Sheep In A Sweatshirt

Sheep shearing was last Saturday.  The girls had their day at the "spa" but it turned so cold and rainy the next day, that we noticed the new little ewe was shivering so I put a sweatshirt on her to keep her warm for a few days.

 

 Here she is making her grand debut!  We had to tie up the excess fabric with some baling twine so she won't get her legs caught up.  Miss Emma likes to come up from behind and chew on the fabric knot!

We have decided to name her Sukka (pronounced Sook-ka) which means stocking in Finnish.  This is in honor of her cute little white socks.  She had a huge appetite and loves her hay!  Unfortunately, she has had a runny nose for the past day or so and the vet thinks she might have a slight case of "shipping fever."  No real fever, so we are just watching her.  It's kind of like when you send your pre-schooler off to the first day of school and they come home with a cold that everyone else has spread around!  We just have to make sure that it doesn't turn into pneumonia.

 

Here is my other Finn sheep, Lumi.  She is a sweetheart and follows me everywhere I go.  She is the most gentle creature I know and Sukka loves her.

And here is Miss Emma!  A big, big girl!  Look at those ears!  She and Sukka get along but Emma is much more pushy and bossy.  Sukka has already figured her out and knows when to stay out of the way.  The sheep shearer pointed out to his apprentice that Emma's fleece was a nice one, full of luster.  I'm sure he's seen plenty of sheep fleeces in his line of work so I am extremely pleased!

A few random snaps of the Maryland Sheep/Wool Fest.

Just a few random photos of the Maryland Sheep/Wool Festival.  Enjoy.

 Looking up one of the main venues.  This photo was taken on "set-up" day before the crowds came.  There is still a lot of activity going on as the vendors get settled into their spots.

  "Mr. Spruce Ridge" in front of the barn where our booth was located.

 Didn't eat anything from this place.....

Beautiful baskets in a booth in the Main Exhibition Hall.

A couple of gorgeous Wensleydale sheep in one of the animal barns.

My little lamb (black one) and her beautiful twin sister.

Our booth (it looks like there were a few things that needed to be arranged yet).

What I brought back from the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

I brought back the usual stuff...a T-shirt, a tote bag, a couple sheep and goat figurines...

but I also got this:

Yes, a new sheep!  Isn't she adorable?!?!

She is 6 months old, a ewe (girl) and her breed is Finnish Landrace, more commonly known as a Finn Sheep.  As you might remember, I already have a white ewe Finn sheep named Lumi (means "snow" in Finnish).

She was born on a farm in Maryland and her farm name is Fern, but I am going to change her name to something Finnish.  I'm thinking about a couple of good names but haven't made a decision just yet.

I believe her official color is black, however the sun usually fades the fleece so she looks more like a deep chocolate brown, with a white crown, muzzle and four sweet little white stockings!

Here is Miss Emma, lurking around and trying to check her out without being too obvious:

 Emma and Lumi are getting along pretty well with the new addition.  I think Fern is a little homesick as she had a twin sister that she was penned with (she was also gorgeous but not for sale).  However, all animals here are pampered quite a bit and I'm sure she'll feel at home very soon.

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By the way, the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival was such a fun place to be and we loved every minute of it!  I was quite busy (thank you to all who shopped!) so I did not get to take many pictures but I will share a few snaps tomorrow.  We will definitely return to Maryland next year...but I'm going to stay out of the sheep barns....way too tempting!!! 

(A big thanks and endless appreciation to my husband who went along with the purchase of this pet without too much of a fuss! I am forever blessed to be married to that man!)

