Encompassing Designs
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Kits
    • Patterns >
      • Christine Little >
        • Signature Designs
        • New Designs
        • Seasonal Designs
      • Deborah Sweet
      • Susan Leslie
      • Patricia Perry
      • William Morris
    • Supplies >
      • Backings
      • Frames
      • Hooks
      • Books
      • Extra
    • Wool >
      • Abrashed
      • Custom Dyeing
      • Dyed Bundles
      • Dyed Curly Mohair
      • Dyed Spots
      • Dyed Values
      • Dyed Yarn
      • Jacquard Dice Dyes
      • Natural & Colours
      • Plaids & Textures
      • Dye Books & Swatches
  • Ordering
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us

Heather Gordon

12/31/2012

3 Comments

 
Picture
Although the plan was to stay inside by the fire and hook on Sunday, I remembered it was Heather Gordon's annual open house, mentioned it to hubby and he said "Well, let's go!" Typically I would have groaned and opted to stay inside on such a miserable day but hubby shoveled out the car while I shed my jammies and we hit the road.       

Heather has a beautiful house that inspires comfort.  The original cape style was built in 1760 and then additions were put on either end, making for quite a large dwelling.  Heather is no stranger to renovating, making this her third project and by far the most extensive overhaul.  She'd previously completed two full renovations in Mahone Bay; stepping stones to this current home outside of Lunenburg that spoke to her when she began searching for a new project. Actually, it was probably screaming at her…help, help!  I saw the place before her carpenters started work and being very familiar with renovating myself, I could see the potential as she talked me through her vision, but really, most would have run crying from that broken-down state of affairs.   You would never know today that this beautiful home had been  so sadly neglected and in desperate need of repair.  
 
Heather's is certainly brave to take on such extensive renovations, because I’m not talking about taking out a few carpets and changing out the cupboards.  She had them gutted to the bone and then built back up so you would never guess they weren't always captivating.  Her  current home is very cozy with its inviting fireplace, in-floor heating and room after room of architectural character and personal touches. 
 
Heather’s home is the perfect backdrop for her fiber art.  She has an enviable, spacious studio on the second floor with  a large dye sink and cupboards lining the walls that hold an eye popping 
stash of wool all colour coordinated and ready to be called to service.  She loves to work in her sunny studio and look out over the panoramic vista of the Lunenburg harbour entrance.  
 
Heather began rug hooking in 1976 when she took a class with Ontario’s Jeanne Field, of whom she refers to as a “wonderful, wonderful rug hooking teacher”.  Unfortunately, life got in the way so she packed it all up for another time and in 2002, she retired to Mahone Bay and settled into small town life.  She didn’t know anyone in the area and rediscovering her love of rug hooking opened doors and developed friendships, providing a very rich social life and creative outlet.  

Heather is currently the Director of the South Shore Region of the Nova Scotia Rug Guild, and is an accredited rug hooking teacher of the Newfoundland & Labrador Guild.  She hooks with several local groups and is a regular at our Main Street Hooker’s Wednesday evening hook-ins. 
Heather likes mixed media, working with all kinds of fibers and textures.  She has a very keen eye
for colour, a natural talent that has served her well as a Colour Consultant and Paint Effects Specialist. Whether Heather is tackling a renovation or creating a new rug, she puts her entire soul into the process and the result truly speaks for itself.
 

Below are but a few examples of Heather's diverse body of work. 

Picture
Jelly Bean Houses, from the St. John’s area was designed by Lillian Dwyer of Fogo Island off the North coast of Newfoundland. The houses are done with a #3 cut. Fancy stitches such as the Basket Weave, Chain Stitch and High-Low were used for the hills. The bushes in front of the houses are pixilated and the clouds are done in natural roving. The border was hooked in a herringbone to self-frame the rug and then it was stretched over an artist canvas. The rocks below the rug came from Newfoundland and were hand painted by a friend.
Picture
Heather standing beside, Ripples of Imagination, a multi-medium piece during our 'Art Under Foot' gallery showing in the spring. Behind her to the left are a few of her other pieces. An Oriental, a crewel and two whimsical pieces, also shown to the right and bottom in more detail. "Ripples of Imagination" came about as the result of a September 2011 special showing at Howe's Gallery, Brackley Beach, Prince Edward Island to honour Doris Eaton and her contribution to rug hooking. Each of the 15 contributing artists created an original piece to demonstrate the influence that Doris has had on our hooking. By constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries, Doris has shown me that anything goes if it creates the effect you desire. She has freed me to use my imagination and let the images flow through my fingers. Ripples of Imagination represents the inseparable elements of design - colour, texture and imagination.
Picture
"The Crows Fly To The Island At Night"
Picture
"Heather" When I had a chance to take a Jacobean Crewel workshop, I asked Christine to design a floor mat for me. The special dyed swatches that I had been saving for an Oriental project were perfect for this design so I raided my stash and set them against a dramatic back background.
Picture
“Newfoundland Selkie” (mermaid) was designed by Liz Young (Aunt Liz) from Sheaves Cove, Newfoundland. Celtic legend Selkie takes on the form of a beautiful woman that drags men into deep, dark waters and then turns into a seal. This appealed to Heather because of her Celtic background and she enjoyed combining Celtic legend with a Newfoundland connection. This piece is made up of mixed fibers consisting of velour, hand-spun yarn, hand-dyed and recycled wools. The finished piece was then mounted and framed.
Picture
So much fun! Proddy really brings this piece to life! A shimmering sun and a cat on the wrong side of the window are framed in a bouquet of proddy flowers. Called Nifty's Garden, Nifty was a real cat. She lived in a house with a spectacular garden but was never allowed to venture outside. I always thought that Nifty day-dreamed and imagined herself in the midst of the beautiful blooms with her bluebird companions sitting beside her on the window sill.
Picture
"An Old Salt's Dream". Designed by Susan Leslie. Susan was a great inspiration. I admired her talent, her spirit and her courage. Her designs always make me smile and I always planned to hook this pattern some day. After she passed away and I was moving from Mahone Bay to Lunenburg, the time was right. This rug is a tribute to Susan and incorporates some of her stash in the dark blues of the water in the harbour. (Susan had a rug hooker's will where she left instructions for all her wool to be divided and given to the gals in her hooking groups.
Picture
"Mini Sultanana" design by Christine Little. I have always wanted to hook a full size Oriental Mat. There were a few abandoned attempts over the years and then, last January, on a bright sunny, winter day, I got on a dyeing binge and came up with the perfect sapphire blue background. My colour palette was complete. Since rugs from the Sultanabad area are considered rather coarsely woven by Persian standards, I used #4 cut for the fields, with #3 cut for the detail in the motifs.
Picture
Heather's business card back
Picture
Business card font
3 Comments

Adapted William Morris Redcar

12/29/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
By request, I adapted the William Morris Redcar design to make a hall runner for a client who wanted to hook it for her daughter.  The new center medallion merges two full sections of  the existing pattern.   I think Mr. Morris would say I did a pretty nice job coming up with a center section from the elements already in the rug, to pull the two complete rugs together in a cohesive way.  What an impressive hall entrance  this rug would make.  What an heirloom!  I was wowed and all I can say is......."Hey, I'm an orphan...adopt me cause you're the special kind of mom every girl should have!"       Rug size 39" x 95".  

In Eileen's words:

"I started the rug at the end of February of this year and finished it one week before Christmas. I dyed all the wools using natural and oatmeal Dorr Mill wool. I used number 3 and 4 cuts. I am retired so most of my time is my own and naturally I spend  my time doing what I love and hooking is obviously it. Thank you so much for redesigning the rug for me and for your much appreciated praise."  Eileen MaxField
2 Comments

More space!

12/29/2012

2 Comments

 
Well, I had a very exciting day.  I’m getting more shop space!  More room to stock wool and patterns.…endless possibilities!  Hubby and I spent the day clearing out the back room in my shop, hauling his tools to his new garage and I’ve organized all the stuff I had stored in
there as well and what is left will be a 16” x 17” space to reinvent into rug hooking nirvana.  

I’m good at reinvention, I seem to do it to myself every five years or so.  The last time I
morphed I started making jewellery.  What fun I had playing with bling but then reality set in and I didn’t have the time to serve two masters and give each one the attention they deserved
so one had to go.  Hooking being my first craft love, I stuck with the tried and true.  I think those days are now behind me, it’s time to settle on one dream, and ride that wave to the end.  I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant but that idea is now tucked away on the top shelf,
way in the back.  Way too much work for an old bird.  Besides, not all fantasies need to be realized.  There’s nothing wrong with having dreams, it keeps the brain limber and fresh. Someday I’ll settle in my life, be happy to stand still and smell the roses; I’ll call it retirement but
I’m not ready to go there yet. I’m going to ride the rug hooking train all the way and where it stops no one knows, but  I hope the journey is long and not too bumpy.  
 
