New Project!

I haven't posted any news in awhile and it's not because that anything has been wrong. I just haven't had much to say which may be abit unusual but sometimes, it does happen.

I have been working on two projects that will be awhile in completing. Here is the project that I am preparing for our rug hooking group at work. We decided as a group on the size (roughly 14 x 24), common elements of a building, tree, flowers and an animal. We also decided to do something different in our borders. Either incorporating the border into the picture or adding a design.

My project as you can see is a view from a window and the window framing the view as a border. Another part of the design is we must use at least 50% tee shirt material. We liked the idea of working on new elements as a group for support and input.

And Another

This is Maureen's third mat which I haven't posted before. She has completed four mats now since we started our rug hooking group in October 2010. During our lunch time meeting yesterday, we discussed our next project. We are working on our own patterns but will include highlighted topics we decided we need to develop such as trees, animals and flowers. Should be lots of fun.

I better get busy this weekend with my own design so that it is ready for our group next week.

More Mats Please!

This absolutely gorgeous mat is another one by Maureen in my rug hooking group at work. It is from a picture that was taken of her cabin. I love the perspective and how she has framed only a part of the cabin and incorporated it into a beautiful mat.

The fibre is mixed including wool strips, wool yarn and tee shirt material. The small bush with flowers in the lower section is done in proddy and also, high hooking of yarn. The photograph doesn't really do justice to such a piece.

Maureen really wanted to match the colour of the cabin and sent samples to Deanne Fitzpatrick who came through with a custom dying order.

How High?

Normally, when I look out from the rec room in the basement, I have a nice view of woods and the bay. After Saturday's storm which included rain, snow, wind and more snow, we have almost no place to put the snow.

The deck above the pictures is more than eight feet high, so it gives you an idea of the height of the snow which has piled up from shovelling the deck above. Needless to say, I feel like a gopher this time of year, living in my snow cave and peeping out once in awhile for a breath of fresh air.

Thanks!

I took this picture this morning of some of the finch that my birdfeeder has been attracting. For the past two days, I have had many eating at Chez Julie. So much that I had to fill the feeder twice yesterday.

I use a type of a sock and fill it with niger seed (thistle). I have found this seed to be expensive but the birds don't waste it. It also only attracts finch and juncos, so bluejays and other larger birds stay away. I also put out some suet in a cage for the chickadees.

I love looking at the birds and during yesterday's storm, an odd sight caught my eye. I could see a finch upside down and oddly seemed to be moving with the feeding sock. OMG, I noticed it was attached. Somehow, the bird got its toenail in a long piece of thread from the sock. I hurried and dressed to see if it was still alive and it was.

I pulled in the clothesline and took the bird in my hand. I couldn't get its toenail out but I could snap the thread as close to its foot as I could. The little finch flew away, and I thought that was that. In a second or two, it landed right beside me on the clothesline as if to say thanks!

Pottering Along!

I am working on Harry mostly now and then. The picture doesn't do his cloak justice. I used a black and gold ribbon for the folds of his cloak and it shimmers when you look at it.

I am also working on my new larger project on the Cheticamp frame and when I have the bottom border completed, I will post some pictures.

Yesterday, our rug hooking group decided on a project which we will all work on next. The size was decided at 14 x 24, it must be at least 50% tee shirt material, contained a building, a tree, flowers and at least, one animal. It is made up of all elements that we would like to practise on and it should be fun to work on a similar project together.

Parallel worlds, polar shifts!

Even main stream media is now talking about parallel worlds, polar shifts and preparedness and that frightens me. A couple of us stood in the hall this morning talking about the strange weather, earthquakes, and the unsettling they have in their souls.

I worry about the future sometimes in the quiet of night or while pulling wool in my latest project. But as my Mom says, the future will take care of itself.

I am thinking of a theme for our rug hooking group at work. A small project that we can all work on together and bring out our own level of uniqueness.

Do you have any ideas that might be fun! Let me know! More fun thinking of rug hooking than polar shifts!

Bound!

I don't believe my rug hooking projects are completely finished until they are bound and steamed. So this week, I completed the yarn binding on both projects and steamed them this morning. I can finally declare both bound and finished!

No more talk about the weather but I can finally say that after receiving 265 cm or 9 feet of snow since January 16th, 2011, we have had a break and hopefully, the end to winter!

Signs of Spring?

Or has this poor, lonely robin been caught in a wind and blown to the West Coast? This weekend was spent in long hours of snowshovelling, plowing and cursing at the weather we have been having.