Thank You

In tribute to our military, our servicemen, our heros

who keep us safe and protected

so we can enjoy our freedom and

LIBERTY

 Hooked by Pamela Mayfield

 Hooked by Pam Hufford

As seen at the Lenexa Hook-In 2011

~~~ 

It's a lovely day to celebrate our country!

(Pattern (c) 2005 Kris Miller/Spruce Ridge Studios)

You Gotta Have Friends

Spring has sprung (finally) here in Michigan.  It was a sunny, warm, happy day.  Now that the rain has gone, the animals seem to be in a festive mood and they are enjoying the bright sunshine.

Miss Emma has made some new friends in her little corner of the world.  She makes me laugh because she is such a curious girl.  I swear she's not afraid of anything!

 A male and female goose have been hanging around so Emma decided to be a good neighbor and say howdy.

 

 "Good Morning," says Emma, "Won't you stay and sit for awhile?"

Emma decides there wasn't much to the conversation.  "Humph!"

A nice little nap in the sunshine works wonders for the soul, especially when you can share it with a friend.

And here are Emma's other friends.  They were living below her hay feeder, all safe and snug.  I'm sure they enjoyed all the bits of alfalfa that Emma dropped while she was eating (looks like one is wearing a piece of alfalfa on its head!)

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Next week-end (May 7th & 8th) is the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival...I don't need to tell you how excited I am to be attending!  If you happen to go, please look me up and say hello...I'll be in Barn 5, space 8.  I plan on taking lots of pictures too!   In the meantime, there is a flurry of activity to get ready for the trip!
P.S.:  If you want to see more pictures from my class at the Ohio Rug Camp at Punderson, click on the link to go to Liz's blog.  Scroll down and you'll see lots of nice pictures.  Thanks for sharing, Liz!

Welcome to Michigan

That was my husband's exclaimation when we got up this morning and discovered this:

 

...and it's still coming down....

Don't get me wrong, I love snow...but not in April when my daffodils are struggling to come up and show their little yellow heads.

We bought my neighbor's used tractor yesterday and it came home with the snow blower attachment still on the front.  Gee, did we jinx something???? 

Happy Wool Day!

Today is rainy and gray so I am spending the entire day in my studio, straightening up my wool supply.  It REALLY needs some reorganization!  So I am restocking shelves, and to make room for new wool textures, I am pulling out the "old" wool that I want to sell at my tent sale in June (there will be plenty!).  I never thought in my whole life that I would have THIS much wool...seriously!  My collection is not epic, like Barb Carroll's wool stash, but let's just say that I'm moving my office upstairs so I will have a larger space to put out more wool.  I have completely run out of room.

Things could get lost in all that wool.....

Ummm....OK, Riley....you're not really blending in....I can see you......

Hope your week-end is a cozy one and you get to play with some wool!

Rugs From Ohio Rug Camp

I was honored to be a teacher at the Ohio Rug Camp last week and despite the dreary weather, we had a terrific time!  In hindsight, I wish I would have taken some time to get a few pictures of my class....they were all such wonderful students!  However if you click on this link to Andrea's blog, you will see a few pictures of what folks were working on (scroll down to the Ohio Rug Camp post, then there are several entries after that).

I did enjoy the rug show that was laid out for the campers and the public to enjoy.  I took a few pictures of Spruce Ridge Studios patterns and here they are:

This little glowing gem was hooked by Cynthia Norwood.  This is Pear Tree (AKA Yuletide...because you can order it to say either of these phrases), an adaptation of Lori Brechlin's folk art by Spruce Ridge Studios.  Cynthia chose not to hook the words.  The reason why it glows is because Cynthia used a multitude of antique paisley in this rug.  Here's a close-up of some of the paisley pears:

 Spectacular!

 This is Conquest of Queen Anne, a Cindi Gay design, hooked by Janet Watson.  This rug is very near and dear to my heart because I helped Janet with most of the color planning last June at her guild's rug camp at Cherry Valley Lodge.  I must admit, I was a little concerned when Janet announced that she wanted a red background!  But the end result is another stunning rug!

This is Merry Christmastime, a Keith Kemmer design, and hooked by Jane Doppke.  Jane is a relatively new rug hooker but so far, she is doing a terrific job!  The most wonderful thing about this rug is that Jane hooked some nubby yarn to represent the snow.  I don't think it shows up in the picture as nicely as it did in person.  Also note the roving beard on Santa.

And lastly, here is Emma's Garden hooked by Judy Paterson.  This is not a typical color plan that you would expect for this rug but I LOVE it!  Here is a close-up of the little sheep:

What a sweet little lamb!
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I am now working like a mad woman to get ready for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival which takes place on May 7th and 8th.  I have never been there but have always wanted to go.  It's such a big deal in the sheep/goat world...sort of like going to a Royal Wedding!  LOL! 

I'm not foolin'

No fooling....we're having another Tent Sale and Open House this year!

Back by popular demand!

Spruce Ridge Studios

Open House and Tent Sale

Saturday June 18, 2011

10 am to 2 pm

(sale starts at 10 am sharp-no early sales please)

There will be clearance-priced wool and rug hooking patterns, and lots of other fun fiber-related items at reduced prices....you never know what you'll find!  Maybe some stuff from my craft closet, maybe some antiques or collectibles.

All sales items will be under the tent.

For your regular shopping needs, my studio will be open during the sale.

Visa and Master Card accepted.

 Kindly contact me for directions.

Fourth Blog Challenge Project Revealed!

Here's the fourth and final (for now) Blog Challenge Project!  As you remember, Alice Frazier sent a "conglomeration" (those were her words!) of wool fabric, nubby wool yarn, shibori ribbon, pieces of knit sweater, piece of purple paisley, and three beads.  I was totally at a loss...nothing was speaking to me....this was a true challenge...what to do?

I did a little sketching.

I hooked a little bit of wool.

And then hooked a little bit more....

Guess what?

I think this little guy turned out pretty darn cute!

I call this piece "Dreaming."  

 "thought-cloud" with fish and dragon fly

 I hooked the nubby yarns around the edge to create a funky frame for the piece.  The chenille yarn was used for the cat's whiskers, the shibori ribbon was used for the bow around his neck.  You can see the strip of purple paisley along the upper left side of the piece.  I used the various blue strips of wool in the sky.  The glittery navy knit sweater piece was cut into smaller strips and used as the outline around the cat's head.  And of course the two fish beads and the dragon fly bead are used in the thought cloud.  Little kitty is thinking about his next catch-of-the-day and he is licking his lips!  Yum!

Even though I used #8 cuts, this piece is small and I mounted it on a piece of gator board.  I wanted the yarn edge to be the border so opted not to whip the edges or finish them with crochet like I did with the previous project.

Check out Maria, Ali, and Alice to see what they have cooked up!