Rug hooking has changed over the years.  It’s now more internet based with EBay and websites springing up all across Canada and the United States to sell wares online.  I’m old school and really like to see customers and talk to them on the phone but you have to play the technology game or you’ll get lost in the shuffle.   Part of me is still stuck in the olden days but I'm capable of learning and I’m slowly crawling into he cyber world  LOL!  OMG...See…I can do it!

To me, caressing a piece of wool is far superior to online shopping, but I know not everyone is
handy to a supply store.  Some provinces or states don’t have the luxury of a single shop and if there is one, that doesn’t mean you're in close proximity to it.  That’s why people marvel over our little town of Mahone Bay; a place so small if you blink, while driving through, you’d miss it all, and we have two rug hooking shops!  Not to mention down the road there’s the North American Rug Hooking Museum and shops peppered all across province.  Nova Scotia is a mecca for Rug Hooking!  I’m told hookers plan their entire vacation around this area to touch and sniff wool. 

So here I sit at 5:30 am, the house is quiet save for a couple of dogs snoring and I’m wrapped in a polar fleece blanket coaxing computer keys into words when I should be sound asleep so I’m fresh to open the shop tomorrow. If you pop in my eyes will be drooping but I’ll be beaming from ear to ear over my new space…I’ll drag you in to show it off and tell you my dreams. 


I think maybe I’ll stock the woodstove and hit the sofa for an hour or two and hopefully find some sleep, but that’s probably a fat chance..…visions of that new back room are dancing in my head and thoughts are racing by like the second hand on the clock.  It’s all about new possibilities now……..    

2 Comments

Bran Muffins

12/27/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
We had these Bran Muffins for breakfast this morning.  Low in sugar but high in flavour, these muffins are a delicious and healthy way to start the day. 
Picture
Bran Muffins

 Ingredients:

¼ Cup  Shortening (50 ml)
¼ Cup  Brown Sugar (50 ml)
 2 Tbsp. Molasses (30 ml)
 2 Eggs beaten
 1 Cup Milk (250 ml)
 1 Cup All purpose or Whole wheat flour (250 ml)
 1 ½ Tsp. Baking Powder (7 ml)
 ½ Tsp. Baking Soda (2 ml)
 ¾ Tsp. Salt (3 ml)
 1 ½ Cups Natural Wheat Bran (375 ml)
 ½  Cup  Raisins or blueberries (100 ml)
 
Cream shortening and sugar together.  Add Molasses and eggs and beat together.  Add milk and then bran.  Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt together.  Add to liquid ingredients. 
Stir in raisins or blueberries.  Spoon into greased muffin pans. 
Bake in 400*F (200*C) oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

Yield:  1 DozenMuffins
 
Note:  If using frozen blueberries toss them in a dusting of flour to keep the muffin mix from getting too stained with blueberry.  
  
Currents can be substituted for raisins.  If they are hard soak them in warn water first.  
  
Tip: To void greasing muffin tins or if they are getting old and rusty, use paper cupcake liners. This makes cleanup easy as there is no need to wash the pans.
  


0 Comments

Christmas Holidays

12/27/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Little's Christmas tree.
What a blissful Christmas!  To me the holidays are all about relaxing, more than the food, the
company or the gifts.  I run a shop and sometimes that feels more like my life than a job outside the home.  I don’t just sell product off the shelf.  I peddle passion and inspiration; and that takes more out of you than shifting premade inventory that's made in China.  Every now and then you need to take a breather to recharge the creative batteries and that's what I did.  I stayed in my jammies for two days and relished the quiet time with my hubby, son and four wonderful pups.  
 
Christmas morning was all about the hairy kids.  Yes, they got toys…Santa comes to all good girls and boys.  Hubby bought them a brain challenge game.  They have to open doors to retrieve treats and I hate to brag, but all four of them mastered it immediately.  But, you know, I don’t think the makers of these games are really thinking of dogs.  You can’t hide a treat from a dogs's sense of smell!   I think maybe the games are for the masters, something cutsey to spend money on.  But then again, maybe my dogs are just geniuses….yes that’s it…they aced the game because of their IQ.   It was definitely fun for the two seconds it lasted but really, a big waste of money.  
 
I tried to be good and stay away from sweets but there’s an arsenal of chocolate in the house.   I bought the usual boxes of Belgian Chocolate from Costco, the traditional Toblerone, a hunk of chocolate so big it could act as a weapon and Hubby brought home a box of Bernard Callebaut so we were well chocolated up. For anyone who doesn’t know the brand, Callebaut chocolates
are the best in the world.  I could smell them in his study, hidden in his desk.  How in heck was I supposed to ignore them?  Aw well, who needs toes anyway, I’ll just stuff a sock it the end of my shoes.   New Year’s with its customary resolutions is approaching so there's plenty of time to make changes.   Christmas is a time of indulgence and thankfully it comes but once a year.  
 
We had a supreme Christmas feast.   Because it was just the three of us we opted for a huge, free range, grain fed chicken that would have given a small turkey a good run its money, so let’s just call it a turkey and be done with it.  It sounds much more traditional as well.   

I make the best dressing ever.....don’t care what anyone says, the flavours in this dressing are tops. I’ve been around the Christmas block and tasted my share of stuffing’s but none have come close to the flavours in this blend of ingredients.  (Recipe to follow).  
 
We had sweet potatoes baked in maple syrup and butter.  Mashed white potatoes for Shane. 
Organic foul makes the best gravy, just like mother used to make, without any need for added flavour packets or cubes, and I add my secret ingredient, a pinch of garlic.  We cracked open a
bottle of homemade cranberries (thanks Armenia), had steamed broccoli for a bit of green on the plate, carrots, homemade beets and my favorite specialty, sweet & sour pearl onions (recipe to follow).  
 
I don’t stuff my bird as I don’t like the dressing influencing the taste of the meat, so I make it up and put it in a casserole dish, then pour drippings from the turkey and bake it in the oven with
the bird so it’s infused with the flavour.  You’d never know it wasn’t cooked inside the turkey.  Packing in the dressing and trussing a bird seems like a lot of work. I remember watching my mother stuff and then sew up the cavity and quite frankly, I’d rather be cleaning an outhouse.  And not to sound too morbid, it was like she was sewing it up a cadaver after an autopsy…hey I call it like I see it!  
 
I usually start my turkey with the cover on to steam cook it first and then with the cover off for the last hour or so for the browning.  I find the breast meat stays moister as it locks the juices in and maybe Miss Stewart wouldn't agree but it works for me and follows my mother’s tradition. 

Contrary to what most may think, Christmas dinner is a really simple meal that basically cooks itself.  A bit of timely basting and peeling and chopping the veggies and you’re off to the races.  It isn’t a meal that forces you to stand all day slaving over the preparation.  Hubby loves to help so that makes it even easier for me to keep up the princess persona.   

We ate so much food I heard a few groans, most from me.  Shane took home enough turkey and gravy to eat hot sandwiches for the next few days and we will be heating up the leftovers for a day or two as well, although by Friday I’ll want to deviate with a bit of fresh fish or beef.  Hubby loves a good turkey/cranberry and mayo sandwich as well.  Try it sometime, you’ll like it!  Add some alfalfa sprouts as well.  
 
Then Boxing Day was a shameless sleep-in day.  We got up at noon and had a very relaxed brunch, played with the pups and decided it was a day of puttering.  Hubby chopped and stacked firewood in the garage and I hooked.  It was a mini taste of retirement, but funny thing, even though I could stay home guilt free, my thoughts continually drifted to the shop.  For some reason, I really felt compelled to go to work, so I stayed in my jammies to dissolve the temptation.  
  
So I hooked. I’m working on a very finicky part of the stocking, trying to make the brass trumpet in Santa’s sack look as realistic as possible.  The shading has to be just right to produce that glint you would find on polished brass.  I love a creative challenge and hopefully I can put my wool where my mouth is.  
 
Then we awoke this morning to a Currier & Ives painting.  Sure the white stuff is pretty through the window, but it’s nasty outside when you have to take pups out for their business.  Henri loves it.  He rubs his whiskers in the snow and then does a body roll.  The other three not so much.  Because of the sad state of the weather, I opted to take an owner’s prerogative day off.  More lounging around in the jammies and computer work.  Thanks goodness Mother Hubbard’s cupboard is far from bare and as long as the power doesn’t go out we’ll be set for the evening.   

