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Shane......the "Dye Master"

5/29/2015

Today I brag! I am so proud of my son Shane. He is a blessing in my life. Not only do I admire him as a mother but as his boss, although I consider us more partners in this venture. I’m thrilled that we are propelling our small business forward, excited to discover where this quest takes us!

Lately my chest has been puffed to breaking as his confidence soars. In the past, tricky formulas were a collaboration to achieve a match, but over time he has gained the confidence to accomplish his own interpretations. The other day I beamed with pride when he asked my advice on a spot dyed piece of wool brought in for a match by a hopeful customer.   I told him the darker colour was bottle green which he didn’t agree with. He believed it was blue and as soon as he said it I knew he was right but stuck to my initial assessment to let him prove momma wrong. He has a lot of respect for me and I've amazed him a few times hitting the nail on the head with a tricky formula. It's time he lined his cap with feathers, and let this old hen go bald.

I got the “see, I told you so” as he emerged from the kitchen with a perfect match and I couldn’t have been more happy to be wrong. Not only was the sample he worked from foreign to the shop, it could have been created from any of the three major dye brands. Shane worked his “Majic” and the customer could not tell the difference from the sample she’d supplied and the newly dyed wool. A true testimony for his talent!

Creating a spot dye formula the first time is easy. It starts with thinking "Lets see how these three colours play together".   Some spots are hot sellers while others are slower to move but never is it a mistake. Someone will always be attracted too and see the beauty in a piece of wool. I've always said "No colour is ugly!" But, trying to match a spot dyed wool is another story. When you add the colours to the wool they do what they do...they shine on their own and blend with the other colours to create more dimensions. So you just can't slap colours down when trying to match, you have to know how each colour will react to the ones around it. There is also their intensity to figure in the formula. If one or more of the dyes are too dark and it will steal the show, too light and it will be lost. There has to be a perfect combination of dye powder, water and blendibility between them, even layering on the colours has to be in the right sequence. If any of you have ever tried recreating a piece of wool that you didn't take proper notes on you'll know it's isn't the easiest of tasks.   Being able to scrutinize a piece of wool and put the formula together in your head and then execute it perfectly is a talent. There isn't a fluke or accident in this kind of specialized work, it's an exact science!

Shane's autonomy is a dream I knew would come true. Although I am perfectly happy offering a hand, my goal is to have him totally independent of me. He is the Dye Department, one of the more important aspects of a studio. I’ve always said I had a horseshoe somewhere because I never met a piece of dyed wool I couldn’t match either immediately or with several tries, and it’s good to know the acorn didn’t fall too far from the tree. I fully believe he's going to bester his mom and I couldn't be more pleased.  He has potential that hasn't been tapped yet. Shane is a top quality guy, incredibly smart and has a good eye for detail; it was the confidence to stand alone that needed a small boost but I’d say he’s arrived because he’s been cooking up some pretty amazing wools and making a lot of customers happy.

More and more, they are bringing in wool they purchase from other sources, sometimes eons ago, and after getting around to finishing their projects find they are coming up short. What a horrifying moment when you only need a small piece to finish but your stash falls short. We’ve all been there, it’s devastating to think you have no recourse but to tear is all and start over.   I’ve even frantically gone through the garbage hoping the discarded tails will be enough.

Matching dye baths can vary from day to day even hour to hour so trying to match a wool from years ago can be a task because some of the dye powders have changed in intensity. but Shane is batting 1000, seeing clearly how each colour plays on the wool, the different strengths, the layering and blending to create the desired effect. He’s been hitting it out of the park every time and usually on the first swing. If I maybe so bold, he truly is the “Dye Master”. He is so comfortable playing with colour combinations and techniques that he doesn’t even balk at offering to match a sample. I couldn’t be more proud of my son and I’m thrilled to be able to work alongside him in our studio.    If you have a piece of wool that you need more of, all is not lost. Don’t despair, Shane will make sure you finish that project without having to tear it out and start over.

Shane is in the hospital today having surgery for a hernia, collateral damage from shoveling tons of snow this past winter.   It seems like only yesterday we were up on the roof clearing it to stop the leaking in the shop.   That’s one winter I hope doesn’t repeat itself.

Please send positive thoughts for a speedy recovery so he’s back at his post in the dye kitchen as soon as possible. Momma is spelling him until he’s back full time and then I’ll be schlepping all the pots to the sink for a while until he receives the go ahead to be lifting again.   And....I must say that his work ethic is impeccable.   He stayed late last evening filling all the custom orders so our customers didn't have to wait until he returned to work for their wool.

Even though the kitchen is torn apart the dye master soldiers on!

Some of the custom and matching wools he worked on yesterday.

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Something old, something new and something blue.....

5/27/2015

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First of all, for your convenience,
we have gone back to our old shop hours of
10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday.

Today, we drew and listed 8 new patterns. Five of which were derived from our popular Crocks & Jugs design. We separated the individual crocks and jugs into pillow toppers or chair pads, whatever you like. Each design is 16" x 16". These little rugs would be perfect for the antique enthusiast's home, speaking to the past when these vessels were used.

Crocks & Jugs #2

Crocks & Jugs #3

Crocks & Jugs #4

Crocks & Jugs #5

Crocks & Jugs #6

Here are three new designs adapted from Jane Rowberry paintings. Jane's work is on display and sells at Come By Chance Antiques. We have several of these signature, whimsical dory designs made into patterns. Each pattern is 16" x 16" and make perfect pillows! Such fun!

Santa Float

Stopover

Anchor's Aweigh

Today's blog is about something old, something new and something blue. No...this isn't wedding talk, the old is the shop still looking the same, something new is the eight patterns on our New Designs page and something blue is my mood.

I’ve been trying to spare you and not to rant about the condition of my poor, torn apart shop. In two weeks I’ve seen very little of the crew so the conditions remain the same. At this rate I should just hang rugs on the bare studs and pretend the mess away. If they work this slow, it will look like this next Christmas, when the snow starts falling and the ice damming begins all over again.

We have a major workshop scheduled for the weekend of June 21st so I guess I’ll start burning up the phone lines demanding the work be done. I’m worried I’m being put on the back burner because I’m a woman so I had hubby phone last Friday and sure enough they were out Monday testing the walls for moisture and left a man behind to finish ripping out the kitchen insulation. Next step is to spray to kill any mold and then they can begin to rebuilt. At least that’s the theory. A carpenter was in the shop with his wife today and told me a horror story that I didn’t need to hear. Apparently they are fairly good at ripping out but not great at putting things back together. Crews are working at many sites each day giving little individual attention to any particular one.

They are vague, I’ll give them that and even if they tell you what you want to hear that doesn’t mean they’ll back it up with the work. I won’t lose my cool just yet but don’t treat me like some airhead bimbo because I could manage this project, I know what needs to be done and in what order, stop with the excuses and don’t bullshit me, I didn’t fall off the renovating truck for the mere fact I was the one driving! I know how to do all of this work, use the tools and have my very own tool belt. They need to think of me as a man with breasts.....tell me the truth, back it up with progress and I’ll stay out of the way. If no one comes in by the end of Friday I’ll get on the phone and begin the complain campaign. I’ll work on the premise that the squeaky wheel gets the grease but I don’t want to go so far that they hate the sight of me and make a point to stay away. I try to see the contractors side of things…they are probably worked to death, tired and want to go back home to Ontario but, and there is always a but.....I have a business to run.

