Who is Orange Sink?

My photo
Rice Lake, WI, United States
My home town is Rice Lake, a small town in northern Wisconsin. I own Red House Wool Studio~ an in-home wool and rug hooking business. I enjoy collecting and decorating with antiques and primitives. Orange Sink Blog is a journal of my interests and ramblings about life. Cathy Greschner

Email Me Here

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Rather than whine and cry about it....



January quite contrary!  Five days left to go!  I won't miss you... not one bit!

 A few days ago while shopping at Walmart with my Mom I grabbed an obnoxious cart that had wheels that kept turning to the left.  A normal person with brains would have turned back and found a different cart that pushed straight. But we're not talking normal here.... it was another freezing cold day with actual below 0 temps. I was worried about my lettuce freezing on the way home. And I'm like a mad woman on a mission in Walmart!   Nothing  normal here at all... nupe!!  I pushed that dang cart through the whole store with my Mom's groceries as well as mine weighing the thing down! It was like wrestling with a Sumo wrestler!  I kept feeling this twinge of pain in my right hip. No worry I thought.. 




A couple of days later......

Let's just say Ibuprofen and my comfy hooking chair have been my best friends of late.
I feel like the "Karate Kart" got the best of me! 

Rather than "whine and cry"  about it I have resorted to hooking up a little something hopeful and possibly pattern worthy to take my mind off my misery. 
It's in the prototype stage... with wool as well as design.  I need to hobble out to the studio and rifle through my wools to see what else may work for the background with that little brown  wabbit.

I may grab a carrot to nibble on.... 

Seriously... I know we are all on the same page with this wacky winter that wants to drive us all insane..  but since I'm already there won't you join me? 

Repeat after me..

Winter Winter we don't care...
we have wooly underwear
that we can tug or 
make a rug

and have a mug 
of ....??

help me out here...
a mug of......



Cathy G.





Thursday, January 2, 2014

My Newest Rug Design~


I want to give a huge Thank-you! to all who purchased my "Merry Christmas" pattern!  Hopefully you had time to get it hooked before Christmas or perhaps you're working on it now!
In any event you will have a beautiful rug to display next year!  I was feeling kind of blue thinking about putting mine away after the Holidays.... so that is what partly inspired me to come up with my new design "Home Sweet Home."  One of my dear, sweet customers had mentioned to me that she would like a rug the same size and style of lettering as the "Merry Christmas" rug with the sentiment "Home Sweet Home."  So here it is!  

I chose antique-looking textured brown wools for the background.  I wanted red for the lettering... but as some of you seasoned rug hookers know, red has a way of blending in with brown if you stay with the same values   (lightness or darkness) of wools. Determined to have my red lettering I ended up taking a very thin strip of deep navy wool ( #3cut) and carefully hooked between the rows outlining each letter.  WALLA!  It worked! The letters are showing up better, and I think it made it look more like an antique sign which is exactly what I was after!

The runner is 8 by 25 inches. I added a couple of rows around the outside of mine, making it a little wider and longer. 
I love this rug no matter where I display it.... it would look sweet over a primitive shelf or how about on the wall over your bed in the bedroom.  It would make a lovely housewarming gift for some one too!  The ideas are endless!

You can hook your very own "Home Sweet Home" rug using the paper pattern I'm offering for sale right here on my blog.
Hop right up to the left hand corner and you will see the Paypal button.  As always if you want to send a check or Money Order just email me for my address. USA and Canada only please.... if you are in another country email me so I can ship with correct postage.

p.s. I plan to hook this rug again using only neutral colored wools...
wouldn't that be lovely?!!  

Thank-you for allowing me to offer my design!
And Thank-you for supporting me in my home-based business!!

Ahhhh!!  Home Sweet Home!!

Cathy G







Wednesday, January 1, 2014

In With The New!


So how are you liking 2014 so far?  It's been grand here except for the extreme cold.  However it's nice and toasty in my studio.   Between trips to the basement to throw another log on the fire and putting the final touches on the pattern for my new rug design it keeps me pretty warm!   It's so nice to not have to leave home to go to work.  I love being home and working from home.  I love my home even if there are things I would love to change and redo. As the saying goes.... home sweet home!



So don't stray too far... keep your lovely eyes peeled on this blog.  Home loving bodies everywhere... I think you'll like this new rug design of mine.

May your New Year be filled with the comforts of Home and Blessings New!

Cathy G