Dork with a capital D

Good Afternoon!

Such a gloomy windy day here today. 

 We are awaiting the rain that is on it's way for the next 3 days.

Ever have days where you get up and then things happen and you wish you would have stayed in bed?

Well, my day seems to be going in that direction.  

First, I emptied a pot of hot wool and water into a bucket and was trying to be careful but the wool slipped out a little faster than expected and splashed the hot water on my right leg and left foot.  I may or may not have a small burn on my foot. 

Dork with a capital D

I've been doing lots of drawing for the shop and shows we have coming up but yesterday I ran out of linen so decided to dye wool today.

I have been in the kitchen the whole time while the pots are stewing and then I heard this noise.  YEP, one the pots boiled over.  Pretty sure the back of my stove in now a blueish purple color.  Really?

Dork with a capital D

Update on my projects from the last post.

I gave this heart to mom for Valentine's Day.

 I used scraps and a size 9 cut then stuffed it with Lavender.  I secretly stuck it in her basket that she uses for hooking.  It took a couple of days but she finally saw it!

This is a project I started last April.  All I have left for the most part is the background.

Here is the D for Dork part.

I dyed the background and only dyed 1/2 yd.

  WHY?  I have no idea.  

Now I have to try and figure out what I did and match the wool.

And this project. 

 I was only given a small amount of the faded red wool and I have decided to do the entire flag in that red.

The problem is I have no idea what the wool is.  I have tried just about every color combination that I can think of.  

It's a tan yet red color.

So, as of right now this project is on hold until I can figure out the dye for the red.

I'm not really sure today is the day to work on that.

That's my update folks.

Nothing spectacular to speak of.......just a lot of dorkness going on at my house. ;)

Progress

Good Morning!

Thought I would show you the progress on 2 of the projects that I have going.

This is my own design.  Everything is hooked but the background.  The background of the rug is a flag.  The difficulty that I am having is the dramatic difference in strip size.  I believe I hooked some of the detail in a #3 and the background is a #9.  I'm not sure where my height is suppose to be on my loops. The #9 cut overwhelmes the #3 cut, but I am moving forward......right or wrong. :)

"Woolens" is a new design we have in the shop.  It was a quick and easy project.  I hooked the sheep using 1 strip of wool and yarn.  The yarn gave the sheep some interesting texture. 

 The legs, face and ear are hooked with leftover velvet that I had. 

The background is a #9 cut.......my new favorite.

I apologize for the words going through the design.  It is a little harder to see.  I have been updating the web site and I have been trying to put our name on the pattern so it's not as easy to steal.

My dye pots are going this morning and while the wool is cooking I am headed to the studio to try and clean up a bit.

We have 2 big shows in April and I am working on drawing and dying so we will be ready to go.  I would like to think I would be caught up but I know better than that!

Happy Hooking! 

New Year

I see it has been almost a year ago that I wrote a post.  I am going to try and do a better job this year.  I am hoping posting will make me more accountable on my MANY projects that are in the works.

The other day I was sitting in my family room hooking and looked around the room realizing that I had FIVE projects going...... REALLY? That's not even the projects in my studio.  YIKES, think I have an issue. 

I am going to post on the progress so I will make myself a little more accountable.  I hope this will speed up the progress of these projects.  

So, without further ado here are the five projects that I have going:

The heart is going to be a Valentine's Day gift.  Shouldn't be an issue to finish that up. ;)

Rendition of an antique rug that I have been working on.  The plan is to finish up the other 4 projects and then begin this one again.

This project is for the shop and is called "Woolens".  It isn't a very big mat and should progress quickly. (fingers crossed)

The cat is a mat that I purchased to learn a new technique.  The directions weren't the best so I am just "winging"  it.  

This project I started in June of last year.  This one is for me.  Actually, one of the kids have already "claimed" it.    The goal is one person a week.  The background will be a piece of cake......easy hooking.

So, as you can see I have many irons in the fire but hope to get these finished up in the next couple of months.  I am making myself hook a little bit each day. Usually that leads to more hooking. :)

Till next time!

Any one out there?

It's been a very long time since I last wrote.

Life has taken me on a journey that I hadn't planned on.

I wanted to share my latest rug.  I just finished it late this afternoon.

It's called "Forever True"  a 32" round and retails for $80.00.

This rug is so full of memories for me. 

 I designed it late June/early July 2015.  I was feeling very patriotic as my second son, Sam was in the middle of his BMT (basic military training) in San Antonio, Texas.

  2 years prior son Drew was going through the same process.

When Drew was at BMT I made a dye formula called "Dress Blues".  This rug is hooked using that particular recipe.  

We unexpectedly lost Drew on July 25 of this year when he was on active duty in Guam.  

I hooked this as we traveled over the last 7 months.

  It is a bittersweet rug in that it has happy and sad memories but a rug that I will ALWAYS cherish.  

Happy Hooking

and 

Cherish Every Day!

The further I go the farther I get.........

Life seems to be taking my family on a journey that we never expected.