Behind this smile is a frantic shop owner, anal about the way things need to look and summer trade is already milling about, we had customers from England and Scotland today and more from Alberta, fascinated with rug hooking and I feel compelled to explain the mess but bite my tongue, hoping I’m the only one that notices it.

It's difficult to see beyond the disarray. This room used to be my hook-in, classroom area. I'm trying to be optimistic but that might be a pipe dream.

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Cutting the cable.....

5/26/2015

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I’ve threatened many times and tomorrow morning I plan to make the call to cancel our Cable TV subscription. I have too big a life to waste the time sitting on my rump watching mindless entertainment that does little to enhance my existence. Actually it causes more stress and tension than not!

We did this once before with paramount success. I was much more prolific in the artistic department, my house was tidier and the gardens in check. Why we turned it back on after a year’s abstinence is a mystery but I recall it had something to do with hubby being away for long periods and I lacked the imagination to keep myself entertained so in a weak moment I had it reconnected.

Its summer now, or so it tries to be, and there is so much to do that if I don’t focus straight ahead without distractions I won’t achieve any of the goals I’ve set. Something had to give and the only place to pare down a few hours in the day was the time spent eating in front of and staring at the screen.   It’s the main reason we stay up too late every night. Right now it is 12:59 and I’m writing instead of brushing my teeth for bed. We ate in front of the TV again and remained there like two lumps of mashed potatoes, for three hours!   Yep, it’s time to get a grip and shut it down, at least for the summer, after that we’ll see.

All the shows we normally follow had their season finales so what’s the point of watching reruns and movies that play over and over. We only have the basic cable so there isn’t anything interesting enough to seduce us into hanging on. Everyone sings Netflix praises so we might give that a shot in the fall if the need arises to go back to the couch potato positions. There are good things to be found on TV such as PBS programming, Nova, The Nature Of Things, documentaries and shows that inform as well as entertain, but they are few and far between and this time of year are mostly repeats. I’m not a repeat kind of gal, once in the noggin it parks and stays so wasting time to watch it the second time, well, no excuse there except pure laziness and avoidance for chores that need doing.

TV is for the lifestyles that don’t come with lists as long as skipping ropes, where the evenings and weekends, after the standard chores of laundry and dishes, are free. TV shouldn’t come with a backwash of stress and guilt. If its mindless entertainment you want, it should be rejoiced because that’s the purpose it was created for. But when it’s abused, watching too late or when other pressing matters are ignored it becomes an elephant in the room.   When it plays havoc with health, like interfering with proper rest and compromising a perky, early morning rise then it’s a problem. For me with elevated blood sugar who doesn’t rely on a pill to regulate the internal goings-on, I have to keep moving so wearing out the sofa cushions isn’t conducive to a happy balance and will shorten my life….I'm much more important than TV, my loved ones and pups would agree!

I came home after work this evening and worked in the garden for a couple of hours and I must say I was much more pleased with myself then how I felt after watching TV for the last three hours of the day.    It feels good to work outside, digging in the dirt, having it get in my sneakers and my mouth, my hair. It was smeared all over my face like a two year old and truly playing in the dirt makes me feel like a kid again. My body might groan a bit but I think, overall, it appreciates a good workout.   Of course after the sun set, gardening wasn’t an option, but I could have gone to the garage to start scraping those wicker chairs to ready them for a new coat of paint. I think I would have felt satisfied crawling into bed after an evening of productivity than chastising myself for wasting three whole hours on TV.

Anyway, time for bed, the dishes didn’t get done because of the preoccupation with television so that lovely chore will be waiting for us in the morning. More collateral damage because there is nothing worse than starting the day off with a dirty slate.   I know it’s our fault, we have control of the controller, but both of us are equally bad, we see a show and have to watch it to the end; staring at the screen like brain dead zombies.   The best way to deal with this kind of weakness is to go cold turkey.   Get the cable company to flip the switch so we can’t backslide. And another perk, we’ll save about $100.00 a month, that’s a yearly total of $1200.00, mad money to treat us with something that will last longer than a few laughs from a flash in the pan sitcom.

I’ve always had a love hate relationship with television. Like a bad date there are more faults than positives and I swear I’ll not turn it on every evening but end up sitting in front of it like a good little soldier.   It sucks me into its vortex and numbs my brain, siphons my energy and wastes what precious time I have left on this planet. Will I miss it? Truthfully, I’ll probably be chomping at the bit by Friday but as long as I don’t have the option to turn it back on I’ll muddle through the withdrawal. Seeing all the work I’ll do will help, the freshly coated wicker chairs on our lovely back deck, overlooking the perfectly weeded gardens. Maybe we’ll start dining outside with real-life nature instead of sitting inside watching it on TV.

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Sunday doesn't mean a day off.....

5/25/2015

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Sunday was beautiful. It started a bit chilly so we made a fire in the wood stove but by mid-afternoon we were opening windows and putting the screens on the doors to let the beginnings of summer breezes flow through the house, a little late in coming but after hail and snowfall again on Saturday in various parts of the province, this promise of better things to come was welcomed.   I washed the car and we puttered in the yard and looking longingly at the water as a sailboat or two drifted by, windswept and exactly where they wanted to be.

Pollen is heavy in the air so hubby is suffering with seasonal allergies and my toe was still aching from having the nail ripped off so we were a good pair. Both of us looked like old farts grunting, bending and getting back up with anything but ease. I stubbed my left thumb fingernail on a rock and tore it back to the skin, what’s with all the ripping and tearing of nails lately! It sure would be nice to live in an apartment without any of these headaches. I could sit on a lounge chair with book or computer, sipping tea and eating seasonal fruit under a big umbrella to shade my delicate skin. Put a little leisure in my life something rare around my house. I wonder if I'd be happy or still find something to whine about?

Sunday is my day off and I had a set goal when I rose. I’m having a wedding shower for my daughter-in-law to be the middle of June and there is a list of improvements needed doing before I host an afternoon bridal tea. You’d think with a list it would be easy to stay on track but as you check off one item you look around and four or five others become glaringly apparent so off I go on another tangent that takes me farther from plan. How did scraping wicker furniture lead to gardening? Weeding was not on the list at all for this weekend but I ended up elbow deep in the warm dirt anyway and I won’t bore you with the bridge to that chore but distractions are everywhere.   There is a heck of a lot of work to yard and house maintenance!

