Can you guess what this is?

Take a look at this photo and guess what this is.....

It looks soft...

delicate....

beautiful taupey-brown colors...

feather-like....

Almost looks like a bird's wing....

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Have you guessed what it is?????
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I'll bet you don't know!

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Look at the picture below!

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It's a bracket fungus that is growing on a tree in my backyard! Beautiful!

For a fiber artist, color and texture inspirations are everywhere!

Now, can you guess what kind of bracket fungus this is? Leave me a comment if you know. I'll post the answer tomorrow!

Go Red Wings!

Everyone in this family is a BIG hockey fan so there's lots of excitement over the Stanley Cup finals! We have been big-time "Wing Nuts" for years. My son Kevin went to the Red Wings game on Monday night and took these pictures:

Pittsburgh Penquins and Detroit Red Wings

Wouldn't be a hockey game without a little pushing and shoving!

The end of the game and the players are celebrating win #2.
We are merely two wins away from Lord Stanley's Cup!
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Happy Memorial Day

Home Sweet Home, an adaptation of a design by Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm,

available at Spruce Ridge Studios

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A tribute to all the men and women who have proudly served to make our country "land of the free and home of the brave". Thank you for your sacrifices.

Last week...in photos

It was a busy week...and here are the photos to prove it!

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Saturday May 24, 2008

It was a beautiful, warm sunny day so we finished shearing the last four goats. Ken accidentally broke a big branch off of a tree so it became a feast for all the goats. Here's the feeding frenzy:

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Sunday May 18th - Thursday May 22nd

Another rug camp! I went back to Ligonier, PA for a workshop at the Woolley Fox with Barb Carroll. Lots and lots and lots of hooking was done! Here are some of my friends... such busy little hookers! (L to R: Polly, Connie, Janet)

And here is Janet, proudly displaying her rug in progress, Oh Glorious Day. This rug will automatically make you smile!

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Saturday, May 17, 2008

Congratulations to my brother, Erik Johnson, on his graduation (summa cum laude) and business degree from Northwood University. Way to go, Bro!

The happy graduate and his proud sister

Goat Shearing Day

Mom! We need a haircut!!!

this is Sampson, a very hairy fellow!

Today was goat shearing day. We have learned to shear the goats ourselves. Sheep shearers generally don't like to shear goats because their skin is much more wrinkled and has many more folds than a sheep does. Consequently, goats are easier to nick with the shears. We shear our angora goats twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The fleece from angora goats is called mohair (not angora, which is what you get from rabbits). We have to wait for a nice warm dry day.
Here is Zion before he was sheared. He and Sampson are half-brothers and they both get quite a bit of hair hanging over their eyes.

Ken is the "master goat shearer" here at Spruce Ridge Studios. He has a good method for getting the job done without nicking or cutting anyone. And I'm the "assistant goat shearer" as you can see from the photo below:

My job is to hold the goats and make sure they don't wiggle or jump up....umm....Zion sure looks traumatized, doesn't he??? Tee Hee! If he got any more relaxed, he'd fall asleep! Lots of petting and pampering going on here.

Here's Zion after shearing.

Sequoia, before shearing.....

Sequoia, after shearing! (see those wrinkles?)

The goats usually itch and scratch after they get their hair sheared but they are so happy to lose that heavy winter fleece! We do a lot of itching and scratching too because all those little cut hairs get into your clothing and stick to your skin!

We like to take our time so it takes us about an hour to shear each goat (remember, we didn't nick or cut anyone!). We also trim all of their hooves and give them medicine for parasites. We got three done today...four more to go! Our record is shearing 7 goats in one day but we could barely stand up after that! Not a pretty sight.

New Patterns

American Sheep notecard (c) Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

If you haven't been to my website lately, you may want to take a stroll over there to see the newest rug hooking patterns adapted from the artwork of Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm. There are three very patriotic patterns that are perfect for your summer hooking projects. American Sheep is adapted from the notecard above. Someone recently told me that this pattern has all the things that rug hookers love....sheep, flowers, and flags....what more could you ask for? My Country is another wonderful pattern that brings a smile to my face...he is the PERFECT companion to Lady Liberty. I can invision this American pair hanging together on the wall in my studio. Where Liberty Dwells rounds out the trio of patriotic patterns and it's a great addition to anyone's collection (the perfect project if you have a loved one in the military service). There is one other new pattern that is the MUST-HAVE for anyone who loves sheep, wool or flowers....and that is Wool Garden! I was going to pick a favorite pattern but I can't! Choosing a favorite pattern is like choosing your favorite kid...you love them all for many different reasons!

