April Planning

I’ve been traveling a lot for family needs these past 8 months and have had a lot of road time. Road time/drive time means thinking time since my trips have been along the same routes over and over again. I’m not complaining. I’m thankful I’ve been able to go and help where needed. We tease in our family that I have gypsy blood in my veins and like to keep traveling. This is somewhat true, it seems. I COULD have gypsy blood in my veins, a restless spirit but more likely, I enjoy new sights, fresh inspiration and seeing family.

As I drive throughout Minnesota during the various seasons, old routes look incredibly different throughout the seasons. Autumn colors give way to the clean, crisp colors (or lack of color) of winter and right now, the dreary mud season of early spring.

I like to take this time of year to look ahead on my calendar to plan rug schools I’d like to attend, people I’d like to gather with for a retreat or two and also rugs I’d like to draw and hook. That’s the focus of my April planning. Do you have a sense of new adventures, projects, color palettes, patterns in the spring? New home projects, new classes, retreats and gatherings to plan with friends and family? Just like the tips of tulips and daffodils poking through the leaf mold, new energy for experimentation with colors and pattern creep into my day.

We have days where it’s not fit to be outside enjoying the weather yet so I hope you give yourself time to start a rug design wish list for the upcoming year, new styles, new palettes, experimenting with color combinations. Doodle it, list it and reread it. Spring is definitely coming and we all need rug adventures to look forward to.

Spring

We've got a snowy, cloudy day in Iowa today. Calm is rare during the month of March but today, the first day of March is calm. The snow is falling straight down. Is spring coming in like a lamb? Out like a lion? Too early to tell. Green grass and flowers seem a long way off! I think we’re all hungering for greenery and the soft colors of spring. Let your imagination go and sketch a few of your favorite spring things.

The calendar has gotten me thinking of new designs, new color combos and preparations for the upcoming vendor show/hook-in at the Cream City Hook In, at the Boerner Botanical Gardens center, Milwaukee, WI. It’s a new location and looks to be just a beautiful venue for us.  Spring brings more life to my world and more adventures designing rugs and gardens.  I so look forward to the daffodils coming up and the scilla blooming along the fence. I do love winter and spring seems to be a long way off but I have hope when the sun shines even though we have 2-3 feet of snow on the ground. I won’t have water my gardens this spring!

Spring brings new growth the garden and hopefully to my somewhat dormant design mode. I have plans for several floral rugs, large and small. I never tire of finding new ways to draw flowers. Add a few cute animals and I'm satisfied.

Hopefully, your creativity wasn't dormant over the winter and you continued to hook and add color to your world. Let the little shoots of creativity come to the surface and bloom as the days get warmer and sunnier. Capture a thought, explore that thought, doodle that thought and save those doodles for a rug someday.

Cathy

June, June, the month of busy!

I tell you, I am quite the professional blogger! Lol, nothing can be further from the truth. I just found a draft for this blog from March and I never even posted it! Oh my goodness. It must have been a SQUIRREL! I wonder a lot about my focus these days....

The first part of June is fresh with the promise of summer and breezy, warm days, filled with creativity. The reality of it is, mowing for hours every 3-4 days to keep ahead of making hay from our acreage yard. Mowing is another real reason why I love January! 

It turns out June, this year is filled already and its just June 5th. Our church is starting VBS this week, I'm traveling out of town for a 10 day stretch to work for a friend and then family arrives for a long weekend. Done! The month will be over. AND we have to mow....

I'm looking ahead to fall, September, to be exact, to start conversations with the students who signed up for my class at the Duluth Rug School. Each year for the last 34 years, the Arrowhead Hookcrafters Guild has been hosting a 4 day rug school and I've been fortunate enough to teach there for several years. I'm just beginning my conversations with students and I love to find out what their hopes are for the class and their project along with learning what their struggles might be. I am insanely curious as to why students choose their patterns and color plans. It's challenging but so rewarding to help students gain confidence in their project, teach a few new things and also, last but NOT LEAST, help the students get the rug they envision, since they are the ones taking it home to live with it and love it. Everyone has a different perspective on what is good and lovely and I really like to find out what each person chooses as good and lovely for their project. My tastes are different from theirs and their vision is what I want to accomplish. Facilitate their vision. Love that. 

I hope you have a corner or nook to sit and hook on the days that are too hot, rainy or whatever, this summer. Creativity has to be given space of it's own and there isn't really a season for it. Rug hooking is relaxing and exciting as patterns come to life. 

