Cumberland Valley Hookers

What a good group we had today at the Falling Spring Presbyterian Church in Chambersburg! Lots of beautiful rugs finished for show and tell and many more in progress.

I really don't need to say nuch, the pictures tell the whole story.

Marion M.'s bunny rug

(sorry he's sideways!)

Peg's Christmas rug.

No last minute rush!

Joan's cute critter rug

Marion M.'s eagle rug in progress

Shirley, Marjorie and Naomi planning a new project

Naomi working on her lovely scrolls and flowers

Doris's parrot rug

She was working on finishing the edge today.

Ann's rug in progress

Shirley has her kitty rug finished

Shirley and Marjorie concentrating on their work

Joan working on a new critter rug

And there were more! Sorry I didn't get pictures of everything and everyone! And I hope I got all the rugs with their proper makers and all the names correct. My 'senion brain' has been known to have a few loose wires. I must mention that I love my new digital camers. It makes everyone look wonderful, don't you think?

Since I am losing weight I didn't partake of the refreshments, but...someone made a cake that looked positively scrumptious! What a temptation!

Happy hooking until next month. Can't wait to see what all of you get finished!

It Rains, then it Rains some more......

Gray is NOT my favorite sky color! And today it is especially dreary! One of those days when I need every light in the house turned on so I can pretend the sun is shining.



The picture is part of Brad's herb garden from last year. I hope all this rain brings out the GREEN in all of our lawns and flower beds. But for now I'll sit inside and have a hot cup of tea until I decide my plan for today. Grocery shopping is definitely on the list.

Many of you know that in the past (and probably sometime again in the future) I have been a weaver. Back in the 1970's Zip and I were interested in keeping traditional handcrafts alive to pass on to future generations. We became fascinated by antique tools and equipment and wanted to learn how to use them. It seemed like in our parent's generation people only wanted to forget the past and embrace the 'modern'.


We traveled to historic sites where there were demonstrating craftspeople to watch and learn from. I just loved spinning and weaving and the equipment used to produce cloth. We were young and poor, but I saved my pennies and bought a spinning wheel in a dozen pieces at a farm auction. We took it home and repaired it. Then of course, I had to have a loom! More pennies saved. I ordered it from California out of the Whole Earth Catalog (all you hippies remember that one! LOL!) I was on my way!!!



This is not a picture of my first loom. I sold it to a friend of mine and she is still using it. Here I'm weaving a table cloth and the remainder was cut into napkins.

The picture to the left shows some of the throws I have made.

To the right are dish towels and napkins. Yikes!!! It's the other way around! I am so dyslexic, I'm always telling Zip to turn right and I'm pointing left.

My great hope is to have time to weave again. I still have looms set up but just can't seem to fit it into the schedule. Maybe when I retire.... And I no longer have to worry about passing on the tradition. With the internet and all the resources today, the once lost arts are there for anyone to enjoy.

Progress continues on the flower basket rug.

All the color decisions are made and now it's just easy hooking. I'm pleased with the effect so far.


I'm off to the kitchen for another cup of tea.


Hope you are all having a good weekend!

Can't Believe Tomorrow is Friday Already.

I don't know where the time went this week!

Had several good evenings out. First was on Tues. with my friends Willa and Diane. We ate at the Italian Village in Greevvillage. We had a great time talking and catching up with what has been going on in each other's lives. I had angel hair pasta with Puttanesca Sauce, which was delicious! My old favorite red clam sauce has now been replaced. Came home and wrote up a recipe for my own lower cal version. I'll make it over the weekend and post the recipe and a picture if it turns out good.

Wednesday evening Brad had to give a presentation at the Army Heritage Museum in Carlisle. Since he recently had a birthday, we celebrated by going to the Boiling Springs Tavern for dinner. Another treat! There I ordered pecan crusted chicken breast with grilled veggies. Yes, friends, I'm still on Weight Watchers! I saved up plenty of points for both of these outings. It's worth eating light at breakfast and dinner in order to have a yummy dinner out. And I usually only eat half and bring the rest home for Zip to have for lunch the next day. So far since the first of the year, I have lost over 30 lbs. (though on me it soesn't seem like much!)

Patterns this week are, of course, food oriented!

Easy as Apple Pie Rug 21 x 44 inches (c) 2008

and Pie Square 20 x 20 inches (c) 2008

I'd like to do the apple pie rug and put in my kitchen in front of the sink, but those little furry critters (cats!!!) can do terrible things to hooked rugs. Between the fur and the claws, I can never put a hand hooked rug on the floor, or the table, or.....anywhere?

I love my little darlings, even if they do have a few less than perfect qualities.

Sliced Apple or the alternate version Three Apples (c) 2008

This can be done either as a runner 12 x 26 inches or a rug 15 x 32 1/2 inches. I have ideas of doing the Three Apples version in shades of red, yellow and green using that dyeing technique that Doris teaches where there are three different colors on the same strip of fabric.

And here is Tipper demonstrating her skills with yarn.

I am continuing to work on my flower basket rug. The basket is almost finished. All the major color decisions are planned out. Now it's just easy hooking! Horay!! Will post a picture the next time.

We had quite a few visitors today at the Woolworks. It's nice to have people come in and talk about their projects. Linda is still away on the cruise. She'll be back on Monday with, I'm sure, lots of exciting stories to tell! And pictures, too!?

Hope she didn't forget her camera!

Have a good weekend......

Spring is Supposed to be Here, RIGHT?!?!...

When I woke up this morning the sun was shining and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. I thought, HORAY! Trip to the Greenhouuse!!!
By the time we had breakfast, the sky had clouded over, it was only 40 degrees and a chilly wind was blowing. YUCK!!! Trip to the greenhouse cancelled!

I want to set up another container water garden like this one that I did a few years ago. Unfortunately, I left it out too long into the winter and the water froze, cracking the ceramic pot. What a dummy! I had almost gassed myself out painting silicone on the inside to seal the terra cotta, then I carelessly let it freeze.

Maybe I should go with something cheaper, like plastic...

Now I have to admit that I really have 'pond envy'. I want a nice one surrounded by lush foliage in my front yard. Fish and frogs are welcome!

This is my Lily Pond rug design.
22 x 30 inches (c) 2008








To honor the Spring Equinox (is that spelled right?) I thought the
Sun Moon Stars design would be appropriate.


10 1/2 x 17 1/2 (c) 2008


This design was inspired by a PA German fraktur.












I've been working steadily on my flower basket rug. I thought a light background would be nice. I tea dyed two pieces of light tan wool, cut it and hooked a bit. Didn't like the effect.


So back to the dyepot to do something dark. Looked through my stash and found this fabric that I have a lot of and had overdyed in several colors and never used. Threw all of it into the pot with a pack of olive green and a pack of khaki drab.


The fabric is really darker looking (almost black) than the picture shows.



See how dark the background looks when it's hooked! I'm happy with everything so far except for the flower in the upper right. It reminds me of a beetle with wings! I'll have to do that one over. The basket is going to be done in shades of tan and sage.

Guess I better stop gabbing and get back to work on it!
Have a good weekend, friends!

Morning with the Dyepot

Greetings, Friends!




Spent Saturday morning and part of today doing some dying for my flower basket rug. I started the rug on Thursday at the hook-in. Then looked at it on Friday morning and did not like what I had done, so ripped it all out. I had wanted to make the three large flowers all different, but discovered that if I used most of my colors in the large flowers, there was nothing new to use in the peripheral ones. It would have looked like disorganized hodge-podge!


Here my big beautiful boy, Deiter the 17 pound cat, is helping me organize my dyed wool.


I didn't have enough blues and purples, and there was a small piece of rose wool that I needed to match, so out came the dyepot. I am not a 'scientific' dyer! I do use measuring spoons, but only as a means to get the dye powder out of the little bag without spilling it. Then I just dump it in the pot and adjust as I check the color of the wool as it soaks. (Doris, please don't be alarmed!)


















Here I am using the Rose dye.

What do you think of my gas stove??? My parents bought it second-hand when they first got married in the late 1940's! When they moved from Hanover to Chambersburg in the late 50's, it was put in my grandmother's basement for her to use in the summer for canning veggies. After she passed on, my uncle offered it to me. I just love it!!!


And the results of unscientific dyeing are....
Doesn't seem like much for all the time it took!

Since there is a lot of detail in the rug I decided that flat colors were going to be OK. For the effect that I'm trying for, mottling or texture would be too busy. the background will be textured in some way. Haven't decided on the color yet.

That's all I have time to write today.

Have a good week, everyone!

Fun at the Grant Street Woolworks Hook-in....

We had a great evening with our hooking friends! We did a lot of hooking and twice as much talking! LOL!!! Everyone's projects are progressing nicely.

Jill and I are working on the same flower basket pattern. Hers is done in deep darker primative colors, mine is going to be in grungy pastels. It's amazing how each individual person interprets a design. Take ten different hookers doing the same pattern and you will have ten totally different finished rugs.

Jill is 'reverse hooking' an area of the background that was packed too tightly. That's one of the nice things about rug hooking. If you don't like what you've done, it comes back out and you can do it over again.