Besides finishing up my Hex & Frex pattern, I'm working on Lion and Lamb. I'm having great fun hooking all those leaves in the willow tree (really!~ the leaves hook up quickly~just takes one strip for each leaf)! And I wanted to point out that the original pattern had the word "March" at the bottom, but I changed my pattern to say "Peace" at the bottom. I liked it so much that now the pattern is available with your choice of either word.

If you are a fan of Cindi Gay's "Queen Anne" series, you'll love the three new patterns that coordinate: Field of Queens stair runner, Kentucky Rose Queen stair runner, and Annie's Wandering Scroll.

Also new this spring is Bonnie Smith's collection of patterns that she wrote about and were featured in the April 2008 issue of The Wool Street Journal: Three For The Show, Baby Shoes, Narcissus, and Bunny Lane.

I hope you'll find your favorite summer hooking project at Spruce Ridge Studios!

Oh My, What A Time We Had!

I just got back tonight from the Laurel Mountain Rug Hooking School in Ligonier, PA. My teacher was Jayne Hester. Words simply cannot describe the WONDERFUL time I had there! It was fun to see so many of my dear and favorite friends...and I met lots and lots of new friends too!!! I feel like my "rug hooking spirit" has been super-energized and my feet just haven't touched the ground yet since I've gotten home. (If you're a rug hooker, you know what I mean!) I couldn't wait to post a few pictures.

Jayne Hester and me

Barb Carroll and Jayne Hester

I was hooking Hex & Frex, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation. I wanted to hook a "dirty primitive" which is a rug with dark and grayed out colors...makes this rug look like an antique! This is what I got done at camp. I'll post a picture of the completed rug as soon as I get it done.

(Picture was taken in the hotel hallway so pardon the darkness of the photo)

Here's Barb Carroll giving a little lecture about the wools and colors in one of her newest pattern designs. The rug is being hooked by Elaine Cathcart, on the left.

I LOVED this rug camp!!! Hey everyone, thanks for the memories !!!! And thanks for sharing your knowledge and beautiful color planning, Jayne...you are one of the best!!!

A Visit With Emma

On Friday, I went out to Neil's farm to visit with Emma and see how she's growing. She's three weeks old now.

She was out in the field grazing with her mom. Her brother was there too but somehow he didn't get into this picture.

Such a cute little face! She's getting a lot more fuzzy. Liz says she looks like a teddy bear!

Ooops! Where did Mom go?


I'll try to get some more pictures as the weeks go by...hopefully Neil doesn't mind me intruding on his farm!

Thanks For A Great Day

Thanks to all who came to the hook-in in Saline today! We (me and DH Ken) had a fun and successful day...we are so pleased you stopped by my booth! It was great fun to see old friends again and share the enthusiasm and energy of happy, creative rug hookers! There were smiles all day long. Now I'm going to plop down (literally!) on the sofa and put my feet up.

I went to Neil's farm on Friday to see Emma....I'll post pictures tomorrow!

"2008 Friendship Hook-In" Saline, Michigan

I'll be vending at the Hook-In in Saline, Michigan this Saturday at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. The fun begins at 10 am and lasts until 4 pm. There'll be door prizes, a rug exhibit, raffle for a hooked rug.

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I'm bringing along 3 brand new Notforgotten Farm patterns!

Based on Lori's latest note cards, they were newly adapted this week and will make their debut at the hook-in.

Be sure to LOOK for them!!!

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I'm also bringing lots of wool, patterns, books, hooks, kits, pins, frames, roving, and much, much more.

Stop by my booth and say hello!

Lumi's Big Day

Yesterday was sheep shearing at Liz Cowdery's farm. Liz calls it "an event", and I have to admit that it is quite an amazing process! All of us small fiber people who only have a couple of sheep bring our animals over to Liz's to have them sheared too.