We learned on Sunday that Natalie's boyfriend unexpectedly passed away at the age of 22.

He was in perfect health (he was an athlete) and died in his sleep.

He would have soon been a member of our family.

2 deaths in 9 weeks. 

 We were just starting to put the pieces back together and now this.  

I'm clinging to "this is all part of God's plan" through gritted teeth.

Perhaps soon I will be able to catch up and write "good news"?

Enjoy every moment of every day!

God Bless

One day at a time......

Want to let everyone know that we are open again.

Please check the schedule for shows so you will know when we are closed.

We appreciate you patience and prayers.  

Marge and Beth

Closed

We will be closed until further notice due to my son's unexpected death. Please be patient with us as we begin a new chapter in our lives. 

Electronics...............:(

As most of you are aware I haven't been posting anything on the blog.

I just got off the phone with Apple support and I think all is well?

Fingers crossed!

I love electronics when they work but get easily frustrated when they don't.  If I understood things a little bit better I'm sure I wouldn't get as frustrated. :)

Because the latest download of software is so new blogger doesn't recognize it yet and therefore I was unable to get pictures put on my posts.  

If you are like me I like to look at pictures and not words. ;)

So here is just a small recap of what's been going on in my life these days:

Prom.

  Sam and his date.

We hosted dinner in our garage. 

4X800 team qualified for the state track meet. 

 All seniors.

Graduation! 

 My last one. 

 It still hasn't sunk in just yet.

Our second, Natalie graduated from BVU in Storm Lake.  She is enrolled in the Creighton Accelerated Nursing program and will begin there in August.

Drew is currently in Guam. 

 He has a 1 month tour on the base there.

He is working on planes and learning what Typhoons are!

Jenny is getting ready for a trip to Europe with the UWF volleyball team as the Graduate Assistant.

Sam is at basic training in San Antonio, Tx.  

He will graduate in mid August.

To say that my summer has been crazy is an understatement.

It seems the front door is constantly revolving.

Just when I adjust to being home alone for a few days someone comes back home while another is leaving.

Empty nesting hasn't sunk in yet but I think that's because nothing is constant yet!

I promise to do a better job blogging now that my electronics are working!

Happy Hooking!

Class In Newton

Good Evening!

I want everyone to know that I am fully aware of my absence from blogging. 

 When something has to give it this blog.  

I have been struggling with writing and busy with life in general.

Mom and I will be in Newton the next 4 days taking a class from Nola Heidbreder. 

 I am so excited I can hardly stand it.  

I love these 4 days.  

I get to focus on being creative.

I will post pictures as the days roll along so you can see what we are working on.

We are closed at the shop Monday thru Thursday of this week due to the fact that we are gone.

Happy Hooking!

Happy Easter

We will be closed Friday and Saturday to celebrate with our families. Happy Easter. 

3 Generations of Beginners

We taught a class on Saturday to a mother, daughter-in-law and granddaughter who is 6 soon to be 7 next month.

We had such a fun day and they all picked up on it very quickly. 

 It's very rewarding to teach someone the love of rug hooking.

I drew Ella a circle and showed her a couple of examples of what I thought she should do. At first she rejected my ideas and her mom's. 

 We started with writing her name and let her pick some worms from my worm basket and left her alone.  

Before we knew it Ella had covered her entire circle with motifs that she could relate to. 

 They were a tad small but we went with it anyway. ;)

 I smiled all day just thinking about what this rug will look like!

Dad is recovering from his shoulder replacement surgery.  

He is starting to feel better so it's getting harder to keep him down and resting.  

In fact, I believe he was in his shop sanding this morning when he couldn't sleep.

 Sanding was NOT on the PT list of exercises! 

Dave brought us treats from the local bakery TASTE.

They close their coffee lid openings with a mustache.  

We took a "selfie" for fun!

Happy Hooking today and take a silly picture!

Good Morning

I'm sitting in the lobby of the Methodist Hospital as I write this post. 

 Dad is having a shoulder replacement done this morning.  He has been in a lot of pain and Mayo's was able to get him in within a week.  It has taken us all a little by surprise.

 If you are stopping by the shop today we are closed as I am sitting with mom while dad is under the knife.

While Mom was with dad yesterday I got a few projects finished up so thought I would share those photos.

Above is our snowman mat. He needs a name. Any suggestions? 

 This is mom's version and she finished hooking it over the weekend.  

I personally think it's one of her best projects.  

I love how she added the trim on the scarf and flower on the hat.

He retails for $38.00

These 2 projects are kits in the shop that we have for purchase. See the website for further info.

 The top photo is a sampler by The Pinkeep, Linda Theran.

I made the above project into a pillow and twisted floss from the project for a small trim around the outside.

This is Stacy Nash's pattern. 

 The box is a little bit bigger as we increased the count (for our eyes). ;)

I was hoping to have 1 more to show you but unfortunately I sewed the velvet on wrong!

 I'm not sure if I am leaving it or if I can get it ripped out without destroying the needlework.

