JUNE JOTTINGS

When I get ready to make a blog post and start scrambling for blog fodder it seems like nothing much has been going on in the world of my needlework progress.  Sure seems to be a common question with everyone - "where does the time go" - IT JUST GOES !!!!!!!

Many of my blog friends are participating in or are "following" the Year of Scarlet Letter blogs.  I have been working on (well not really) the Where the Hart Lives sampler.  It was a WIP when I joined the blog and while people are finishing huge SL samplers right and left - I am still stuck on the border - AACCKKK

It's not that I don't like the sampler - I do - actually when I leave it put up for a long time - I really like it when I see it again and I tell myself - Oh gees - surely I am half finished - NOT - I guess just like with any goal - baby steps get you to the completion.  I am going to try and renew my promise to at least work on this sampler once a week.

 Mary Moteshed by Needlework Press has had most of my very little stitching time lately.  Love the PTP Mello linen it is stitched on.

 For some reason I am stuck on stitching samplers containing people lately.  I would love to have the Solvine Palphreyman sampler by Handwork which is similar to this one.  If anyone has a copy they would be interested in parting with - please contact me.

If there are any knitters out there - perhaps you've heard of The Loopy Ewe.  I know I've mentioned Sheri's great shop before.  I am just an online customer but she runs Camp Loopy every summer.  There is a different project/challenge every month of the summer - 3 in all.  I have participated every year and this year I drug a few friends along to camp with me.  Here is a photo of my DF Kris and me at Starbucks this weekend "camping" and doing our WWKIP ( world wide knit in public) day.  My blue whale is in the foreground - beautiful colorway and it's coming along.  Have to be done by the end of June and the next challenge starts on 7/1.

 Here's a better shot along with my camping equipment - my trusty Camp Loopy project back pack.  When I first got this - my husband said - OMG - are you going to wear that thing !!!!!!  It was very comical at the time - I guess he thought I had really flipped my lid.  I'm not critisizing people who would wear it as a backpack but I'm not the backpack/fannypack type and it was just very funny at the time.

Another photo of DF Henri and Kris along with my oddly illuminated CL owl sitting in my chair.  This was at a different Starbucks location the weekend before as it was our "start day" for camp loopy - we all wanted to be sitting around the campfire together.  "camping" at starbucks is about as adventurous as this gal is going to get LOL

 The other thing I've been hard at work on this Black Elinor - that's what I call this scarf.  It's been an ongoing project for over a year.  I find black very hard to work on but a good friend and celebrity in the rug hooking work Polly Minick had seen my green Elinor at a rug workshop and asked me if I could make her one in black.  Well - Polly is coming to my area for a rug hooking workshop this weekend and I "need" to have her scarf ready for her to take home.  Too bad you can't see anything much from the photo but I have to show "almost completed" projects when I can.  It is a cable ridge pattern and has a nice cable panel. The yarn is exquisite Shibui baby alpaca with a strand of their Silk Cloud - to say its yummy is an understatement.  I hope Polly loves it.  With that said - I'm sure my next post will show highlights of the rug hooking workshop we are having with Polly this weekend.  A trunk show of her and her sister Lauries designs - hooking and having fun with local friends and friends from out of the area who are coming for the workshop.  What could be better for June jottings.  Until we meet again dear blog friends - have a jovial June!

 

MEL'S MAY

Happy Monday to all my blog friends!

I've finally updated my blog face - several have asked about this bird.  Isn't he lovely - he is on one of my WIP hooked rugs.  He is supposed to be a Tropical Pigeon according to Sybil Osicka who did the color plan for it and she is quite the animal expert.  I love how he looks and one of these days I will get back to this beautiful crewel rug.

This post is just going to be a bunch of photos showing what I've been up to in May.  What I haven't been up to is stitching - hardly NO sampler stitching in the past few weeks (maybe months) - oh yes I am still working a little here and there on several projects but nothing significant enough to show any progress shots.

What I have been doing is a lot of crocheting.  This is the granny square afghan I mentioned in the last post I promised to show you.  It is growing and growing because that is about all I have been doing is working on this mindless but colorful fun project.  It is Noro Aya which is a DK weight for any knitters out there.

Since I have become smitten with the crochet bug - I ordered more Noro yarn - this time Taiyo Sock to make a simple crochet openwork shell.  Got this off Amazon - who knew you could buy yarn on Amazon!

Next of my odd fascinations of late is the beginning of my little hand pieced project out of the Moda Candy booklet.

 One of my quilting friends said it was perfect piecing - so guess that means I can proceed.  This fabric line is called Old Glory by Primitive Gatherings - I'm pretty sure !

