MERMAID AWARDED BEST IN SHOW!

Well at long last the Mermaid rug is finished!!!!!!!

I am very proud of the end result and was also very pleased she was awarded Best in the Wide cut category at the "Off the Ocean" rug hooking conference. There were people there from all over the US so I was very pleased at her recognition among all these great rug hookers. I am plotting which rug (s) will be my focus for 2007 and hopefully I will have another big finish for this year. My Edyth O Niell "antique blue basket" is probably at least 1/2 completed as well as the "fruit compote and monkey" - those will probably be my focus rugs for 2007. I started a big oriental in January and have picked out a fall themed rug for an upcoming March workshop. Just a fun piece with a scarecrow and pumpkin patch - nothing as taxing as the oriental!

I finished a lovely knitted hat made out of Blue Sky Hand Dyed Bulky - neat yarn but much too heavy for Florida - I don't prefer to knit on large needles so I would not select that for a garment however I am making a lovely cardigan out of the Blue Sky Hand Dyed Worsted weight and it is just yummy.

Our LYS had midnight knitting this past weekend - fun for all who attended. Our shop owner has ordered some neat sock yarn from Colinette called Jitterbug - I am just a collector of sock yarn - never finished but one pair in my life and they were so huge my SO (significant other) inherited them. The Jitterbug was SOOOO cool - it even enticed me to take out the size 2 DP's and cast on the "simple sock" which was included on the ball band. I purchased "Bright Charcoal" which is one of my fave Colinette colorways - YEP - I am a bonfide Colinette junkie from way back -

Not much to report on my sampler and needlepoint projects. I have a needlepoint workshop next month with Carole Lake sponsored by the local ANG chapter and we are also starting a correspondence course with Carole on a more difficult charted design. I am itching to start a new Quaker sampler called Ann Trump from the Ackworth collection but I am using extreme restraint in the matter as I am just not getting much stitching done these days.

Took advantage of only one Super Bowl sale yesterday and ordered a lovely new Rowan sweater from Whippletree in Vermont - I have been participating in their Super bowl sales for many years now - Can't wait to see what this yummy selection of yarns looks like.