ANOTHER FUN DAY AT GRANT STREET -

Thursday is a day to look forward too. So much fun hooking with the group at Grant Street Woolworks! I am ever amazed at the wonderful things that Linda Keller has managed to stock her shop with. If I do nothing but look at all of the "goodies" I have had a good day.

For instance, look at this little gem. Bees wax molded in the shape of a lamb. If your frame swivels, you need bees wax to keep it swiveling smoothly. A neat and inexpensive hooking tool!

One of the shelves holding a myrid of goodies. Plates, sheep, dolls and lots of smalls that all of us ladies like to pick through.

And then there is Linda herself. Always a lot of fun with a lot of ideas to spur on your hooking.

In the background of the picture above, is Jill and her neighbor's daughter Lacy. Lacy is 7 or 8 (not sure which) and interested in learning to hook. Linda fixed a heart on burlap for her and gave her a hooking lesson. How nice it was to see a young person so interested. After all, all of old hookers have a responsibility to keep the art form alive and what better way than to share with the children. These young people are our future. Not only in the art world but in the geopolitical world. We need to give them as much help as possible.

This rug is one of Jill's unfinished projects. She brought it because she is disatisfied with it. She thought that the background was terrible and it was "puckered" because she had hooked it so tight. I suggested to her that all it needed was a good steaming and to be finished. Linda heard the conversation and took the rug into her sewing room and steamed it with her professional steamer. The result was amazing. Jill was very surprised at the difference that steaming can make. An aside to Jill - you must stop comparing your rug to a similar one - after all each hooker has a different concept of how a rug should be done. Your use of color in this rug is excellent. Since you are a fairly new hooker, you don't seem to realize what a good job you are doing. When it is finished, this rug is going to be a beauty.

Kathy, Jill, and Lacy discussing the proper way to use a Townsend cutter.

Linda is showing Patti how to use Crack. Unfortunately, I got only Linda in the picture. But believe me, Patti is sitting on the other side of the table and Linda has the roll of Crack in her hand.

Patti is working on her project for the ATHA Guild's "purple swap." She is way ahead of the game on this piece. I have a design in mind but haven't even put it on the backing. It's due at the September meeting in Boonsboro. Better get on the ball.

This is Jen. Jen is visiting her sister. Jen lives in China where she has resided for the past 6 years. She said that she wanted to do something exciting when she graduated from college and she landed in China. She teaches science classes in an international school. It was a joy to have her join us for part of the day. A delightful person also interested in hooking.

On Monday, Linda and her family are off on a two week trip across country. We all wish them a wonderful trip - so no hook-in for the next two weeks.

In the meantime the Gettysburg group meets next Monday and the Boonsboro ATHA chapter meets Aug. 1. Always something to do.

For myself, I am looking forward to a week of staying home and working on my present project and perhaps getting my purple swap started. Until my next posting - keep hooking.

Quote of the day -

A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away!

Bil Keene