The shortest UFO

Is that correct to say? The "shortest" UFO? In other words, this has been a UFO for less time than the others. Which is more correct, but awkward as heck. 

I hooked this elephant for the Smidge, and left the background for her to choose. As a result, it's quite busy and loud with colour. So much for the background taking a backseat to let the main image shine! No, not for this girl.

My upholstering skills are lacking, so I don't look too closely at the edges. No, I said not to look at them. Geez. 

Alas, it is done and Smidge is happily enjoying her new stool in her room. Though it's not being used where and how I thought it might be, that's totally up to her. 

What number am I at? Lots to do before completing #18in2018, that much I do know! Onwards....

Canada 150

I thought this year deserved a patriotic piece to recognize Canada 150. The piece I completed was sold during the summertime. 

As it turned out, the lady that bought it wanted some mug rugs to accompany it, for a relative that lives in the U.S. but is proud of their Canadian heritage. So a set of six mug rugs was completed in September. I was glad to have the work, and surprisingly enjoyed the sixth as much as the first! 

They've been delivered and now I'm in full holiday production mode!!

Mea Culpa

Hi all. So sorry for my lengthy absence. I've thought of posting often, but alas haven't gotten around to it. On a happy note, I have been happily hooking and hooking more than usual. It's certainly a tonic for these cold, snowy days. A two week or more stint of fog in January was difficult, but made more enjoyable with hook in hand. 

Will you join me this year to complete #17in2017? As I did last year, I will endeavour to complete that many fibre projects in the calendar. I dare say I've already got a few to report. Let's see what I can share. 

Ah yes, first I must admit to thinking that I didn't have any blue wool in my stash. I decided that one of my storage spots was beyond embarrassing in its messiness, so I pulled everything out two days ago and re-organized. As you can see, I have some blue to use (gulp). Especially considering one of the drawers beneath this space is also full of blue. 

I certainly know people with far more than this, so I'm not thinking I have more than enough. Oh no, that thought never enters my mind. I have grand plans for dyeing in April!! 

I finished a piece to celebrate Canada's 150th bday:

I also finished this WIP in February, a design that I started a while back (brain won't tell me when!): 

And I've completed a bunch of wee little pieces, but I won't bother mentioning those. One other landscape piece is hooked, but requires whipping so I'll share that at a later time. Plus one other piece is almost finished being hooked. Yippee!

I'm hoping to be more diligent with my blogging, but feel free to follow me on Instagram, my handle is @burningthemidlifeoil. I'm also on Twitter at @hookdonlife, though admittedly I don't tweet as much as I post on IG. Finally, you can look at some of my past work at burningthemidlifeoil.com. 

Chat soon!

Update on #16in2016

So if you remember, I challenged myself to create 16 fibre projects in 2016 (#16in2016). I wasn't doing too well until September came and I had to prepare for a demonstration and sale at a home decor store in Hamilton. The after burners were fired up and well, I think I may be in good shape after all. 

Looking back through the blog, I last reported Fibre Finish #8. Even if I consider the two Holstein mug rugs (see below) as one project, I hereby report Fibre Finishes #9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. You're welcome. 

What a Disaster

My hooking room has been a disaster since about mid-August. I've been madly hooking, whipping and generally preparing for an event that happened on September 30th. It was great fun, went well and I was pleased with the results! More about that in the next post.  

Just take a look at this mayhem though. And pics don't even capture the wool dust (I don't think)! 

F is for Fibre, not Fiber

I know, I know. You want to spell it ‘fibre’ not ