Goodbye to my sweet friend...

On Saturday, I lost one of my dearest friends, Sequoia.  He was part of the original three goats that started me out on this wonderful farm journey.  He was 13 years old and was very frail in the last few weeks of his life.  I pampered him and babied him and I know he had the best life possible here.  My heart is so sad but also so grateful for the good times, laughs, and companionship he provided.  

One winter, my son made a snow goat for Sequoia!

After a Spring shearing

In his own little "puppy" house that Ken built just for him

~~~

He was big and strong and loved to play.  He loved apples and frosted mini-wheats and knew how to shake hands.  He always wanted to be the first goat to be sheared and one year, when we didn't choose him first, he pried the boards off of the gate with his big, thick horns. (Yes, that's true...just ask my husband.  He had to fix the gate!)

Oh, how these woolly kids get wrapped around my heart!

What's On My Frame?

What's on my frame?  The answer is an adaptation of an antique runner.  

I am crazy in love with the colors of the original, so I have tried to work up the same color plan.  Yowza!  Nothing is better to me than the turquoise blue and coral colors!  As you can see, I only have one small corner portion to finish up and then I will be moving on to the border.  The wide hit-and-miss border will pull all the colors from the main design out to the edges...plus I will be adding just a few other soft old colors and a bit more brown out there too.

I started this rug at the beginning of the year and have put it aside several times to work on some smaller projects.  I find that this is one of those rugs that practically hooks itself and when I am not working on it, it calls to me to sit down and pull up a few loops.  Have you ever had a rug do that to you?

It's quite a long runner...I had to stand on my sofa to get both ends in the picture!

I'll be adding this pattern to my pattern line once it is completed.  It's a very fun design to hook!

New Pattern Line!

I am pleased to announce the addition of a new pattern line here at Spruce Ridge Studios....

Welcome Hickety Pickety!

There are 11 new patterns based on the wonderful, wacky, primitive art work of Sonja Sandell.  I find Sonja's designs a perfect match for rug hooking patterns and I'm so proud to offer them to you! 

Stay tuned!  In the coming months, there will be more new patterns from Hickety Pickety, as well as new Notforgotten Farm designs. 

If you haven't checked out the Spruce Ridge website recently, you may want to go visit again.  There are a couple new foot stool patterns from Cindi Gay and two antique adaptations from me.

Another Great Rug Finish!

Here is another beautiful finished rug that was shared with me.  This is 

Hex & Frex, a Notforgotten Farms adaptation, hooked by Rhonda Thomas of My Glory Stars.  What a wonderful example of a neutral rug!  It looks so soft and warm...just makes you want to say "aahhhhh".  I recognize most of the wools that Rhonda used and they are on my list of all-time favorites.

A great job, Rhonda!  Thanks for sharing!

A Witch's Walk

I love when you share your finished rugs with me.  Here is a wonderful example that was sent to me the other day.

Pat Cross from Charlottesville, Virginia hooked this beauty, A Witch's Walk.  This is a Notforgotten Farm/Lori Brechlin adaptation.  Pat calls her little witch "Gertie" which I think suits her just fine.  I love Pat's choice of colors, just perfection for a Halloween rug.  Don't you just love the combination of purple and green?  I also love the houses on the hill.  The roof tops look like rusty old metal.  Another thing to love?  The way Pat hooked similar values and textures to create movement in her night sky.

Thanks for sharing your hooking talents Pat!

Color On The Wall

Registration for the 2013 ATHA Biennial in Long Beach, California has begun! I am teaching Color On The Wall on Saturday, September 28th. This is going to be a fun workshop full of creativity! Create a wall pocket/hanging cone. You may design your own or you may hook one of my designs (there will be more than just a Santa design). The class kit comes with a pattern and all the wool you need. We'll also discuss how to sew up your cone and add the hanger. Use sheep curls, roving, felted baubles, sari ribbon. Explore quilling and needle felting on your hooking...plus much more!
Wouldn't this Santa cone look great hanging on your mantel next Christmas?  You could also fill it with candy and give it as a gift to someone special.  Make a Halloween cone to fill with bittersweet vines, or a Spring cone to fill with chocolate eggs or your favorite flowers.  The possibilities are endless!
Sign up, get creative and join the fun! There are still openings available.
Go to www.ATHArugs.com and click on the Biennial tab at the top of the page for more information and registration.

Meet the (Farm) Family

A recent comment from my friend Saundra made me think that I'd like to write about my wooly family here at Spruce Ridge Studios.  She asked if the picture posted on 1/24/13 was "Stinky."  No, Saundra, that is actually Emma peeking out from the back of the livestock trailer as she was taken to be sheared one spring morn.  She really looked like she was saying "Woe is me!" 