Here is Lumi before shearing. She's quite shaggy and I'm sure it's very hot to be wearing a wool coat when it's 70 degrees and sunny.

Here's Doug starting out. He sits the sheep back on their butt and they can't go anywhere!

He's doing her tummy first. That wool is really dirty and matted and we throw that away.

Now he's working on her legs. That wool isn't good either and we discard it.

He's working up her hips and along her back.

He's shearing along her back and sides. This is the wool we want to keep.

Doug is almost done....only about 5 minutes have elapsed! Look at that gorgeous fleece laying there! When Doug is finished, he rolls it up into one big piece and we put it in a bag. Lumi has a fine wool with a nice crimp (lots of little waves in the fiber). OK, maybe I'm nuts but I love looking at a raw fleece!

Here's Lumi after shearing. She's soaking up the sunshine and I think she's happy that she gave up her wool. She's a good girl!

Introducing...Emma!

Isn't she absolutely adorable? This is my new little lamb, Emma! She was born on April 3, 2008, weighing 11 pounds at birth. She is one in a set of triplets and she's a white Wensleydale.

That's my Emma on the left. Isn't she a perky little gal? And the human is Neil Kentner who is a friend of mine and raises Wensleydale sheep here in Michigan. He has a beautiful flock!

Here's Emma and her mama.


Time for a nap!


I haven't decided yet if I want to register Emma...that means she would have a pedigree with papers and a fancy-schmancy name to match....but regardless of what I decide, she's always going to be little Emma to me!
We can't bring her home for a couple of months but my heart is smiling because she is so beautiful. There is nothing better than a soft curly lamb!
Stay tuned...I'll have to start a mini-series called "Growing Up With Emma"!!!

Thank you to The Wool Street Journal

Have you seen the April 2008 issue of the Wool Street Journal? The cover features a Spruce Ridge Studios pattern called Mr. MacGregor, adapted from a design by Lori Brechlin from Notforgotten Farms. You can find it on my website by clicking on this link: Mr. MacGregor This cover version was hooked by Tina Ackermann. Isn't he handsome???

Here is my version of Mr. MacGregor. One of the reasons that I love rug hooking so much is that two people can hook the same pattern and you will get totally different interpretations. It's fun to compare Tina's dark background and my turquoise background...they both work wonderfully for this design.

Another Spruce Ridge Studios pattern was on the front cover of the January 2008 issue of The Wool Street Journal! Oh Glorious Day is another rug hooking pattern that is adapted from a Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm note card. A perfect design to give you a BIG smile every day! You can find this pattern on my website by clicking on this link: Oh Glorious Day

This rug was hooked by Debbe Myers.

Mikko

We had to say good-bye to Mikko on Easter Sunday. My heart has been so heavy that I could not post it until today. As you recall from an earlier post, Mikko had surgery on December 31st for a urinary blockage. We were told at the time that Mikko may only have 6 more months to live. He did very well in the following months and we thought he might beat the odds. But on Easter morning when I went out to feed the animals, I found Mikko laying in his shelter and he was in a lot of discomfort. The urinary blockage had returned. The vet came out and did everything he could...but there was nothing more to do except allow him to die without any more suffering. So we put him to sleep with his head in my lap and I stroked his head until he closed his eyes. Sunny Easter Sunday was a very sad day.

^^^

Mikko was strong and gentle. He had a sense of humor...I think sometimes he laughed at my human ways. He would tip his head back ever-so-slightly and then shake his nose at me....that usually meant that he was joking with me about something! He loved to have his back and his ears scratched. He loved to eat pumpkins.

^^^

His grave is up on a little grassy knoll where there is a flowering cherry tree and a pretty view of our pond. He is buried next to my beloved goat, Aspen.

^^^

There is some joy through the tears! I am arranging to purchase a little lamb this spring to keep Lumi company (she is so lonely). I think a soft little lamb is just what I need to lift my spirits!

Easter Greetings and Happy Birthday to my dad

Easter Greetings!

Go ahead...ask me....how's the weather up there in Michigan?

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I would reply: "The sun is shining brightly, the sky is a soft blue, the birds are singing a sweet spring song.......

AND WE HAVE 5 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND.....

thanks for asking!

