GRANT STREET HOOKING - WHAT FUN!!!!

When my friend Traci was here last week we talked about going to the Grant Street Hook-in this Thursday. It worked out that both of us could go, so lunches packed, hooking in tow, off we went this morning about 9:00. We knew that we had to be home in time to get Traci's boys from the school bus about 3 o'clock. We arrived at Grant street and Rick kindly took us up to the second floor in the elevator - always a great experience on the freight elevator! Linda arrived about 5 minutes later and the chatter and fun began.
Traci got to work right away. That is, she set up her frame, how much hooking she got done is questionable. Please note the size of the ice tea container she brought with her. Within a few minutes of our set-up, in came Sandy and Jack. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of them. Sandy is doing 4 chair seats with a different fruit in the center of each. She needed the background (black) for all four seat covers. After much hemming and hawing she finally decided on a black with a slight blue stripe in it. Very pretty wool.

Linda was telling us about a class for beginners that she is planning to have. It is a mitten with a pumpkin design in the center. Here she is putting the design on "crack" so that she can transfer it to the backing and make up the kits. Sounds very interesting and I think that it would be fun not only for beginners but for all of us.

Next to arrive were Marion and Pat. Marion is working on a small wall hanging. She has finished her eagle rug but did not bring it to show. Pat is still working on her checker board and it is really coming along. The two of them had a long winded discussion of how smart crows and other birds can be. It sometimes gets very "intellectual" at the wool-works!

Next to arrive were Kathy and her friend Joanne. Kathy is "inspecting" Marion and Pat's work and getting into the conversation.

Joanne arrives loaded down with bags and other "things." Note Traci's ice tea jug - who drinks a gallon of iced tea???

Joanne has her frame that swivels and is like the one that I have just purchased from Linda. Here she has just finished erecting the frame from it's folded position. She also has the stand. which I had not seen before. This is a nifty bit of engineering. It folds up into practically nothing.

Joanne unfolded the frame and put the whole thing together with just a few turns of 3 different knobs in about 30 seconds. Honestly, these frames get better and better all of the time. One of the bundles that Joanne carried is shown below. It'going, going fast.

This cake was so moist and yummy - almost beyond belief! The icing was like pure heaven, light as a feather. Thank you Joanne, we all enjoyed your gift to us. Also we were assured that there were no calories involved.

Even Bo and Louie get to taste the cake!

My friend Traci was born and raised in Hagerstown and knows where everything is. It amazes me that whenever she goes any place she goes "around red robins barn" to get there. Going to the Grant Street Woolworks she took the "long way around" - so I suggested to her that we come home my way. She agreed as we got closer to Hagerstown that I had the right idea about how to get to Chambersburg. We did just fine until we got to Northern Ave. and discovered that Eastern Ave. was closed. We had to go to Potomac st and thru downtown Hagerstown - what a mess - to get home - so we had lost all of the time that we made by going the shorter way. I'm sure that "Murphy's Law" had something to do with this. However, we were in time to get the boy's from the school bus, so all was well.

Traci and I agreed that we had had such a nice day that we will surely do this again as soon as possile. Any of you who don't go to these Thursday hook-in's are really missing a good time - good companship - good fellowship - good friendship. Come join us next Thursday.

Quote of the day:

Growing old is no more than a bad habit which a busy person has no time to form.

Bette Midler

IT'S A MESS!!!!!

My hooking room, like most rooms has four walls (lol). Four very messy walls!

Early in May I decided that I would take the summer off and get myself in order. That is, I wouldn't teach during the summer and I would take the summer to do some of the hooking projects that I had in mind for some time , and that I would reorganize my hooking room. Easier said than done! Well, I got my black and white study started and about half done when I hurt my leg. As you know, I have really been lame for the past month - soooo no hooking room clean up. BUT, I HAVE STARTED - whopee!!!!

This first photo shows my "work table." Please tell me how anyone in their right mind could work on this table??? In addition to the table on this wall there is a bookcase (not shown) and my Queen Anne hooking chair.
This shows the corner and a small portion of a second wall - as you can see this is the "height" of the messyness.

Another section of the same wall. I am ashamed to be showing this to you but somehow I must make it all right.

Same wall - absolute chaos!!!!!

Finally, some views of the one wall that I have gotten ALMOST cleaned and I find that there is space for a few more things. Whopee! I need every inch I can get.

See it is better!

This part looks even better. I really am trying. My friend Traci came over one day last week and helped me straighten out some of the bins of swatches. Traci thinks doing that is FUN! She likes looking at all of the pretty colors - I've looked at them so long I can't see straight. At any rate, I am hoping to get the entire room in working order before I begin teaching this fall.

And my dear sweet Eloise just sleep in the middle of it all.

I am glad to report that my leg is much better. I was able to go to the grocery by myself on Friday altho I could not carry in my own groceries. Still it is much better and I hope to out among you before long. I am extremely grateful to Barb and Traci for all of the help and offers to do things for me, that they have made during this trying time. Thanks again, I don't know what I would do without friends like you.

HAPPY HOOKING UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!!!!

HOME FRONT UUPDATE!
When my daughter and I bought our retirement home, some 6 1/2 years ago we loved the whole house and the land. The only thing it did'nt have that we wanted was a deck. The house is built down the side of a hill so this picture shows the upper level back door. An entry to the kitchen. Same view - a little closer to the house.

Further along the back of the house - those are the kitchen windows, This shows the sliding doors to a concrete patio.

This is the way the back of the house looks today. This view is taken from the pasture and shows not only the deck but the new fencing. Eloise now has about twice the space she previously had to run and play.

