LEICESTER SHEEP RUG ~ ~ ~

Mr. Sheep is done ~ all ready for his new home!! I love to hook rugs!! This rug was really a creative endeavor for me ~ the design, the color plan, all with the customer's wishes in mind! I loved doing it and forever will feel part of this rug! I loved using the Irish knit sweater as a catalyst for that crazy sky ~ when we decided to incorporate that into the rug, I wasn't sure where it was headed but I love the end result!! There is also a blue angora sweater in the sky along with a variety of wools and dyed roving to give it a lot of color and texture! I think that is the lesson in this rug for me ~ utilize different fibers and materials ~ think outside the box ~ color outside the lines ~ don't be a follower ~ look at this as one more step on my creative journey!!

I'm showing you this rug because a. I love it! b. I bought it in England when we went a couple of years ago and c. this rug gave me the idea to hook with the Leicester fleece!! Eileen Scholes is the artist who created the Herdwick Sheep from Herdwick fleece and I was fortunate enough to be at the hook-in where she offered it for sale! We haven't met but do correspond by email ~ I love the creativity of this rug as it is all recycled fabrics ~ ribbons, jerseys, sweaters ~ lots of nice fibers hooked into one lovely rug!! So Eileen, I must thank you for the inspiration and ~ for enabling me to bring your art work back home to the States!!

Blessings abound today!! This very delicate hooked pin came in the mail today from an online friend, Helen, from Canada!! Helen was the first to respond to the Pay It Forward post I did a while ago ~ I will be sending her something hand-made by me ~ but the dear lady sent me something first!!!! It measures 2" from leaf to leaf and is hooked with the thinnest cut I've ever seen!! And she sent the nicest letter ~ which I enjoyed immensely!! Thank you, ever so much, dear Helen ~ I will treasure this little gem of a pin always!!!

And I am so happy to say that I won't be able to post for a while!! By the grace of air miles and our wonderful lake friends who invited us to stay with them ~ we are going to Florida for a week ~ away from the snow and cold!! Yeah team!! I can't wait!! I'm doing laundry, billing, packing and tidying up all at the same time ~ trying to get it all done before we leave for the airport tomorrow evening!! Tad's sitter will be holding down the fort here ~ bless her heart!!! ~ while we're working on a nice tan ~ I hope! And we're meeting up with other friends who are down there, too!! So until next week ~ stay warm ~ hook something wonderful ~ and I'm sure I'll have something fun to write about ~ and pictures to show !! Ta ta for now!!
Alice