It's Not Easy Being Green!

Well first I must say Sharon you are one smart cookie! Was wondering how long anyone would catch on I've been using song titles in my posts! Well at least the last 9 or so posts!  Thought I would see how long I can keep it up - It's hard to think of them!

Well I finally totally finished the chair pads this afternoon - I had them hooked early last week but needed to finish the whipping and the labels - the last two mats and all the labels were finished being whipped and labels sewn on today. I will be delivering them tomorrow for the woman who works with her to give her on Monday.  I do hope she likes them!

I also finished whipping these little mats - had extra linen around the chair pads - they are even labeled Kathy!

I got inspired from reading Betty's blog as she hooked a couple candle cuffs so I tried my hand at it, I finished assembling them today... I just may have to make some more to sell - these were my first two attempts.

The next few weeks will be a busy one getting ready for some upcoming events.  I am participating in the PA German Folk Art Sale at the Heritage Center in Harleysville, PA, the entire month of December and will be demonstrating rug hooking on one of those days.  I believe my rugs need to be over there mid November so I better get busy and get things ready! 

Also, this November, I will be teaching (okay teaching is too big a word - more like sharing and having fun showing new friends how to make the trees) ) several wool feather tree classes. Two at the Cinnamon Stick in Hereford, PA and one at Grant Street Woolworks in Chambersburg, PA. (if interested you can contact Judy here (You can see a pic of the tree here too) and Linda through her blog, here.

So my next project will be to make up the kits. The hardest part for me is cutting the wires - it's hard on the hands but I don't mind - I will do a few packs a night. My husband will drill the holes for the dowels in the bases for me this weekend so I can get them stained - it's supposed to be sunny early next week so I can do that smelly job outside!  
Yesterday I decided to dye up some greens for the wool for the trees - I overdyed some as-is and new wool  I had. The wool is darker than in these pics but I'm happy with the results. I used "great green" from the Woolen Willow - always a good green!

Well times a wasting so I better get back to getting things done!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Burning Down the House

Well my morning started bright and early compliments of my alarm clock (pictured below)

I thought perhaps I would make a cake to take to Grant Street tomorrow (now I'm not sure if I'm going or not - now what am I going to do with this cake?)

What to make?

I wanted something pumpkin so I decided to "create".  My Mom has a recipe for a Sour Cream Pound cake that is always good and everyone loves it so I thought let me tweak that and make a Pumpkin Pound cake.

Here is the recipe for the original Sour Cream Pound cake:

2 sticks butter (1 cup)

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

6 whole eggs

3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp lemon extract 

1 cup sour cream

3 cups flour

Cream butter - gradually beat in sugar.  Beat in baking soda, vanilla and lemon extract.  Beat in eggs two at a time.  Add flour a cup at a time.  Beat well.

Pour batter into a greased 10" tube pan (or bundt pan would work).  Bake in preheated oven 325 degrees for approx. 1 1/2 hours to 1 1 3/4.

Now my tweaks (oh and these are pretty approx. - I'm an eyeballer!)

I left out the lemon extract

I used about 2 tbsp vanilla

I added a pinch of cinnamon

Instead of 1 cup sour cream I used about 1/4 cup

I added about 10 ounces of canned pumpkin

I now wish I would have added some nutmeg and cloves (forgot that!)

After I baked them I decided I wanted to make a light glaze so I just cooked a little milk, a little butter and some confectioner's sugar with a splash of vanilla and a dump of cinnamon and poured over cakes (Oh i made two- above is for one)

What I didn't mention above is I thought I would toast up some walnuts with cinnamon and a spray of butter and add that to the glaze.  Well here's what happened to my walnuts!

Yep the smoke detector was going off, smoke was in kitchen and an awful smell!   I forgot about them in the toaster oven!  That was the last my walnuts too - So I just laughed at myself and opened the doors and waved out the smoke - Why get bent out of shape! LOL

While I was in the kitchen Mr. Riley was sunbathing - I see he got his basket down from on top of the hutch and placed it smack in the middle of a sunbeam.  Smart boy! 

