in St Augustine.  She was 82 and had been ill for the past several years so she had moved to assisted living facility in Ponte Vedra Beach about 6 or so years ago.  She had declined pretty rapidly the past year and suffered several stokes in recent months.  Still the news was a shock . I had kept in close touch with her mostly by phone until she was moved to the nursing center and it was hard to get her on the phone. Sadly I had not spoken with her for several months.

 The service was held at the Episcopal church where she was a member for many years - her DD was married there in one of the most gorgeous weddings I have ever attended.  One of  my grandmothers sisters settled in St Augustine and raised her 4 sons there.  I have many cousins there and have spent many happy days and hours in St Augustine.  It holds a lifetime of dear and special memories for me.

It was raining, nasty, blowing and cold yesterday morning.  St Augustine is about an hour from my house.  My folks were supposed to be meeting me on the way and we would go together.  I was horrified when my mom called and said she was not feeling up to going.  I am SO not good with funerals - I knew I would not be strong with this one especially without my mom to hold me up.  So I decided I would not back out - I would be a big girl and go by myself.  I even stopped at Starbucks on the way to try and perk myself up.

The service was very formal as most Catholic/Episcopal services seem to be to me.  there were not many people there - so sad - Tears rolled down my face thru the entire service.  there was a quiet reception held after the service where my cousin (her daugher) had a video rolling of old family photos - OMG - I just lost it - seeing photos my grandmother and all her sisters - cousins - myself as a child - it was more than I could handle.  I just sobbed like a baby - it was rather embarrassing but I could not contain myself.  After the reception - I decided to walk down to the French Bakery where I spent many happy hours with my great Aunt, cousins and grandmother in years past.  Here is a shot of Charlotte St where the bakery is located.

Here is Cadiz St.  If you look closely you might can see the bayfront.  This is considered "old town" in St Augustine with tiny narrow streets which are still open to vehicles.

I just wandered the familiar streets rather aimlessly - the streets were quite deserted - so it was kinda like stepping back in time.  I walked down Palm Row - which I had always meant to do but never had - this is an awesome brick street with houses from the 1800's still in private residence.  that street is only open to residents and foot traffic.  Isn't it beautiful? - where I am standing is just across the street from the Lightner Museum which used to be a hotel.  It was built by the railroad barron Henry Flager and is across the street from Flagler College.   St Augustine is full of history and ghosts.  I must admit several times I felt like someone was watching me or following me on these deserted historic streets.  I chalked it up to too many episodes of Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures! 

I did visit a very neat place inside the Lightner Musuem - the Linen Room - it is owned by June an English woman.  I have found several treasures there over there years and always try to stop in if I have time.  It is where I bought my antique sewing table and Mom got a little schoolgirl sampler a few years ago.  I was looking for a homespun linen sheet that will become the base of a primitive applique wool bed cover from the new book Primitive Offerings by Maggie Bonanomi.  Luck was with me - I found one for a great price - I had been perusing Ebay and they were all over $100 plus I prefered to see what I was buying in person.

On the hike back to my car - I passed this sign - It attracted my attention because I live on Fatio Lane on what was once Laurel Grove Plantation on the banks of the St Johns River.  I am now curious about this name and will have to do some research to see if Fatio was somehow connected to Laurel Grove Plantation.  I know at one time Harriet Beecher Stowe's son owned Laurel Grove.  Fatio seems to be Spanish and on the museums website - there is more info about Louisa Fatio who owned and ran the boarding house. http://www.ximenezfatiohouse.org/our_history.html          here is a link if anyone cares to look around.

After leaving the historic area - I decided to go and peruse the LYS - she moved last summer and I had not seen the new shop.  It was pretty unexciting but I did manage to buy a pattern for a capelet and some lovely mohair yarn and some relatively inexpensive wool to make the cape.  I am such a yarn snob - I am now somewhat regretting buying this yarn as I have infinite stash that I could have pulled from to do this capelet.  Had I just bought the mohair and the pattern - I would have come out still under budget for a day in St Aug - instead I have now blown thru my mad money for the next couple of weeks.  Couple that with market purchases and I YAH YAH - I'm broke again.