The heavy rains washed dirt into our crushed rock pathways so we had to shovel it on to a strainer on top of the wheelbarrow. Hubby did the digging while I pushed them around so the dirt fell through the holes leaving the rocks clean. If you don’t do this then grass grows in the walkway and I have an aversion to that! I like my grass on the lawn where it belongs but it continually tries to outsmart me. Our drive way and parking area is gradually turning green. Paving it right now isn’t an option so I’m going to have to tackle that soon with a pitchfork to loosen the gravel so I can pull the roots out. I can’t use chemicals because of the dogs, I wouldn’t do that anyway so it’s a manual fight for territory. This was terribly hard labour intensive and physically draining but it sure looks great. I wonder how many more years we’ll be able to do this kind of work.   I can see about twenty years from now the entire yard will be grass and we’ll have to weedwack our way to the car!

We attached the window boxes and as the screws were going in I’m wondering when I’ll find time to visit a nursery and actually fill them. From the road they look pretty empty; the blue paint against the yellow house is yummy! I wonder what degree of tacky would be registered sticking fake flowers in them. No one would know from the road and I’d look like my green thumb was put to good use. Only I would know the difference and as busy as I am these days, maybe I could live with that kind of fakery. It’s cheating but the end goal is to have a bit of colour around the outside of the house and I really don’t want the upkeep of real plants stressing me out. Window boxes look great most of the time but the rain sometimes drives the dirt up against the window and the plants sometimes fuse with the wooden sill so it is constantly washing and cleaning. Beauty = work! Maybe I’ll leave the boxes empty and tell people I’m going for the minimalist look.

When we hung the front screen door, I noticed the two flanking carriage lamps had oxidized again and flaked the black paint pretty badly. Large chips had fallen off so white showed beneath.   You can buy plastic ones but I didn’t have that choice when I bought ours…probably would have opted for the metal ones anyway as I seem to have an aversion to plastic. Unfortunately the black paint only lasts a couple of years before it degrades. Sure I could buy new ones, that don’t need constant maintenance, but the ones we have are perfectly functional so every year I get out the Tremclad metal paint and a sponge brush and give them another coat. You need to scrape off all the loose flakes of paint first, then use a toothbrush to rub away the white oxidized aluminum powder that forms and is the reason the paint won’t stick. Once the surface is prepared then carefully brush on the new paint. I do it while they are on the house so I don’t have to fuss with electric work. They once again look brand new for very little effort and time. Maybe they degrade faster in the salt, sea air so inland this might not happen but it is probably an inexpensive cast aluminum meant to be discarded after a few years of use so the big box store get another sale. The frugal aspect of my personality tries to breathe new life into the inanimate objects I grow attached too, as well as keeping the money in my bank account. It’s faster than driving to the store and doing the electrical work to swap them out.   After the paint dries I get out the vinegar and wash the beveled glass and the lights glean once again. I’ve resuscitated them for fifteen years, that’s a lot of savings and they have plenty of life left in them to cover the next couple of decades.

An exciting moment of the day was finding an old silver, five cent coin from 1911 while digging in the garden.   I looked it up and it’s worth between four to six dollars, don’t quit the day job hubby!   Not a bad investment if you have a few thousand of them. I’ve dug in that patch of soil for years and never spotted it before. In past years, I’ve unearthed blue willow pottery fragments and broken bits of colours glass; it really makes me reflect on the generations of people who lived in our home before us.

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Friday Eye Candy

5/22/2015

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Here are few things that happened in the shop this week! New designs and show and tell!

Here are two new designs by Sue Cunningham to add to her Women of Abundance line. The first one is called "Ab-struction". 14 1/2" x 30 1/2". When you can't see the scales maybe there's an Ab-stuction! The one on the right is called " Balanced Diet" 21" x 28" . Both can be viewed on Sue's webpage http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/sue-cunningham.html

We have a new shipment of Pendleton shirts all washed and ready to go. Come and pick the cream of the crop!

Two new patterns on the website, designed and hooked by Pam Haughm. Forest Babiles and Anonymous. Check the site for details: http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/signature-designs.html

Another beautiful rug hooked by Adena Clark. This pattern is called "Five Star Runner" and comes with either 5 or 3 stars. A hunk of a rug Adena! Great colours!

Finally finished this project....now unto the Mummers. I had plenty of wool to finish and hopefully my technique will improve with this rug. Joannie Moshonas

I poached this off Facebook, I hope Debra Schrang doesn't mind. She is doing a fantastic job on this William Morris Raven pattern and I know everyone will love to see progress as much as I would! Please keep us posted Debra! She started the rug in a workshop with Michelle Micarelli as her teacher. She says it's challenge, but I she is loving it!

Aunt Audrey's Morning Glories all whipped and ready for its post beside her bed! Great design and lovely hooking Audrey!

Beautifully hooked pillows by Linda Ruth Beck for sale at Come By Chance Antiques! See how she used the placket of a sweater or a shirt for the backing. The buttons provide the opening to stuff in the pillow insert! Clever! Check out their FB page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Come-By-Chance-Antiques/560002370773977?fref=ts

Betty Dawson hooked our Iconic Trio for her son who lives in Alberta. What a great taste of home! Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay Three Churches and Lunenburg Harbour. They three patterns are sold as a set or as individuals. Betty also brought in her Lunenburg Schooner to show me. Great job on the rope and sea monsters!

Shane created a new bundle, "Mixed Greens" for the perfect wool salad!

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"Balanced Diet"

5/21/2015

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Hot new design off the drawing table. Another fun pattern in the Sue Cunningham, Women of Abundance line. This one is called "Balanced Diet". She can be viewed on Sue's webpage by clicking this live link: http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/sue-cunningham.html

This big boned gal is balancing on one foot while balancing two large and delicious looking cupcakes. We've all dieted, lost some and gained some usually more of the latter. It is difficult to balance the foods we love that taste great and aren't that good with the foods we're supposed to eat. It's a balancing game!

I sometimes feel the title is as important as the design so for this one the words are scrolled along the bottom, giving a clear meaning to the play on words.

Size: 21" x 28"

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"Konnichiwa", hello!

5/20/2015

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Photo Susan Lord

Any day a bus rolls up and a dozen or more rug hookers get off it, well, that’s an amazing day! The fact that the women aboard have traveled all the way from Japan, well, that’s even more wonderful.

Chizuko, from Tokyo, brought 12 of her students on a Maritimes Tour. Tuesday, their day began at the North American Rug Hooking Museum in Hubbard’s where Chizuko Hayami received a very prestigious Rug Hooking Artist of the Year plaque from Suzanne Conrod. Then they stopped for lunch at the Inlet Café in Mahone Bay before rolling up at our front door for wool dessert!

It was fun to watch the women check out our shop. I asked Chizuko if there were any rug hooking supply studios in Japan and she said no. Some of the ladies didn’t speak English so there was a bit of a communication barrier but together we managed to speak the international language of wool; simple ooohs and aaahs were all that was needed to convey their supply needs.

Joke: How many Japanese rug hookers fit into our pattern room? Answer: All of them!   My heart swelled listening to the excitement over the patterns on the racks. One time three heads were together, literally, the picture proves it, as they exchanged comments about a design.   Often there would be an excited exclamation after uncovering a cute pattern followed by a chorus of many aawwws. The ladies seemed very interested in regional designs and focused on patterns from the county, the Lunenburg buildings and the iconic Mahone Bay Churches were favourites but they enjoyed the whimsical selection as well. We sold several of the Initially Yours patterns after they viewed my almost completed hooked set of the alphabet.