Here's a pic of Miles from this afternoon - as you can see he is extremely scrawny. And yes we feed him, as much as he wants - we have done everything possible and he doesn't seem to be suffering so as I said in a previous post - we give him all the love we can.

Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)

Well the past week been getting things done.  I did finish all chair pads and have 6 of the 8 whipped - just need to whip the last two, steam and label and deliver!

I have also whipped about 6 or so little mats that need labels and delivery!

Last Wednesday took a jaunt to Atlantic City with a friend for two nights.  She needed to pick up tickets to an upcoming show so decided to take her on the scenic tour on the way down - we drove down to Avalon, visited the store where another friend has a couple of booths and then drove up Ocean Drive through a lot of the little resort towns.  We did get out of the car and I dipped my toes in the Ocean - just love the Ocean - could really really live next to it and be happy!

Hung around and relaxed the next two days - we did see a Comedy Show - it was just okay - I'm just not really into shows like this but thought I would give it another try - nope - still not my "thing"!

Saturday was the Brandywine Hook-In.  If you check out Jill, Sharon, and Kathy's blogs you can see a lot of the day's happenings so I will only post a handful of photos since they are very similar.   It was so crowded - I am so glad we had an outside table - I would certainly have run out of the center tables screaming "I can't breathe" if I had to spend time in there.  Some people looked uncomfortable trying to hook but I guess this is okay because really how much work gets done with all the vendors and people to visit!

I did good - only bought a few pieces of wool and wanted more but behaved!

Here are some random pics of the day!

Here is Janice, Nettie and Sharon - Sharon was waiting for the minutes until she could make another cheese and cracker...

Janice working on her "Simplify" rug - great colors and great idea - need to hook one and hang in my hooking room!

Patty - she's always all smiles!  So nice to see her again!

Louise on right with her friend - This is her Sparhawk rug - I am so sorry I sold mine now!  Louise is the queen of colors - she knows how to make a rug look antique and her loops are perfect!  This is the best Sparhawk I have seen yet - Love it Louise!

Here's Sharon's rug - hard to see but her background is incredible (see her blog for better pics) Can't remember the name of this rug but it's almost done and just gorgeous!

Rebecca's booth (this had to be later in the afternoon - early on you couldn't get near it and the lines were long - i can't take crowds without feeling claustrophobic so I just waited!)

Kathy explaining why she had to buy wool (Before the hook in she has been talking about not letting her buy any more wool - remember she works in a wool shop - there is no help for her- She can explain all she wants!)

Even Beth gave up on keeping Kathy out of Rebecca's booth!

Sherri is probably upset cause Kathy was buying up all the wool she wanted!

All in all it was a nice day.  The weather was beautiful (usually rains!)

This week I haven't gotten to anything creative!  Been going on blogs and finding some new recipes so been trying something new each day and Monday was one of those days where I started on thing and then another and another - before long the house was torn apart - so ended up putting away Halloween decorations and cleaning the first floor.

On the Miles front - just don't know what to do anymore.  We stopped with the medicine -wasn't helping - I really don't think the vets know what to do with him either - so I just watch where I walk and carry paper towels - I give him food whenever he wants and just am keeping him as comfortable and loved as possible.  He's holding his own - I don't think he's lost anymore weight but hasn't gained either.  The vomiting hasn't subsided in the least but he does eat and drink and use the litter and he also likes to be around us and even lets Riley near him (at times!)

Jonesy and Riley are same characters as ever - Whenever they are together it's a guarantee they will get into some kind of trouble but they are fun to watch interact.  Jonesy loves to play and will often pick up a toy start playing with it and then look around waiting for Riley to show up! Chances are he will!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week

Poor Cow

After some tweeking I suppose it's a Cow - well it's a PRIMTIVE COW for sure!  Still need to do some blocking and whipping and it should look much better!

How Much is That Doggy in the Window???

How Now Brown Cow!

So I'm thinking is it a cow or a dog?

I will wait until I get the background in to decide for sure.  The cow is tans and browns since I'm doing a dark background.  Just not a big fan of the "outline" so didn't go for the traditional black and white.