~~~~~

It was a grand challenge indeed!  I am off to other adventures this Spring and Summer, but I'm sure at some point we will all put our heads together and figure out another challenge to keep our creative minds and hands busy!

I Love This Rug!

The hooking on my Midnight Clear rug is completed!  I pressed it last night and now have to decide on a binding technique.  I love how a good steam press really brightens up the colors and makes your rug look a whole lot better.

This is hands-down one of my most favorite rugs I have ever hooked!  The color plan came together nicely and the rug was a pleasure to hook.  I was sad to pull up the last loop, knowing that it was over. 

Note the glow of a light in the upstairs window of the blue house...someone is trying to stay awake for Santa!

There's nothing on my frame right now but I can't feel too sorry for myself...I have lots of hooking projects waiting for me.  One project is my blog challenge (still have designer's block about that one!) and now there are new Notforgotten Farm patterns posted on my website!  Hmmm, which one should I choose??????

A Carefree Girl

 It was sort of a weird weather day today.  First it poured down rain and then in the afternoon, it turned to snow and it came down all day long.  I'm sure we have two inches of fresh snow on the ground right now.

I was so amused to look out of the window and see little Miss Emma laying out in the snow storm, chewing her cud and acting as if she didn't have a care in the world.  I took these photos from the back window.  If I would have opened the door, I would have interrupted her beautiful and carefree daydreaming....

I love her spunk!

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The colonoscopy went well...everything was clear and I don't have to be back for 10 years...yippee!  PS:  The anesthesia was worth the whole thing...best nap I ever had!  Now go schedule yours!

March Happenings!

Alice's blog challenge material came Monday in the mail.  It is quite a collection of various wool and yarn pieces, a strip of purple paisley, shibori ribbon and some little glass beads.  One is a dragon fly and two are tiny fishes.  This box is proving to be quite a challenge for me as nothing comes to mind just yet.  You and I will both be surprised on March 20th!

~~~

I have been working on my Midnight Clear rug and it is almost done!  I have just a few little areas left to hook so I won't show a picture until it is all finished.  If you are a fan of Lori Brechlin, you might want to take a minute to visit her blog...she is having a great give-away and the drawing is this Sunday, March 6th.

~~~

And lastly, did you know that March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month?  I had no idea either until yesterday but the timing is perfect.  I am having my routine colonoscopy tomorrow.  Yes, I am apprehensive about the prep (I'm going to start drinking that yucky liquid in about an hour) but I have decided that I'm going to do this in honor and memory of my brother-in-law who passed away from colon cancer just this past January.  My sister-in-law is certainly too young to be a widow.  I decided it was time to quit putting it off and just get it done!  I hope you make the same decision.

Splish! Splash!-Blog Challenge #3 revealed!

I thought I'd get my project posted early because we are leaving later to attend my mother-in-law's 87th birthday party!

Again, here are the objects that we had to work with:

 And as you remember, I had a bit of indecisiveness with my project.  However, once I sat down and got hooking, things flowed fairly smoothly and I am happy with the results:

 The overdyed sheep's curls were used for the hair, the bit of variegated yarn was used for the "wave", the twig was used as driftwood and sewn to the hooking, the sparkly cording was used as accents in the mermaid's tale.  I overdyed the white roving with a greenish yellow hue.  There wasn't enough to hook the entire tail, so I used it to outline each "scale" and filled in with the same striped wool that I hooked in her tail.  It really turned out better this way, I like the dimension that the combination created.  Since the twig added a three-dimensional visual to the mat, I decided to add the shells as accents too (then the twig didn't look like it was just stuck there all by itself).  I love the shell-bra too, don't you?  She's a little sexy but not risque...no wardrobe malfunction here!

Closer views:

 Close up of Mermaid's face and torso.

 

  Scales with roving outline.

(not so good) picture of tail with glittery cord accents.

Angle view to show the dimension of the objects.

Oh!  Forgot to mention that I bound the mat with a crocheted edge, using wool strips, cut in #8.  I used the same wool as my background, thus a harmonious blend that extends the border out a bit.  You can see the crocheted edge in this picture.  A fun and quick way to bind your rug! I'll be teaching this way of binding in my Sauder Village workshop this year.

~~~

It was a very fun project indeed and I'm looking forward to discover what my blog sisters have created!  Check them out:

Maria Barton

Ali Strebel

Alice Fraizer

You would think....

You would think that since I was the person to send out the mixed media for this month's blog challenge, I had everything figured out for my project.

Nope.

I thought that maybe I'd have a small advantage over everyone else to dream up something as I was gathering the materials to send out to Ali, Maria, and Alice.

Nope.  

Last Friday, I was suddenly overtaken with a sinking feeling that the blog challenge was less than 10 days away and I had nothing....

well, actually I did have something...

two totally different ideas that were fighting each other in my head.  I had even sketched something up on a piece of paper.  But my indecision literally took my creativity hostage and I had nothing started...I couldn't make up my mind!

Late Friday night, I sat down and started to hook.....

ripped out and hooked again....

things are taking shape....

only six more days....

I think I might make it to the deadline.