~~~

Since Saundra has given me this idea, my first "Meet the Family" post is about Stinky.

Stinky's real name is Sampson.  We named him Sampson because he is one of the hairiest Angora goats I have ever seen.  Sometimes he grows little curls right on the edges of his ears.  While most goats have their own unique "goat smell", Stinky earned his nickname because he is...well...just really more funky smelling than all the other goats.  I have been told that in the goat world, the smelliest boys are also the sexiest boys and the girl goats love that.  The only thing I can say is that it must be true because the two youngest girl goats follow him everywhere like a harem of beckoning maidens.  Somehow they haven't figured out that he is neutered. I guess he is like a rock star to them! 

Stinky is sort of small for a boy.  He is the only goat in my herd that will bite at the other goats if he gets annoyed, not typical for a goat.  When he was younger, he used to sit like a dog, which is another non-typical goat behavior.  Here he is, caught in the act:

Here's another picture of Stinky in the spring, before shearing.  Poor guy can barely see out of all that hair! You can see what a totally hairy guy he is!

We just love Stinky.  He is actually very friendly, good natured and loves to be cuddled...if you can put up with his "natural cologne!"  That ain't Polo he's wearin', honey!

Great News!

The Spruce Ridge Studios web site is back up and running!  Thanks for your patience while the bugs were worked out.  

Woe Is Me!

Yes, that's right...woe is me!  The Spruce Ridge Studios web site is having major technical problems.  My peeps are working on it but it could be several days before it will show up again.  In the meantime, please contact me if you have any questions about patterns, supplies, schedule, etc.  You can also stay tuned right here to my blog and the Spruce Ridge Studios Facebook page for any additional updates.

Thanks!

The Full Monty

I want to share a comment from my last blog post that didn't show up in the comment section.  It is from my friend Saundra who wrote:

"Kris, you're a big tease and can't wait to see the "full monty." 

 Well, Saundra, here is the full monty!

This is my Boy Scout rug.  It is an adaptation from an antique rug that I saw years and years ago on a trip to an antique market in the Adirondack Mountains.  Way back then, I was just a newbie rug hooker and couldn't afford to buy the real thing.  My husband and I asked permission to photograph the rug and the seller agreed. I have always wanted to hook my own version of this rug.  I love the simple charm of the design.  A cabin in the woods in winter.  Perfect.  I started hooking the road and fence line.  It was easy because it was all straight-line hooking.  Then my poor design sat for years because I became frustrated with trying to reproduce the lovely wonkiness of the rest of the rug.  In December, I had time to hook and decided that this neglected project deserved to be finished.  I am delighted that it came out looking fairly similar to the antique rug.  It's been a long journey.

PS:  I swear if I ever run into the old antique Boy Scout rug again, I will buy it on the spot!  But what are the odds of that???

A sneak peek and an FYI

Here is a peek of the rug that just came off my frame.  It is an adaptation of an old rug that I saw years ago at an antique market in the Adirondacks.  It has been a long journey to get it done.  It still needs to be steamed and bound.  Never one to be idle for very long, I have already started on my third adaptation rug, and I am so excited about the colors!  With all the snow we will get tonight, I should make lots of progress.

Just an FYI to all my customers out there:  Pattern prices will be increasing as of January 1, 2013.  It has been 5 years since I last had an increase, and over that period I absorbed the increased prices of the backings and shipping.  Unfortunately now I will have to make adjustments.  The good news is that you have one week left to take advantage of the prices before they go up!

Also, if you were not already aware, Cushing is raising the prices of their acid dye packets from $2.95 to $3.25 on January 1, 2013.  Spruce Ridge Studios carries the full line of Cushing dyes for all your wool dyeing needs!