One very enthusiastic rug hooker brought her design of Mahone Bay Churches and harbour front. She had sewn a velvet frame around the beautiful rug that made it picture perfect.   Her sky was done in reverse hooking and the sun also, but with a smaller cut. Thank-you to Chizuko for giving Sue and I a quick lesson on how to create this effect.

I’m sorry, I don’t know everyone’s name, there were too many to keep straight nor would I want to mix anyone up and insult, but Chizuko, who I have met before and is a Facebook friend, was lovely and as always, beautiful.   I wanted to give her a present to thank her for making the shop part of their tour so I put together a small taste of the Atlantic provinces like Salt Water Taffy from Newfoundland, Maple Syrup from Maplewood, NS, Organic Dulse harvested off our coast, a Nova Scotia Tartan Tea Cosy handmade in NS, a glass ball ornament reverse painted through the small hole in the top of our Three Churches, although made in China will be very beautiful to hang on her tree this coming Christmas, a postcard of Mahone Bay’s Three churches and a felted wool Owl Bag to hold her hooking tools.

I hooked “Welcome” in Japanese characters and although I was a bit nervous that I was trusting the internet to translate the word properly, so I asked Chizuko to verify it was correct. At first I'd planned on printing off a banner to tape to the bulkhead but a sleepless night Sunday created a tornado of thoughts and I bolted up in bed like when the light bulb went off. Why not hook it?! So I checked the internet for the characters, selected a piece of red burlap, drew out the design and cut a fist full of white wool strips to start work on it in the shop while the demolition was going on and then finished it that evening before making the doughnuts.   I took the colour plan from the Japanese flag with its red circle representing the sun and white background, I just reversed the colours. It took a bit longer than anticipated pulling the loops through very tight fitting holes but I was immensely pleased with the outcome because I really wanted to show my appreciation for their visit. I felt very special to be selected as part of their tour and wanted them to know it. I’ll hang it in the shop to welcome other tourists from Japan in the summer months.

I think the doughnuts were a hit, especially with the bus driver. Everyone had just eaten at a restaurant so there were quite a few left over but then again I made two large batches because my eyes are always bigger than my stomach and probably my subconscious wanted to make sure there would be enough left over to binge on. I was one a sugar high for the rest of the afternoon!

Thank-you for all the help so our visitors had a flawless time. Thank-you to Deborah for making up a pattern on the fly of the Mahone Bay Churches, Michelle and Deborah for working the sales counter, Hubby for taking pictures, Sue for helping out as always, and Charlene, who knows Chizuko popped in to say hello.

As for the remaining doughnuts, not a problem, Hubby and I delivered a few to friends on the way home. Everyone knows about my doughnuts so there were smiles and the very last two were absconded by hubby and hidden somewhere in his office so they were out of sight of my craving. I’d eaten way too many so my blood sugar took a hit, but I’ll recover, I don’t do this often! For me, I’m eating a memory of my grandmother. They take me back to when I was a child visiting for the summer. Her house always smelled of doughnuts and I would sneak them out of her pantry by crawling under the beaded curtain on my belly to get to the tin. She never said a word when they disappeared, just hauled out the ingredients to make more.   If I wasn’t so immersed in rug hooking, I’ll hang a sign and open a café called Nana B’s Doughnuts so the rest of the world could know what a real, honest to goodness, home baked cake doughnut tastes like, not those franchised powdered mixes that you had water too, those greasy, overpriced edible oil products, that a housefly won’t land on….but I’d weigh a hundred pounds heavier and be on insulin so I think I’ll stay where I am!   Sweet stuff is nice, but wool doesn’t rot your teeth!

So the day was wonderful. It started early with a good cleaning and rearranging the shop to make it look smart. With the reno going on the one side of the building is pretty ugly with its exposed bare studs and there was gyprock dust everywhere, covering every surface with a white powered grit. We positioned eye catching supplies to detract from the unfinished walls. I don’t think anyone really noticed and if they did, they probably didn’t care so my fretting was for my benefit, the old fuss budget I am.

Hubby shot pictures throughout the visit so I had plenty to go through. Here are some of the favourites.

Below are two pieces of Chizuko's large body of work. In her case, these pictures are definitely worth a thousand words!

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Sunday pickers.....doughnuts.....yummmmm!

5/18/2015

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The pickers are out! Our spring cleanup has them out in droves, or to be exact, trucks and cars. Even after dark silhouettes beneath the street lamp moved about the piles of debris digging for a treasure among the trash.   One load taken to the road was gone by the time I made it down with the second run. That fast a car swooped in and claimed a broken power washer, not the entire machine, just the hose. Like mosquitoes they find you, come out of nowhere to pick the bones of the refuse along the road. They are feverish and high from the hunt. An interesting phenomenon.....that I can probably acquaint to digging around the wool bins at Frenchies.

Sunday was a day of rest. Sleeping late and having breakfast in the early afternoon. It’s nice being a grownup, making up new rules as you go along. Later in the afternoon we visited the shop to haul junk to the road but Shane had already done the deed so we drove around town looking at everyone elses piles. I was struck with the lack of good stuff thrown away. I remember when one persons’ junk was another person's treasure but now it looks like junk all around. Maybe the pickers were out and already harvested the good stuff because to my trained eye, none of it was worth hauling home.

This coming week is a busy one. More tearing out at the shop, a different crew this time. I hope they are more productive than the last two. They said the job was bigger than anticipated and needed more help and special staging along the staircase. They deserted like rats from a sinking ship and left the mess for the entire rest of the week. A new guy came by to assess the job and said he would be taking over and seemed genuinely concerned about the current state of things to run my business in. Up until then the crews moved like cold molasses uphill, really, I could move faster with a blindfold and one hand tied behind my back.   I’m a sheman, I’ve gutted houses before. Give me a sledge hammer and I’ll break up the gyprock and stuff it into plastic bags and schlep it out to the truck. I could do that wall in half a morning and not break a fingernail! I even had the heat pump removed so they didn’t have to be careful working around that area. Git er done I say, or I’ll strap on my tool belt and show those girlie men what a hard day’s labour looks like!

One day they arrived at 9:30, stopped work at 10:30 for a ½ hour break and then left at 12:30. The only one that broke a sweat was me out of shear frustration. The excuse? They said they needed staging for around the staircase area. I said there are plenty of other areas to strip, and they could have done as high as they could reach on the stairwell. They could have started on the kitchen or the bathroom, downstairs around the side window, but no, they left to work at another job. If this is the trend, my shop won’t be ripped out and put back together before Christmas.   I’m more than pissed. The bare walls are exposed making the shop smell like an old barn. My olfactory sense is acutely developed and if my customers sniff half of what I smell, it can’t be good.

