Being Away And Being Missed

I think I have only been home for one whole day in the past two weeks. As I pulled into the driveway on Friday afternoon, I was greeted by this  anxious little face....

Emma has missed me terribly!  Now she stands close to my side and buries her face under my arms when I bend down to pet her.  I am taking full advantage of all this "sheep loving!"

 Here she is, modeling her newly shorn self.  I always forget how big and floppy her ears are until her fleece is gone.  Lumi also got sheared but was not interested in taking part of my photo shoot.

~~~

I've just gotten back from nearly a week in Tyler Texas, teaching at the Star of Texas Rug Camp.  Oh, my!  What a wonderful week it was!  I do highly recommend this rug camp...such a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere!

This is my class.  I couldn't have asked for a more terrific bunch of ladies!  I adore them all, and admire their hooking talents.  Everything was about as perfect as I could have ever imagined!

I'll be sharing more pictures soon.  The rugs at this camp were fabulous!

I Broke A Promise To My Husband (but it's alright!)

True Confessions.

I am addicted to primitive cabinets and cupboards. 

I collect them.  

I am obsessed with them. 

And Sunday I broke a promise that I made to my husband three years ago this month.

 Three years ago, I was in Ligonier, Pennsylvania taking a rug hooking workshop with Barb Carroll.  After class, we rushed out to our cars and drove to the downtown area to shop until the stores close at 5 pm.  I happened to go into a little store that was going out of business....and there was a gorgeous chippy cabinet with faded old turquoise paint sitting right in the middle of the shop.  The price was slashed because they didn't want to have to move it.....so I told the shop owner that if it would fit in the back of my Honda, then it was coming home with me....guess what?  It fit!

Panic set in as I was driving closer to home...how would I explain yet another cabinet purchase to my husband?  Hmmm...it was a good price, original paint, I could use it to store wool (oops! used that excuse many times over!)....

So when he saw it (and had to drag it out of my car), I made a promise to him that it would be THE VERY LAST cabinet that I ever brought home.  

Period.  

That was it.

No more.

(My grand chippy turquoise cabinet)

Now, fast forward this story to January 2010, the day we went to the fiber mill and to the antique mall on January 3rd. I saw a beautiful old Swedish-inspired cabinet there at that antique mall.  It was really too much money, but I couldn't get the vision of it out of my head.  We went back there again on February 28th and the cabinet was still there.  Oh how I wanted that cabinet!  But I made a promise!

Sunday Ken and I went back up to Frankenmuth to pick up my last run of roving.  We stopped at the same antique mall....the cabinet was gone!  My heart sank.  I guess it wasn't meant to be, I thought.  As we were leaving, I asked the man at the desk "you used to have a cabinet in the far room, did you sell it?"  

He replied "What color was it?"

"Well, it was blue."

He looked at me funny and led me to a back storage room....and lo and behold, there was my dream cabinet!  "I've been wanting to get this thing out of here for some time," he said, "I can ask the dealer to give you a good price."

15 minutes later we were loading my dream cabinet into my car!

She's gorgeous, isn't she?  Sort of Swedish inspired colors of old soft blue with yellow trim.

And soft delicate roses!  I'm not a girlie-flower type of person but these roses just melt my heart!

Ken has forgiven me of my broken promise.  What a great guy!  
I'd just better not drag home any more cabinets....

Goat Power!

Goats seem to be the theme of the day.

First of all, there's my sweet little Zack.  He is anxiously awaiting his Spring shearing.

~~~

Last week, I was fortunate to visit the Ohio Rug Camp at Punderson State Park.  The rug show was wonderful!  I took lots of pictures and here are two rugs that caught my attention:

This delightful rug was hooked by Sybil Osicka and it's a Bev Conway design.

