APRIL ANXIETY

Well blog friends - April is more than 1/2 over - we've had Easter and my birthday in isolation.  Distancing even from my dear parents, no Easter togetherness and no blissful birthday celebration.  Most important - we are all safe - everyone I know personally is safe.  that is the goal here right!

I changed out my blog face FINALLY!  I had just not been motivated to do so.  The bunny rug I featured is my oldest unfinished rug canvas.  It was the first "away" rug camp I attended in Chattanooga TN back in 2002. Got on a small plane and flew up there all by myself.  Didn't know a soul, stayed at Castle in the Clouds which is now a Christian college but used to be a hotel. It was actually where Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Arnold (?) had their hideaway honeymoon.  To me it was a creepy place and knowing what I know now about ghostly inhabitations in old places/old grounds I would NEVER do that type of thing now nor would DH let me go or certainly not fly alone. I got picked up by someone volunteering for this on the rug camp team.  This was successful camp for decades.  I do remember it fondly because I met several people there who I am still friends with after all these years - Torrie T was in my class - it was her first camp and we became and still are fast friends with much in common, Dianne Kelly - a wonderful teacher, creative designer and awesome dyer of wool along with Susan M who I'm pretty sure was in my class and many subsequent classes over the years.
 Hard to believe it's been that long but in a way it does seem like a very long time ago.  This rug was heavily altered but improved in my opinion by my teacher and good friend Dianne Kelly from Hiram OH.  She drew in all those cabbages and lettuces in the background - there was nothing but a big blank background which even as a novice hooker - I had a vision for how I wanted it to look and Dianne interpreted by wishes perfectly!  I added a few greens collected from other teachers at this camp, especially excited that I got to meet Mary Williamson and pick up a few pieces of her wool.  She also drew those random spots on the bunnies and improved their faces.  They had pointy rat faces which looked horrible IMO.  It's hooked entirely in a 6cut.  I am pretty dang close to being done at this point.  Since this photo was made - I have tried hard to keep working on it.  It's very primitive , I'm not a real prim fan - big flat animals are not my thing, however this rug is dear to me for so many reasons - I will display it proudly when it is finished.

Last year my DH purchased this beautiful kit from  Stephen and Penelope a  yarn shop in Amsterdam for my birthday last year.  I was trying to think of something he could get me this year and looked thru their website again, the shipping is so dang expensive from over there and then I remembered - HEY - I never even took that kit out of the bag since last year - take it out and start the project and it will be all new again which is what I did.  The yarn is the lovely La Bien Aimee from France which is not readily available here in the US.  The project is one of Stephen's (westknits) designs called Café Knitting and so far  I love it.  The colors of this yarn is gorgeous.

 Happy Birthday to me !  I was enjoying my pity party when I got this email from not-so- LNS Needle Orts and reminded me that I LOVED that tasseled bunny canvas.  The owner was saying the class was going virtual because obviously they were not able to have in the shop.  WELL !  even though I sure didn't need another project - this canvas is so happy and colorful and I do love my bunnies, I thought I needed to do this class.  After all I need to support local shops right !  So I have the canvas and part one of the stitch guide with threads.  For any needlepointers out there - it is a Shelley canvas.

The other big event this month - my new vehicle was delivered right to my office from one of the dealerships in Auburn that our owners operate there.  Lynch Nissan

 did a great job - doing the deal entirely on line.  this is my second Murano and it is the most comfortable car I have ever driven and I've had friends compare the comfort and ride to that of the comparable Lexus.  So if you're in the market for a new or pre-owned car - please let me know and I will hook you up with one of our dealerships in FL or AL.  they deliver !

This is my lovely fair isle cowl - pattern Genner by Rowan and designed by the Norwegian team of Arne and Carlos.  They did a design feature for a recent Rowan magazine.  Rowan is in England and this design really intrigued me. Rowan is a favorite of mine for many years, I love their yarns.  I had done some fair isle knitting years ago - I mean decades ago so after brushing up on you tube for the way I learned to knit fair isle two handed - I thought I could do it.  So I ordered the yarn from a new to me shop in Illinois called Wool and Company .  Seems like a first class shop, easy to order from, packaged beautifully.  I would order from them again.  The yarn is Rowan Cashmere Cotton - perfect weight for Florida.  Worked entirely in the round - finished in about 6 mos. which is amazing for me since some of my projects can span years in the making.

 I'm ready for another fair isle project - I found it to be very soothing, knitting the patterning with 2 colors on every row, watching the design materialize.

well friends - that is my mid month catch up.  I hope this post find you, your family and friends all very well and getting thru the virus isolation in the best possible shape.

Keep praying, keep crafting, keep cooking, keep smiling and keep in touch.  I love hearing what you all are doing and how things are going for you.