I want this mess cleaned up. We have a van load of rug hookers from Japan arriving on Tuesday and without an upstairs to sit and relax, enjoy refreshments, we’ll be crowded downstairs. I’m sure that’s not a great hardship but it would be nice to show off the shop the way it normally shines. Of course, it will probably only bother me so maybe for a distraction I’ll make my homemade doughnuts to help cover the warts on the left side of the store! My grandma’s secret recipe is hypnotic, smells like heaven with sugar on top, and after a quick little warming in the stove the delicious aroma will permeate the shop and no one will even care about exposed beams and ungyprocked walls. After stuffing a few of these deep-fried circles of perfection into my greedy mouth, I’ll be blind to the surroundings like everyone else. We definitely won’t need an interpreter to explain the international aroma and taste of my grandma’s doughnuts.   I'll make several dozen so if you're in the area, come on by and taste the wares!

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Local Celebrity.....

5/14/2015

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Sunday was Hubby’s first full day home and although we had a long list of chores we played hooky for a bit of fun.

We decided to drive to the Maplewood Maple Syrup farm outside of Barss Corner. It was pretty warm and a bit sticky so we drove with the windows down and I lamented a bit that these temperatures were too high too soon, especially when having to sleep with the heat pump on cool air the night before, but all in all it was a nice drive.

We arrived at the farm and we’re immediately disappointed to find the owners are away. The website said they were open 24 hours so I never thought to phone. We noticed a display case that had a money box and various sizes of maple syrup priced to sell. There was a camera asking you to smile while it watched over the honour system of help yourself and pay. I was after Maple butter so it was quite disappointing but because we were there we picked up a few bottles of syrup. I must say I felt a bit creepy putting money in the jar and taking product. I wondered how that would work at my shop, leave money and take wool?   Then the logical part of my brain started running scenarios. What if someone came after us and took our money out while helping themselves to free syrup and we were the only ones that could be identified as locals. If I was young and innocent, thrusting the world might seem reasonable, but after having my shop picked over by clever cleptos, the entire process made me queasy. I paid for my syrup but somehow I felt dishonest as we drove away.

We drove home the Bridgewater way and passed the Turkey Burger Restaurant halfway there. The parking lot was jammed but we decided to chance getting a table. The building was extensively renovated since the last time we were there so I didn’t recognize the place with it’s open concept, brightly painted interior. They were offering a mother’s day special and the place was booming with early diners and chatter. At first glance it was a discouraging full house but a couple at a table motioned to us that they were leaving so we slid into the booth and placed our order.   Gregg went with the signature hot turkey sandwich, that they are famous for if the name didn’t give it away, and I had the Moyle Burger. I’m not eating anything white these days so bread is off my list so I removed the bun and ate the double patty with a knife and fork. It was delicious and we were both stuffed and about ready to leave when the door opened and in walked a bizarre looking hat on top of a small sized older gent that beamed from ear to ear under his wacky chapeau. It was apparent that most folks knew him because he started engaging with people at their tables.

When the owner came by with our check he told me that the burger I ordered was named after this fellow, Moyle Dauphinee. He said the guy was a local celebrity and one of the nicest fellows you could ever meet. He was wearing an orange hardhat with long feathers stuck in both sides. He seemed like a character so we asked if I could take his picture and he was more than happy to oblige. His arm quickly fastened around my waist as he moved in for his cameo.

I found him a bit difficult to understand, the restaurant was loud and he mumbled a bit without the use of front teeth to enunciate properly, but a few words got through. He said he is a regular on CKBW morning radio and I found out later that he does local birthday announcements.

Then he whipped out a business card and pointed to a woman's picture and asked if I knew who this person was. It was Suzanne Lohnes Croft, MLA and on the back was written July 10th and he told us that was her birthday. Suzanne and I are bay girls, we attended the same school and were in the same grade. It was apparent that the card was in his pocket for some time, was dog eared and a bit grungy and faded, but I could still make out Suzanne’s beautiful smile. I’m still not sure of the significance of his showing it to me…..but I did notice later that she was on his fan club Facebook page when I checked the guy out. Maybe he had a little crush or maybe it was one local celebrity name dropping another?

When we paid for our meal the owner filled in some blanks. Before Moyle retired, he directed traffic and while working he found a feather and stuck it in his hardhat. One feather lead to another until he had a full headdress. That started the ball rolling and then people were driving up to him with feathers to add to his collection. He became well known for his hard hat and it went viral from there. Now he has a fan club with 668 followers that friends manage for him. He told us that he doesn’t personally own a computer but relies on friends to share with him.

One of his lady friends dyed his hair red so he has a flaming plume in a brush cut style. Apparently he has many lady friends or maybe friends that are ladies, either way, that tidbit came across loud and clear.   There is a video on the internet where he is doing the light fantastic with several gals in front of an outdoor stage at a Riverfest concert. Moyle is rocking like a man half his age. Go Moyle!

You could tell he has a heart of gold and is as jolly as old Santa himself, loving life and all the attention bestowed on him. He attends the local parades and has many well wishers. He’s a frequent visitor to the Turkey Burger restaurant that named a burger after him. When mine was served there was a blue feather stuck in the center of the bun and I thought it a strange garnish instead of the normal toothpick but I found out it’s done in Moyle’s honour. They call him a local celebrity and his fame fans far and wide.     If you like, check out Moyle's Facebook page   https://www.facebook.com/groups/2381264315/

If good food is what you are after, check out the Turkey Burger Restaurant.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Turkey-Burger-Restaurant/299517556726894?fref=ts
1671 Hwy 10, Bridgewater, NS   902-530-0003

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And so it begins.......

5/13/2015

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I hope all you mother’s in parent land had a great day with the kids on Sunday. Shane presented me with a lovely bouquet from Seaside Flowers, blue hydrangeas and a rose like flower I don’t know the name off, offset by other lovely cream companions. I have to say I’m not much of a flower aficionado, but you don’t have to know all the names to appreciate their beauty. Flowers are always the right choice for me. I want plenty in my lifetime, not hoarded up until my funeral, I won’t get to enjoy them! Flowers are my drug, my cigarette, my glass of wine, a feel good addiction.   And as for the card….it was beautiful, written as if Hallmark asked Shane what to say, it caused a bit of tearing up.

Yesterday contractors began the long and arduous task of repairing the damage caused by the ice damming after an above average winter of snowfall. At first there was a glimmer of hope when they tested the wall with the moisture meter and it came back clean. Talk of test holes to check what was happening behind the vapour barrier suggested a glimmer of hope which would only require repairs to the gyprock, a light skim coat and new paint. I crossed my fingers, toes, and my legs and waited with baited breath for the result.

I should have known better. My life is intimately connected to Murphy, Mr. Murphy’s Law that is. He’s been a black sheep, back stabbing, son of a B, pain in our collective arse. Everything we ever do comes hard, always works out in the end, but is never the short cut version one would hope for. We are always on the long, twisted, winding route with one way streets and no place for a U turn. Not only was the insulation moist, it was like wringing out a towel that fell into a bathtub so the worst case scenario verdict, the northeast wall is coming down!   Not only the upstairs area but from ceiling to the downstairs floor. That means Shane’s kitchen, the laundry room, the storage closet under the stairs and the front window facing the downtown area all has to be stripped bare. Woe is me!