Iris Simpson hooked this little goat.  (I'll try to post some more great rugs from Punderson over the next few days....)
~~~~

And lastly, I saw this on the news Thursday night and just couldn't help but smile!  Just imagine... goats are helping keep the Earth green:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I love the comment that the guy from Google made..."they're just fun to look at!"
I couldn't agree more!!!

A Memorial

In memory of my mom, Lee Johnson, who passed away three years ago today...

I can feel you smiling down on us from heaven.  

We miss you.

The Best Laid Plans of Sheep and Men....

....often go awry....

Yesterday was supposed to be sheep shearing day (you know how I look forward to this day every year), but the sheep shearer was a NO SHOW!!!!  Emma and Lumi spent the day at "Aunt" Liz's farm waiting for him to come but to no avail.  Liz generously spoiled them by feeding them grain...isn't that what Aunties are for????...of course, they just get plain-old hay here!  So they had a great day of socializing with their peers but came home as shaggy as ever.  Here's what they look like:

 

 Emma

 Lumi

In the long run, I guess it all worked out for the best because it dipped down to 29 degrees last night and the last thing I want to worry about is a couple of shivering sheep!

Another Beautiful First Rug

Can you believe this wonderful rug is a first rug???  This was hooked by Marsha, a student who came to my studio for classes on Saturdays.  She drew up this design from Maggie Bonanomi's book With These Hands and it is one of my favorite designs in the book.  Marsha is really an exquisite rug hooker and I think she is destined for great things!  It was fun to see her talent unfold, week after week.  I'm proud of you Marsha!

Rugs Of The Day - March 31st

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb....

( Under The Willow, designed and hooked by me)

 That's what I wrote in my first post for Rug Of The Day, and now that this is the end of March, I feel I ought to post a lamb rug.  Or several lamb rugs...

(Emma's Garden, designed and  hooked by me)

(Have Ye Any Wool, designed and hooked by me)

Emma and Lumi, my inspirations and models!

~~~~

Whew!  I did it!  There were times that I wasn't sure that I could come up with a new post and a new rug every day.  I must admit that I will feel a little lost now-perhaps I will take on this challenge again another time when I have collected a new batch of rug samples to show you!  I do appreciate your visits and your comments and thank you for making my posts part of your day.  I am grateful for your company and companionship!  Please continue to stop by and visit...and I will continue to write about my fiber adventures.  My dad said to me once "Kris, you always have a story", and I believe that I do!  And I'd love to share them with you.

Rugs Of The Day - March 30th

The big fat full moon on Monday night made me think of this rug.....

Oh My!

This little fraidy cat hiding in a pumpkin is a pattern adapted from a Notforgotten Farm design.  The rug above was hooked by Rebecca Erb.

And this version was hooked by Wendy Miller.  I love the scared little face on the cat!  Again, I think it's interesting how a pattern can be hooked by two different people and each will have its own wonderful interpretation. 

Rug Of The Day - March 29th

I finally finished my sweet little bunny girl!  Here is Ah Tis Spring, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation and hooked by me on linen with mostly #8 cuts, the lettering was hooked in a #6 cut.  If you remember from a previous blog post last month, I was going to change the purple pantaloons.  However, instead of immediately ripping them out, I decided to live with them for a while.  When I got more color hooked into the design, I decided that I really did like the purple pantaloons after all.   This is why I tell my students not to be so hasty about pulling things out and changing them...sometimes things just work out for the best!  And some elements that initially bother you may look entirely different once more colors are hooked around it and the rug progresses. Give it some time, and it may save you some time.

Rug Of The Day - March 28th

Herb Angel is the rug for today, hooked by me in #6 (for outlining) and #8 cuts.  She is a favorite of mine and many of you feel the same way.  Maybe it's her Mona Lisa smile that charms us.  Again, I used some of my favorite turquoise blue, this time for her wings, and I really love the way it adds a nice spark to an otherwise fairly neutral color plan.  This is a very tranquil rug.

Here's to all of you who came out to the Black Swamp Spinners Guild Market Day on Saturday!  It was a wonderful sun-shiny day, wasn't it?  There were lots of shoppers and happy vendors.  I appreciate everyone who stopped by my booth to say hello.   I  am also very grateful for your comments about following my blog and reading  my Rug Of The Day posts!  Thank you so much!!!

