LAST WEEK'S RUG RETREAT ~ ~ ~

I don't know if retreat is an appropriate name ~ that's what I called it ~ Barbara Carroll calls it a 3-day mini as in mini workshop! We had a great time ~ this is "WhatKnots", a new Woolley Fox pattern and Barb's first time to color plan this one. It's turning out great ~ I'm hooking it for our bathroom where there are pieces of old and new yelloware ~ hence the yellow pitcher. I think the rug is looking kind of old so it will be a nice decorating addition to that room. I have hooked up a storm since we returned last Wednesday and hope to have it finished by the Rug Rave on the 21st! There are a lot of elements to this rug and there are some that might need a re-do but those will wait till the rug is finished and we'll see what the overall effect is!

Here's Donna ~ our ringleader ~ I mean the organizer of this trip!!! Her red Henney Penney is going to be fabulous!! The wool she used in the tail has a glow that is just going to make this rug! I bought some to use in mine that is on the backlog of patterns waiting to be hooked! I just realized Donna's eyes were closed ~ she does hook with her eyes open!!

You won't believe it but Judy is behind this huge rug ~ it was either get Judy in the picture and miss part of the rug or have her hold the rug way high so we could see it all. Judy hooked the animals before we got to class and then used Barb's expertise to color plan the background ~ this is a good size rug and it's hard to believe how much background area there is and how many different wools they used. It's really going to be a great neutral rug.

Miss Maria ~ what can I say? This woman is a hooking machine ~ she hooked this rug in two days and with a little help from yours truly, braided her border! Maria has a very distinctive color palette that she uses on her own rugs and let Barb guide her in choosing wool that makes this rug look very old. And not one to let any time be wasted, Maria had some small things drawn up and hooked a colorful little horse on the last day!

Last, but not least, is Mary and her Aunt Tillie's Garden rug ~ this rug, too, is huge!! And she, too, is a hooking machine! She and Maria hook very wide and Mary's style is kind of loose, so they cover a lot of ground in a short time. Good thing we don't live close by each other ~ we could get in a lot of trouble!! One night, we ended up in a Chinese place that didn't serve adult beverages ~ so we ordered our meal ~ bid our tablemates adieu ~ and went to the adult beverage store in the next block to purchase a little fruit of the vine! When we returned ~ our appetizers were waiting ~ and happily, so were our friends!!! (I just realized that I neglected to mention that they encourage their customers to brown bag it)! Mary and I first met on the England trip but didn't spend much time in the same spot ~ we were in different classes and stayed in different places ~ so only met in passing! Thanks to Donna inviting us both on her Woolley Fox week, we get to see each other once a year!

Ligonier has some great little shops and we try to get to most of them. Maria and I bought some great yarns to incorporate into rugs ~ I've been trying to add various fibers and sweaters, etc. ~ you can really give a rug a unique look by expanding your horizons a bit. I also bought some Smartwool socks ~ very comfy ~ you can get them at sporting goods stores or online ~ my new favorite thing!!

Another new favorite thing is the fluorescent light the old guy put in my closet!! There was a two-light fixture in there and I kept telling him I could hardly see ~ I guess I said it enough that while I was gone, the new light magically appeared!! It's like daylight in there!! I LOVE IT!! I wear a lot of black so everything kind of looks alike ~ it hasn't helped me find my favorite black sweater though ~ I wonder what in the world I've done with that!!!!

The weather has been spectacular here in Ohio! On Sunday we had the kids over for what has to be our last weiner roast of the season. And Sonny washed the second floor windows ~ I swear you could hardly see out! Yesterday, I did the ground floor windows with that Windex Outdoor All-in-One system ~ you put a soapy pad on the long handle, spray the windows, scrub the windows, spray again and they dry themselves!! I love it ~ they should pay me for advertising for them ~ it's a great product! So, we're almost buttoned up for winter here in the gravel pit ~ the holidays are right around the corner ~ and there will be a whole new season to prepare for!

Hope you're having a good day wherever you are!