The Garden of Weedin' ~

....I've been weeding!!!
it's not even April, and I've got weeds!!!!!

...True, it may be but a small patch, but my herb garden holds my heart ~
I love how everything has been blooming-forth these last few days, albeit a bit early for some of the more tender plants....

my little garden angel holds her skirt and I fill it with seed for my feathered-friends ~

I had to get a shot of our outhouse door, as it stands in our garden amongst the climbling roses, wisteria and sweet annie....
(not your common, privy, ours has a flusher & a sink!)


here is a smiling face for you ~
this little Green Man welcomes the New garden growth!!

my tender strawberries...I cannot wait to taste their sweet-goodness again ~

this is the little strawberry patch that yielded hundreds of berries last year!!
right outside my shop's front door....

a full wheelbarrow (one of many) that I filled today
and dumped for the donkeys & sheep ~
they just love when I weed!!! hahhaha!

close-up of my beautiful wisteria ~
oh the hummingbirds have even visited!!!!!
(I know...I think it's waaaay too early for them too)

....more wisteria growing next to our privy ~

and yet another shot of it climbing along the fence....
I love the purple colors it has & it has me wanting to dye some wool to match!

and here are some tiny little violas...
sweet little volunteers that great us each spring...
I love all kinds of violas ~ from full-blown pansies to tiny johnny-jump-ups, to deep purple violets with their peppery-cloying-scent...

I hope the weather has been nice for you where you are,
I saw on the news this morning that some of you are bracing for some winter-like weather
(what?...what is that?) but I'm sure it won't be visiting you long ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~
and before i go for the evening,

did you see the 'blurb' at the top of the page about the
No Cookin' Just Hookin' club ????

c'mon out & have some fun with us!
:)

blessings from the farm,

Lori

Household Chores...

I don't mind doing daily chores or housework...
in fact, there are those that I favor over others.

I don't necessarily enjoy scrubbing the toidy, tub or sinks...
nor am I doing the happy-dance while I clean the kitty boxes (all three of them)

BUT I don't mind dusting ~that just means I've been cutting wool!

and I don't mind doing the wash...
especially when it means folding & fondling wool!!


i love to stack it, by value into tidy piles like this ~
and carry it back into the shop where I'll display it for you to add to your projects.

Yesterday I washed & dried the neautrals ~
all fluffed up and waiting for your hungry hook!
today I'm onto the reds, blacks, browns & blues....
*oh my*

See that wool above?
the wool in the middle/right? THAT is Rebecca's new Boucle' wool

that is reversible and heavenly ~ I saw it on her table at rug fest last weekend

and she assured me I would be taking some home for my customers...

I can't wait to use it myself...it will make for a perfect hooked sheep or three!!!

I will take a picture of all of it displayed in the shop so you can drool, um...
...I mean see it for yourself...
better yet, c'mon in and see it for yourself!

blessings from the farm,

Lori

you know it's true...

if you'd like to proclaim your loopy-ness,
please be my guest & borrow this little badge for your blog!

:)
blessings from the farm,
Lori

Buttermilk Pitcher chairpad finish ~

Brrrr!!!
it is COLD here this morning!!!
we are not used to cold, since it's been SO unseasonably warm here as-of-late.
I sure hope the cold overnight temps don't kill any of the young & tender blooms that are open on our pear trees, lilacs bushes & wisteria vines...*sigh* ~ such crazy weather....

well, it was warm enough yesterday for me to finish hooking up my little
Buttermilk Pitcher chairpad
while enjoying the warm breeze & sunshine ~

I hooked the background using an almost-blue lavender color...
but of course I had to mix in some brown & indigo repro Civil War era cotton calicos as well...



Then I decided to add a braided wool border in
brown/blue/cheddar
after finishing with twill tape...
even though I tend to work very primitively, I always finish my work neat & tidy.

here is a close-up of the pad, you can see in the pitcher itself I used almost 7 different shades of wool, then added in strips of ripped osnaburg, homespun & cotton calicos...

I like the way this little chairpad looks on my antique chamberpot chair !!!

I enjoyed hooking this up ~ it was a quick hook and was fun to add the different fabrics...
it will be offered as a full-size pattern in my Etsy shop today ~

...yes, it's a little wonky & off-centered,
but so am I !
I guess my work really does reflect that, no? :)))

Next, I'll begin hooking some smaller purses using unique items for handles!!!
(I'm very excited about showing you this, so stay tuned!)