Since the sacrifice to Url in January on Marble Mountain around the 9th of January, we have had non stop snow events. I wonder if there is a snow cessation sacrifice to some sort of obscure Viking diety?

On a brighter note, I noticed a couple of chickadees scoping out my birdhouse for a little love nest, so indeed, we are on the downside of winter!

Happy Valentine's Day, dear Hearts!

To all the wonderful people in my life, a moment to reflect how loved we all are and how special, not just today but everyday!

Holy Cow, Batman....

it's Harry Potter and the Holy Crapper! This another one of my crazy ideas for a gift to a Harry Potter fan. A toilet seat cover with none other, than Harry Potter pointing his wand!

I think that I have learned that there is nothing you can't hook!

Nowhere to Go but UP!

Well, I am sure that everyone is tired of snow stories but here are some more pictures. In about 16 days, we have gone from none to lots. My inukshuk, Gabrielle is holding up snow on her shoulders. The garden buried under a mountain of snow.

Most of the weekend was spent on snow removal but I did get my new project outlined and on my wonderful Cheticamp frame. It is going to be quite large and hopefully, I will have some pictures soon and less on the snow front.

Happy Ground Hog Day!

Ground Hog Day is an annual event to predict whether or not, there will be six weeks more of winter.




This is a nice picture of Corner Brook looking out towards Seal Head. No visible ground hogs.






Oh wait, I think Mikey spotted one. Hey, Mikey?? Where did the ground hog go??

Clogging Along

I have had a couple of questions about those wonderful felted clog slippers on where to get the pattern etc. I found a free pattern at www.knittingatknoon.com and just look for the knitting pattern for the family of clogs. There is another website at Fibre Trends but there is a nominal charge for the download.

Well, I keep hearing how "exciting" it is to turn a heel when knitting. I didn't find it exciting but quite frustrating. After watching youtube videos and the videos from the Knitting at Knoon, I attempted the turn. I had to reverse knit several(read many, many) times and was ready to throw down the towel. But this morning, enjoying my coffee before hitting the shower, I had an "ah ha" moment, and turned the heel. Now, onto the gusset!

Hearts and Flowers!

Happily, I am not posting any winter pictures nor doing any complaining about the weather. Hearts and Flowers came off the Cheticamp frame last evening and now, I will cord and use whip stitching to finish it off. It is 20 x 36 and done all in wool yarn.

On the weekend, I started alittle side project of Felted Clog Slippers. I first was inspired by Phyliss' work at Rughooker and decided to try out my first pair. I will certainly need help from some experienced knitters as I have never worked on circular or double pointed needles, or ever turned a heel. Could be interesting!




This is a picture of the finished slippers.

Repeat After Me?

Think of happy spring thoughts? It's not working!

This is the view from yesterday and it is so hard to imagine that only two weeks ago, we looked like this.





Makes you want to curl up with a good book, some rughooking and not come up again until spring!

Winter is Here!

I think western Newfoundland is paying for all the gloating we did up to two weeks ago about how warm it was and how green it was. WAS is the operable word! Winter is definitely now here!

It was a slow start to Monday as we had a blizzard overnight and my truck was surrounded by a meter high snowbank. But I did make it into the DAY JOB safely although, abit late. I was able to transfer one design on linen and started another one which is destined for the Cheticamp frame, so it's large. Only one more flower square to do on the Hearts and Flowers mat and then, abit of the border and it's coming off the frame...hooray!

Pictures are definitely in order for the next post!

Some Days

It has been one of those odd weeks, when everything and nothing happens. Maybe it was not only Blue Monday but Blue week. The middle of the winter when spring seems so impossible and far away.

The week was filled with a truck that wouldn't start, snow deep in the yard, slow drives to work with knuckles gripped on the steering wheel, wool projects barely looked at, meals with too many carbs and not enough veggies, a silent treadmill but finally, today, a sunny day with a blue sky!

Some days you are the statue, and some days, you get to be the pigeon!

And it snowed!

Well, we finally had a good dump of snow today and Maddy had lots of fun on the deck before it was shovelled. Now, Maddy is not too tall, so it wasn't that much.

Maybe winter has come to western NL!

More Pictures

This lovely lighthouse was Alice's first attempt at rug hooking. She also designed it and it is hooked with wool yarn on Scottish Burlap.




This is Alice's second mat. This Santa was a quick Christmas gift and one of my own designs from last year.