December Hook Together

Patty, Carol and I got together at the Park County Library this month to hook together. We enjoy that time so much. Not just to see what each other are working on, but for companionship and support.

Patty had finished her Lincoln Bag and it is already on it's way back from the leather place.  I know she is waiting by the mailbox every day! We are all anxiously awaiting it's arrival. I will post pictures when I can.  In the mean time Patty started a cup runner of Deanne Fitzpatrick's. I just love her bright colors. I think these are leftover worms that she is using. 

Carol has almost finished the rug she started in Briggita Phy's class. She took out some of the sagebrush and she is almost finished. I absolutely love her colors! This was done primarily out of leftover worms. 

I am still hooking along on my Lion and Lamb. I swear if I have hooked an area once, I've hooked it 5 times. But I have to hook more to see what I want to change. I really am enjoying this rug even though I keep saying, " I have no idea what I'm doing."

We are going to try to get together during the Christmas break. I'll keep you posted!

November Hooking

There were only three of us at our November get together but we still had a great time. Carol was working on the rug she started with Brigitta Phy at Prairie Rose Rug School in August.

I couldn't get the color adjusted just right but the sky are diamond shaped peachy and yellow. It is bright and beautiful. Hopefully we can get a better photo in December. But Carol looks GREAT!

 Patty finished the hooking on her Lincoln bag. The first photo is of the folded bag and the bottom picture is the unfolded bag. She is sending it off to have leather gussets, handles, and top sewn on. I can't wait to see her show it off at Rug School in August.

I am plugging away on my Lion and Lamb. There are so many lessons for me to learn on this rug. I wish I had taken art classes now. It sure would have come in handy.This head is so big. I swear it's life size.

October Group Hooking

We had a wonderful time hooking at the Park County Library this month. Even though there were only 4 of us it was so much fun talking and learning from each other. Carol Messerli told us a little about her trip to Branson but the best story was when she told us about zip lining. I have a whole new respect for Carol. I could NEVER zip line and I admire her so much for being brave enough to try it. That's one check mark on her bucket list!

 Patty Tyrrell made a sign for the outside of the door at the library so that people would know what we are doing and come in to visit. It worked! Our visitors were mostly men, however. The name may have had something to do with it. Thank you Patty.

 Patty Tyrrell is over half way finished with her Lincoln bag. Her hooking is so perfect.

 This is what one side of the bag will look like. She is really inspiring me to get mine started.

 Debra Inglis was working on this Barbara Carol design. She is using a 9 cut. The colors and wools she is using are amazing! I just want to copy everything she does. We are all so excited to have her move to Wyoming and we can't wait until she is back full time

I (Sylvia Gauthier) was finishing the edge of my Irish Chain, a Polly Minick design. I used the same wools in my Game Board but this time I added tans. I think it neutralized it more. I am so happy with the way it turned out. 

The day was filled with laughter and inspiration. We are so blessed to have such a great group and it keeps getting bigger one hooker at a time.

August Meeting

We have a new hooker in our group! Debra Inglis and her husband are moving to Clark, Wyoming from Texas. She was such a delight to meet. Debra had contacted me a while back through a shop Patty and I buy from called I Love Rug Hooking. Debra had run into the owner, Shelley, at a Camp and through the conversation Shelley mentioned she had a couple of customers from Wyoming and contacted me to see if it was okay if she gave Debra my information. I was so excited! We are all looking forward to more meetings with Debra.

 Debra brought two of her finished rugs to show. I adore these two rugs so much. The first one is called Two Old Deer by Sally Kallin at Pine Island Primitives. 

 Debra also hooked this adorable floral designed by Maggie Bonanomi. I just love the colors! She had an adorable sheep pillow too but I guess we didn't get a picture of it.

 I (Sylvia Gauthier) was finishing the edge on my Game Board Rug designed by Polly Minick. It is in the book Everyday Folk Art by Minick and Simpson. I had so much fun making it that I'm doing the Irish Chain from the same book in the same wools.

 As in an earlier post, I had ordered this kit from Molly Colegrove. I must say that I learned so much by hooking this little rug. I framed the mat on a frame my gracious daughter Shelly made for me.

 Patty Tyrrell and I both hooked Crocks from Encompassing Designs.  I really enjoy seeing the same pattern hooked two different ways. Both are very similar and yet very different. The top one is mine.

 This Crock rug is Patty's.

 Carol Messerli was working on Hearts Abound by Designs in Wool. She is making it for her son and daughter-in-law as a commemorative rug for their wedding.

Patty Tyrrell was working on her Lincoln Bag. This one is going to take a while. She is using a lot smaller cuts than usual, but it will be worth it! I love how it's turning out!

Barb and Craig Pearson were working on their same rugs. They have had super busy lives and it doesn't seem to be slowing down for them. We are just happy when they are able to come.

Prairie Rose Rug School 2015

Two of our group, Patty and Carol, were lucky enough to go to Prairie Rose Rug School this year in Richardton North Dakota at Assumption Abbey. It is always such a pleasure to see old friends, make new ones, and learn from such wonderful teachers. The Monks cook amazing meals and the atmosphere is amazing.

Patty took a few pictures from the rug show for us all to see. She said it was really hard because most of them were on chairs and not flat like usual.

These are the grandchildren of Betty Dahlins. I saw her hooking this last year and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. It's nice to see it finished. 

This floral is also by Betty Dahlin. Beautiful job of color planning and hooking.

Carolyn Godfreed is one of the most amazing rug hookers I have ever seen. She does original work and it is always shades perfectly.

Darlene Buckner punched this rug of her favorite spot on their property. She says it is so comforting and she can see Canada from here.

 Darlene also punched this adorable floral. She certainly does beautiful work.