Thanks for sticking with me thru my sad story and my journey around one of my favorite places in the area.  You can go and spend a day in St Augustine and feel like you were in Europe for a day.  If you have not been there - do put that on your bucket list.  It is a truly unique and beautiful place.  Until we meet again - thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments - I read each and every one and love to hear from you.

MONDAY MONDAY

Wasn't that a great song?  I started to title this post Manic Monday but my day has been a good one so far so I don't dare say that !

I am feeling a bit tired today after having a GREAT weekend at the rug hooking retreat at the Olde Green Cupboard.  Got a lot done on the rug I pulled out of hibernation.  I have not worked on this runner since I started it two years ago.  Always seems to be something more important for me to focus on.  I do love this rug and I did meet my goal in my class to finish all 6 of the faces - I thought that was the most challenging part for me and after 2 years - I still like the faces - I was not wild about the colors initially but I do love Diane Stoffel my teacher on this project.  She has done several other rugs for me that I just adore like my mermaid.  I am not a blue/purple person and there seems to be loads of blue type tones in this rug.  So I had all sorts of apprehensions about whether I would like the finished rug well enough to use it and in my old house - I just didn't have any place in mind to use it so I was unmotivated to work on it.  So it was relegated to the bottom of the wool cupboard along with my other hibernating WIP's.  However when I was searching for something to take to this retreat - I ran across it and thought hummmm - that is pretty dang cool and I have the perfect spot for it high up on the wall in my wool room.  So without further ado - here is the "Harkening of Angels" - the canvas is by Bea Brock - a texas designer - she just calls it "Angel Sampler Runner" but I like my name better.  It is done in all new wool - mostly spot dyes mostly in a 4 and 5 cut with some 3 cut for fine detail.  I wanted an angry night sky look for the backround and I think Diane nailed that perfectly - don't know if you can see any of that but I did start putting it in the upper left corner. 

My fear is that the brown twigs and vine stem is not going to show up well against that backround - I might have to pull that out and put in a lighter shade of brown or go with a different type of green.  I feel most of what is already hooked will show up against the backround.  I know we have some budding rug hookers out there in blog land and this is just another good reason to start putting in some backround as soon as it is possible instead of waiting till you have most of your motif (s) finished - at that point a change in your backround plans might be necessary instead of just altering some of your motif colors.

This rug is extremely busy - that is another thing that I wasn't quite sure if I was crazy about.  I love the angels - here is a shot of the center guy.  His one foot is WAY too long so that needs to be fixed and I ripped out part of his one hand because it looked more like a paw LOL - you have to take a lot of creative license when doing commerical hooked rug patterns I feel and most of the designers realize this and are happy for you to make it your own.

Here is the right side of the rug - I started filling in the motifs this past weekend on the left side so it is far more filled in than the right -

Here is another close up of the left side - so half of the angel motifs are finished now and if I make this my "take to guild" carry around project - I can start filling in the backround on that left side - sometimes it's nice to just take only pre-cut backround wool to work on at a guild meeting instead of having a huge color plan to work on.

If the colors look garish to you - I think it's probably because they are !  I think that very dark backround is going to tone down some of those crazy bright colors like on #6 angel.

DF Susan came to this retreat - she is an awesome rug hooker and also a teacher.  She was almost finished with this rug by Karen Kahle - using a special technique called marblized wool.  Some of this wool was Susan's creation - mainly the backround and the greens I think she said.  Now I am dying to take a workshop from Karen Kahle - not that I am interested in dyeing but I do love this backround technique - Susan said it was somewhat a pain to execute but the results are stunning.  Susan loves primitives and she hooks mainly with an 8cut.  Those flowers were all the marblized wool.  TOO COOL!

Another friend Dottie was hooking these awesome cardinals.  They re in a 3cut I believe on a colored wool ground which is intended to be left unhooked.

Last is a photo of new hooker Vicki's "Harvest Good Things" rug by Lori Brechlin - Not Forgotten Farms and the color plan is by Dianne Kelly.  She was in her class this year at Off the Ocean and sat next to my DM.  Vicki is doing great on her rug and I love the warm rich colors on this one.