Hubby and I spent a couple of hours preparing the site, moving furniture and removing switch plates and anything in the way. We had to reorganize the shop, everything from the left had to be moved to the right so the shop can function at full capacity.   We might be a lot more crammed but hey, it looks like we’re stocked to the ceiling, not a bad first impression walking through the door. Just keep your head facing straight so the horror on the left doesn’t put you off lunch!

Of course right now the downstairs still looks fabulous but by the end of the day, all the gyprock will be gone and insulation bagged and hauled away so that the bare studs and boards will be seen, probably wet and dark, oh joy!

The very saddest part of all this is our beautiful building was newly renovated in 2007. Everything is new, we gutted her and there is only one old board left in the place which hangs in the shop as the trophy for all our hard work. All that new construction having to be redone is very disheartening, but I must inject that because we're not doing the work this time it’s a distinct advantage. This time I get to watch others do the work, young strapping lads built for manual labour instead of us old farts with creaking bodies.

You know me and my attachment to inanimate objects….I love my shop so it’s difficult to watch her go through this raping.   Ah well, it will be pristine again, hopefully sooner than later and I’ll try not to whine too much in the interim but expect a few bits here and there.   The upside, shifting my front pattern desk out of the way has given me an idea for how to rearrange things in the front of the store so I'm pretty stoked about that.

I’m not happy about all the interruptions and mess but at least its pre-tourist boom and hopefully they finish before that begins. The disarray will be kept at a minimum from hanging orange tarps that cast an eerie amber glow over the upstairs and they bag up the debris immediately and keep the vacuum going full hilt. They created a path to the front door and laid down blankets to protect the floor.   I‘m working in my office right now and there doesn’t seem to be any more dust than usual. I’m not overly happy with the chemical they sprayed the wall with to kill any potential mold that might have started spreading its evil tentacles. My face is burning red and I have a fan blowing across my head chilling me into goose flesh but I’ll survive. Tomorrow I’ll bring my mask!

As always my personal life is chaotic, which I refer to lovingly as a “daily shit storm”. I might be a bit crass, but no other words best describe it. There is always something happening. I long for an ordinary day, a simple rise and shine, eat three meals, go to work and home and then a bit of TV and off to bed! Last evening we ate dinner at 11:00 pm because our day kept pushing the limit on our time. I have to be at the shop at 8:30 am this morning and every morning until the reno is done. That’s usually the time I rise! Now I have to try to get to bed early so I’m not a zombie in the morning.   They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and although Christopher Hitchens in his last published book, "Mortality" before his death in 2011, dispelled this over-used statement, I do look forward to starting my day earlier and and ending them with fewer late nights.

The other downside, we won't be having any hook-ins until things are put back together. Sorry gals!

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Happy Mother's Day!!!

5/10/2015

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Eye Candy Friday

5/8/2015

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It's been a busy week! These are some of the photos that went around the shop this week, the hook-in Wednesday evening and wool that came out of the dye kitchen.

Shane dyed a new cradle full of abrashed yarn

Shane spent the week coming up with new ways to dye wool and inventing new formulas. He also, per customer request, custom dyed colours to match samples. Below are three new values. Cantaloupe, Honey Dew and Dragon Fruit.

Shane was busy tying up our Nautical Bundles....they sail right out the door!

Visitors from Massachusetts, Diana Deroche and Ann Garrity....rug hookers playing hooky from Rug School to visit the shop. It's is difficult to see but Ann painted the boat in the Blue Rocks pattern. Very clever!

Linda Ruth loves dogs and likes to hook them as well. she sewed plaid around this sweet little pup to make a large pillow. Audrey is whipping her Morning Glories. We'll have the pattern soon!

Lorraine's specificity is hooking family scenes and here is another winner. Couldn't you just jump in the water and swim out to the raft!

Anne's finished Alice, all whipped and ready to take its place in her living room. I see three hands holding the rug, no wonder she can hooker faster than the average bear!

This pattern is called Spring Garden, and while fixing up my Signature Designs page I realized this one was never posted on the site. I designed this rug for Jean Morse and she did a great job hooking the paisley style leaf and stylized tulips with a scalloped border.

Sue starting a new project, the small version of Sailor's Lure and Pam closing in on the finish of her Joan Foster pattern.

Charlene dropped in on her way home from Rug School She took the Tessellations class and designs this wonderful pinwheel pattern. She also did a smaller version of her birds we featured before. Charlene is very clever!

Marta working on the background of her Initially Yours M and Anne below, starting a new project after finished her Alice.

I finished my Initially Yours letter H. At first I wasn't keen on the black and gold but it grew on me and now sits at the top of the list for favourites! Thhere are only 5 more to do! To view them all together click this link and scroll down the page. http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/new-designs.html

Deborah working on "Lesley", a Jacobean pattern I designs for Lesley Marshal. The two tree bases begin in opposite corners and the branches meet at the large flower in the center.

What a fabulous job on our pattern "Heart Of The Mat-ter" by our Scottish friend and rug hooker, Brigitte Webb! Love it!

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A tip for hanging rugs with curves.....

5/7/2015

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Today's blog is short and sweet. How to hang a half moon or round rug. I've tried other solutions but this works well and there isn't any sewing involved!

The best way I've found to hang rugs, square or otherwise, and what we use in the shop to display our hooked pieces, is by using carpet strips. These are the strips of wood that grip and hold a broadloom against the wall. Hardware stores sell them and most carpets stores would as well.

They come with short sharp nails that point upward at an angle that grab the rug and hold it tight. There are nails in the back to pound into the wall and if you have nice straight walls with new gyprock they can be used as is, but if you have old plaster walls the wood strip is rigid so nails won't hold on an uneven surface and the strip will spring off on one side. To fix this, you can take out the nails meant to be pounded into the wall and replace them with gyprock screws.

If using the nails to secure the strip to the wall, tap them in evenly by going back and forth the strip until they are all in the wall.

When hanging a half moon or round style rug you will need to use more than one carpet strip. A smaller one on the top where the curve of the rug is and a larger one at the base or if it is round somewhere in the middle.   If round, you can always position a third piece closer to the bottom curve.   Of course hanging square or rectangle rugs you only need to apply one strip to the top area unless the rug is large and weighty, then you should position one in the center to help support the weight.

These nails will not harm your rug but I do suggest positioning the hooked area on them, not the rug binding as it will pick it. Be careful removing the rug. Lift it upward so those nails don't grab on the loop backs and pull out wool. Of course if that happens you just hook it back in.

This technique will hold the rug beautifully and keep it from pealing off. Carpet strips are great in that you can take the rug down quickly to give it a shake to remove dust or show it off to your friends and then just as quickly, slap it back on the wall.

A small warning, handling these strips is like holding a porcupine so take care when attaching them to the wall.

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Stained Glass Triptych

5/6/2015

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By Guest Blogger Charlene Scott

The Butterfly dyeing technique was used to create this fabulous piece of wool for Charlene's round stained glass rug. You can see how she cuts the strips and tapes them to hook each one in sequence to create the look of the staining in the glass.

