Saturday Puttering

I have ignored this closet for far too long

some things untouched for years!

I want to paint it 

since that won't be happening soon

figured at least I could clean it out

so today I'm alternating between cleaning

hooking little simple pieces

(about 6 x 6)

preparing invoices for my booklets...

tomorrow I will take the designs to make copies

back to the closet

it used to be worse

over time I have used up many bottles of polish and cleaners

shampoo, hand lotion 

but the light bulbs!

they never seem to end

my parents had enough for the whole neighborhood

I have been placing all "like" things together

so brought another 15 packages

of light bulbs in from the garage

will check and see if they work then donate

Hope your having a wonderful day

this morning it was cool and breezy

with windows open 

I could hear all the chimes Mom had around the house

of course it made me smile

In the Works

currently on the frame

still using up the strips from the 

scrap baskets...

so

after dithering for ages

I've decide to do one final booklet

of my simple designs

I came across a stack of doodles

from at least 5-6 years ago

lots of little pieces of scrap paper

the above mat is from those designs

I call it new/old

because I've refined the old design

to be more hooker friendly

there will be about 20 designs included

lots of cats, pumpkins, some Christmas

all old designs being updated

if you're interested the "booklets"

(which are really just pages stapled together

nothing fancy at all

not professional

no color pictures, no shiny pages

just the designs)

they will be $20

including shipping to the lower 48 states

you can email me at

kankerdoodle @ aol dot com

 I will send you a PayPal invoice 

when booklets are ready to send

or email me for my address if you'd rather send a check

I appreciate all your support 

and encouragement over the years

if I hadn't come across all these old doodles

this booklet would never happen

as time goes on I'll be hooking some of the designs

sharing them here and on FB

 it's so much fun bringing simple designs to life

you know I love to see

what you've done with my doodles!

I've been going through my blog as time allows

making sure all the freebie patterns have labels

so you can search for them

Thanks my friends

 

On My Frame

as always

Pinterest images inspire my latest rug...

 

photo of rug in progress tomorrrow

Inpsiration

these showed up on my Pinterest feed today

love those squirrels...

 Nancy Nicholson

UK fiber artist

 inspiration from another source

*****

work lately has been like

one day

8 years and 8 months until I can retire

 

Too Much Wool?

my very messy hooking area

this is only part of the wool from a basket

makes it easier to pick strips

for my scrappy rug

the other side with the lights

most of the light strips are in a different large basket

all this hooking

is not making a dent it seems

final corner

rug is sitting crooked on the frame

it's mostly straight across the bottom

rug is set aside while I keep contemplating the words to be hooked

I've narrowed it down to two phrases

Sweet-Spicy Chicken

we're doing an indoor picnic tonight at work

just the four of us...

I was going to cook this chicken...

instead I'm picking up something from a local restaurant

that's me

no cooking when ever possible!

oh how Mom would love this

sharing was as natural to her as breathing

Have a wonderful day my friends!

Found My Direction

this is where my latest rug is heading

words

not these words though...

 

Starting Another Rug

I'm starting a new mostly unplanned rug

if you'd like to hook a long with me

these rugs from Pinterest

are all border ideas

you are in no way limited to these borders...

my rug will be large 

because that's the piece of linen I want to use up

from my 

"I'm never going to hook this pattern" stash

I'll use as many of the worms from my stash as possible

I'll cut more as needed

I've chosen a color palette

as in...no orange 

 

my "plan" is for a flag rug

with a busy border

I'll be doing an American flag

you can choose your own

 

I like asymmetrical rugs

so my borders will all be different

probably

see where I'm going?

loose plans

if this rug inspired me 

I'd just replace the elephant with a flag

maybe stay neutral

maybe use color

 

 

a couple more no brainers

replace basket or dog with a flag 

I'd put pennies in the corners 

very simple

 these two are my biggest inspirations...

both color and design

*****

so that's how I start planning an unplanned rug

I'm beginning in the left upper corner

will share photos as I go

other ideas will be shared in 

The Out of Hand Rug Hooker group on FB

Rugs, Mom and Follow by Email

if you need a quick gift

or new holiday decoration 

check out 

Star Rug Company

Maria has some excellent patterns!