I checked my Facebook yesterday and noticed a kid,, a teenage boy, ‘liked’ my Encompassing Designs page.  His wall photo was that of a very muscular older man, at least older than the kid, sporting a rock hard six pack, posing as if he was in a Calvin Klein underwear ad.  The kid who liked me did not speak English.  I really don’t know a lot about Facebook and quite frankly I don’t understand why a kid, probably not even knowing what Rug Hooking is all about, would even care, so I mentioned it to hubby and he said. “Maybe he was looking for a hooker?”  We both laughed, but maybe he was right?  Then a funny story popped to mind.    

When I first opened business back in 2000 and got my website up and running I had the ability to keep track of the daily stats. How many hits to my site, how many people found it through a search engine, etc. Each day I noted 12-25 people visited my site.  That was 13 years ago and over all pretty good attention whereas these days it’s peanuts, expecting 400– 1000 visitors in a 24 hours period.    The program also told you where the hits were coming from, whether US or
Canada, and showed which internet provider the search originated from and the area.  I was curious and checked it daily to track how popular the site was becoming and who was
interested.

So one day I checked and saw almost 600 hits!  597 people visited my shop in one day!  597!!!  I almost fell off my chair.  So I did the reasonable thing, I waited for the phone to ring.  Surely that many people would bring in an order or two, because baby, I’d hit the big time!
 
Hours ticked by and nothing happened.  So I went back in to search the stats further.  I peeled back the layers to discover there was a US naval ship anchored in Halifax harbour so every hit came from the ‘US Navy’ from a server in Halifax.  The men must have been on leave and were looking for a little hooking action. So, I didn’t get any calls for patterns or kits and thankfully so. Obviously, my kind of hooking was the last kind of handwork they were looking for……
   
Picture
Honey and Henri playing with their toys.
Picture
Mommy explaining that all good boys and girls share.
0 Comments

Sweet and Sour Onions

12/26/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sweet and Sour Onions

Cooked in this way, pearl onions make a tasty side dish.  A delicious compliment to
turkey stuffing and sweet potato.  Start a new family tradition and they'll keep coming back for more! 
 
Ingredients:

1 Lb. Pearl Onions, peeled  (450 g) (I use red and white pearl onions for Christmas colour)
2 oz Cup wine vinegar (50 ml)
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil (45 ml)
1 ½ oz Tbsp. brown sugar (40 g)
3 Tbsp. Tomato Puree (45 ml)
1 Bay Leaf
5 Sprigs fresh parsley
½ Cup raisins
Salt and freshly ground black paper
 
Put all ingredients in a saucepan with 1 ¼ cups water (300 ml) Bring to the boil and simmer gently, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the onions are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.  
  
Remove the bay leaf and parsley, check the seasoning and transfer to a serving dish.  Serve at room temperature.
  


0 Comments

The Little's Christmas Dressing

12/26/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Little’s Christmas Dressing

6 Cups potato
4 Slices toasted Bread 
1 Large onion 
½  Cup currants or raisins
2 Diced apples
1 Tsp. Summer Savory
1 Tsp. All Spice
1 Tsp. Sage
 
Boil potatoes, drain, break up with a fork, set aside. (Potatoes can be cooked the previous day)
Dice a large onion and fry in butter until golden.  
Toast four slices of bread, I use 12 grain.  The dryer the better so toast twice if it’s still moist. 
Cut or pull into small pieces.  
  
In a large bowl mix the onion and bread, scrape up the bread crumbs and throw that in as well. 
Add crumbled potatoes and mix.  Dice apple (Gravenstein or Cortland work best) and add to mixture.  Currents or raisins add a delightful  flavour.  If Currants or raisins are hard, soak in warm water to moisten before adding them to the mixture.  
  
Add the summer Savory, All Spice and Sage.  Taste and add more spices if needed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.   Stuff turkey or put in a casserole dish to cook separately.  When the turkey has cooked for an hour or so, ladle some of the juices on the dressing to add turkey flavour so it appears to have been cooked in the bird.  Cook in same oven with turkey for about an hour.
  


0 Comments

Merry Christmas in all languages!

12/23/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture


















Merry Christmas to all rug hookers around the world! 

0 Comments

Girly Christmas Stockings

12/22/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Holly Days hooked by
Sue Cunningham

Picture
Serenity hooked by Mary Schleck

Picture










Our Angel hooked by Mary Schleck

Picture




Our Angel hooked by
Vivien Tolton


Ah…little girls and Christmas. I personally never had a daughter, but my hubby came with one and I spent a lot of summer’s pretending she was mine, spoiling her rotten and shopping for girly stuff. We only had the summer and then she was back in Calgary with her  mother.  It’s true, girls are filled with sugar and spice and all things nice, but they also change their clothes twenty times a day so maybe I’ve had a lucky escape. Laundry is not my thing.  Boys, on the other hand, would wear the same clothes for a month, not that I ever allowed that!  I had dreams about having a little girl way back when, but in the end, it worked out that I got the daughter without the labour pains and the stretchmark’s!   

Girly things are so much more interesting than boy things.  I’ve always loved frilly stuff.  Crinolines and dresses with ribbons and bows and English Smocking.  Velvet has always been a favorite.  A little Christmas dress in blue velvet with trims of white…little black patent shoes and white tights; blond ringlets and dimples to pinch; little dolls that walk and talk.  

I’ve designed a few Christmas stockings specifically for little girls but the big girls like them too. Christmas caters to the child in us all; except for Scrooge, I can’t imagine anyone not smiling over a stocking full of little treasures and candies.    

The first stocking is Holly Days, designed for and hooked by Sue Cunningham who loves mermaids.  Then comes Serenity hooked by Mary Schleck. The third and last pattern is the same design called Our Angel.  Vivien hooked five of our stocking designs for her grandchildren.
   


0 Comments

Twas the 4th Night Before Christmas

12/21/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
Well, I’m behind the eight ball again this year.  I’ll be out there tonight hunting for the few gifts I buy.  Christmas just sneaks up on me. You’d think now that I’m no spring chicken I’d have learned a thing or two but I guess not as I’m back in the same situation as last year and all the years before that.  Time is running out and so is all the good stuff to buy! 

I don’t have much to shop for.  Just a little surprise for hubby from the pups, something small as he already got the big present, his mancave/garage.  And, of course I need to get something for Shane.  I’ve been asking him for a month what he would like but he doesn’t seem to know and now its crunch time.   If he doesn’t know I’m sure I don’t.  Kids today, No matter what the age, they want specific things so buying what you think they might like usually means a return on Boxing Day so I just ask and get what he wants. 


I don’t do returns; one trip to the store is enough.  I get in and get out like a man, quick and dirty.  I’m not one of those fondlers who touch everything, or know from wall to wall what’s in the store.  Not me.  I have tunnel vision, don’t deviate from the plan and get out.  I think I’m one chromosome away from being a man in the shopping department and it might explain why my wardrobe is lack luster.  I’ve often thought, the few times a year I’m forced to go into clothing stores “how can women do this all the time?”  Just having to take your clothes off in those cold change rooms is like a pin in the eye!    

So after today my Christmas plans will be complete.  I’ll take out the frozen organic chicken from the deep freeze that looks like it’s been on steroids.  It’s huge!!!   This weekend I’ll make butter tarts for hubby and shortbread for me and after a bit of grocery shopping on Monday, I’ll settle in for the holidays and do some hooking, a whole lot of eating and maybe play a bit of Mahjong.

I need to finish off my Christmas stocking.  I got distracted by work and birthdays these past two weeks so it might not be ready for Santa to fill.  But, who needs a lump of coal anyway?  
 

2 Comments

No Spring Chicken?

12/19/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture













Well, it’s official, I’m no spring chicken!  I have the rug to prove it!  

I designed this sweet little pattern over a year ago and Bonnie decided to hook it.  As you can see she used a delightful coloured palette.  Winter has ivory roving snowflakes falling from the sky and the chicken is sporting a scarf and ear muffs.  Summer chicken is cool in his shades with a fluttering butterfly, and autumn chicken has pumpkins and falling leaves. Spring, of course, is missing the chicken to complete the fun play on words.  The skies are various blue abrashes and the border is done with Blue Rocks spot dye.  She surprised me with the finished rug for my birthday on Tuesday.    

Last week, there was some whispering around the shop over a skein of Blue Rocks spot dyed yarn that she wanted Shane to dye, but I never clued in that it was for anything other than a customer order.  Usually I can smell a secret, they always leave a suspicious pong, but this time I was totally thrown. My secret sensor must be off and I wonder what else I’m missing considering it’s the season of gifts and surprises.  Guess I’d better do a sweep of the house as there might be something tucked in a crevice that I need to know about.   I’m a peeker from way back, pretty much knew what I was getting for Christmas every year and I’m not much better now.  Here is why.   

