A Bit of News

 I have good news! It is a bright sunny day here today! I walked out to the mailbox without a coat on and sandals! I've found the best way to get through these WI Springs is to completely ignore it! White stuff? What white stuff? Oh, you mean that pile of white stuff nearly covering the mailbox?

 Smokey and Max are back in business too! Their paths in the backyard are shoveled once again and they don't seem to notice the white stuff either. Perhaps they don't even remember the green grass and the big rhubarb leaves they used to pee on at the edge of the garden! Heck, I barely remember them!



 So my good news. I just found out a few minutes ago that the sixth student signed up for my class!
So there is going to be a class! A really honest to goodness class! I am ready! Well, knowing me I'll probably still be cutting wool and dreaming up a few more tidbits of information. I am trying to keep it simple though. Too much info. and not enough fun wouldn't make a good class in my estimation. So here goes! Here's to new beginnings! I couldn't have done this without all of your kind comments and encouragement! Like Tony's comment in my last post said, "build it and they will come!"   It's certainly renewed my faith in that old adage!

Class begins this Thurs. evening Feb 24th  6:00pm.  Students are still welcome to sign up.  You may contact WITC .  It's easy to register by calling 800-243-
9482.

Waiting

I've never been very good at waiting. Unfortunately a major share of our lives are spent waiting. If I know I'm going to be in a waiting situation I usually try to have something going to occupy my mind and hands.

So  I've been sorting, dyeing, and playing with wool in my studio. It's been interesting to see what I really have out there! I've saved so many wonderful textures and great weights of as found wools. Special pieces for that special rug someday. The above photo shows how I've organized some of them in quarter yard packages. Each package has four pieces that measure 6.5 by 17 inches. I've put at least one great texture (plaids, herringbones, etc) in the package and at least two or three pieces of solid and hand dyed. They are organized by colors that go beautifully together.  They are so beautiful to look at!   I just had to have a photo shoot with this big bowl of wool! Told you I can't stand still while waiting!

The countdown is seven days until my beginning rug hooking class is to begin (Feb 24th  6:00 P.M.). So far one student has signed up. The school has a policy requiring there be six students before the class can happen.

I'm pretty well organized with lots of great ideas and teaching aids I've come up with. Dave has so kindly built some beginner frames for me. Things are ready to go!  This will be a fun class above all else and will be a great opportunity to meet others in the community who have a love for the art and craft of rug hooking!

If you live in my area and would like to take my class, here is the link to the WITC online catalog where you can get the information about the class. It's easy to register and you can also call 800-243-
9482.




Cathy G

The Kiss

After much growling and fussing we finally see the kiss..... although it's a very quick lick!  Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Orange Sink today!

Barn Board Red

I left a crock pot full of wool sit on idle all night.  A dash of Terra Cotta dye and some Khaki Drab thrown in with a little bright red piece of wool for a bleeder pleased me this morning with this.

The perfect Barn Board Red.

A trip to the basement to dig out some old barn boards that I had saved started my photo shoot this morning.  How many different ways can you photograph wool and barn boards?  Enough to create this mosaic. 

It's still freezing cold here today. I've got to go stoke the wood stove.  Smokey and Max need baths so it's time to warm up the house a bit.  I hear a warm-up is on the way this weekend.  Gotta get the fur boys cleaned up a little for the heat wave!

Cathy G

As Promised..... progress report

Last evening my brother Ron who lives in Minnesota called me from a truck stop somewhere near Dallas Texas.  I think he likes to call so I have something to worry about and keep me up all night! Ha!  He is an over the road trucker. He said he was bored and holed up because of all the ice on the roads in one of the worst truck stops you could imagine. Said he used his shirt sleeve to open and close the door on the bathroom.  Said another trucker had gotten sick a week before eating a sandwich he purchased there that had some mold on it.  The guy must have been really hungry or poor eye sight.  Anyway back to Ron.... all state highways and roads were closed north of Dallas and he was trying to make it back to Minnesota with a load.  So this morning a convoy of truckers who were there with him were going to head out together to see how far they could get.  My brother has been driving big rigs all his life.  He is a very experienced driver. He is a story teller.  Some of the stories I probably didn't need to hear right before going to bed. 

I hooked late into the night. Promise is looking promising.  I need to tweak a little here and there. My favorite part is the flower. Not sure I like the beige background color either but I'm not going to change that now.  It is what it is. 

I had an interesting question from Miss Potter in my last post.  She so kindly asked if I had a site where I sold my products.  Bless her heart!   My answer would be I am working myself in that direction.  It's been a long haul. Every time I get some wool dyed I tend to get greedy and hook it all myself.  Perhaps a pattern or two could be offered for sale.  I use my linen and backing as fast as I order it too!  I love to hook. I love to design.  And I hope I find out soon if I love to teach.  So bear with me lovely Miss Potter from Italy.   I will try harder to bring my wares to the market!

After hooking until 1:00 AM I drifted off to sleep.  I had a dream that a convoy of truckers were driving through huge drifts of snow.  They were barreling up Highway 53 northbound for a little town in Northern WI.  The signs on the side of the trucks read Heaven's to Betsy Wool Co.  The convoy arrived on my doorstep and the truckers began unloading bolts of wool into my garage.  I hoped I had enough sandwich meat and bread on hand to feed all those guys............

Cathy G