Don't you love it when you do dumb things?  I was so disgusted with myself.

Oh well, life goes on.

Happy Hooking on this very cold day!

Check Us Out

If you don't read The Wool Street Journal you should.......we are in it! We have the latest copy. Nice spread on our shop and Dad's garden. 

Happy Hooking!

Closed today

We are closed today. Partaking in cheerleading routine at BVU. 

Happy Hooking!

Catching up.............

Thought I would share just a few pictures from our trip to Salt Lake City for my sister-in-laws inauguration ceremony.

We were treated like kings and queens.
 Upon arrival we received a gift basket in our room.

We each received a piece of clothing (chosen specifically for us) from SLCC,  2 bottles of beer brewed in SLCC, candy and a hand written note.

How fun was that?

We took a tour of the campus and much to our surprise we saw my SIL's picture all over campus.  We thought it would be fun to add a little mustache but we refrained. :)

Outside of her new office.

The ceremony was full of pomp and circumstance.

 Such a privilege to be a part of.

This is part of the gang anyway.

  We are missing the President and my oldest nephew.

The luncheon was served in a beautiful room over looking the campus.  If you look close you can see a small easel at each place setting.  We all received a special painting on canvas that was painted by a student or faculty member.  On the back of the canvas told the story behind the artwork and the artist.  Yeah........pretty cool.

Happy Hooking Everyone!

A little bit of exciting news

If you haven't had the opportunity or been busy entertaining for the holidays and haven't had time to leaf through the latest issue of RHM I would encourage you to do so.

Mom and I designed a rug for the Dear Beginner Rug Hooker.

The design is called "Simply Spring".  

We had such a dreary winter last year that we couldn't bring ourselves to design a rug that involved anything "winter".

We thought this design would be a perfect spark to start off your Spring designs.

You can stop by the shop and see the rugs in person. 

 Mom hooked the "dull" version and I hooked the "bright" version.

We would LOVE to see your version of the rug!

Happy Hooking!

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Trust everyone enjoyed the holidays and got to spend some quality time with family.

 Perhaps got those last minute gifts finished up and under the tree just in time? 

 I know I had one last minute gift.

Right before we had our family Christmas we made a quick trip to Florida for a graduation ceremony. 

Our oldest, Jenny graduated from University of West Florida in December.

  She graduated with a degree in Biology and will begin her Masters program this spring. Jenny will continue as a graduate assistant with the volleyball team.  

The letter "J" was the Christmas letter this year. 

 Mom's table looked stunning as usual.

"Joy" was the centerpiece and added a beautiful sentiment to the dinner table.

As you can see we all had a box of "Jello" at our place along with some "juniper" and "jingle" bells.

Mom found this wonderful "jean jumper" at Goodwill.  She was extremely proud of herself. 

I believe the scarecrow will be wearing it when the snow is gone!

I can't remember how much "jangle" was in the "jar" but I know that I didn't win the amount.  

As you can see we have a pretty good time with the alphabet. 

 Next year is the letter "K". 

 I think it will be more of a challenge.

I had mom's name and I made her a "jigsaw" puzzle ball out of "jet" black velvet.  I finished the day before but it looked awesome.  I'll try and get a picture later.

Enjoy your families and happy hooking everyone!

Memories in the Making

Many of you have watched my children grow up so I wanted to share these with you.

Sam and Joe after the all state concert. Sam sang in the chorus and Joe played the bass trombone in the orchestra.

We were lucky enough to spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Orange Beach, Alabama.

We all needed time to "forget" life for a few days and just be a family.

I used to think I had a "normal" family until I started looking at these photos.  

Seems they aren't "normal" after all! ;)

Natalie's cheer squad is competing for the first time in February.

She thought she could teach her "strong" brothers how to do the lifts so she could practice.

Turns out it wasn't as easy as they thought.

We had some good laughs and it was wonderful to be together as a family!

Thanks, for letting me share.

Happy Hooking!

And the winner is.....................

Thank you to all who shopped our Customer Appreciation sale.  If you stopped by or read the email you will know that we had a couple of give-aways.

I should have taken a picture of the jar that contained the noodles.  The winner of the noodles and mat to go with it was Elsie Ulland.

Give-away #2 was a skillet full of 1/16's and a soy candle. Skillet was a little too heavy to ship. :)

The winner of that was Cindy DeBlick!

Prizes have already been shipped and I must say the winners were thrilled.

Happy Hooking!

CLOSED Saturday

As you all know we had the musical Annie last weekend and it was wonderful. 

 The students got to perform to over 450 people each night of the 3 performances. 

 We are so lucky to have a community that supports our students.

Just a couple of shots from the musical.

Sam was chosen as a member of the All-State Chorus and we are very proud of him. A very small percentage of students make it in and it is a big honor.  

Saturday is the concert and we are taking the day to hear the concert put on by the All-State band, chorus, and symphony!

We apologize if we inconveinced you but I wouldn't miss this for the world!

Happy Hooking!