Rug Of The Day - March 27

The rug for today is named The Forest Journey and it is an adaptation from PJ Rankin-Hults folk art.  I hooked this several years ago and this is another rug that practically hooked itself.  I had so much fun with color planning the animals...I definitely wanted the goat to be white (just like some of my goat-guys) and I wanted a purple bunny!  

This rug also brings back memories of ... my small close-call with fame!

See the rug in the picture?  That's me working on The Forest Journey.  I used to vend and teach a yearly mini-workshop at the Mt. Bruce Sheep and Wool Festival in Romeo, Michigan.  One year, Better Homes And Gardens sent a photographer and some models to the festival and they photographed various activities during the week-end.  They came to me and asked if I would pose in a photo shoot with my rug hooking!  I was so excited...and a little intimidated by all of the hoop-lah!  Afterward, the photographer thought my pictures just might have a shot at making the pages of the magazine article and he gave me a souvenir Polaroid photo.  Alas, my shot at fame never came to be, as we found out that the editors decided to drop the article and it was never published.  *sigh*

At least I have my little Polaroid as a remembrance.... 

Rug Of The Day - March 26

It's another really chilly day here in Michigan...so I don't feel out of place showing you a Santa rug!  This is St. Nick, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation.  Sue Clark from Missouri hooked this wonderful rug during a workshop I taught at Wooly Woolens in Independence Missouri.  I am as proud as a peacock over the way this rug turned out!  I absolutely love everything about it and Sue's hooking is terrific!

~~~

If you are in the Bowling Green Ohio area, please come over to the Black Swamp Market Day and Fiber Fair at the Wood County Fairgrounds.  I'll be vending there and I've packed up lots and lots of REALLY good stuff!  You won't be sorry you came...admission is free!  All the info is listed in the upper right hand corner of my blog.

Rug Of The Day - March 25th

Today's sweet little rug is The Stocking Was Hung, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation.  This pattern has always been one of my favorites because I love the darling little angel-doll!  There's just 9 months until Christmas (LOL!) so get your stocking prepared and in good order for the big night!

The first rug is hooked by Wendy Miller.  I call her "the queen of medium backgrounds" because she most often uses medium values in her background - not always easy to do since other similar color values will tend to "sink" or "fade" into them - and her rugs are always gorgeous.  She sewed a real skeleton key and jingle bell on her rug...nice touch!

Rebecca Erb hooked this version.  I love the turquoise stocking!  (Yes, it is her own Painted Cupboard Blue wool.)  I love using old faded turqouise hues in my rugs and try to add it whenever I can.  Turquoise is "friends" with so many other colors and shades, an all-around great addition to just about any color plan!

Rug Of The Day - March 24th

Today's rug is a beautiful geometric hooked by Ginny Briner Crabtree.

( This is a Keith Kemmer pattern called Chinese Checkers.)

Ginny took my class at the Ohio Rug Camp several years ago.  We added a bigger border around the game board so that it would fit on a table in her living room.  By studying old Chinese Checker boards, I realized that the scheme of the board is much like a color wheel, and Ginny hooked hers with the color wheel in mind.  I love how the the turquoise and beige/taupe textures work together with everything else.  Ginny gets a special pat on the back because there are about a ba-jillion circles in this pattern!  I think I would have lost my enthusiasm after hooking the first set of ten circles!

Rug Of The Day - March 23rd

Easter is just around the corner, so keep your eyes open for this little character...his name is Busy Bunny . He may leave a few eggs in hidden places.  Or you may find some marshmallow peeps...does anybody really EAT those things???  This guy is a serious worker...you can tell by the fact that he wears overalls!

~~~~

Today's rug is hooked by Rebecca Erb.  The Busy Bunny design is adapted from PJ Rankin-Hults folk art.

Rug Of The Day - March 22nd

I was going to start out my post today by saying that there was something fishy going on here, but then I changed my mind.  When I looked at the calendar, I realized that today is my dad's birthday...so I'm going to dedicate the rugs of the day to him!   And I'll tell you why in a minute.