I hooked this pattern a while ago

then set it aside to bind

as time passed 

the cats decided it was perfect for napping on

just perfect

after cleaning the fur off I can bind it

but it's a lot of fur

it might take a while

with a lint brush and tweezers

oh the problems we procrastinators make for ourselves

***** 

yesterday I took a FMLA day off work

Mom is not feeling well

breathing issues, weak,no appetite, barely drinking

her color is off

I sat with her for about 8 hours

she mostly slept

waking occasionally to hold my hand

talk about how much better she felt with me there

she would eat and drink a little for me

could be so many things

hoping we can at least get her in the wheelchair today

to make swallowing easier

I'll be going over early

with chicken broth 

her favorite mug from home

sister from NC will be here Sunday for a few days

mom says she'll be better by then...

*****

I added a Follow by Email gadget 

right above my blog list

by request of a dear follower

Antiuqe Rug and Freebies

found on Pinterest

not so fond of the entire rug though

 just the cats

or are they dogs

 more rough draft freebies

I figured out how to scan in b/w

no more pink backgrounds

 my NC sister loves tombstone angels

guess it's time to hook her another one

Please feel free to use these patterns

with the normal requests 

These will be the last for a while

I've gotten things organized

so that means I won't 

remember where they are in a few days

*****

 back to work tonight

the house is a little cleaner - a lot more organized

things set aside to donate - to recycle

a new rug hooked

cats brushed to sleek and fluffy gorgeousness

 a pretty good stay-cation in my book  

Thanks for all your kind words on my doodles

most are 7-8 years old

hooking all the simple geometrics for Debbie

(two beachy and 6 star chair pads)

really helped diminish the worm stash

More than that

they gave me back my love of hooking

it had been buried under all 

that has gone on in my life the past 4 years

did I mention that my latest rug was for me?

no more

guess who wants it on her wall

 

  

Srappy Tips

Saundra

asked me about my hit-n-miss hooking

I should really just refer to it as scrappy

I choose my colors palette...

this project included all the colors except the light neutrals

mostly medium to light shades

no high contrast strips

I have a ton of worms after cutting so many last year 

for Mom and Ann to sort for me

 normally there would never be a mountain of worms

they have been sorted by color

then into light, medium and dark bundles
placed in a large basket by color

I pull a bunch of worms 
 put them on the rug in progress

my huge Talon frame has given me lots of room

to the left in this photo is a small basket overflowing with worms

I work from these worms

pulling from the large baskets as needed

I NEVER pull a random strip and hook

the traditional way to hit-n-miss

I have to like the feel of the rug I'm hooking
I've tried the traditional way and it doesn't work for me

I hate to waste linen

normally I draw my pattern leaving a 2-3 inch background

stitch on some scrap fabric so I can move it on the frame

usually I hook beyond the marked outside edge too

adding scrap fabric to your background 
lets you hook on small pieces of linen

if you purchase a pattern 

with a generous background

stitch some fabric to the edge before hooking

then use the excess linen for coasters or ornaments
before you take it off the frame

*while this one is off the frame

I'm going to do a few more small pumpkin mats

some of my rugs from years ago

the American Alphabet Crow was such fun to hook

if I remember correctly I did the border first

without any idea of what would go in the middle
obviously my design

bottom left is a Lori Brechlin pattern 

Old Glory my own drawing

it feels good to be back hooking

thanks to all who have welcomed me back

Pumpkin and Cats

adapted from one of my older designs

still hooking from the worm baskets

I'm going to concentrate on backgrounds

once I started stripping for rugs again

it might be a while...

after this one I'm going back to the chair pads

 

 another oldie...

some freebie patterns for you

please give credit to me when creating

no selling of pattern in any form

no mass producing and so on

spoiled little monkey

On the Frame

using plenty of color

in this rug...

not my usual drab shades

love how the dark background

my everything else pop

More Online Inpsiration

    

don't you just

love seeing how wool hooks up

good thing the swatches that arrive are flat...

seeing the wool hooked would cost me more

been in the mood for 2 color quilts

my piecing has been blue and tan...

making do from stash

(this block is for sale on etsy)

my stash has an abundance of

olive and mustard...

not sure if I'd ever want those in a two color quilt...

but I do have enough brown to make a few little quilts

*****

I am having such issues with my new camera

otherwise I'd have plenty of recent work to share...

looks like I'll have to download and read instructions...

darn...I just wanted a fool proof point and shoot!