RUG HOOKING BLOG

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I'm a mother of four grandmother of seven and great grandmother of three. I live with my husband in the house that we built with the help of my brothers and will have been married for 57 years this February.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

I'M BACK AT HOOKING 10 MINUTES A DAY

Life seems to be filled with lots of things that needs attention. Weeds, the lawn and hay fields seems to screams the loudest right now. With all the rain, the grass is growing so fast.

It's haying time so the men are buzy and I have to hold the fort sometimes. I've been cleaning the small deck in the back of the house and my pressure washer  busted... I've managed to clean it off enough to paint the small back deck rail. I picked up a new pressure washer today. I personally own  all the  handyman toys to get the yard work done but it would be nice to have a professional handy man doing all the hard work.

I clipped  one side of the evergreen hedge with a small pair of pruners. I have the hedge trimmer but took my time and did a reasonably OK job. It just needs a bit of tweeking here and there with the hedge trimmer. This is the same neglected hedge that I clipped off the top last fall. Sorry, no pictures. I was chased in by the rain.

  I've picked up my hook again and I've tried to hook at least 10 minutes a day. I know that it's not much but it's a lot better than what I've been doing this winter. The rain has kept me inside so I managed to dye a bit of wool for the last vignette. I still have some grass to hook around the rocks.and water. I really find it hard to choose the right color.



I was stuck... Anyone who hooks rugs, knows what I'm talking about.  It something like writer's block. I was stuck on hooking water. Everything that I was trying didn't seem to work. I did some shuffling of the pig and the little fishing girl (that's me) and I'm not happy with the pig and the mud puddle is just not to my liking. It looks like the pig is on a brown rug. yuck...  I left it for now and the pig also needs a tail. I need to dye some wool for the mud puddle.

 I still have no idea what background to put in the upper right corner under my berries.  I'm sure that it will all come together once I'm done fiddling with the brook. I started to hook the hazelnut with leaves. I'm satisfied how they are turning out. They were actually fun to hook.


I've been using the green worms that I have already cut. There were so many marker drawings under the little brook that I had to totally ignore the lines and just hook as I saw fit, trying to make some ripples and curent.

I hope by posting an update it will force me to hook more often.

My daughter Christine is flying home with the boys in early August and Nicole my oldest daughter will fly from Scotland for Christmas. My oldest granddaughter is having a baby boy in September and that will make me a great grandmother.
Thanks for visiting and remember that I love to hear from you.

JB



35 comments:

  1. Glad you're making time to hook! Wish I would! Lots of company coming your way this year ~ but of course, our kids aren't company!! We have two great grands ~ we're way too young for that, you and I ~ !!!!! H it's the beginning of another week ~ time sure flies!!

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  2. I can imagine that you don't have much time to hook, but I'm glad you're finding the time to do something you enjoy, for your enjoyment! I know just how busy this time of year is!

    I hear you, when you say how fast everything is growing! I sometime think that all I will ever do this summer is mow, weed, and milk cows!!

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  3. Julia,
    It is so good to hear you are back to some hooking! I really missed seeing your rug! You really don't have that much left to do on it but all that detail must take quite some time to hook! It is such a great rug!
    You are really going to be busy with all that company and kids! But then isn't that what summers are all about!
    Have a good week! The sun is finally supposed to come out and warm things up here! Can't wait!
    Hugs!!
    Cathy G

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  4. holy smokes! that's a very cool, very involved, very detailed rug!!! wow! i'm hoping for more rainy days so we can see more! (kidding! i know you need to get work done, too!)

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  5. You changed your header picture! did I miss it before? don't think so... love it. What an inviting place you have m'dear.

    yeah yer pig needs a tail... hahaa... don't pigs live in a sty where there is mud? so mud is brown... innit? I mean is Canadian mud not brown? ;) looks fine to me! but he does need a little tail.. little curly thing.

    Anxious to see pictures of your adventurous oldest daughter... she's the one that climbs mountains all over, right? a true free spirit...

    oh, man.. already Christmas stuff... I'm in hurry up mode to get my house in order but then when I'm reminded of Christmas plans... we're halfway through this year!

    time does seem to fly on by when you get old... always heard that. and sure nuff.

    and now you'll be a great grandma... you don't look like a great grandma... ;)

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  6. My! You do lovely work! Love your blog!

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  7. Wow Julia fantastic rug!!! As for Mr. Pig, I'd take off his legs to make it look like he's in deep mud maybe make the mud look less symmetrical - but really girl that's awesome work!!!

    you have been a busy one lately!!

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  8. Julia, I'm so glad to see your post. I just love them. Your rug is beautiful and it must bring you great joy and wonderful memories. It makes me smile when I look at it. I think you are doing a wonderful job of planning and hooking. You sure have a lot of energy. Enjoy every day. Ann

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  9. *****to make it seem like mud behind the pig...start by
    taking out your loops by pulling from underneath and
    stagger the lengths, therefore you won't need to rehook
    and fill in with remaining wool. this will give the "puddle" effect that you are lloking for. rather like this:
    **********OOOOOOOOOOOO*********
    ************OOOOOOOOOOOO******
    *******OOOOOOOOOOOO***************
    **********OOOOOOOOOOOO*****
    ***********OOOOOOOOOOOO**********
    the * are your loops and the O is the pig.
    rug looks great!