This is Trout, and I hooked this rug early in my rug hooking journey many years ago.  It was designed by my friend Keith Kemmer.  I met him at a spring Hook-In and he was working on his own Trout rug.  I knew right away that I had to make this rug too.  I ended up winning an honorable mention spot in Celebrations XIII.  I take this rug to a lot of my shows but when it retires from the show circuit, it will take its rightful place next to my husband's side of the bed.

This little chairpad is one of my designs called Leaping Trout.  This was my teaching project for the ATHA Biennial in New Orleans in 2007.  We had a great class and many fond memories.  It's more of a cartoon character compared to Keith's Trout design but it's charming all the same.

~~~

Now the explanation for why I wanted to dedicate this "fishy" post to my dad for his birthday today.  You see, when I was young, I was quite a tomboy.  My dad taught me how to paddle a canoe and we went canoeing and fishing together every summer in Northern Michigan.  I baited my own hook and I even cleaned and scaled some of my own fish.   There was a time when I caught more perch than my dad and my grandpa put together!  My dad had a home-made fish smoker in the woods and there was nothing better than to eat smoked fish at the end of a long day.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Rug Of The Day - March 21st

Saturday was the first day of Spring, right?  Maybe I missed something because it's been just about cold enough to snow here in Michigan....it feels more like the first day of November!  

 

 Please pardon my sarcasm about our weather (we'll be back in the 50's in the next few days)  but since I had to break out my winter coat again, I thought a November-themed rug would be a suitable sample for today!  This is Tom, a Notforgotten Farm adaptation and it is hooked by Vicki Monroe from Zeeland, Michigan.  Vicki's color choices are superb!  I love the combinations of turquoise, rusty red and orange.  Perfect!

Rug Of The Day - March 20th

Often times, my rugs turn out to be a "fabric" diary.  With each loop I pull, there is a multitude of memories being woven into the design.  The memories might be happy or sad or they might recall certain events that were going on at the time.  Memories of surgery and travel and friends.  I can look at one of my rugs and reflect back about what was going on and how I felt while I was hooking it...a wondrous journey of my experiences that speak only to me.

~~~

So this is the case with today's rug, Spring Messenger (another adaptation from Notforgotten Farms).  This was the first rug that I hooked after my mom had passed away.  I had not really felt like hooking much for a while afterward but somehow this little pattern was calling to me.  There is a lot of healing that is hooked up in this rug.  When I look at it, it is not sadness I see, it is the healing of an aching soul and the hope that life goes on.  I think there is a little symbolism here with the momma bird watching over her precious eggs.  Love and hope and new beginning.  Just like the first day of Spring.

~~~

Rug Of The Day - March 19th

The rug of the day today is an old friend to many of you.  He is a very dapper fellow and quite a lady's man too!  His name is Pumpkin Thyme.  This charming character is an adaptation from Lori Brechlin's folk art.

My good friend Wendy Miller hooked this version of Pumpkin Thyme.  She dressed him up with striped socks!

 Mary Nyffeler hooked this Pumpkin man.  She changed the watch to a lantern...a very cool idea.  I like the little "glow" around the lantern.

 Debbe Myers hooked this rug.  I like his red tweed trousers and matching hat band!  Did I tell you that Mr. Pumpkin Thyme was very fashionable?

This is Wendy Cockrell's rug.  Another dandy Pumpkin man! 

~~~~

I think one of the most fun things about this rug is that you have the freedom to "dress" your pumpkin man in all sorts of splendid attire!

Rug Of The Day - March 18th

It's been so warm and sunny here in Michigan!  The peepers are chirping away in the woods and marshy area.  It's the perfect weather to take a stroll...

and who should we meet along the way but Mr. MacGregor!  He's another wonderful adaptation from Lori Brechlin's folk art.  I hooked this rug in #8.5 cuts.  I love the "cupboard blue" background!  I think the most difficult part of the rug for me was the hit-or-miss scallops along the sides....I called it "trial and error!"  You will quickly learn how colors relate to one another when you start working with hit-or-miss.  I know some folks find it easy to do but it was more thought-provoking for me.  Still, it was a valuable learning experience and I love the way it turned out.

~~~

We may get close to 70 degrees tomorrow!  I wonder who will be out strolling in the sunshine tomorrow?