I should not have said last because there is one more photo to show you - it's bunny time at the Olde Green Cupboard - they are wrapped in spring splendor right now - bunnies, chickies, duckies, lambs galore - This neat gal came into the shop on Saturday to bring Gloria some primitive loverlies that she makes in her little prim store in St Mary's GA - it's called Feathered Nest - WOW - what awesome creations and great prices for the quality.  Here is a photo of my Harriett Bunny on her tuffet and mom's black bunny girl who is unnamed - I should have turned her face towards the camera.  Someone said she reminded them of Uncle Reamis so maybe we'll call her Auntie Reamis.

I don't have any knitting progress to show and stitching progress is even worse.  I will say that hanging around the OGC so much has caused me to fall into quilting purgatory.  I'll save that news flash for a future post but it's SO NOT GOOD!

A START AND A FINISH

Well - there is nothing much exciting going on with me.  I found myself struggling with something to put into a blog post.  I knew I needed to venture into blog land and say hi to everyone but have very little to report on.

I had this lovely cowl just languishing literally 10 minutes from completion.  It only took about 20 hrs total to knit.  It quite lovely I think - the yarn is stunning and the pattern is an interesting pattern from Knitty.com called "Aibhlinn "  pronounced Aveelen I believe.  The original pattern calls for a much finer yarn however I saw this awesome version last year on the Knitch blog.  I'm getting off track here but Knitch is beautiful cool wonderful lovely awesome interesting well stocked shop in the Virginia Highlands historic area of Atlanta.  I was lucky enough to visit it last year in person.  I love to visit yarn shops - I have been doing this for years when I travel and sometimes I travel just to visit yarn shops - anyway - I keep a mental "top 5" list of my fave shops around the country and Knitch is definitely in the top 5.  Anyway - I keep up with their blog (make mental note to add them to my blog list) and when I saw this awesome cowl made into a bigger bulky cowl by using the bulky weight gorgeous hand dyed Blue Moon Icelandic wool - I remembered seeing it in the shop a few months prior and thinking - "OH WOW" exquisite yarn but what would or could I do with that - and it was far too expensive to just consider stashing it without a purpose (see I am trying to do better with that issue I have LOL) So obviously when I saw the lovely cowl using that yarn and also one strand of Rowan Kid Silk Haze - I was sunk - I was on the phone faster than you can say "would you please send me yadda yadda".  Here is the results - how do you like it?

there is a row of huge bobbles on the bottom - there was supposed to be a row at the top also but I eliminated that row - I thought it was too much and made the cowl look too heavy plus things like jewelry might get caught in the bobble row if around the neck edge.  the designer called the stitch pattern a spiral rib I think - here is a close up

As cold as our weather has been -I think I might still get some wear out of this cowl.

My mom was over for dinner last night and she was working on our guild SAL - the Vierlande 1863 sampler from the most recent issue of SANQ.  Here is a photo of the two of our WIPs side by side. 

We are both using the called for DMC - Mom is stitching hers on 14ct Oatmeal Aida and I am using 36ct vintage buttercream by lakeside.  She was concerned that I was getting ahead of her so she stitched while I knitted last night - finishing up the cowl pictured above.

We have another rug hooking retreat coming up this weekend.  WHEEEEEEE - Mom is actually going to get to attend this one - she has been out of town for the previous two that I have mentioned - it is at the Olde Green Cupboard - our favorite hangout and we'll just hook - eat - laugh - chat - eat - hook - laugh - you get my drift.  I am going to bring an older WIP out of hibernation - I spent quite a bit of time on Sunday going thru my rug hooking projects and deciding what would get my attention this year.  In the early part of the year - I try to assess what rugs I might could actually finish this year - some I might work on thru the year but never intend to be able to finish up.  I'll surprise you with a photo in my blog post next week after the reterat.  I don't want to spoil the surprise but it is something you should all be interested to see as it is very funky, folky and fun.  I worked on it at the Ocean rug camp year before last and have not touched it since so it was crying out from the bottom of the stack of WIP's "pick me Mel - pick me !"  when you see this rug - you will know that you can not deny the harkening of the angels.  Until next time - stay warm and keep those fingers moving.