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Do you think the Easter Bunny wears snow shoes????

Here is Bella under the apple tree.

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Today is my dad's birthday. He's 81 years young and rides a motorcycle! Have a great day, Dad! I love you and wish I could be with you today!

Spring Messenger!!!

This evening I went out to feed the goats and sheep....the wind was cold and blustery. My eyes watered from the chilly air and I pulled my hood closer around my face. I'm sure I was grumbling because I had to wear my winter gloves out to the barn. This is the middle of March, for gosh sakes, why does it feel like November? I got to the gate with an armload of hay and looked out beyond the goat pens...........

Far beyond the fencing, three little birds were jumping and bobbing along in the bare brown grass....then there were five...then there were seven.....then twelve.....

they advanced in a group like a bunch of little soldiers, bobbing closer and closer until my watery eyes could make out that familiar orange breast....

ROBINS!!!

Spring's messengers, marching toward me in the dusky evening! My heart literally jumped for joy! I couldn't help but smile to myself. Spring is just around the corner now...the army of robins have saved the day! By the time I had filled the last hay feeder, the robins had reached the fence line of the goat pen. Hurray!!!

The rug I have posted above is called Spring Messenger, an adaptation of a Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm note card and available on my website www.spruceridgestudios.com I love this little rug and I hooked the bird as a robin since it is our state bird, however I imagine you could hook your favorite bird instead (for instance, a Bluebird would look equally as nice). One of my favorite parts to hook was the nest with its tender light blue eggs. The background is a light yellow overdye that I call "Kate's Butter Yellow". It is the perfect background for a spring rug....gives you the feeling of warm soft sunlight! Isn't that what we need right now?

Happy Spring!

An Upcoming Show

Coming Soon!!!

I will be vending at the 23rd Market Day & Fiber Fair sponsored by the Black Swamp Spinners Guild

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Saturday March 29, 2008

9 AM to 4 PM

Junior Fair Building at the Wood County Fairgrounds

13800 W. Poe Road, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402

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I have TONS of freshly over-dyed and as-is wool, hooks and accessories, rug hooking books, kits, and rug hooking patterns....featuring 2 brand new Notforgotten Farm patterns and new 2008 patterns from Cindi Gay and Spruce Ridge Studios. I'll also have some clearance items that you won't want to miss.

(P.S. I'll be bringing along a couple of our exclusive Spruce Ridge Studios rug hooking frames to sell too!!! They are one-of-a-kind so get there early for the best selection.)

Other vendors will have spinning and weaving supplies, handknit, handwoven and handspun articles, along with rovings, fleeces, exotic fibers and much more.

The best part about the show is that the admission is absolutely free!!! You can't get better than that!

If you are in the area or not far from Bowling Green, come stop by the show and say hello! I'll be looking forward to seeing you!

Did You Know???

Did you enjoy a cup of coffee this morning? If you did, you can thank a goat!!!!

(this is Bryce, my gentle angora goat)

According to a popular legend, a young goatherder in Ethiopia was supposed to be tending his goats but the goats wandered away from his watchful eye. After a frantic search, he discovered them frolicking and dancing on their hind legs. He noticed that some of the goats were eating a red berry from nearby plants. Being curious, the little goatherder ate some of the berries himself and soon found he had renewed energy and joined in on the dancing! The ripe berries were coffee beans and the rest is history!

I can't live without my morning coffee....no wonder I love goats so much!

Now you have a little "goat trivia" to dazzle your family and friends!

A Mona Lisa Smile

Herb AngelHere is one of my most recently completed rugs...another Lori Brechlin adaptation available through my website (www.spruceridgestudios.com) She was really a UFO...that's "UnFinished Object" in rug hooking lingo....I started working on her last June and really didn't get anywhere with my hooking. The rug got rolled up and put away for many months. Finally, inspiration struck and I began with renewed fervor! I realized that her face was the focal point of the whole rug and I had to get it right. After I got done and trimmed all the ends away, I discovered that she had a Mona Lisa smile...a very thoughtful, mysterious, and far-away look! Could she be thinking that Spring is not too far away?

I'm working on more UFO's and an adaptation of an antique rug that I saw many years ago. I'll keep you posted.....