This is the roofed over part of the deck and the stairway leading down to the concrete patio and the lower floor of the house.

A closer view from the pasture. This shows the roofed over area. I feel like I have added two new rooms to my house. Needless to say, I am thrilled with the looks and the ability to use the deck. It is a great place to hook!

Another view from the pasture showing more of the fencing. This is a community that has allowed only split rail fencing in the past so any fencing other than that is considered a novelty. Split rail is not only hard to find but is costly and does not hold up well. I have kept the fence wooden in keeping with the community and many of my neighbors have commented on it beauty.

Needless to say, I am very happy with the results of the design. I don't have any deck furniture at this point - only a folding table and a few plastic chairs but Eloise and I have been enjoying sitting out there with our coffee in the morning and a glass of wine now and then.

I hope all of you are bearing up in this heat. I find it oppressive! I shall miss this weeks hook-in at Grant street because of my leg but hope to be back in action very soon. Until than, keep hooking, try to stay cool and love one and another.

Doris

I'VE BEEN FRAMED!!!!
Sometime ago my daughter suggested that I get some "modern" equipment since all of my "stuff" was 40 years old. As a result of her suggestion, I ordered a Snapdragon frame. Several friends had them and I was impressed with the way they hold the background material and the general workings of the frame. Well, it seems that my lap just was not built for a Snapdragon. I felt as though I was hooking up under my chin and it was to bulky for my lap!

The first picture shows the lap fram that I have been using for all these years. It is an old friend, I hooked my first ten rugs on it. My husband built the lap frame part and drilled holes in the hoop to fit. Very simple arrangement that folded down easily and assembled quickly. It is in the down position in this picture. Also, it is very light weight. This assembles with 2 screws, 2 washers and two wing nuts.

This is the way it looks assembled. I'm certain that I will never stop using it altogether but it is nice to have a new frame!

I was telling Linda Keller about my experience with the Snapdragon at one of the Thursday hook-in at the Grant Street Woolworks and she suggested that I try a frame that she had in stock. It is made by The Needleworks of Hartford, Conn. This is my first experience with a frame that swivels all of the way - 360 in both directions.

This is the frame in the fold down position. It becomes a very small package. I was really surprised at the engineering that went into the fold down arrangement.

This is the frame ready for use. It's just a matter of turning 3 knobs and you are in business! I have fallen in love with this frame. The working space is a bit small but since most of us work only in the bottom third of the frame its just fine for me. Linda most graciously suggested that I take the frame and try it for several weeks to make sure that it was a fit. It is and I look forward to making it mine.

In the meantime, I am still nursing this bum leg. Doctor says that I have pulled or injured a muscle in my upper right leg. What a pain! Litterly and figuretively (spell?). The pain has been beyond belief. The doctor prescribed some pain medicine that made me sicker - but I have finally managed to reduce the dose so that I can at least fix myself some meals and take care of Eloise. I miss being able to go hooking and hope that all will be well before to long.

I have finished my piece for the purple swap that is due in September so all has not stopped. I need to continue with the reoranization of my hooking room but at the moment it is at a standstill. Summer has gone by so fast that it seems I have accomplished little! I hope to be able to rejoin all of you soon, until than keep hooking!

Doris

BUSY, BUSY SATURDAY!!!

Saturday was the regular meeting of the Heart and Hand Antitem Rug Artisians Guild. The turnout was a bit smaller than usual - so many are on vacation - Ah! Summer - it is fleeting away from us. However, we had two guests, both very interested in hooking. Eleanor and Maggie were both so enthuastic that we held an impromtu rug show of the work in progress. I admit that all of the pictures are not good but I hope you will enjoy the diversity of projects in this group.
This is Nada with her "Cape Cod Primitive." A large rug that she says is very different from the way she normally color plans a rug. She is trying to step outside of her usual color box by using more color.

This is Betty's pictorial. She designed this rug herself and is hooking it with a number 3 cut. The detail is very fine. It is a pullman car with many people in the foreground - many representing her family members and the U. S. Capitol in the background. A truly impressive project.

Mary is holding her pumpkin project. She belongs to a group that offers a retreat and challenge on a monthly basis and this is the current project.

This is a truly poor picture. It is Carolyn's rug - very large project - with a horse as the main motif. Sorry I could not get a better picture as this is quite a project. I hope to get a better picture as Carolyn progresses with the hooking.

Here's Ron - the only gentlemen in our group. Ron perfers small projects and I must say this is more colorful than most I have seen him do.

Maryanne has been working on this rug for some time and it is now finished! This runner is quite long and is truly a beauty!!! She has done a wonderful job on this.

Jennifer's project is for her son. He is attending school at Michigan Tech and this is their logo. The huskie in the center is very lifelike and her letters are perfect. Way to go Jennifer!

I did not attempt to take pictures of several other projects as they were in the very beginning stages and will wait until more is completed before photographing them.

After the meeting, I went to my grandson's for a cookout. My grand -daughter (Richard's sister) was coming with her husband Paul. They live in southern Maryland and we haven't seen them since Mother's day. It was a truly good time. However by the time I got home I thought that my leg was going to drop off! My leg does seem better each day but I guess I tried to do to much at one time. Sooooo, a quiet Sunday, listening to the gentle rain that has been falling all morning. More is expected this afternoon and evening. A perfect day for hooking. I put the design for my entry in the purple challenge swap on the backing on Friday and started the hooking. Today I have finished the design and am starting on the background. I will photograph it, and post it after the swap has taken place. It is something that I am having fun with - and it is PURPLE.

Until next time, keep those hooks moving, love your family and be good to your friends.

Doris