Picture of the rugs hanging at Rug School.

I have finally finished my stained glass triptych.   The series is called Joan's Windows #1 Octagon, Joan's Windows #2 Scalloped, Joan's Windows #3 Round.

These designs are based on sketches found in my aunt's personal papers. My aunt, The Reverend Joan Short of St. John's NL, died about eight years ago and it was my duty to clear out her house. These three sketches were all I kept when I found them filed with her old sermons and papers pertaining to her ministries. My aunt was one of the first women to be ordained into the United Church at the age of 65 and she then worked for at least 10 years as a United Church minister in several areas of Newfoundland, at one time being responsible for 4 parishes. She would visit three every Sunday so every parish would miss their turn every 4th Sunday. I believe she also kept an active role on the board for Bury Heights United Church Camp on the Salmonier Line up until she died.

I kept the sketches for about three years before I felt confident in being able to translate them to individual hooked rugs. The sketches had no information on them.   They may have come out of a book I do not know, however if any one else knows please let me know.

I modified the sketches slightly and then enlarged them. They are all approximately 24" across. They are mostly hooked in #3 and #4 cut on linen. The wools used were a combination of wool dyed by myself, Michele Micarelli (the vibrant green and others) and Encompassing Designs (fabulous purple by Shane). My colour inspiration was from looking at photos of old stained glass windows on the Internet. I was struck by how saturated and intense the colours are in the old windows.

The advice and hooking directions were taught by Michele Micarelli at Rug School 2014. I was one year from start to finish hooking the three rugs with time out for one other small rug and getting in some knitting as well. For anyone who has done stained glass hooking, you know that the cutting out of the wool and taping the strands together takes up as much time as the actual hooking.   I am very glad to be finished at last.

My husband made frames for them and I have stretched them around the frames. They are currently at rug school and are on display with all the other fabulous rugs for the week. I would like to hang them for a year or so and pretend they are real windows. I have retained all the linen on the edges and will eventually remove them from the frames and whip and finish them.

Hope you all enjoy them as I do.
Cheers Charlene

What a fabulous job Charlene! These rugs are nothing short of breathtaking! They look and feel exactly like stained glass windows! Now that Charlene has completed her triptych we have permission to list the patterns for sale. You can view them on the website by clicking the link. http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/signature-designs.html

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Bridal Showers

5/5/2015

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I’m discovering a new frontier. Heading into territory I’ve not been in before. I’m talking about “The wedding”.

Sure I’ve been married twice but neither of my nuptials amounted to more than standing in front of a man of the cloth to say "I Do" and go home. The first time around I was pregnant, young and stupid, the second time we rushed to marry and then hubby left for the Marblehead yacht race and spent his honeymoon with a bunch of sweaty sailors. I’m not complaining, I got the ring on my finger and the right to use his last name....fair trade in my book!

Sadly, my mom passed away shortly after we wed so the plan for a reception died with her. Nothing takes the fun out of an event like mourning. It would have been difficult to smile and celebrate so close to her passing so I cancelled it with no regrets. To me it was disrespectful to not allow enough time to grieve properly and then later on it didn’t seem to matter. Some said she would be happy for me and want me to celebrate marrying such a wonderful man but I couldn’t scrape together enough reasons to go ahead with it.   She was gone, life sucked, what was the sense of it all?

I didn't start feeling cheated until years later and the plan is to someday have a big splash on one of our anniversaries but I’ve been saying that for years and yet another one will soon roll by without plans. Life keeps getting in the way. Maybe the fantasy in my head would bester the actual event, maybe some dreams don't need to come to fruition. And besides, a soiree like this would take time to plan and I seem short of that. Yes, let's blame time, the greatest scapegoat in the world. The dream lingers in back of my mind....maybe some day….

The point I’m trying to make. I’ve never had the pomp and circumstance of life’s more commonly celebrated moments. I’ve never had a shower of any kind, not a wedding or baby and in my case that would have been one of the same. I’ve never even had a birthday party growing up and I lamented that fact for years until the hook-in gals surprised me with one on my 50th to shut me up. Up until that point I guess no one liked me enough to make the effort....

I’m more of the throwing type than the receiving type anyway, I like to do things for others, it’s safer that way. I’m not good with being showered with anything really, the shyness sets in and I get a churning in my tummy and don’t feel especially happy when I’m in the spotlight. In my dreams though, I’m the bell of the ball and I’m opening presents and eating cake and thriving on the attention, funny how the two facets of me, the shy introvert and the daydreamer never merge or meet half way. Really, if you want to see me blush and act like a dork, give me a present to open.

So my son is getting married in August and as the mother of the groom some obligations fall on me, besides the tradition of wear beige and keep quiet. At first it seemed like work but as my head circumnavigated the entire process it started to stir old desires and now I’m actually excited. Really what girl hasn’t dreamed of a wedding with all the bells and whistles? I did a bit of it when I was knee high to a grasshopper and although it’s now too late for me, because duh, I’m already married and pray this is the one that sticks, I can experience the joy of all the hoopla though my son’s wife to be.

Maybe the fluff is what excites me most. The opportunity to dust off the good China, polish the flatware, adorn the house with flowers, pretty napkins and decorations. I do love a good crustless egg salad sandwich, little finger foods, deviled eggs and sliced fruit arrangements, be still my heart. I have loads of silver trays and beautiful crystal serving dishes that haven’t seen the light of day for decades. Polishing silver is almost orgasmic for a crow like me, why I might not be able to sleep tonight from fantasizing about it! And China tea pots and tea cups....I swear I was meant for a palace!

I ordered the invitations tonight. I could have purchased an over the counter, hand written type but I’m optimistic that I’m only going to do this once so I had them printed. Foil embossing, pearl paper, fancy and frivolous.    I put in a request for a cake from Angela’s Delectable Delights.   I can’t say too much as I want it to be a surprise, but it will be a tea party theme and there won’t be anything mad about it…..very civilized indeed.

Other than the food preparation, I don’t really have a clue what to do next but I’ll Google it for ideas and make the rest up as I go along. You could get lost in the details and protocols. No wonder people hire a wedding planner because it’s insane what needs to be done. Except for the "I Do" part, I’m almost a wedding virgin, I’ve only ever been to one bridal shower in my lifetime and it’s a faded memory.   I believe we played games, the bride-to-be was forced to wear a paper plate hat with bows stuck to it, funny how that one part of the day stands out, but I think we can avoid that. Maybe a tiara is more befitting the bride-to-be. That’s the way I’d fly.

P. S. If anyone knows a fun, non-degrading game to play at a bridal shower I'm all ears.

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This little piggy cried wee wee wee....