Jill's sister, Beth is working on a snowman. Cute, isn't he?! She tells me that she doesn't look good in pictures, but I think she's lovely. Beth, you're just too modest!

Patty has just finished the hooking on her purse and had taken a break to listen to the conversation. Hopefully by the next meeting she will be showing us the completed handbag. The colors are lovely!

Kathy's shingles are healing! She is back to her hooking. There are some beautiful greens in the log cabin piece. As usual, her work is exquisite!




Now for the important stuff. Check out our refreshment table in the background! Linda made brownies and provided a yummy snack mix, Kathy brought a scrumptious looking chocolate cake, and I (being on Weight Watchers) brought strawberries. But we were so involved in hooking and talking we hardly had time to eat!






Jill and Linda are critiquing Kathy's photography, making sure that all the pictures are fit to print on Kathy's blog. LOL!!!

I hope next month you can join us! Mark it on your calendar- second Thursday of the month at Grant Street Woolworks.

Happy Hooking!

OK! Here it is!

The promised picture of Linda's rug. Isn't it lovely?! It took four years to complete, and now it's finished. See how happy she is!!!

If you come to the hook-in tomorrow evening you will get to see both Linda, and the completed rug! Is that a bribe, or what!!! LOL!!!

And if that isn't enough to entice you out, we are having light refreshments. Coffee, tea......

There's beautiful wool to fondle.....

And great conversation......

OK, I'll quit!!!

I finally chose a pattern for my next rug. It has a lot of detail so I'm going to have to use a finer cut than my normal 6 and 8. I forget who designer is, if anyone is interested, I'll post her name later. Linda asked me today if I had done any color planning yet. I said 'no, because I change my mind so many times that there is no sense in even trying to plan!'

Guess I better drag out some of my stash and get it packed up for tomorrow.

Hope to see some of you tomorrow evening!

Hook-in on Thursday!

Just wanted to post a reminder for all of you rughookers (and those interested in learning about rughooking) that Thursday evening is our monthly 'hook-in' at Grant Street Woolworks in Chambersburg, PA. Even if you aren't a rughooker, you are welcome to come and bring whatever project you are working on, or just sit and chat with us.

We start at 6 p.m. and are usually there till about 9 p.m. For more information and directions, please call Linda Keller at 717 860-4628.

Now I just need to decide on a pattern and draw it off so I have something to work on!

Saturday Around the House

Hi Friends!

Welcome!! Come on in....

We are spending a quiet day working around the house. It was time to change the wreaths on the doors to a Spring look. Tonight we turn the clocks forward for Daylight time. Love those long evenings! But getting up in the morning when it's still dark isn't much fun. LOL!!

I've spent some time today cleaning the various animal homes.

Mousie and the two reptiles are great cat entertainment. None of them seem the least bit intimidated by a large furry creature looking in at them. They must know they are safe behind glass!

Here's Mousie! It's really hard to get a picture of him because he's wiggly. I can see why they have short lives. Mice are so hyper!

This is Buddy, a Sudanese plated lizard. He is a nice gentle creature who shares his aquarium with Mousie. They are like the Odd Couple! Buddy moves very slowly while Mousie runs rings around him!

We also have Bucko, the corn snake. He was given to me when he was only a little over a foot long; he's now at his adult length of about 48 inches. He has beautiful coloring, but is not exactly a cute and cuddly pet! Especially when he mistakes my finger for food!

That's my menagerie!

Zip is outdoors today preparing the lawn mower and other equipment for a summer of yard and garden work. He pruned the fruit trees this past week, but hasn't cleaned up the branches yet. Could he be waiting for me??? LOL!

Rug patterns for this week:

Pull-toy Sheep (c) 2008 17 x 20 1/2

Woolamina (c ) 2008 16 x 18 or smaller size 13 x 15 1/2

We are having chicken on the grill for lunch. Time to go to the kitchen and get everything prepared. I think a salad and baked potato will make it a meal. With strawberries for dessert!

Have a good weekend, everyone!!!

A Day at Work

Welcome to the sewing shop at Grant Street Woolworks!

Linda and I had been working on our World War 1 uniform orders, but decided to take a break and do some rug work. Linda is almost finished with her patriotic rug that she is making for her husband. Only the whipping of the edge yet to go! After getting all the hooking done, we decided the white in the eagle and the flag was too bright so had to do some spot grunging with a tea bag. Now it is appropriately old looking.

I am happily watching her work and giving unnecessary advice. LOL!!! I'll post a picture of the finished rug in my next entry.

This week had been very slow. I need an exciting new project to get me motivated. Just can't decide which rug pattern to do next.