ALICE'S RUG FINISHED ~ ~ ~ !!!!!

Here it is ~ American Fish ~ finally! For those of you who haven't read about it before ~ the head, tail and outline of the fish are all done in a sparkly wool ~ I love glittery wool!! The fish body is done in a variety of antique paisleys that I've acquired along the way ~ as well as one of the blocks at the top of the rug. Glittery wool was used in various other places in the rug in several different colors ~ it definitely gives a 'spark' to a rug! Since it seemed that I would run out of background wool, I hooked around the rug to leave places to fill in with an alternative, rather than have the substitute wool end up all in one place. There was a teal in my hand-dyeds that worked out really well and I think it gave great movement to the background and also helps the rug to have that look of 'making do' with whatever was available. I'll probably take this rug to our lake place along with Mr. Catfish ~ now to find just the right place to display them ~ it won't be on the floor for sure!! I'll take a picture to post when that happy day happens!!

Another of Sonny's creations!! Now, he's making handmade spoons to go with the spatula's he made a couple of weeks ago! Several years ago, at a craft show, he bought tools to scoop out the bowl area and now he got to use them!! I told him he should sell them ~ he actually said he might!! Wonder what else he's got up his sleeve??!!

My rug hooking friend, Heidi and I just got back from a nice walk on our local bike trail ~ now that Heidi's retired, she's going to walk with me!!! Yippee!!! It's always nicer to have someone to walk along with you ~ this is my third week in a row that I've walked almost every day!! Don't they say 21 days and it becomes a habit? This is a habit I need ~ unlike most of my others!

Yesterday, some friends and I went to Columbus and met a couple of other gals for lunch at The Pub at Polaris ~ we thought we would celebrate St. Patty's day together! They had live Irish music that was soooo loud we couldn't even talk ~ that's bad!! But we did manage to eat ~ and had fun talking about the waiters in their kilts!!! Then last night, Sonny and I went to a restaurant here in town and had a bite and a beverage ~ the entertainment there was perfect ~ a couple playing Irish tunes on a violin and mandolin ~ background music ~ it was great!!! I was Irish for a day and it was pretty fun!!!

Now, I have to start a new hooking project ~ I should get to work on the one for Gene Shepherd's online blog class!! I have two choices of patterns ~ now to decide and pick the wool! I have to have something to post here ~ that in itself will keep me hooking!! And there is a challenge piece for a local hook-in in June that I need to start on ~ it's a stair tread, so it shouldn't take too long ~ again, it's just choosing the colors!! There are three hook-ins coming up and I don't think I can attend any of them ~ but I might slip in for a while to a couple. We have several weddings to attend this year and they are on the same days as some of these important things I want to do ~ poor little me. Oh, well ~ ta ta for now!