Happy Holidays!

Well Christmas is upon us. I have been having a wonderful month of guild parties every single weekend in December. January would be a big let down except that I always have not one but TWO rug camps in January. I have two very exciting new projects starting - One is a bed rug and the other will be my foray into orientals! The bed rug is a new design on the market called Essne's bed rug by Joyce Krueger in TX and will be color planned by Dianne Kelly from the Woolen Cottage in Hiram OH - I have had the pleasure of working with Dianne a number of years ago at another rug camp. She is a very talented woman and I am so excited about being in her class again.

The second camp is in Sebring FL and I will be taking a class from a good friend and master colorist IMHO - Judy Colley from Wyoming Mich. Judy's daughter lives in Jax and is a co-director of the "off the Ocean" rug camp. This rug is about 24 X 48 and has a eggplant backround. Scrolls are the focal point of this small oriental and I will be pleased to *try* to learn the proper technique of shading scrolls from one of the premier rug teachers in the US.

I am very busy with my sampler stitching also. I am an active member of a local sampler guild and also an internet sampler guild - Legacy. Lots of sampler stitchers seem to like to start new BAP's on the major holidays. I am no exception to that preference. On Thanksgiving weekend I started Edcina Pieters - a Groningen dutch black sampler that was featured in the SANQ magazine in Fall 05. It is really a beauty.

Christmas weekend will see the start of a Long Dog Moulin Rouge - something that has been languishing in my *to do* pile for many months. I found a great linen choice yesterday to go with the lovely Gloriana Elizabethan Green that I have safely stashed for this project. My original linen choice was not what I expected when it arrived and I just got thrown off the track with this one.

My New Years Eve/Day project will be the French Alphabet Sampler. A custom designed sampler that contains names and initials of your decendents. Since I have no siblings or children myself - mine contains my parents , aunt and maternal grandmother and great grand mother. Another huge project - this one also has been hiding in my *to do* pile.

I need to learn more about how to post photos on my blog. Some blogs are so great - guess they are a product of how much time you put into them. Most of my time is spent at work or pursuing one of my many textile passions. Happy Holidays to you! Melody

Warding off Wilma!

Thankfully it looks like Wilma is passing north florida by! I have a good friend in south florida that I am anxious to hear from.

After an afternoon of rug hooking guild yesterday - I am struggling with trying to finish a rather large mermaid rug. Our local rug hooking show is in January and I would love to think I can finish it to be displayed.

I am just starting this blog so I am not sure what to say or "not" say. Guess it depends on whether you want to air your opinions to the world.

All for now -

My first post

WOW - I have been wanting to do this for soooooo long - I liked the looks of someone's blog so I just followed the links to find it was do-able for me. Being an IT person I sometimes feel incredibly inept at doing things that seem so normal for others.

Anyhow - here I am am - Wooley Thoughts - I am such a wool fan - I am an avid knitter and avid wool rug hooker since 2000. I also do needlepoint - another wooley pastime as well as being a sampler enthusiast.

Since I am currently at work - I'd better get going and preview this and get my bio completed.

Welcome to my wooley thoughts!