I was gullible and believed in Santa well beyond most of the other kids in grade four… sigh, maybe it was even grade five.   Just two days before I realized the truth, I remember hollering at a classmate who was teasing me about being stupid because I still believed. “
There is to a Santa, my parents told me and they don’t lie!”  Well, that bubble burst after a trip up the ladder and a look around the attic.   The attic access was in my bedroom closet and that was the first time I’d ever seen the ladder in place or the hatch open, an oversight on my mother’s part and too tempting to ignore.    

As my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness I made out a farmhouse that was the exact model wanted in my brother’s letter to Santa.  Then I spied the domed hairdryer that Bonnie wanted.  Coincidence?  I thought not!  As I descended the ladder, I was torn between being smug in the discovery and angry at my parents.  Quickly, annoyance turned to curiosity.  I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out there must be a present for me somewhere else in the house.  It was obvious my siblings were covered, so where was mine?  It became my mission to find it. 

I frisked the house in every nook and cranny but found nothing.  But now that my eyes were open and all observing,  three days later a large box arrived from Sears Roebuck.  I awaited my chance to see inside.  Sure enough, there it was.  Under several pairs of flannel pajamas, socks and  undershirts, there lay the telltale red box containing the object of this year's desire. Spirograph! 
I felt vindicated and every year after that I peeked until I found what would be mine and never felt an ounce of guilt.  Move over Shirley Temple, you would have knocked you off your child star throne if a director heard my Oscar winning performances on Christmas morning. 
 
I don’t like lies; I didn’t then or now.  I don’t tell them and don’t appreciate them being perpetrated on my person.  I’ve always sought the truth in all things I do.  As a child I felt I had the right to peek if they were going to deceive me, make a fool of me with such a fairytale.  An overweight, white bearded man flying all over the world in one night with only one bundle of toys to satisfy the masses.   We never even had a fireplace, let alone a chimney, so how the heck did he even get in!  Really?!  Hadn’t I just embarrassed myself in front of my peers as I defended the existence of Santa Claus?  How humiliating!  They all laughed at me and it hurt.  So I believed somehow in my childish brain that I needed to know these things and made a point to never be in the dark again.  So right or wrong, I worked on a need to know basis and once a peeker, always a peeker.  If there's a hint of a surprise coming, I’ll rip the house apart looking for it, while pretending to do the spring cleaning early. 

Don’t bother wrapping it either as I have an Xacto blade that can make a slice so fine you’d never know the pretty paper was taken apart and put back together.  The only person I’ve not been able to outsmart is hubby.  He can hide things and keep it secret like no other. He’s onto me and clever, and foils me every time.  But truthfully, I don't need to peek as much as I used to.  We don't exchange much now, and when you're older everyday seems to be Christmas so what's the point and if there's a present wrapped under the tree I usually know what's in it because I told him what to buy or I got it myself to save him the trouble. 

So the trickster got tricked.  I never saw the rug coming.  Bonnie said she kept trying to get into the shop this past weekend to get the dried yarn for whipping that hung in the kitchen but every time she drove by the shop the lights were on so she figured I was working after hours.  She came by the shop twice on Sunday and the lights were on again but it wasn’t me.  It was hubby, moving
out his tools to bring home to the new garage.  She finally got in later in the evening and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning whipping it.  
 
Anyway it was very a delightful surprise and the rug hangs in the shop for all to see. 
No Spring Chicken?  At 54 that’s me, a tough old boiler.  Cluck cluck!

2 Comments

Hummus Pita Trees

12/19/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
❤ THIS IDEA!!  Hummus Pita Trees are perfect for the
holiday party! Use whole wheat pitas, spinach hummus, a few bits of red pepper strategically placed, pretzel trunks and you've got a delicious, healthy festive snack!
 
 

1 Comment

Coffee

12/18/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture

I’ve spent years avoiding vices other than a short, obsessive period with blue and white china in the 90's.  Some will say, "Hey, good for you Christine, your body's a temple!”, while others will say, “Too bad, you’ve missed a heck of a lot of fun!”  Somehow, I’ve managed to avoid the grip of alcohol, other than a handful of times at rug school when I let my hair down, especially one year with Susan Leslie, Susie Stevenson and a bottle of Sambuca, but like Vegas, what happens there, stays there.  

Personally, I just never liked the taste of the stuff so why bother? And then there's the fact that you have to drink more than once a year to build a tolerance or you just end up a blathering fool.  Embarrassingly, after one or two drinks I was always under the table, or on it dancing, but that’s another story for another time.  Like a good wine, I mellowed over the years, and slowly developed a taste for the fermented grape, so now I occasionally tip my elbow at dinner, social functions and at times, just because. 

I also managed to get to my fifties without getting hooked on the other liquid vice...coffee.  Growing up in our household, hot beverages had never been that prevalent so it never crossed my mind later in life.    Besides, back then, it was mostly instant coffee and that was pretty nasty.  To me it tasted and looked like dirty bathwater, not that I was ever that dirty or inclined to drink from the tub, but comparatively, after drinking today’s coffees, most will admit that the yesteryear’s pale, chemical imitation really wasn’t very pleasant.    

And remember Coffee-mate?  The cream coloured powder you stirred in as a substitute for canned milk to reduce calories? That’s actually ground rock folks, Feldspar to be exact, according to my geologist hubby…yum yum!  And canned milk wasn’t anything to jump up and down about either; my lips just curled thinking about it. Nothing back then inspired a second cup!   

I will admit I tried a cup or two over the years, but I was never a fan of the open pot coffee, the percolator or the automatic drip but when hubby, a seasoned coffee drinker, bought a Bodum a while ago, I started seeing the merits of an occasional brew with its full bodied richness and silky
smoothness.   The beans he liked were of good  quality and ground at home; The Laughing Whale, Kicking Horse and Just Us dark roasts are a few of  our favorites, freshly ground without all the chemicals and preservatives that can be found in some brands.  It was a slow love affair, a coffee here and there in a good restaurant, sipping a bit out of hubby’s cup at breakfast and gradually the acquired taste became part of my daily routine.    When I discovered 18% cream, I was well on the road to addiction and coffee became a necessary starter for the day.    
 
About a month ago I bought a Keurig Platinum Coffee machine for the shop.  Not so much for the coffee, it was a decision made for the convenience factor.  We used to make the occasional automatic drip potful and so much was thrown away and of course, after it sits for more than an hour it turns into paint stripper.  And, then there’s the cleanup, disposing of soggy grinds and wet filters and so on.  Bonnie likes her coffee on the weak side, I like it strong and Shane is somewhere in-between, so one pot didn’t satisfy the varied palettes.   At the evening hook-ins some wanted decaf while others didn’t, so it seemed like a bother and we usually went without.  So now, the magical Keurig will cater to the individual taste buds with one of several selections; mild, medium, dark, decaf, no fuss and no mess.  And oh yes, convenience aside, it makes an excellent cup of Joe.  This dream machine also brews tea, hot chocolate and a delightful pure apple cider that makes the shop smell all festive and cozy.  
 
So we were at Costco today and I bought a second unit as a Christmas prezzie for our home. 
Hubby never minds grinding the coffee beans, boiling the kettle, pouring the water into the Bodum, waiting four to five minutes before you push down the press, but I’m a bit of a princess and like the thought of quick and simple, press a button, no work involved other than selecting a coffee pod, pulling a mug out of the cupboard and setting it on the tray. In less than 30 seconds your lips are sipping a bit of heaven, feeling the warmth of the china cup cradled in your hand while the aromatic steam tantalizes your senses.   Tomorrow morning, I’ll curl up on the
sofa with the four best darn pups in the world and plan my day, and it is my day in every sense of the word, because fifty four years ago I came into this world.   I'll begin the celebration while drinking my first home brewed Keurig dark roast coffee.  It doesn’t get much better than this!
    


1 Comment

Sewing the back on a Christmas Stocking by Bonnie Duncan

12/17/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture

Let me first say that I would rather hold a rug hook anyday
to a sewing needle!

Steps:

    1. Hook the stocking


    2. Leave 1 ¼” edging for finishing

    3. Insert cording and whip the stocking with a 2 ply yarn

    4. Choose a suitable backing, wool preferably, and cut all around the shape of the stocking ½” larger than the stocking itself, except for the top you can leave 2”.  You need to cut out two pieces if you want the stocking to be lined.  I use a wool skirt for my backings because I recycle the waist band to use as the hanging tab.  Remember I don’t like sewing!

5. Put the two cut pieces of wool together and fold the edge over by ½”.  Nestle it tightly up against the whipped edging from the back of the stocking and push your needle through until it comes out the crevice between the last row of hooking and the whipped edge on the top part of the stocking.   Your stitches, embedded in the crevice, will be nicely hidden on the front side of the stocking.  