Cathy

Resting and Planning

I'm currently in a walking shoe following foot surgery for the next 6 weeks, which is a good, necessary thing for a foot problem I've had for awhile but being slowed way down offers a different perspective and a rather nice slowing of my daily routine. I have an amazing little scooter to get around the house but am indoors for the most part, viewing our pretty farm from the kitchen or dining room window. I'm not complaining at all but I am noticing the difference in being free to come and go and having to plan my trips through the house to do just about anything. I'm thankful I can rest and heal and a side benefit to this is to plan for the fun events in the near future when I'm healed and free to drive again!

I hold rug hooking retreats twice a year at amazing local retreat centers in southern Minnesota and you can learn more about it on my Events page. Each retreat can accommodate 15 people and it's a first come, first served basis. I'm sure not opposed to adding more weekends, if the demand suggests it. The dates for the 2018 retreats so far are: Feb. 16-18th and July 20-22nd. The retreats will be held at the beautiful Ormsby Getaway Retreat Center, Ormsby, MN. Please check out their website: www.ormsbygetaway.com

Borders, Edges

Hello from sultry Iowa! I'm hanging around indoors today, having gotten my gardening tasks done early while it was hot, but not sweltering hot yet. If any of you know me, winter is my most favorite season of the year so summer, not so much. I love the beauty and green-ness of summer but ewww, the heat is something else. P U.

I've spent a lot of time on the mower this summer and more time edging my flower beds and borders. I love the complexity designing a flower bed, contrasting color and foliage form and I love, love a nice edge to the flower beds. My flower bed edges are getting better but aren't the greatest. I've noticed how a nice edge or a nice border to a flower bed really sets the stage for the flowers. It gives a nice rest and order to the flower bed. I do love that!

Designing rug patterns isn't that different and I've always stayed in the quiet border mode, to keep things simple and to let the field of the rug shine. Well, I've finished a rug that I started last fall and it has the most complex border I've ever done and I loved it. The center field of the rug is active and busy but quiet because I hooked it in neutral colors. The border is bolder but not wild. It's a fun frame and gives order to the design, even though the pattern is more flowing and irregular than the border. The cable border I hooked reminds me a nice fence to a garden. Think about the beautiful frames with choose for our art to hang on the wall and the beautiful garden fences we add.  If you've shied away from hooking an intricate border, I encourage you to try one. Try one on a medium sized pattern. Break it down into parts, so it doesn't overwhelm you and I think you'll have fun with it. Of course, detailed borders aren't required or necessary but challenge yourself once in awhile. I did and I was way out of my comfort zone, analyzing the cable, measuring, drawing, ERASING A LOT, re-drawing and then committing to it. But I learned so much! It's still fun to learn and learn by trial and error. My brain likes to see patterns and figure out how to make it, draw it, design it. For me, that's fun! Try something new, learn by trial and error. Who knows what you might learn about hooking and designing and who knows what you might learn about yourself.

Preparation thoughts

Good morning! We're into spring now, officially one day into it! It's a bit drab out today but the temps were above freezing last night so we're heading in the right direction.

I've been preparing to teach a class next September at the fantastic Duluth Rug School, located in Proctor, MN, which is just on the edge of Duluth, MN at the head of Lake Superior! Duluth is my home town and its such a joy to go back anytime but especially for rug camp!

In my preparations for my class, now that I have my list of students, I've been formulating a note to send to them, to get to know them a little, to learn their goals for rug camp, if any, and to be sure to be able to bring what I need to school for them. I know I'll need to bring wool, patterns, scissors, markers, etc. but I also need to bring my experiences, my color knowledge, my curious mind and my love of the craft. I believe each teacher needs to be open to the students goals, trouble areas and their desires for their class project and time in class. I like the  challenges and new perspectives that each student brings along with hopefully getting to know each student on a personal level, if possible. I've been a teacher and student in rug schools and have experienced good and not so good in each setting.

I hope that students planning to go to a rug camp or school would bring their best in communication, goals, trouble areas of concern and openness to learning something new each time. I know everyone is hoping for the best experiences as they come to class each day. My advice for students is to think about your goals and be sure to communicate them to your teacher either prior to class or as soon as possible. Communication with your teacher prior to class is really the best, so she knows what you need or don't need from her. Areas like color planning, the use of textures, the style of hooking you prefer and the degree of the style you prefer are all very helpful for your teacher. By degree of style, I am referring to primitive mostly, as the "primitiveness" of a design can vary greatly. Knowing what colors you envision in your rug is also very helpful and can aid color planning so much. I think what I am trying to say is that the teacher really wants to bring her best and I do encourage students to PLAN their experience before rug school starts. I'm so excited to help my students get where they want to go with their rugs, using all of their input as well as my advice but there needs to be planning on both sides. I truly don't mean to preach or scold but man, being ready for school will be so much more meaningful, if we plan together.  