This is a gorgeous floral hooked by Joan England. I wish I knew if it was an original or not.

Mary Ellen Weyerman started this pillow in a class by Sharon Saknit. It turned out beautiful. The design uses a piece of wool paisley and is hooked in matching colors around it.

Pat Horn is the most amazing woman. She hooks beautifully and even with back problems, still attends the school with her amazing daughter Suzy Jones, the Director of the school.

 This cutie was punched by Sara Judith, one of the teacher this year at Prairie Rose. Don't you just love the moose's rubber boots!

 Sue Cunningham, another rug hooker from Wyoming, hooked this amazing geometric. She does such perfect work.

This is also an original work by Sue Cunningham. I just love everything about this rug!!

Patty and Carol both had the best time at Prairie Rose. Sara Judith and Brigitta Phy were wonderful teachers and after our meeting on the 22nd I will have pictures of the rugs they both worked on. Next years teachers are going to be Ingrid Hieronimus, Hethie Boll and Pris Butler. I just can't wait until next year!

Rug Hooking Frame from The Needleworks Shop

My new frame is here!! My new frame is here!!

Out of the 5 of us who hook together, 4 had the amazing rug hooking frame from The Needleworks Shop.  The first time I saw the frame was the first time all of us got together to hook at the Library in Cody, WY.  Patty, Carol, and I had all hooked together before. Carol and Patty both used hoops to hold their rugs while they were hooking and I had a floor frame. We were all unloading our things and taking them into the Library when Barb and Craig came rolling in with the most amazing frames I had ever seen. I was instantly green with envy. Oh, but I got even greener when I saw the way the frame easily turns the rug while you are working on it. My frame turned a little but it wasn't easy and it didn't turn very much.

Patty was next to get a Needleworks frame and give up the hoop, then Carol. I was so excited for them but thought my little frame would serve me fine. Eventually, it wasn't serving me well and started to slip, and my frame would drop while I was hooking. It only took a couple of times of not staying up for me to decide I needed a new frame. The good news was that I didn't have to research which one was the best. I already knew.

The large hexagon shaped frame spins as easily as a lazy Susan. The height is adjustable, the angle is adjustable, and it folds flat for travel . Jan from The Needleworks Shop  also makes the most amazing bonnets for the frame. It was an easy decision to get the bonnet to cover my frame during transportation or storing.

They also make a lap frame but I don't like hooking on a lap frame. No lap and short legs don't work well with a lap frame.

I am so grateful for our group and rug school. We all learn so much from each other, even if it's what frame to buy, what hook we like best, or what rug design we want to hook next.

Molly Colegrove

Recently I finished hooking all the projects I had ready and decided to search several avenues on the internet for something new to hook. I wanted to be REALLY drawn to it, not just something that I thought would do. While searching on eBay I came across a kit that I knew was "The One". It is called "Fall Creek in the Valley" by Molly Colegrove.

After ordering the kit from Molly Colegrove I decided to see what else I could find out about her. She is an incredibly talented artist who teaches rug hooking embellishing, fine shading, and dimensional design. Not only is she talented, she is REALLY nice. I asked a question about the size of strips she used in this pattern and she wrote me back right away with a lot of detail in the email.

When the kit arrived today I was even more impressed with her. It was a very well make kit with several very good pictures included and even directions! You can tell she is a great teacher just by the kit. 

After researching her work even more I decided it is a good thing I don't live near her because I would definitely be her stalker. 

 This is a tree she designed to teach dimension and shading.

 This rug is a triptych rug of  tree where several of her family are buried.

 And then she does something as amazing as these sail boats.

 Her personality really comes through in this dimensional fish. I love her use of color.

This is another of my favorites called Foggy. Her work really speaks to me. I love everything about it.
I'm so grateful for the internet. As I've mentioned before, living in Wyoming doesn't give our group much opportunity to be exposed to other hookers and their work. After researching Molly Colegrove and emailing back and forth, I feel like I've made another hooking friend. I hope to learn from the kit I bought from her and I hope you too will find someone's work you admire and try to learn from it.
Check out the beautiful hooks and kits she has on her eBay Store.

June Rug Hooking in Shell Wyoming

There were only three of us hooking at the Shell Church in Shell, WY but we had a blast. Patty was working on the background of her crocks, Carol was working on a new rug for her son, and had just finished her elk for her daughter.

This is Carol Messerli's original design. We are all so impressed with her work and love how it turned out.
I (Sylvia Gauthier) finished my Poppies rug by Sharon Smith.

I am so happy with how it turned out. The funnest part was using wool from other projects. Now only did I get to use up some wool I had extra, but my rugs are starting to have a cohesive look to them. This rug hooked up so quickly I almost wanted it to last longer. 

We still don't have a date set up for July but I'm hoping we can get together somehow, somewhere.

March Meeting

Three of us hooked together at the library in Cody this month. Patty, Carol and I (Sylvia) had a great time. It is always so enjoyable when we get together at the library. April, however, has been canceled. There is a lot going on at the library in the month of April so we are trying to get a date in Shell, where Patty lives, to get together.

Carol has been working on the background of her elk for what she considers "forever". It is turning out so amazing. She is a new rug hooker with no fear. This is Carol's original design!

 Patty started her Crock pattern. It is really coming along! I just love to see how different textures of wool makes the crocks come to life.

 I have the crock pattern too but decided on this Sharon Smith design. I needed something smaller that would fit next to the Sheep and Sunflower rug on the wall. This is a pattern I have always wanted to do and I'm so glad I chose to hook it.

I used wool that I had already dyed for other rugs and it worked out perfectly. This rug is hooking up quite quickly. 

Don't forget....No meeting for April....yet.