6. Fold the extra amount you left for finishing the top down and inside on the front and back side of your stocking.  The front can be sewn into up against the back side of the whipping just like the sides, in the crevice. 

7. Attach a tab for hanging on the top left side. 

I like to leave a 2” opening at the top left side of my stockings between the front lining and the backing.  This is to allow for extra opening space to put in those larger presents.  I then attach my shirt waist band to the back of this opening and the other end to the front. 

Voila a finished stocking my way – Bonnie Duncan


0 Comments

How to sew the back on a Christmas Stocking by Christine

12/16/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
This is an alternate way to sew the backing on a hooked Christmas stocking without whipping.                      

When finished hooking the stocking, steam press by placing it face down on the ironing board, cover with a wet towel and steamwith your iron. Press firmly all over the stocking, until the sizzling stops. This will flatten the piece and make it nice and pliable to work with. Hang to dry over a wide railing or lay flat as not to leave a crease.

When dry, sew a zig-zag stitch all around the outside of the piece about 1 ¼” from the finished edge. I actually sew it twice to ensure that the backing doesn’t fray when I cut out the rug.  Cut outside the sewn edge. 

Fold the raw edge of the backing over, pulling it snug so there isn't a lot showing along the edge of the stocking and tack it down with a loose stitch to the backside of the stocking. You will have to overlap a few folds when going around the outside curves of the pattern and snip the inside curves so it folds better (inside curves meaning where the ankle part would be in a real stocking). Once it is all sewn, steam it once again with the wet towel. (Sewing
will cause small bulges that will need to be pressed out). Let it dry once again. 

Using the finished piece as a pattern, cut out material for the backing an inch or so larger than the actual size of the stocking and the top maybe two inches for tuning under.  I use recycled plaid shirts or skirts in Christmas colours….a piece of velvet would be lovely too.  

If you wish to line the stocking cut two pieces of material leaving the top longer for turning under. Put the right sides of the material together and use a machine to sew it the actual width of the stocking. Turn it right side out and fold under the top raw edges and then fold it again like
making a hem for curtains and hand sew or machine it in place. (You can slide in a piece of plastic from an ice cream container or box board in the fold to firm up this edge so it is more rigid.) The top of the backing side will be more reinforced this way when you sew on the hanging tab. Once the stocking is filled with goodies it won't pull as much on the material.

Now hand stitch the entire backing to the sock starting at one side and working your way around to the other side. Leave the top opened of course. Now sew the lining side to the
top side of the stocking.  When sewing the backing to the stocking make sure that you are right up against the last row of hooking all along the edge so no backing will show when finished but
if it shows in places you can take a marker that blends with the colours of the stocking and just make a few swipes to hide the backing colour.

Make a tab for hanging and wait for Santa to fill!  Christine Little

Note:  Another simple way to attach the backing to a stocking is to cut out two backings, hand stitch it loosely to the backside of the hooked piece and then whip them together.  Now sew the top lining side to the top backside of the stocking and put on a tab. 
 

1 Comment

The Magic of Photoshop

12/15/2012

1 Comment

 
I've been playing around enhancing rug photographs in Photoshop.  My son Shane, the shop dyer, is fairly proficient with the software and he's giving me a few pointers for the basics.  I usually take photographs of our rugs by standing on a chair and looking straight down but if things aren't quite right I just do a bit of warping and it corrects the odd angles. 
Picture






















Geometric Jewels designed and hooked by Mary Doig. (Can be viewed on Mary's Pattern page and comes in two sizes.) This photo was taken from the left side, not straight down so the right side becomes narrow as it goes off into the distance.....like a country road, it appears narrower as it gets farther away. 

Picture























Same picture but enhanced with Photoshop technology. The trick is to pull the rug both up and down on the right top and bottom corners without distorting the inner squares.  It takes a bit of finesse but I'm getting better with practice. 


Picture




















Bullseye
adapted from Geometric Tiles designed by Sue Cunningham.  (Pattern Geometric Tiles is on Sue's Pattern Page.) It appears the picture was taken out on her deck while standing on the left side, giving just enough distortion so it does not show as a true rectangle as the actual rug.

Note: Lots of photo editing programs will crop pictures but that leaves sharp, perfectly  angled corners.  Using photoshop you can cut out the image exactly as the rug appears, slightly rounded on the whipped corners.  You never want to take away from the hand crafted look by sharply cutting the corners.  
Picture






















Same rug, but pulled on the right side, both at the top and bottom to square it off into a rectangle.  I also did automatic colour contrast to brighten the colours..  Sometime pictures taken in sunlight slightly bleach the image.  I also removed the background deck by making it transparent. 

I still have a lot more tricks to learn under Shane's tutelage, but I'm having fun perfecting what I already know. 
  

1 Comment

Sad!

12/15/2012

0 Comments

 
Hi all...I didn't write a blog last evening because my thumb had a nasty episode with the kitchen knife.

And...I didn't feel so wonderful after hearing the sad news about all those children being killed.  I laid on the sofa, like a piece of limp broccoli, watching the horrific news.  So very sad!  Sometimes this world is not a warm and fuzzy place.  My hearts goes out to all the grieving friends and families...... 
0 Comments

An Old Salt's Dream

12/14/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
I received a card from Patty Murphy this afternoon and  you can imagine my delight when I opened it, while waiting in line at the post office, to discover this beautiful rendition of a Susan Leslie design hooked in such a happy colour palette.  I emailed Patty to ask for a digital picture so I could share this wonderful rug that will mean so much to a couple starting their life together. 

Susan would be pleased as punch to know her legacy lives on and that people are still enjoying her patterns.   This brighter and happier version of the pattern was hooked by Patty Murphy for her daughter's upcoming nuptials in April 2013.  This is the note I received. 


I thought you might enjoy seeing my version of "An Old Salt's Dream".  It is a wedding gift to our daughter who has spent all or part of her 31 summers in Nova Scotia.  She'll love the Lunenburg-like waterfront and as she likes mermaids and her groom is a life-long sailor the characters will be special. I thought sunny blue skies were better suited for the wedding.  I'm very pleased with the finished product.  Hope to see you summer 2013.   
Patty Murphy

All the best wishes for Elizabeth & Ty on their upcoming marriage!

I just want to add how much I appreciate all of you who take the time to share your stories and finished rugs.  It not only makes my day but  I'm sure it will be a source of inspiration for all.   

2 Comments

Bullying

12/13/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
My blogs are like an SOS, one short and two long.  Hope you aren’t falling asleep reading them! 

I think maybe I’ll talk about bullying today.  It seems to be the hot topic in the media these days with some very sad consequences.   When you hear the word bully, you immediately think about kids, but bullying isn’t exclusive to adolescents.  Adults do it too.  I’ve noticed it more in the shop this past year.   It was discussed on CBC radio yesterday and after having several things happen to me last week I thought I would sit down and write about it.  These encounters sucked the rug hooking joy right out of me, and they caused me to question why I was doing this and maybe it’s time to rethink the business to the point of closing my door.  I guess I take it personally when someone treats me badly, but then I go to other businesses and witness other rude people working out their unhappiness on the world so I know I’m not alone and in a weird way, it’s consoling and puts it all into perspective.     

I was in the bank the other day and an older gentleman was peeling a strip off a young teller because he didn’t think it relevant to have his debit card with him to pay his bills. She was trying to explain why the policy was in place, but he was having none of it.  It struck me odd that he could be so mean over something so insignificant.  He hollered that  he was sick of all the rules and stood there stomping and sputtering and then he said in a very threatening, loud tone, “I’ll be back, maybe not today, but I’ll be back!” and stormed out the door.  In a time when disgruntled people bring guns to work and fire into a crowd, that kind of anger is unsettling.  He was older so a few smiles and eye rolls went around the room, a harmless old man letting off some steam, no biggy, but from where I was sitting it was pretty aggressive.  As he left he tried to slam the mechanized door but the closure made it impossible, it was like trying to bang a carpet.   Ironically, an inconsequential man creates a tempest in a teapot over a non-issue.  What’s the point? 

Right after that I went to the post office and stood in line while a woman kept commenting she’d have to remortgage her house to buy the stamps that came to $7.00 plus change. It was said nastily, a hit on the postal clerk as if she set the prices.  The postal clerk showed no signs of emotion as her training dictates but, I wondered how many times she was subjected to ornery customers considering how many people seem to hate Canada Post; this is a conclusion I've made from the observations of 13 years of sending out parcels and from listening to my mother-in-law. 