5/4/2015

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Last week was one heck of a week in the life of me. I wore many hats, carpenter, painter, cleaner, chief cook and bottle washer, shop owner, rug hooker and mom to four pups. It was an adrenalin ride and I’m not so sure I’m happy it’s over but the universe intervened and forced me to slow down. Nothing short of an injury could stop me so what did I do? I accidentally ripped off the baby toenail on my left foot. Literally ripped it off!!! I was pulling on my jeans when a loose thread caught the toe and that was all she wrote. It hurt like the dickens and I’ve been limping ever since. I’ve been bathing it in hydrogen peroxide to keep infection at bay and walk around in sock feet for ventilation. I don’t want to wear shoes that would keep it in the dark, hot and moist. I need it to heal quickly. I’ll survive, I’ve had worse. I sat on a rusty nail once while shingling a cape house roof and landed in the hospital for three days while infection ran rampant. What a lovely little crunching sound it made as it ripped through my flesh to the bone. The doctor drew a circle around the puncture and said if the redness exceeds the line to let him know and if course it did so off to the hospital I go. Everyone had a wonderful laugh at my expense, especially the doctor, heard roaring down the hall to my room. It’s always nice to be the butt of everyone’s joke!

I spent Sunday watching old movies and keeping my foot elevated, in between several replenishing naps. I haven’t heard or thought of Andy Hardy for years and there he was chasing the pretty girls again. I wonder if he's still around?

Yesterday the weather was exceptional so the pups and I played ball on the front lawn, the first time since last fall. I didn’t move much with my foot; they do all the work anyway chasing and fetching the ball and returning it to me. The snow is now gone in the lower field and it was a bit soggy but the pups didn’t care and I was knee deep in rubber boots.

My computer died Saturday night. I’ve been having problems with it for a few weeks and didn’t spare the time to get it fixed. All I get is a black screen with my cursor dancing across it. I hope they can fix it with my files intact as I’ve several chapters of the ABC’s Of Rug Hooking Book on there and of course didn’t do a backup! I took it to Bridgewater this morning and my fingers, legs and eyes are crossed for a happy ending. Hubby has a home computer so I don’t have to go into serious withdrawal but I like the keyboard on mine because I can type a mile a minute. They said they would run diagnostics overnight and let me know the problem in the morning. I don’t know what hurt the most, ripping off that baby toenail or losing the use of my computer.

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The job is finished!

5/1/2015

2 Comments

Larry cleaning. Everything was gross. The blinds were fuzzy, thick with baked on dirt.
He cleaned every nook and cranny!

I am physically drained but surprisingly happy. We cut it close with the reno, we cleaned our last speck of dirt about a half hour before the moving truck arrived at 6:00 pm with the new tenants furniture.   I was licking my thumb to erase a few last smudges as I went down the steps.   The new guy seems happy with all the upgrades, new facets, shower, washer and dryer, lights, blinds and gallons of paint. There were some things we ran out of time to do. I painted the white risers but didn’t get the treads done and the hall floor needed a coat of Varathane. He’s going to let me in sometime in the next couple of weeks to do those jobs while he’s away. The floor wouldn’t have cured that quickly and the movers would have scuffed it up anyway so it was best to wait. That’ll give my poor knees time to heal.

I feel like I’m at the Oscars. I need to thank Larry The Cleaning Guy, he really came through for me in my hour of need.   It took over nine hours to dung the place out Wednesday and he came back again Thursday for an hour and a half before heading to his next job. Bless that man!

I want to thank Peter the plumber/electrician. He went well beyond his responsibilities to help. Actually, I’m thinking about adopting him. He was installing and even helped with the cleanup. The washer and dryer weren’t easy to level and place. Those front loaders are heavy and the area was a tight fit to slide them into. There was a lot of sweat on the brow and we all cussed.

Of course I need to thank my son. Shane was painting as fast as I could set the nails, hole fill, sand and prime.   What a team effort. Sometimes there were three of us in the bathroom, a tight fit but all doing what was necessary to get the job done. Thanks also to Luke Acker, the carpenter who did the construction for the new room. Although we had a fright when he didn't show in the morning to finish the woodwork. He showed up late and that made it tough because we had to start all over again with the hole filling and priming after we had three quarters of that job done and then there was more mess from the wood cutting. It would have been nice to do it all at once and then it wouldn’t have been so hectic that last day but all’s well that ends well.   The place looks fabulous and I have the rent cheque in my hot little hand!

My hands and nails look like crap and if I really cared I’d have a manicure but it’s all a part of being a hard working gal and besides, a bucket of hand cream will go a long way. The paint will wash away after a couple of times in the dishpan. My skin is too sore to rub hard to get the paint off so I’ll shed it naturally with time. I heard the youngins groaning and moaning as they got down on their knees and tried to get back up and I’m 56 with a bad knee and moved like a sprite. It was physically taxing though, a lot of up and down on the knees, bending and reaching on a ladder and up and down those infernal stairs a hundred times a day. I want to move into this building when we retire, the staircase is the draw, opening up the two floors to show the best architectural feature of the building is a dream of mine.

There were a lot of little crappy jobs and we sometimes worked in tight spots but really, it had to be done and winners do jobs that losers won’t do, that’s one of my favourite mantras. Larry couldn’t clean the bathroom because we were always in it so I left that to the end of the day and I had my hand in the toilet that hadn’t been cleaned in a bit, well, maybe I should stop there.

I hate to admit it, I like this kind of work and wouldn’t mind doing it in a less stressful situation but I’m here to refute the load of malarkey on those TV shows that claim do it all in one day. Crap I say. Humanly impossible! Even with a hundred people working you’d get in each others way so that wouldn’t speed the process. That’s a reality TV fantasy.

When I got home last evening I should have crashed on the sofa after the pace we put in all day but I was rearing to go and had to force myself to relax. If I had paint ready to roll I might have started freshening up the kitchen. I felt pumped and I’m happy with this tempo. The best outcome of this week of though all the craziness is that it knocked my blood sugar scores to normal. They say moving keeps them regulated and I'm proof it works.   I’m very happy about that little surprise!

So tomorrow I am back to my real job. I went into the shop on the way home to ring off the register for the end of the month and I had a look around with a fresh from the job critical eye. There are some sad spots that need paint and I’m thinking I should pick away at it a bit each evening after closing time, Shane said he would help as well as his dye kitchen is speckled with every colour of the rainbow from madly stirring the dye pots. We’re like witches at their cauldron and don’t worry about splashing. A half hour here and there would work wonders to brighten the place up a little. If the weather ever warms the front of the building needs a refresher too.   There is never a shortage of projects .

The damage from the roof ice and water leaking inside is being fixed shortly so there will be trades people crawling around the shop, luckily it is all around the stair area so we can hang sheets to keep the wool from getting dusty. Guess I’ll get a reno fix when that’s going on. The smell of paint wafting the air......sweet perfume.

Peter our plumber/electrician installing the shower door. Look's like Shane is doing a happy dance?

Shane is the best painter you could ever meet. Better than any professional! But then again he's good at everything and he's for hire!

Bathroom entrance from the bedroom. The door will arrive today or Monday for installation.

This is the kitchen two hours before the tenant arrived to move in. We were flying!

The shiny new bathroom, laundry.

I donated a wool carpet to cover the ugliness of the floor.
The tenant said he liked it so everyone's happy!

Kitchen, clean at last!

Hallway with a great place for an office in this little alcove.

Such a bright living room!

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