 Once in a while - I get the bug to revisit an old addiction - needlepoint !!!!!!!!  I went down to the Black Sheep in Orlando last weekend for a class on this darling Ruth Schmuff canvas.  How is bright pink watermelons to get you ready for a long hot summer .  I had so much fun at this class - the instructor was excellent, great choice of threads and look at my new black sheep needleminder.  I did try my best to be a good girl and I didn't bring home any other canvases or yarn but I did pick up a few neat accessories.  It was sooooo good to be at the Black Sheep again.  During the 90's and early 2000's - I made frequent trips to the old Black Sheep shop located in Winter Park.  The owner and I got to be really good friends - she sold the shop about 8 or 10 years ago and became very ill and has since passed away.  It was very hard to lose this mentor and good friend and because of my sweet memories - I just could not visit the shop for many years.  Finally in December - I made up my mind while on a business trip to orlando that I would find the new shop and I would see it as a whole new shop.  While it was somewhat bittersweet - it was mostly "sweet" and I really liked Anne the new owner - she was warm and welcoming and she made me feel like I could return and be happy once again at the Black Sheep.  The shop is lovely - full of wonderful fibers, canvases and even yarn.  Next time I go down - I'll get photos of the shop and do a proper shop post.

Next fun thing I am gearing up for is The Loopy Ewe annual "Camp Loopy"

Here's a short description off Sheri's website about Camp Loopy :
It’s that time again – time to be a camper at Camp Loopy this summer! This is our third year hosting you all for Camp, and we anticipate a great summer of knitting and fun.


How does it work? First of all, there is no travel involved. This is Virtual Camp! That also means no bugs, no musty tents to sleep in, no campfire smoke in your eyes, and no blisters from hiking up the mountain. Just lots of knitting, meeting new friends, contests, challenges, and fun!

We will be knitting a different challenge project each month, for the next 3 months. You can choose to knit for one month, two months, or all three months. There are prizes for completing your projects on time and an extra bonus for doing all three.

This will be my 3rd year participating in Camp Loopy - I have yet to finish all 3 months - last year I came close but then failed on the 3rd month - August.  It is really hard to plan a wedding and meet knitting deadlines so I fell short.  Maybe this will be my year.  I like the first month's challenge - to knit something (anything) with only one skein of yarn but it has to be lace or fingering weight and it must be at least 375 yards and it must be with a yarn you've never knit with before.   Well that was pretty easy for me - I always have a bunch of stuff I am lusting after on the Loopy website and Sheri is absolutely wonderful to deal with.  she really does online right.

So here is my Camp Loopy project bag along with my gorgeous Dragonfly Fibers yarn.

Colorway Water Sprite - I haven't decided on a project yet but am thinking of Blue Whale by Stephen West.  Who knows I will probably change my  mind every day until I start on June 1st.

last but certainly the most important May activity of all was Mothers Day. Here is a photo of my mom and I.  We celebrated at the Club Continental again this year. You can look at their website for their interesting history.  Owned by the family who started Palmolive - it is a lovely old estate home turned private club on the banks of the St Johns River in Orange Park - only a few blocks from my home - we enjoy it often for special occasions.

My sweet folks - today is actually my dad's birthday and we'll be back there tomorrow night for his birthday celebration.  As some of you know - he is the real stitcher in our family - I show his finishes from time to time - he has completed more huge projects in the past 15 years or so than I have in my whole life. Currently he is working on Sonne Spotte by Long Dog and WOW is it ever gorgeous.

A parting shot of my  dear mom by the huge entryway gate.  With each passing year she becomes more precious to me plus it's great having your mother for your best friend.

I'm going to leave you with that dear friends.

ADIOS APRIL

Bye Bye bunnies, see you later chickies - no more spring weather or delicate flowers. 

April has been a busy month - my birth month - so I always seem to be in the "12 days of birthday" mode during April.  It's been a fun month and I hate to see it go and with it our cool temps.

I did a few fun things in April - most recently I went to a retreat with our rug hooking guild on St Simons Island.  I did some yarn shopping at the Stitchery - that's always fun.  My mom was admiring a granny square afghan they had there done in Noro yarn and so under the pretense that she would learn to crochet - she bought yarn for one of those.  Needless to say I am "hooking" along on *HER* afghan but it is fun and I probably have not done any granny squares in 30 years, this is just one giant square - you keep going round and round and round until it is as big as you want it.  A photo next time I promise.

This is the year I am hoping to finish some rugs - yes RUGS plural - I really didn't want to work on a fall rug in April but this rug was more than 1/2 finished.  After another long concentrated weekend of hooking - I am happy to say I'm in the home stretch.  I only have 2 more leaves and a few picket fence pieces left.  This is a fairly large rug 28" x 32" and I believe done entirely in a 6 cut for those rug hookers who may be interested.  It is a design by Beverly Conway and most of the wools are from Bev.  I took the workshop a few years back.  Actually the color plan is my creation - it was a private workshop with lots of newbie hookers and she had her hands full so the experienced hookers were basically on their own to pull wools from her massive stacks and see what we could create.  Some of the greens and the browns were from my stash.  I really really like this rug - it is one of my favorites and I will be SO glad to see it finished so I can use it this fall.