Have a beautifully creative day, my Friends ~

blessings from the farm,
Lori

(((stalker alert)))

(((I believe I'm being stalked.)))
everytime I sit down with my laptop, I get the eerie feeling that I'm being watched.

I am getting nervous about this, as it is happening more & more....



oh! it's only my Suzy ~
impatiently waiting for her lap back....
*whew*
I thought I was in danger....




yikes! umm...maybe I am?
(teehee)

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Pictures of Virginia Rug Fest ~

The Show yesterday was AWESOME!!!!
my thanks to everyone that came out in the rainy weather to see us all ~
...wasn't it a great time? and
ALL. THAT. WOOL!!!!!!!

and

speaking of wool...

I have thee pleasure to announce that I will now be carrying

Rebecca Erb's
wonderful wools here in the shop!
so when you NEED that special touch to your rug or applique piece ~
come on out & see the awesome selection to choose from...
~ I have yards & YARDS of her gorgeous, as-is wools in every color of the rainbow
(I'll be adding pictures of them soon on my sidebar)

so, onto the pictures of the show!!!!

Here I am,
Multi-tasking, as usual...

...talking on the phone & punching ~

(my thanks to Mr. Jack Newman for his photography skills)

here are the HOOKERS!!...


...wall-to-wall elbows flapping, hooks clacking...
scissors snipping & wool-dust-flying!

a great turnout despite the rain...

my little booth was set up in the same room as the rug show...
so I was a happy girl with all of the beautiful rugs around me.

this is my booth, on friday as we were setting up...

I liked having the natural light with the windows behind me...

...just setting up...

and onto the rugs...
each & every one was a work of art...
equally beautiful in their colors & execution...

...the verse on this rug reads:
"Patience is a virtue, posess it if you can,
seldom found in woman, never found in man"

and of course,
my thanks to Miss Joan for helping me friday & saturday,
driving along with me for a total of almost 10 hrs (back and forth),and putting up with me...thank you my sweet Friend!
~~~~~~~~ I am spening the day in my sweatpants, house cleaning and doing chores...
then onto pulling some loops! OH! almost forgot...I'll be listing my new needlepunch patterns and the Honeybee Hooked Chairpad paper pattern in my Etsy shop in just a little while... Have a relaxing Sunday !!! blessings from the farm,Lori

Misty Mountain Morning ~

Yesterday morning found me...
traipsing around my humble farm ~
in my boots and nightgown, camera in hand.

it was such a hauntingly-beautiful & foggy morning that I had to share these with you :

Mr. Bluebird on our fence...

my garden gate...

view's from the shop's garden ~

our woods were filled with what I call 'parachute spider webs'...
I don't know their correct names,
but these industrious little spinners create wondrous works of art overnight,
and on foggy mornings such as this, catch the dew ~

...I try to find the beauty in things, the greys, browns & mossy greens
of my surroundings have inspired me!

...even though it was wet & misty,
it was a beautiful morning!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori

Buttermilk Pitcher chairpad ~

Hello Friends & Folk!

hoping your first day of spring was a pleasant one...
I spent mine outside hooking! woohoo!!!!!

I have been wanting to hook a yellowware-inspired rug
since I posted about my yellowware collection last week...

so here's what i came up with:

I'm using a mix of 4 different colored wools, and three different cotton fabrics ~


...the picture below show the colors more true...

I tend to hook very high...my loops are almost half an inch tall...
do you hook high or low? do you hook as UNevenly as me? hahaa...I like it :))))

I like the way it's coming along, and I think I'll do the background with charcoals & blacks.
I think I'll braid an edge for this one too, but we'll see!

I was talking with my friend Sherry (fromsherrysheart) and she suggested that I offer the honeybee chairpad and perhaps smaller patterns like this as paper or red-dot patterns...
what do you all think about that? I value your input!!!

Today I'll be treasure hunting with my friend Joan ~
hoping to find some goodies for our
Spring Open House on April 14th here at the farm.

maybe I can find another old hook or pair of scissors to add to my collection?

oh, I almost forgot...
the shop will be CLOSED this friday & saturday
I'll be setting up at the VA Rugfest on friday, and vending there on saturday,...

Hoping to see lots of you there!!
(bring your hooking, a drool rag and spending $$)

have a wonderfully creative day my sweet Friends!!!

blessings from the farm,
Lori