What Just Came Off My Frame

This is my favorite time of year.  I enjoy all the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays.  I love our little family traditions - baking and decorating and fixing Christmas Eve dinner.  We get out my Christmas dishes and every meal we eat seems a little more grand and festive.  But the best part for me is that I actually have time to do some rug hooking for myself.
I have been concentrating lately on hooking some antique adaptations.  I have several on my drawing board so far and this is the first to be completed:

 It sort of reminds me of a Christmas design, probably because of the red and faded green.  It has been steam-pressed and I'm ready to finish with a crochet edge.  I have a lot of antique black strips left over and what a better way to use them up.
This little mat is 24" square and hooked up pretty quick.  The most time consuming part was hooking those 20 little round circles!
I've already got another adaptation on my frame which has proved to be much more of a challenge.....

Cyber Monday Sale

To thank my loyal customers for another wonderful year here at Spruce Ridge Studios, I am having a Cyber Monday sale.

Monday November 26, 2012  ~~ 12 noon to 5 pm 
Eastern Standard Time

Just 5 little hours to save BIG!  25 % off all patterns on 
the Spruce Ridge Studios website. 

Just give me a ring and use your Visa, Master Card, or Discover.

It's my biggest sale of the year!

Happy shopping!

Rugs From The Northwest Workshop

Last month I taught a rug hooking class in Bothell, Washington at the Northwest Rug Hooking Workshop, organized by Diane Eaton and Beth Kovich.  All I can say is WOWZA!  Diane and Beth put on a successful camp and a fantastic time was had by all!  Today I thought I'd share with  you some pictures of the rugs that were on display at the rug show, even though I had only taken pictures of just a fraction of what was brought.  I believe there were about 30 students but there were over 75 rugs on display!  Talk about eye candy...the room was literally a visual feast for the eyes. 

First let me show you this mind-blowing piece by Rita Vail:

 She was inspired by an article on quilling and used the concept to create a colorful flower garden.  Rita's technique and color choices are superb. This rug just sings with joy!

 Here is a close-up of her quillie flowers.

 Look at the clouds in the sky...incredible!

~~~

The next three rugs are hooked by Betsy Lanning:

 A Karen Kahle design...

 A Maggie Bonanomi design...

 And a Notforgotten Farm design!  You can find Lori's Flower Basket on my website.  I love the happy colors in this version...maybe because Betsy used some turquoise (my favorite color)!

~~~~~

I love the next three portrait rugs.  They are full of personality and are simply wonderful.

 These two are hooked by Carol Fegles.

This one is hooked by Pat Rees.

A fun heart rug by Sue Remington.
~~~~
I do not know the names of the gals who hooked the next few rugs...

 Love the directional hooking on this one.

 

 Wonderful primitive colors.

 I love the way the background is hooked in this one.  A very antique-looking rug.

A cute chair pad and tree skirts.

Love, love, love the colors in this rug!!!

Another lovely primitive rug...

This is For The Birds, a Rebecca Erb pattern and you can find this one on my website too.

Here is a Pris Buttler design hooked by Lianne Anderson.  What I loved about this rug is that the cotton was hooked with either yarn or roving, giving a great dimension to the design.
~~~~
The last two rugs are hooked by Karen Soltys:

This is Hen Party, designed by Bonnie Smith.  You can find this pattern on my website.  Karen eliminated the "corn" around the edge and added some spots.

Karen hooked this Maggie Bonanomi design.  I love how the wiggly lines change colors.

I will have more pictures of the Northwest Rug Workshop in my next post.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcomed Guests

I have finished hooking my Welcomed Guests rug!  This is a design that is adapted from Ann Willey's artwork and sold through Spruce Ridge Studios.  Every time I drew up this pattern, I knew that I wanted to hook it for myself.   I loved the whole process of choosing the colors and I really sped through my actual hooking.

If you remember from a previous post, I decided to let the rug tell me what colors to use.  That can be a bit risky at times because I feel like I am going to "hook myself into a corner" and not be able to figure out how to fix it.  In other words, I worried that without a pre-decided color plan, I might end up choosing colors that didn't work harmoniously in the end.  However, I think I was triumphant this time in making it work!

One thing I learned from this rug:  Even though I thought I was choosing  bright colors outside of my usual color palate, the dark background calmed everything down and made them work.  If I had chosen duller, darker colors, they would have been absorbed by the dark background and not had the same impact.

And believe it or not, the thing I struggled with the most was choosing the right textured wool to hook the hair on both people.

The greatest joy is when you are able to learn something new or different from your hooking! What did you learn from your last rug?