It's a miracle that I can get any hooking done at times!

Old MacDonald

Old MacDonald had a farm,

Ee i ee i oh!

And on that farm he had some cows,

Ee i ee i oh!

With a moo-moo here,

And a moo-moo there

Here a moo, there a moo,

Everywhere a moo-ooo

Old MacDonald had a farm,

Ee i ee i oh!

Okay - what's that all about?  Well a cow of course! I do not know why I'm letting a cow intimidate me but I am.  Remember my chair pads I'm making, well the order is for 8 of them.  I have posted pics of four of them.  This week I've been working on the last four.  I have 2 more done (a cat and another house) and halfway thru a version of the a quilt pattern "Tulip Cross".  The cow will be the last one! 

Heck I've grown up surrounded by farms - even have ridden my sled under a cow before (My grandmother's house was built in hill and my Mom's cousin's farm was across the street and down a hill - we would have someone hold open the wire fence and toboggan and sled from my Grandmothers hill all the way down to the creek - often there were cows in the way so we would duck and go between their legs!  They would just stand there!  So why am I afraid of hooking this cow?

Who knows? Let's just hope I find some inspiration soon!

Several people have left comments and emailed me about my Snowballs. Thanks for all your comments. 

Here is how I assembled them.

After hooking the snowman I put modpodge around the last row of hooking (You can use any type of glue or fray check - just something to hold the backing .

After it is dry - cut the backing away as close to the last row of hooking as you can.

I then took twine and threaded it with a needle into the backing of the snowball to make a hanger.

Then I cut (with my pinking shears) a piece of wool slightly larger than the snowball.

Glue the backing on and let dry - and then trim away extra wool if needed.

Done!

This is basically how I made my magnets too and have made pins like this before.  Easy peasy

Have a great week!

The Things We Do for Love

of WOOL that is!

Today I decided to venture out to that big box store "Costco" for necessities like toilet paper and paper towels and the like.  Near Costco is a thrift store that I used to visit weekly when I was working but do not get over that way too much anymore.

I have always found tons of 100% wool skirts to cut up there and if you wait for the right color tag on the right day you get things pretty cheap.

Today I was walking around and was quite disappointed.  It's getting harder and harder to find some good 100% wool to recycle.  I am thinking it's because people just don't wear suits and skirts so much anymore - things are way more casual.

So I'm over by the books and didn't find anything there either (another love of mine) and then walk down the last aisle to leave.  There they have hanging sheets and comforters and things.  I happened to glance up and saw large pieces of fabric on hangers.  What do I find but a large piece of wool!

As any of you rug hookers know your heart starts racing at a large piece of great colored wool (nice muted textured purple/gray - perfect to overdye!) but it just hanging there and not on a bolt,  you do not know if it's 100% wool or not.  So after a moment of fondling the wool, I sneak a few pieces of threads and go running out of the store figuring there must be at least one person standing out their smoking so I can light my thread to test it to see if it is indeed wool!

Wouldn't you know not one person loitering is smoking - and there were like 10 people hanging around! Grrrrrrrr

I go to my car - search the glove box - no matches - well what a surprise - I don't smoke!  (Oh and I used to carry a lighter just for this reason but it was dead last time we went to use it!)

So there I stand with my few threads thinking now what?

Wait a minute, there is a dollar store right there.  So I run in - buy a three pack of lighters for $1.06 and run out where I'm met by a homeless woman asking me for a smoke.  She was a bit rude so I said "What do I look like I have a cigarette (forgetting I'm holding 3 lighters - LOL)

Anyway - ran over to the corner and did the "burn test" - yep disintegrated and smelled like burnt hair.  So I ran back in and grabbed the hanger with the piece of wool (Phewwwie - wiping my brow it was still there - those people in that store didn't know a treasure was hanging there!)

It was marked $5.90 - Not a bad deal for this piece (measured it when I got home and it's 60 inches x 73" - I guess that's 2 yards????)  Get up to the cash register and find out my total is $4.19 with tax! It was 33% off - WOOHOO!  I just love a bargain!