Friday, January 14, 2011

GUESS WHAT??????

I bet some of my faithful readers will know what this pile of stuff indicates????????????




YEP - it's time for Off the Ocean rug conference!!!!  YEAH - yes this is my pile of wool and hooking frame as I was dragging it out last night to pack in the car.  I am going to try to breathe life into a big rug that was designed for me but I did not get off to a good start at a previous OTO camp several years ago.  The teacher I am working with this year has done several wonderful rugs for me and I have been very pleased with the results.  She is also willing to work with my existing wool and just dye a few more colors and try to pull together a cohesive color plan for me.  I am excited !!!!!!!!  I picked her up at the airport this morning and had a nice lunch before I dropped her at the host hotel and dashed back to work to wrap up a few loose ends before checking into the hotel for 4 blissful days of hooking and visiting with my mom and other friends.  A lot of these women I only see once or twice a year so it is a lot of fun.  We had another record low here last night but all the snowbirds scoff at me when I talk about 23 being a record low - but hey folks - it's all relative - that is COLD for NE FL.  I will be taking photos of my project towards the end of camp and probably my mom's accomplishments and some of my other friends.  So next post will be a report on the camp experience this year.


This is a WIP photo of one of my 11 in 2011 Challenge pieces - it is a cowl by designer Debblie Bliss.  I am so pleased with how it coming out - I would say I am about 1/3 or 1/2 done with it - it just gets seamed together to make a big circle which you wear loosely around your shoulders or can pull up over your head the way it is pictured in the DB fall/winter magazine.  The yarn is a limited edition color by Dream in Color and is their chunky weight wool called Groovy and while I hate knitting with big needles (10.5 US) I do love this fabric - there is a slight cable pattern which you can barely see because the yarn is so busy.

The next WIP to show you is my Plymouth Sampler by the Sampler Company - if you also read Jeanne's Willow Tree Stitcher blog you have seen her GORGEOUS finished and framed Plymouth.  I have worked on this occasionally over the past year and it was NOT on my 11 111 in 2011 challenge list however my new 2011 starts are all brown right now and I needed a jolt of color - I also needed something relatively easy to stitch - this is a nice sized piece with lots of great silks - Jean at the Attic did a personal conversion for me when I visited her shop several years ago (er - let's don't say how many years ago!) and it is a mix of NPI and Belle Soie - So I am definitely enjoying some mindless stitching on this piece. 

I am making good progress with my Spanish Mystery sampler and expect to be on target with finishing January's suggested stitching.  If you read the Attic newsletter - you will see the January suggested.

I also made a small start on Elizabeth J M Mears - OMG - WHY WHY DID I choose two gigantimous samplers as SAL's this year.  I can't wait to get into that mock flame stitch section on Elizabeth but I am missing almost all of those NPI colors and need to order them before I can proceed.  Right now I am entering rug hooking heaven and my mind is not on stitching, silks or project goals.

I have been very remiss in rug hooking in 2010 - I had hoped to have 2 big rugs to put in the exhibit - I only had about 10 or 12 hours left on Merrie Halloween plus the binding - I am hanging my head in shame that I did not apply myself more 2 or 3 months ago when the goal could have been attained.  I was sitting at my frame on Sunday - frantically hooking and made great progress and then I thought - you silly goose - you can't finish this rug so just give it up.  Oh well - no need to beat myself up - it didn't happen - now all that is left is to go and have a marvelous time and enjoy my new project and all my friends.

I appreciate your comments and hope you are making great progress on your WIP's and new starts.  Please come back again real soon and enjoy your weekend !

19 comments:

Sylvia said...

Have fun on your trip - your Plymouth sampler looks wonderful. Can't wait to see your EM sampler.

Kim said...

Have a blast hookin', Mel! I need to get my frame out and get started! Always other things pulling my attention away! Love your DB cowl knitting!! I'm going to check out that DIC yarn! Yummy!! And the Plymouth Sampler...GAH...I did see her GORGEOUS framed piece and that is moving up in my pile of things to stitch! Have a great weekend!

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Oh your Plymouth Sampler looks wonderful!
I desire to rug hook....but I'll have to wait until my kiddos are a bit older, but I will live vicariously through your Melody...can't wait to see your Merrie Halloween and your older rug revisited :)
HAVE A GREAT TIME!!!

Cari said...

Never, never, never beat yourself up Mel. All of your work is delightful and Lord knows....we only have so much time. I'm looking forward to the pics and stories from your Hookin' retreat... Have fun and stay warm!! 23 degrees....I don't think so !! LOL Hugs

Margaret said...

Have a wonderful time at your rug hooking camp! I hope you take pictures for us to ogle. I so enjoy seeing all the talent on display at your hooking events. I love all your WIPs! Wonderful stuff!

Loraine said...

Hello my sweet Mel! Hope you have a fabulous trip. Can't wait to see what you bring back.
I'm so jealous of your sampler. I went out and kitted that up last year, and I've been thinking about it the past couple of weeks. I've told myself, "No more new starts, until you finish a few." However I could break my resolve on this one! Love it.
TTYS

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Have a great trip, Mel! Your Plymouth sampler is wonderful - I love the colors. Can't wait to hear all about the retreat!

Laura said...

Your long weekend sounds most fabulous!!! It is so much fun and so inspiring to spend a good amount of time with people who have the same passion!!!!!!

Have a great time. I can't wait to see pictures!

Laurie in Iowa said...

Have a fabulous time a your rug hooking event. We want to hear all about it.

Nancy said...

Have a wonderful time at the hooking conference! Enjoy your projects - I've enjoyed reading about what you are stitching!

Rugs and Pugs said...

Mel ~
My goodness you have so many projects going on. How do you keep them all straight?
Four days of hooking. That sounds like absolute heaven. Have fun and please take LOTS of pictures to share with us!
Hugs :)
Lauren

Glenna said...

Enjoy your four days! What fun! I'm working on Plymouth too, and the big blocks of color defeat me--I get bored and put it away for months. I'm looking forward to your EM sampler!

Ellen said...

Hope you have a great time at camp!

Michelle said...

You are making great progress on several things! Enjoy your retreat - it sounds like it will be so fun, and how great you have a teacher that will help you with that one rug. Can't wait to see photos from your trip!

Siobhán said...

I hope you had a great time on your trip! Your WIPs all look great. I can't wait to see your Merrie Halloween!

Karoline said...

Hope you've had a great time at your hookin'.

Your cowl and sampler are looking lovely

Susan said...

I hope you had a great time on your trip! And that you got a lot accomplished.

The colors in your Plymouth Sampler are wonderful. I *may* have to get it to stich also!

Jan said...

Oh my Mel, your Plymouth Sampler is truly gorgeous!! Keep up with it, dear one!!

I hope that your trip was everything that you desired and more and safe in every way! I know how much your rug hooking means to you and the results of that work are so incredible. I am envious of your multi-talents! I can't wait to see more pictures.

TeresaB said...

Can't wait to see the progress you made on your rug during the weekend! I'm sure you had a fantastic time. And that Plymouth sampler looks fab. I kept looking at it when I was at the Attic last weekend and successfully talked myself out of purchasing the pattern. LOL, that may have been the ONLY thing I talked myself out of! I love how yours looks and kept remembering seeing it in person.