Just A Sweet Little Story

Once upon a time (in May of 2011), I was vending at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  A little blonde haired boy came into my booth with his grandma.  He was looking at all the rug samples that were hanging up on my display.  "Excuse me," he said, "could you tell me how much the cat rug costs?"  He pointed to a hooked sample of Lori Brechlin's design, Binx.  "Oh, honey", I said, "the rug is not for sale.  It's a sample so that people will see it and want to make it."  Before I could barely turn around, I heard him say "Grandma, will you make that rug for me?"  How sweet, I thought, and his grandma did indeed buy the pattern.

Now fast forward to just last week.  I received an e-mail and a picture from Cooper's grandma.  She had finished her hooking and Cooper is proudly holding his new rug.

Cooper's grandma says that he is her biggest fan and loves her rug hooking.  He often watches her hook and suggests where she should put each row of wool.

~~~~  

I always smile when I think about Cooper coming into my booth and asking about the cat rug.  Isn't it amazing how little things like that leave a big impression in your heart?

Small Treasures

I have recently found 4 out-of-print stitchery booklets authored by Lori Brechlin from Notforgotten Farms.  The booklets contain charming little folk art drawings that are great for punch needle, applique, embroidery or rug hooking.  I have included with each book a half yard of weavers cloth suitable for punch needle so you can trace out your own design and get started right away.

 Each book is $18.00 each (price includes the weavers cloth) and shipping is extra.  Please contact me if you are interested.  First come, first served...I don't think these will last long...they are very charming and much sought-after!!!
 The Harvest Tyme and Spring Tyme booklets have been sold...thank you!

If You Hurry....

I know I am late posting this information but there is still time if you act fast!

 Holland Hook-In  Sponsored by Tomorrow's Heirlooms/Nancy Blair

Saturday November 10, 2012

Haworth Center at Hope College

225 College Ave.

Holland, MI  49423

$25.00 per person includes morning coffee, snack, and lunch

For more information/to register, call Nancy Blair at 616-895-6378 (call right away so she can reserve your lunch!)

Vendors include Spruce Ridge Studios, Heavens To Betsy, Tomorrow's Heirlooms, Visions Of Ewe.

~~~

This is the first annual event and I must say that I am beyond excited!  The city of Holland is a wonderful place to visit, shop and eat.  Lots of unique stores and restaurants.  Haworth Center is a beautiful venue and I will guarantee right now that the food will be excellent!  There are only a few spaces left to attend this hook-in so call Nancy now.  See you there!

 

Spooky Friends at Ghoultide Gathering!

I am so lucky that I live about 50 minutes away from the Ghoultide Gathering show.  It was a chilly gray day in Michigan but it didn't stop the crowds of shoppers from attending this fantastic Halloween show! 

Here is my dear friend, Lori Brechlin from Notforgotten Farm.  Her booth was prim perfect and not many items left for sale by the time I got there.

(we laughed at how un-photogenic we were!  But who cares when you only get to see each other once a year!)

 Here is the booth of friend Lori Ann Corelis.  That's Lori in the top hat. Her sweet creations always make me sigh with delight.  Can you see the item just to the right of the lady in the blue sweatshirt?  It was a dead bunny in a coffin!  It was actually pretty cool and not as macabre as you would think...and after all, it is Halloween, isn't it?!?! 

 On the way home, I picked up a couple of white and gray-green pumpkins for my front porch.  Fall has arrived in Michigan in all her splendor!

What's On My Frame?

As the days get shorter and darkness creeps earlier and earlier into the evenings, I have caught the bug to sit at my frame again!  I am working on an Ann Willey pattern, Welcomed Guests.

I have loved this pattern since it first came out.  I am doing something a little different with this pattern.  I am letting it speak to me and tell me what it wants to be.  I know, a little weird sounding, isn't it?  But originally, I thought of a light background.  The more I hooked, the more I realized that the rug really wanted a dark background. It might be that I am influenced by Ann's original work of art.  Still, a dark background just seemed like the right thing to do.  Another departure for me is the "brighter" leaves and veins.  They are not how I typically hook leaves, and yet I kept having the feeling that this is the way they wanted to be presented.

I am just about to start working on the face of the woman on the left.  I want to take my time with her and let her develop.  Once the face is hooked, she will have her own personality and things will start to get exciting!  I am not so sure if I like her hair yet, but she has given me permission to play around with it a little and we'll see what happens!  

So far, I am really having a lot of fun with my hooking!  I'll keep you updated.