A&E RUG - A SNEAK PEEK

I've been negligent with doing a blog post.  I have just not gotten a lot accomplished in the past few weeks. So doing a post seemed pointless.

Several weeks ago - DF Jackie saw my A&E rug and thought I had enough to show a WIP photo.  SO - TA DA - I took a bunch of photos at the Olde Green Cupboard yesterday when I went for rug hooking monthly club.  A little backround on this rug before I start to show you the photos.  It is actually not a rug but a cube footstool cover.  It has 4 distinct sides and a flat top.  Eve is on one side, Adam on the other - the other two sides are motifs that were pulled from an old A&E sampler.  It is a commerical design by Kim Nixon - Under the Rug but Katie (KISS Rug Hooking Studio/Sophie-Kate Designs)  my DF, rug hooking teacher and dyer,designer extraordinaire executed the ideas I had for this rug and translated them onto the canvas.  the only thing we kept from the original design was Eve and the tree and the snake. I added the zig zag border on all 4 sides along the bottom.  Many old crewel designs have this type of pattern under the tree of life.  I don't like this plant this next to Eve - I am going to pull out the rust veining and replace with the dark pink to pull in color from the other panels and see if that does the trick - if not then the gold will come out too.

 We added the tree on each side of the stool and she put in the million leaves and the oversized apples and drew a new Adam over the silly Adam which was riding on a dove - AAACCKKK - WHY I say was Adam riding on a dove?????  When she asked me what I wanted my Adam to look like I said why Jon Bon Jovi of course !  I think my Adam is pretty handsome don't you ?

Yesterday I finished the flower next to Adam and the butterfly. 

For you rug hooking enthusiasts out there - this rug is in a 4 and 5 cut of wool with a little 3 in there for the finer details.  I will probably do backround in a 5.  It is printed on linen and all the wool is new hand dyed wool - mostly from my stash or from Katie.

Here is the side that really needs attention - the deer - 

the 4th side is a mutant beaver/hedgehog guy with a tail  - and I love how this flower with the funky bird on top came out.  This is a 2nd attempt on the left flower - I didn't care much for it but I have to remember that everything is oversized and unrealistic and not true to life.

Here is a close up of the snake - I love how his head and eye came out and it was Katie's idea to do him in the brightly colored diamond pattern.

Here is an over view of the whole stool and what the top looks like.  I am very proud of this rug and how it is coming along - I LOVE it - what do you think?  The backround will be an aged sampler looking color - that stained ecru with a moldy green faint overdying - kinda like PTP Dill for you sampler stitchers. Soon I have to start with the backround - sure dont' want to leave that till the end on any rug much less this rug.  I know a lot of you are embarking on rug hooking this year and  I am always happy to pass along tips to any newbie hookers.  DON"T leave all your backround till the end - you will be bored to tears and it might slow down your completion as the pull of a new rug might dazzle you.  I have a big rug on the frame at home right now that is in that state.  Just backround and border left and I YAH YAH - it's a biggy so I can find absolutely anything in the world to do except work on that rug.

The other thing going on in my life that I am excited about is a new venture I have going with the Olde Green Cupboard.  The owner has been wanting to try knitting in her store for a long time.  She approached me several months ago about teaching some classes for her.  Beginning knitting continental style is going to be my first class.  The other exciting news is that I now have a yarn display at OGC.  I have an extensive "inventory" of fine yarns.  I always buy yarn when I travel - I order yarn off the internet and I also buy from LYS so when I moved the summer of 2008 - I realized that I was over loaded with yarn - nice yarn but just WAY too much yarn - more than I would ever use.  So Gloria is giving me space in her store and if yarn goes over well in her store then she is going to consider setting up some accounts and adding yarn.  WHEEEEEE - how fun is that.I did a knitting demo last weekend and this table was 2 people deep.  Lots of quilters apparently love to knit or want to learn to knit.  It was very inspiring and lots of fun for me to be able to share my love of knitting with so many new enthusiastic people.

Stitching always seems to be taking a back seat to other things.  I do always stitch some each week but just not enough to get any noticable progress.  I will show an update photo on something soon - I promise.