After the stamp woman had her way with the captive audience behind the counter, she turned around to face the line-up that was now four people deep and proceeded to give us a lecture on the costs of mailing and how she knew someone, who knew someone else, that sent a parcel that cost $75.00…shaking her head and finger at the postal clerk.  Her words hung in the air like bad perfume.  Now in all fairness, we only got half the story.  Like what was in that parcel or how
much it might have weighed, maybe it was a table-saw and $75.00 was cheap. So, rudeness seems to be everywhere, maybe it’s an epidemic.  Too bad there wasn’t a vaccination for it. 
 
Maybe tough economic times are wearing our manners thin or possibly things like tweeting and texting have made us forget the proper way to converse.  Whatever the reason, I feel that people are losing a bit of their social graces.  Now 99.9 % of my customers are wonderful, so I hope you don’t take offense at this note… I’m just saying there are some who have lost the art of please and thank you.   I was raised in a home where you respected your elders and asked for things with a
please and offered a thank-you if you got them.   Now I’m not saying I’m ancient, but I
was raised in a time that practiced decent manners or you forfeited the reward.  

What bothers me the most is how one bad apple spoils the bunch.   All the good karma evaporates after that one hateful person infects my day.  It annoys me that one small worm causes me to throw away the entire apple bag.   Enough with the fruit analogies, you get my drift.  I guess we are all vulnerable to negative treatment.   Most of the time I’m a strong, confident and intelligent woman but unkind words shrivel me like water on a witch.  I’m not proud of this and it’s something I plan to work on.  In 2013, I will no longer be a victim of bullying.   If I become upset, they win, so I’m going to practice the water off the back routine and if the buttons are pushed to the point of no return, then I may suggest they go elsewhere to buy their rug hooking supplies.    

I won’t talk specifics but in two days three people were rude to me on a scale of 10. I thought maybe the pressure of Christmas was wearing them down.  I’m  under a bit of stress right now so I know what that’s like.  I don’t have any shopping done or a decoration up and the tree is outside
on the ground.  My personal life takes a backseat this time of year as I work to make sure others have the kits and patterns they want to see under their tree but am I rude on the phone or
with customers at the shop?  Hell no, it wouldn’t even occur to me.  So people, you know who you are, try to be a little kinder, to me or others that cross your path.

Maybe we suffer from delusions of grandeur.  Somehow we have elevated egos, as if we matter. 
Maybe Facebook, Texting and Tweeting are giving us a false sense of importance.  When people read what you’ve had for breakfast and follow your every move, maybe it sets us up to stick it to the little people.   And there’s trouble on the horizon, kids all want to be famous now.  I watched a children’s program the other day, not on purpose, I was just finding a suitable show for the pups to watch while I was at work. Cartoons always have fun noises and exaggerated voices so I think they entertain more.  Anyway, it was what I would consider a very violent show where kids were hurting one another to gain the upper hand.  I didn’t watch enough to have the full story line but I wasn’t impressed.  In an age when people scoff at our generation’s entertainment, like Bugs Bunny or Wiley Coyote and the Road Runner, calling it too violent and not fit for young, impressionable minds, this show seems a contradiction. When the show’s theme song began to play I couldn't believe the content.  "I want to be famous, I want to be famous” was all it said, over and over and over. What kind of message does that leave our kids?   But it’s true, everyone wants to be famous these days but not by hard work and paying their dues. Everything has to be instant and gratifying whether it is deserved or not.  

So to get back to bullying; maybe we bully because we think we are important.  The woman who just ordered wool from us was very unkind.  She had ordered the wrong item and then blamed it on us, expecting instant service when there were others before her.  When I chatted with her on the phone the other night I was definitely bullied. I am not stupid nor am I a child and do not need to be spoken to in such a manner, not that I would ever speak to a child that way!  Bullying hurts.  I was so gung-ho to work and after that conversation I drooped at the shoulders and sat in a chair questioning why in heck I am even here, probably working until midnight once again when everyone else is at home with their loved ones, possibly decorating their tree and sipping a soothing camomile tea.  My stomach was in knots and my heart was pounding in my chest.  I went home when I should have stayed, but I was now in a dark place and had no desire to do anything but mope.                             

The desire to please that kind of customer is zero but I’m in business and have to bend over backwards, but only to a point and as I get older I’m not as flexible as I used to be!  So in 2013, if someone is rude without a cause, I will be very diplomatic in asking them to go elsewhere.  This way I can keep all my apples in the cart, and my enthusiasm for all the good people that come into the shop, the ones who deserve a world of kindness!  

Picture
0 Comments

Catch of the Day!  

12/11/2012

2 Comments

 
 I’ve taken my shop on the road more than a few times. I’ve packed up the U-Haul and set up shop all across Nova Scotia and beyond.  Belleville, Ontario is the farthest I’ve traveled but I’ve dragged my goods to Moncton, Yarmouth numerous times, Black Point Rug & Quilt Show several years running, St. Margaret’s Bay, and of course all the Nova Scotia Guild Rug Schools. I’m not a fan of all the work so I've semi retired the traveling show until I can find a lackey, I mean an assistant, to do all the work so I can just fly in and do the fun stuff; but of course that would be Fantasy Island and I don't have da plane boss.     
 
No one would believe the amount of preparation that goes into taking a large shop on the road and truthfully, I take it to the nth degree.  If you’re going to go through all the trouble of setting up shop to sell your wares, you might as well take everything! There’s nothing worse than having to tell a customer, ‘Sorry, I didn’t bring that!”  So, I pretty much have always been the largest vendor wherever I go...…you have to make it worth your while!  Dyeing wool, designing new patterns and stocking the supplies, takes months and like Santa's toy sack the trailer bulges at the seams.  Then there's the packing which usually takes five to seven hours, it isn’t just a random throw in a box procedure.  The goods have to be packed carefully to maximize content and avoid being crushed and wrinkled.  Loading it into the U-Haul, that first time, takes a lot of maneuvering to make it all fit securely.   Like any moving company, special care has to be taken so your precious cargo makes the trip safely; you can’t have things flopping around and getting damaged.

Then you hit the road with all the enthusiasm of a child with a new adventure on the horizon,   
but you grow up real quick as reality sets in and the kilometers pile up in a slow agonizing count.  You drive until your butt goes numb, your legs fall asleep and you swill coffee to keep sleep at bay that in turn, forces pee breaks at every exit.  Finally you arrive at the destination.  Half of you is elated the trip is over but then you groan, knowing the work ahead of you.  You unload, then unpack, set up the display, paint a smile on your tired face and stand on your swollen feet all day long selling your goods and chattel.  This isn’t a job for sissies; you work your derriere off! 

Then, after the show's over, when you’d kill to crawl under one of the tables and have a nap, you can’t because there’s usually a limited amount of time to tear the display down, pack it all up and lug it out to the vehicle before the custodian locks the door behind you.  Then more driving until you arrive dead tired back home, but there’s still no sleep, you have to unpack and set it all back up so you can open for business the next morning. Every day the near empty shop runs on wool fumes you suffer lost revenue and rug hookers, traveling from afar, are always disappointed they don’t get the full Encompassing Designs experience.  The shop resembles the scene after the Grinch has stolen the Whoville's Christmas, and this bareness does not inspire return visits.  
 
Picture
Where the "Little" wools are all hung in a row.
"These yards of great colour" I grinned, "are the first things to go!"
Then I slithered and slunk with a backache most unpleasant,
Around the whole shop, to take all things present.
Dyed wool! And Patterns! Scissors! And Frames!
Dye spoons! Cutters! And more of the same!
And I stuffed them in bags, boxes and baskets.
Leaving little behind for anyone's asking.
Then I packed all the bags in the U-haul with glee.
And hit the road, after coffee and a pee!


So, I’m no stranger to hauling my shop around and when I was invited to attend the Ontario Guild AGM being held in Belleville that year, my hubby said “let’s do it!”  If not for his help I would have declined but because he was available to lean on, do the driving and all the heavy lifting, why not!  This might sound sexist but quite frankly, I firmly believe that any job you can break a fingernail on, is man’s work!  
 
So we packed up the U-Haul and hit the road.  We called it our ‘Little’ adventure, pardon the pun, and although it was a working vacation, we thought it would be nice to get away, just the two of us for a bit of R & R.   But OMG.....it was a lot of driving!   Did I say it was a lot of driving?  Well, it sure was a heck of a lot of driving!  No stopping for anything accept to eat, sleep, refuel and go to the bathroom.  How exciting!  Two days up and two days back.  Hubby took the helm while I slept most of the way being the helpful navigator that I am.  I tend to doze in the car having nothing to do but look at long, boring spans of hypnotic highway.  