 Here is the view from our room overlooking the marshes surrounding the retreat center.  I always say I am going to spend some time on the balcony but it was quite windy on the marsh and when we weren't shopping or eating - we were trying to get some serious hooking done.

The other fun workshop I took this month was with a very famous knitting celebrity.  Sally Melville came to Jacksonville - to my LYS Knit Witz.  I took a class called knit to fit that went along with her newest book which I purchased at the workshop.  Sally is just beginning to make some of her designs available on Ravelry - so for you knitters out there - check out her Stair Step Shawl - so cool.  I don't know what has been wrong with me and the photo-taking. She brought a ton of designs and I only took this one photo of her lecturing in class.

I am still stitching - I promise I am but I just have not been doing much for the past month.  I started a couple of new pieces - you know an attack of my start-itis.  I started BBD Violets Blue and Mary Moteshed by Needlework Press - I'm still trying to devote time to my SL focus piece - the Hart sampler but I just have not been motivated to work on it, sadly  . . . .   I am supposed to be devoting at least one night a week to that WIP.

I have a couple of fun things coming up in May - our annual rug guild hook in and then a needlepoint class with a teacher I had last fall.  So I am looking forward to those two upcoming events. 

I wanted to take a moment to welcome my new followers - I'm finally over the 100 mark and it makes me happy to know that people find my ramblings of interest.  I hope you will leave me a comment - I am always excited to hear from you.  May Day is tomorrow - give someone a flower if you get a chance.

NO FOOLIN' IT'S A CELEBRITY SIGHTING

Happy April Fools Day Friends !

I trust everyone had a beautiful Easter.  I know we sure did.

On to the big news - last weekend my mom and I made our annual trip to Sebring FL to attend the Scrub Rug Hooking workshop.  It is always a great time for us.  I have tons of photos to show - so many in fact that I am going to have to break this up into two posts but I wanted to give you the exciting news first. 

On Sunday night we were hooking away in our classroom and someone from the upstairs class ran into our room and said Bill Cosby was sighted in the hotel.  YEAH right - we just chuckled and kept on hooking.  Didn't really give it too much credence actually.

Well the next day - there was all this commotion coming from the lobby - everyone was rushing out into the lobby.  Bill Cosby in the flesh.  Here he is with our teacher Vivily Powers and in one of his famous shirts.  He was talking with all the hookers (rug hookers) laughing and joking of course about being surrounded by "hookers". 

Here is a  photo with my mom peeking out from behind Bill Cosby, Janet a classmate of ours on the left and Vivily Powers our teacher on the right.  What a great shot.  He was very gracious and cordial and just sat there in the lobby quite non-chalantly while all these woman posed with him - sat by him and asked him a zillion questions.  Apparently he had been in Orlando over the weekend for an appearance and then was appearing in Sebring.  It was a fun experience and fortunately he was very patient with all the "fan"fare.

On to the rug exhibit - there were some lovely rugs in the exhibit and some real big rugs.  There were great examples of all styles of hooking, fine shading such as this beauty above and wide cut primitives, bright bright bright -

You always see an abundance of bright Florida colors in Sebring

Searsport Mom and daughter team Julie and Chris taught at Sebring this year.  This is one of their rugs which they also designed.

It was fun meeting them and shopping in there mobile store - WOW - great hooks made by the daughters husband - I'm sorry but I don't know which one is Chris and which one is Julie.  Their colors on this rug are just wonderful.

You can always see lots of bird life in Sebring around the lake.  Here is someone's blue heron which was color planned by our teacher Vivily.

exquisite !

lots of tropical themed rugs in this area of the state

This is one of Carol Feeney's creations.  Carol designs rug canvases and this was her first teaching assignment.

Another of Carol Feeney's rugs - you can't see it but the flower petals were ruffly with some type of roving.   Lovely - just lovely !

Another teacher's work - Marq Miller from Canada who will be teaching at Sebring in November.  I think she said this was a wide cut shaded project.

Another of Marq's rugs - she was working on this one last year when she was in our class with Polly Minick if I am not mistaken.

Many of these rugs I don't know the designer or hooker but they were all just so lovely.

Here's my little wedding pillow by Dianne Kelly sharing a seat with a cool zebra purse.

Elaine's Peking duck - she was in our class 2 years ago and Vivily did most of the wool for this project.  Nice to see him framed and finished.

Is this tiger realistic or what ???  Sue was in our class this year but you can see Sybil Osicka's influence all over this work of art.  Looks like a photograph.