Rug school is a truly joyful, encouraging time and I hope you all plan to attend a school, camp, or retreat sometime soon!

Flurries

We've been having unseasonably warm weather of late until late today. Until 2 hours ago. Flurries riding on strong winds have changed our muddy landscape, freshening it up and making us grab gloves and jackets. I have a secret. The thought of a snow storm, an actual blizzard, makes me giddy, like a kid going to a birthday party! I don't know why I love snow so much but I just do. I was raised in northern MN for my first 18 years so the long, snowy winters may have formed my love of snow. It was truly a winter wonderland "up north". We skated and sledded and ran around in heavy winter clothes for a good 4-5 months and it was fun! I get excited about snow like old-timers get excited about a lutefisk meal, I guess. So many fond memories.

We live in the country so our farm life is a quiet one but the coming new snow will bring a quiet that is more than just quiet. It's hushed. Well, except for the wind. We have wind nearly everyday, but on the rare day we don't, it's startlingly hushed. Can't wait to try to hear the quiet.

My designs are finally coming along and I've just published four new ones on my etsy shop. New enough that I don't have hooked samples of them yet. I find that my designing has to come in flurries, starting with a trickle, then building to a small flurry. It's a difficult thing sometimes to take all the possible elements and refine them into a pleasing design. I feel as though I can't possibly live long enough to explore all the elements that appeal to me. I do tend to default to flowers. Flower bouquets, flowery vines, twining vines, buds and berries. So many forms, colors and combinations. Do you find your creative energies come in waves or flurries? Or at a constant flood?

A good blizzard tonight and tomorrow will give me a nice chunk of quiet time to work on more designs and plans. I hope you get a blizzard if you want one or have spring just outside your door!

Gatherings

Good morning! I'm home from a fabulously low-key but very creative weekend with rug hooking friends in Sioux Falls, SD (Prairie Primitives) and am so thankful for rug hooking friends and the generous, fun group they belong to. We gathered at Sandy Krumwiede's home for an afternoon of hooking, sharing, eating (of course) and learning. I did a short dye demo with my handy dandy electric skillet and talked about the ease of using it and the ways of dyeing to those who had questions. It's always fun to dye! The take-away from spending time with my hooking friends new and old is that gatherings encourage, enlighten and stimulate creativity like nothing else I've ever done. All of our projects were very different, at different stages and styles but these women are so encouraging and kind. If you hook alone without a group, I hope you'll find one, even if you still prefer to hook alone. Creative women are just the best.

I have to review the weekend and all the content packed into my brain today and it may take days. I feel as though internally I'm saying, "Wait, let me write this down! Wait, I have to hear that again!". It's not that there was formal class time but just so  much good insight and creativity. Love that. I need quiet, alone time to work on design and color but man, the gatherings of rug hookers is like a cool drink of water to the thirsty. Today, I'm remembering and savoring the refreshment of it all. Hope you get opportunities like this too, for your creativity's health.

How the wind doth blow!

Ohh, winter is showing it's might today! We've had a mere 1-2" of snow but the winds have taken that small offering of snow and sent it flying, blotting out the landscape! I do wonder if the white winter landscape gives me more clarity to think of color and composition or is it just because I'm stuck in the house without mowing and gardening to tend to? I'm thankful to be home, with pencil, big eraser and lots of paper to put designs of flowers, bees and birds down, thinking ahead to spring. I love, love color and practiced color design while growing flowers and composing wreaths and bouquets to sell.  I've got 4-5 designs nearly ready to list and guess what? They all involve flowers.  A friend once told me, "You love flowers more than anyone else I know." True words. Furry animals and birds come a close second. I've got two new assistants this winter, Cotton and Zara, sister barn cats who got lucky and came inside this fall.

My rug designs come from images I see, images I remember, images dear to my heart and peace of mind. Flowers are so darned interesting in their shape and color, the possibilities are endless. Primitive rug hooking allows so much freedom. Simple or complicated designs are all welcome. How I love that freedom. Then add color! Watch out! Amazing rugs are the result. Stay tuned to my etsy shop, my new website and find me on facebook for the new listings.