The trip was uneventful except for the time I ran out of gasoline on my only driving shift.  Hubby was napping and I didn’t want to disturb him so I figured I could hit the next Irving Big Stop but fell short of it with less than two kilometers to go.   Too far to walk, the long wait for the CAA guy was brutal, especially when we were pressed for time.  Finally gassed up and back on the road, we drove through town after town and I saw antique shops that I would have crawled naked over glass to check out, but there wasn’t any time!   Being devious, I mean clever and resourceful, I secretly made mental notes of stops to make on the way home.  It would be my reward for all the hard work, not that I needed an excuse to shop.  So we finally made it to Belleville late, checked into a hotel and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.  The next day we rose early, had breakfast and drove to the venue to set up shop. 

Picture






Out of gas and patience, (that would be me), hubby stretched his legs and took this shot of me, waiting for the CAA guy to rescue us with the $10 can of gas.   

Ahhh breakfast!  That trip marked my first meal at a Cora’s Restaurant.  The food was excellent and I was mentally preparing ahead for upcoming breakfasts while I was stuffing the current one in. Holy Hannah the food was fabulous, by far the best breakfast I’ve ever had.  Decadent crepes, French toast with real maple syrup, Eggs Benny, crème fraîche and sliced fruit, not only delicious but arranged like edible art on our plates.   When I think about the trip to Belleville, Cora’s is the first thing to come to mind.; obviously I place my stomach before wool.  Cora's was the place I got the idea for the Chinese  Lattice surrounding the dye kitchen in the shop.  Yes, Cora's was just a fabulous experience! 
Picture
Picture
So we made it to the venue and unpacked the U-Haul. That’s exhausting in itself, but instead of having a rest you have to open up all the boxes and arrange the wares in a pleasing display PDQ.  This would normally take hours but usually you only have a short time to do the job. I was one of many vendors and the building was abuzz with excitement and a flurry of activity, rushing to meet the opening that speeds toward you like a freight train!   As per the usual, people arrive early and are picking through your goods while you are trying to unpack. They love to chat you up when you need to be working so you try to do both in a friendly, frazzled kind of way.   I’m hammering out orders for hubby to put that here or there, and hang this or that, while I’m moving at warp speed in all directions.  I’m losing my mind on the inside but manage to keep control on the outside although a blood pressure reading would have been frightful. 

Once everything was orderly and ready for the customers I was able to relax and the event went very smoothly.  I met lots of new rug hookers and put faces with names I’d talked to on the phone or emailed over the years.  I was surprised at how many familiar faces I'd met at rug schools.  Everyone was so happy to see my shop and made us feel very welcome.  Hubby found the various reactions to me interesting and at one point when a woman walked through the doors and her scream “Oh my god, its Christine Little!” ricochet off the walls, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “It’s like being married to a rock star.”  People seemed so happy to meet me that I was thrilled and embarrassed at the same time.  The ole noggin swelled so by the end of the event I was slightly off balance and walked with a list to the left.   
 

Despite the hectic rushing and all the work, it was a truly great experience and I am so happy to have it under my belt.  And oh the perks!  Miles of rug hooking stuff!  I got to meet the other vendors and saw ‘need to have’ items everywhere!  I purchased a fabulous scarf made by Wanda Kerr, a colourful prismatic hook and wool.  And then some more wool. Did I say wool?  Yah, I took my share home!  I think I dragged more stuff home than I took cause there didn't appear to be any more room in the U-haul!
 
Now to get to the point of my story.  One vendor across from my setup didn’t have a lot of traffic at her table and I don’t know why.  She had some pretty fabulous British Woolens to drool over. 
I would have killed for her source but it’s rude to ask and she didn’t offer.  In the past, I'd spent hours on the internet looking for wool jobbers in Britain but have always come up empty.  So when she unpacked her wares my jaw dropped.  I can spy a piece of wool at fifty paces and I kept my eye peeled to make sure no one bought what was to be mine!   I feared having to make a scene while wrestling yardage out of some other hooker’s hot little hands!   Plaids are a favorite of mine.  I love the way you can strip them down the lines of colour and get different looks. Her plaids were earthy and rich in colour, just what I had in mind.  ‘Catch of the Day’ was a design of mine that I always planned to hook and knew plaids would do it justice.  I didn’t want to do any dyeing for the project, just use the plaids as is.  It was to be a teaching tool to demonstrate how textured wools look when they’re hooked, considering that’s a frequently asked question at the shop. 


So at break time, I left hubby in charge, grabbed my wallet and rushed over to the vendor’s table and commenced the lusting. I knew how many fish I needed to hook and how much wool would do the borders so I dove into the piles and made my selections.  I was her biggest sale of the day and my arms were groaning under the weight of the acquisitions as I made my way back to my station.   The woman had previously washed all the wool so it was soft and luxurious although the smell was a bit overwhelming.  I have allergies to a lot of man-made scents and Downy or Fleecy are both nasty for me, so although the wool was the stuff dreams are made of, it became a bit of a
nightmare on the drive home, enough so that we had to stop and buy garbage bags to stuff it all in and move it into the U-Haul as it smelled up the car until I was forced to hang my head out the window gasping for air.  When I got home I didn’t want to wash it and risk felting it thicker, so
I let it sit in the back room to off gas for almost a year before I attempted the rug.  

So the AGM went smoothly, the time whizzed by and before I knew it we were packing up, checking out of our hotel, saying goodbye to my beloved Cora’s and hitting the road.  It was a very expensive trip and I was in a deep  hole by the time we reached Mahone Bay.  After  totaling up the gas, hotels, food, vendor rental space, insurance and U-Haul it was an expensive outing, but I knew that would happen even before I left. The weekend was about PR for the business, connecting with customers and meeting new rug hookers.  It was also a bit of a getaway for us and although we were exhausted, it was a good kind of tired.    As always, the drive home appeared faster but it was still a long haul. 


The cherry on the Sundae had been the anticipation of a bit of shopping in those antique shops I’d sourced on the trip there, but that was a big disappointment.  They were all closed!   I was just a sad face pressed up against the windows, like a penniless kid outside a candy store.  Closed signs stared back at me, some shops we'd missed by mere minutes!!!  We were driving into a later time zone and should have left earlier!  So there were no souvenirs or baubles to remind me of our little adventure.  I pouted most of the way home.   
Picture
When I finally got around to starting ‘Catch of the Day’, I did the entire grid in #6 dark charcoal/black wool and all the fish and borders in #7.   With the wider cut, I was averaging a fish a night, and got halfway through the pattern quickly.   But just like the carpenter’s house that’s never finished, I got distracted by the shop and the rug was set on the back burner.  Shamefully, the normally two weeks to a month project stretched into three years!  My Wednesday evening group kept up an annoying vigilance, dogging me to finish.  Usually a hooking hare with lightning speed; I was a tortoise with no end in sight so it lagged on.  After we decided to have a rug show in spring of 2012,  I put a push on to have it to display.  The finished rug hangs in the shop and gets a lot of positive comments and its had a few overtures to purchase it.  I purposely haven’t sewn on the rug binding for an excuse to deflect their offers.   “Sorry, it isn’t finished”, lets me off the hook.  The rug is for my hubby’s study, his reward for being supportive on that wonderful trip to Belleville where I found the perfect wool to hook it.  You can’t sell a memory, it’s always there to remind you of the time when……

Picture
The pattern 'Catch of the Day' is available in two sizes. 
The larger, hooked one, is 40" x 63" and the smaller version is 39" x 31 1/2"  Check out the pattern section for more details.  
2 Comments

Hooking a Tradition

12/10/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
What better way for a grandma to say "I love you" than to hook Christmas stockings for her grandchildren?  An heirloom that will be lovingly displayed, year after year, and bring joy and delight on Christmas morning as the stockings bulge with gifts from Santa. 

These Christmas stockings are timeless and will follow the boys throughout their lives and quite possibly, they will be handed down to the next generation, or maybe great grandma will be hooking a few more!

Bonnie Duncan, who works in the shop,  hooked the stockings for her three grandsons.  The Beary Christmas stocking was customized for Ethan with a football cause daddy loves sports.  Bonnie designed the Reindeer specifically for Liam, and Owen, her first grand-baby, received Frosty with a few modifications. 

1 Comment

One person's scrap is another person's rose!

12/8/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
I was fiddling around with wool salvages the other evening while Mary sewed sparkling beads on her Christmas stocking.  Being a bit of a crow, I got hooked on beads while experimenting with scissor bling.  I started making and selling jewellery in the shop.  I was fairly successful but it took time away from rug hooking.   I was buying more beads than I could keep up with and the pressure to make jewellery began to overwhelm me.  Once that happened it became a chore and the interest waned.  I still enjoy dabbling with bling but at a leisurely pace.  Some of the beads I purchased are extraordinary.  Most of them are one of a kind and made by the artist who sold them to me....SRA, Self Representing Artists.    I bought beads from all over the world and my favorites, the ones from Germany, are exquisite. 