Another of Carol Feeney's designs - DF Donna was hooking this canvas in Carol's class this year.  It will be fun to see it coming to life.

I know this canvas was designed by Connie Charleson (Connies Cauldron) - fellow guild member and friend.  I don't know who hooked it.

This rug was hooked by Fern G - I was completely captivated by this rug.  If I had the money - I would have asked to purchase it.  the purple flowers on the right and left are proddied.  Love the verse - the rug was almost finished except Fern was hoping to buy wool to complete the border.  This was probably my favorite rug I saw this whole weekend.  Fern is quite the character - she has been hooking at least 50 years and she is always all smiles and full of sharp witty remarks.  She is one of the people I always look forward to seeing only when I travel to South Florida.  A real treasure and her repertoire of hooked rugs is simply amazing.  A lifetime of hooking have created many works of art.  I am so pleased to have met so many people like Fern.  The hooking community is a wonderful one and part of the fun of going to these workshop events is having time to really sit and talk and listen to the life stories of the people you meet along your journey.

I still have the Inn on the Lakes gardens and our class WIP's to show in another post.  Until then - keep those needles and hooks moving.

MEANDERING MARCH

March is meandering along and I don't have much to show for my efforts.

Easter is almost upon us and I am usually excited to be stitching on a springy easter project of some sort however since it has been so cool (and sometimes cold) here in NE FL - I have not had spring projects on my mind.  Instead I am still knitting a lot which is great but I'm afraid Easter is going to slip right on by this year without any finishes. 

April is when I really like to do springy projects and I will go right ahead with that.  I recently got the BBD Violets Blue from Jean at the Attic - a full kit which includes her exquisite silk conversion.  I am itching to start that beauty. 

You will notice I refreshed my blog header and sent Mr Snowman to bed for a long nap.  I know some of you poor souls are still getting snow and while I love winter - spring has definitely sprung here in our area.  All the azaleas are in full bloom and the flowering trees like dogwoods are gorgeous.  Pansies and petunias are everywhere and looking so bright and beautiful.

Here is a lovely cowl I just finished.  It was a 1st quarter challenge project with an online shop that I love The Loopy Ewe.  Sheri does a great job keeping her customer base motivated and excited about trying new yarns and new projects.  This challenge was to pick a project which only used 1 skein and the project must contain cables.  This is Winter Wonder by Irishgirlieknits and the yarn is the new-ish MadelineTosh Pashmina Worsted in the Lowland colorway.  I am in love with this yarn.  It is the big sister of the gorgeous MT Pashmina which is more than a fingering weight and less than a DK - I think they classify it as DK.  Anyway - that is all for the knitters who may be interested in what it is.

 A closeup that shows the cables and color a little better.  It is a beautiful rich green and a dreamy blue gray.

Next up is an absolutely wonderful gift that I received from dear friend and mentor Dianne Kelly.  She made this wedding rug for Jody and I and presented me with it at our Off the Ocean rug camp in January.  I have been waiting to show you because she wanted to finish it off for us either as a framed piece or a pillow.  I chose a pillow and it came in the mail last week and I was excited all over again.  Isn't this just the most creative sweetest thing you've ever seen.  Dianne does wonderful rug hooking using all types of embellishments - she is famous for her hooked wedding cakes.

I think in this photo you can see the veil a little better and the cute little bouquet of flowers.  The church is done in reverse hooking where the loops are on the inside and the front is quite smooth - it gives a lot of texture to the piece.  I didn't show the back of the pillow because it is just a nice cream color.  Dianne said the wedding dress was hooked with some type of silk I believe.   This is a gift we will treasure forever and every time I see it I think of my dear friend Dianne and her thoughtfulness.

LOVE YOU DIANNE!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking about lovely flowers - I am SOOOO proud of the orchid I have on my desk. SEE SEE !

I bought this last winter - it was in bloom when I bought it and then of course went dormant or whatever orchids do when they are not blooming.  So I moved it to the credenza behind my desk, keep giving it water once a week and low and behold - look what it presented me with this winter!  These blooms have been open for about a month or two - I know they will soon be coming to an end but I am so proud of these little flowers.

About this time next Friday I will be sitting in Sebring hooking my heart out.  My DM and I go to this Scrub Hooking camp every year in March - this will be my 10th year I think.  I am SO ready for a hooking vacation at the wonderful Inn on the Lakes.  So my next post will be the Sebring recap - I know many of my long term followers always enjoy seeing the gorgeous flowers and landscaping at the inn and all the rugs being worked on in class and the display of finished rug.

Until then - I hope Spring has sprung in your area and that you are stitching (and hooking maybe) many bunnies and flowers.  I love reading your comments and having you stop by and visit for a while.