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  10. It looks so good you are getting close to the finish.
    Hooking 10 minutes a day makes a big difference which is what I need to do.
    sounds like a lot is going on in your life as always.
    Cathy

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  11. It's very pretty, I like all the details, all personal and precious to you. Lovely to see your work progress.

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  12. Wow! A great-grandchild! Congratulatiions! Your rug is fabulous, though I do agree the mud puddle looks like rug. I love seeing the progression as you work on and am glad you are back to hooking again. Sarah

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  13. Hello, Julia...so happy to see you are hooking again on your beautiful rug. Your rug is such a treasure...what a talented artist you are!
    Looks as if you will be having lots of fun with family in the months ahead. Can't wait to see sweet James and Daniel. Congrats Great Grand!
    Have a great week!
    Robyn

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  14. Julia, the rug is looking amazing. You have so much detail in there. Are you hooking with 3's and 4's?? I am really impressed with your transitions from one scene to another.
    Happy hooking!

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  15. I love seeing the progression of your rug. It is really amazing. Your detail and colors are great.

    And congrat's on the upcoming new member to the family.

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  16. You are amazing! I absolutely love the rug! It is beautiful. I don't know how you do it all! Congratulations to your growing family!

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  17. I have loved seeing your photos as you work on this. I am no rug hooker, but just looking at it, it seems like your pig is on a oval braided rug. I was thinking maybe a little more of a faded angle near the tail area so it doesn't look so much that shape, some of the back ground color showing more near the rump on him, instead of the mud. Sort of like how perspective narrows things in the distance? If that makes any sense at all. Hope to see more as you go, I think it's a beautiful work of art., Congratulations on becoming a great grand mother!

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  18. Your rug is awesome! I admire the talent I've seen with all the "hookers" I follow...I'm not a hooker myself, but I've been blessed with the talent of appreciating others talents! Congrats on being a Great-Grandma...can that really be true? You're too young! Anyone who can do all the work you do is way too young to be a "Great"! Have a good rainy day..if you're like us today!

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  19. Happy ypu're taking time to work on your rug, as busy as you are you need some down time. I love your rug, what an amazing heirloom it will be for your family. Can't wait to see pictures of the boys on the farm. Ronda

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  20. I like the water in the pond the way it is... i think what makes the mud puddle look like a rug is the shape of it. Maybe just add some random edge ripples to it? This rug is going to be an heirloom that is passed to generations! Rugs that tell a story are the best! Congrats on the honor of Great Grandma! :-)

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  21. I love your rug!! That is fantastic. Julia it is a work of art. Wow, you are going to be a great grandmother. I am so glad you have so much to look forward too and you bought a new pressure washer. I have been dying for one of those too.
    You are such a busy, busy lady.
    I am glad you are working on your rug 10 minutes a day. You are so close to being finished now.

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  22. This rug is going to be a masterpiece when it's finished - and you're getting so close! Lots of memories included in it that I just love!

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  23. Julia, you are busy all the time! I have never tried hooking a rug!

    It sounds like some wonderful times ahead with family!

    Take care!

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  24. A reprobate mind could get an entirely different impression from the title to this piece than what it is really about... (LOL?)

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  25. Ha,ha,ha, now why didn't I think of that...
    JB

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  26. Love your yard and your farm stories

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  27. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  28. I think that your rug looks great! I really like the way that you have blended from one scene to another. I do agree that the pig looks like it is standing on a braided rug :) Maybe if you had the mud puddle be all horizontal lines and have it not quite so high up the pig, with some of the green from the cow's background brought over?
    I look forward to seeing your resolution!

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  29. I love your rug, Julia. It describes life - full, busy and interesting.
    Still have a room full of wool but can't decide whether to take the plunge or pass it all on and stick with other things.
    I enjoyed reading your post. What is spring if not busy and tiring?
    Have a wonderful day.

    Trish

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  30. Julia - good for you hooking 10 minutes a day! 10 minutes here and there will add up in no time and it will be completed. You've made a lot of progress on that rug and what you've done looks great! All your farm adventures are something else! I don't know how people farm or raise cattle or pigs their whole life! What a lot of work! But those of that don't farm are very grateful to those who do!

    Char

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  31. You're just fishing for a "Hooker" joke! Not going to bite.

    Your Yard looks beautiful!

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    1. Now there's a pun. Fishing for a hooker's joke and Not going to bite. Ferry funny Joeh.
      Thanks for the yard compliment.
      JB

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  32. My sister is ia hooker too. I'm a amazed by that craft. I get painting, photography, and other forms of art, but how someone conceives and produces some of these pieces is beyond my comprehension.

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  33. Hi Julia
    I thought I'd check out your blog and the progress on your rug, I love it. I will look forward to seeing it finished.
    Chris from Oz :)

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  34. Hi Julia, Life goes faster and faster. Your rug looks great! I too have been stuck on my rug. I have a list of projects to get done by July! Yikes it's almost here. Hugs Cheri

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