So I packed up all the equipment, beads and findings and put it away for future inspiration.  Although I like to think of myself as  Super Woman, I can't serve more than one master at a time and be efficient in all.  My cape got a little worn for wear as there was too much crafting and not enough time for living.   I went a little crazy and now have thousands of dollars worth of handmade beads lining closet shelves and stuffed into boxes waiting for their chance to shine!  Poor little beads, I loved you so, but had to let you go!   Another time, maybe even another life, as hooking has to be my main squeeze for now!

Charlene showed me how to make these darling little roses out of the salvage edges of wool.  You just start with a tight jelly roll for the center and then as you go around and around, every now and then turn the wool strip upside down to create the rolled over edge for the petals.  No two will look alike and they really do represent a rose.  You sew the back as you go, then apply the leaves, cover the back with a piece of wool and sew or glue on a brooch pin bought in any craft shop.

I left the finished roses on the sales counter and several people commented how cute they were so I gave them away.  They would make a cute little gift or put them on a present in place of a bow and if you put two or more together as a cluster, they make a larger brooch! 

If anyone is interested in a doing a little 1/2 hour workshop to make a few of these, let me now and I'll arrange it. 
0 Comments

Main Street Hooker's Christmas Party

12/6/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture











Mary's Cheese Crispies with Pepper Jelly! Recipe below.  Had the leftovers for breakfast this morning!

Picture











Yum, Pam's Microwave Fudge.  Recipe below.  I don't know how we managed to stuff in all the food and snacks! What troopers! 

Picture











Having a few snacks and zippy drinks.  Code for wine spritzers.  Good ole Lunenburg County, everyone hangs out in the kitchen. 

Picture











Sue giving me the evil eye...what did I do now?

Picture











Charlene opening her prezzie.  Pam looks on while Sue gives herself a foot rub.  Charlene made Mac & Cheese but I didn't take a picture.  Recipe to follow. 

Picture











Heather opening her goody bag. 

Picture











Looks like Charlene's telling a big fish story. 

Picture











Doesn't Shelley have the most magnificent aura?  Lots of prezzies on the table waiting to play the game! 

Picture











Bonnie stole my scarf!  She's a scarfer!  She grabbed it off my neck so quickly I had ligature marks! 

Picture











Armenia opening a beautiful Christmas ornament.  My gift was a basket of homemade jams and edibles...thanks Armenia!

Picture











Lorraine modeling the stick on breast lifts in one of the presents. I said I wouldn't post this picture but you really can't tell she's braless so what the heck!   Ooops...guess I shouldn't write that

Picture











Glenna leaving with her delicious homemade tomato soup.  Forgot to ask for the leftovers!   What was I thinking?  Recipe below.  This is the only shot of the main courses....forgot to take pictures before we dined!

Picture











First to draw, Ginny likes her red wool and so does Sue who later takes it on her turn!  Armenia, Pam and Charlene like it too!

Picture











Heather opening the last of the gifts.  Mary holding Jake and I'm looking at some lovely dyed roving. 

Picture











Bonnie and another scarf that she scarfed off Heather. 

Picture











Fiz says, "You crazy bunch of two legged party animals....enough already with the presents, I need my beauty sleep!"

Wednesday evening was our annual potluck Christmas party hosted by yours truly.  I have a great group of women who meet and hook the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at my studio tagged ‘The Main Street Hookers’. We get together, eat, drink and be merry and then play a delightful game, can’t remember the name, but everyone draws a number and #1 goes first and chooses a present and then #2 has the option to take #1’s gift or a new one from the table and so on.  When it is your turn you can take any previously chosen gift so stuff went back and forth with a great deal of side splitting laughter.  The wool presents were a big hit…dah!  On my turn I opened a handmade scarf that was quickly ripped off my neck by my sister a few numbers down the line….she scarfed the scarf!   I ended grabbing a basket full of edibles, some jams, cranberry sauce and a jelly. Considering I have a shop full of wool at my disposal, it seemed kind to let the other wool piranhas fight over it.  

Guess my tummy overruled my brain because I forgot to take pictures of the potluck foods.! We had Mac & Cheese, Smoked Salmon Pasta, various green salads, potato salad, cabbage rolls, seafood casserole, broccoli salad, homemade cream of tomato soup, cucumber salad (a Lunenburg County tradition), a wonderful tomato and olive bruschetta and to top it all off a homemade English Trifle and the Recipe To Riches winner ‘Triple Nut Toffee’, a dessert you’d request for your last meal on  death row!  I saw the TV show and wanted to taste it  and this was the perfect time to do a review.  All thumbs were up!  
 
For appetizers we snacked on veggies and dip, chips, grapes, a cheese crisp with pepper jelly, chocolate covered popcorn, Pam’s microwave fudge (one should always eat a bit of dessert first just in case you have no room after the meal), Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese with various crackers, and sipped wine, wine spritzers, beer and whatever your heart desired.   I will post various recipes in the coming days. 
 
Hard to believe another year is almost over.  It’s been an exciting time for us as a group. We’ve tucked our first gallery show under our belts and completed a number of wonderful rugs, which I plan to feature one at a time on the blog. Here's hoping 2013 is just as exciting as 2012.!
1 Comment

Mary's Cheese Crispies and Pepper Jelly

12/5/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Cheese Crispies

1 pkg Imperial Sharp Cheddar cold pack cheese
1  C butter
1 1/2 C flour
4 C Rice Krispies
Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)

Soften cheese and butter.   Mix.  Beat in flour.  Work in Rice Krispies.  Add a couple of shakes of Worcestershire sauce and, if desired, cayenne pepper.  Roll into small balls.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and flatten with fork in a grid pattern. 


Bake at 350F for 15  minutes.


Pepper Jelly

1 C finely chopped jalapeno peppers  (or use 1 C red or green sweet peppers + 1 T jalapenos, if desired)
5 C  sugar
1 C cider vinegar
1 x 85 ml pouch Certo
Few drops red or green  food colouring, if desired.  (I tend not to use this ...the jelly in the picture  was a gift from a friend, and she uses red food colouring)

In large  saucepan, combine peppers, sugar and cider vinegar. Boil over medium heat for  15 min.  Add pectin.  Add food colouring, if desired. Stir for 1 minute more.   Skim off foam and pour into sterilized jars.


Makes about 4 cups.


Enjoy!
 
0 Comments

Pam's Microwave Fudge

12/5/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Pam's Microwave Fudge

 3 cups sugar
 ¾ cup butter
 5 oz (2/3 cup) evaporated milk
 2 cups **semi sweet chocolate chips **
 4 cups mini marshmallows
 1 cup nuts
 1 tsp vanilla

In a large microwavable bowl combine sugar, butter and  milk. Cover
with plastic wrap and microwave on full power for 7 minutes. Stir.  Microwave
another 4 minutes on full power. Add chips and marshmallows and stir  until
melted. Add vanilla and nuts (if desired) Pour into greased 13” x 9” pan.  Chill
until set.

**Your chocolate chips are your flavor for this fudge.  Make sure you
use a good quality chocolate chips...I use the president's choice  decadent
chips.

Enjoy!





0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

    Picture
    Picture
    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
    Picture
    Gift Certificates are available for that special rug hooker in your life!  Any denomination, no expiry date! 

    Picture

    Categories
    (Click on the categories for past blogs)

    All
    Announcements
    Beginner Class
    Christmas
    Colour Planning
    Contests
    Copyright
    Coupon
    Customer Rugs
    Cutter Servicing
    Dyeing
    Equipment
    Featured Hooker
    Giveaway Draw
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Blogger
    Health & Fitness
    Home & Heart
    Hooked Rugs
    Hooking Groups
    Hook In Talk
    Initially Yours
    Jibber Jabber
    Just A Bit Of Fun!
    Life's Experiences
    Life's Experiences
    New Design
    New Ideas
    Pattern Of The Week
    Patterns Hooked
    Pets
    Rants
    Recipes
    Rememberingfbe7326ff7
    Rug Schools
    Show & Tell
    Show-tell
    The Rant
    Tips Technique
    Tips Techniquef0cd117ab4
    Visitors
    Workshops

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture





















    Picture
    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 
Saturdays 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are as well.  

Toll Free: 1-855-624-0370
Local: 1-902-624-0370​
encompassingdesigns@gmail.com

498 Main Street
P.O. Box 437
Mahone Bay, N.S.
Canada B0J 2E0

​Follow us and keep up to date
on our specials, new products
​and events!
Picture
Picture
Picture


Home
Shop
Ordering
Blog
Our Story
Workshops

Contact Us




​​​© Copyright 2023 Encompassing Designs. Website by SKYSAIL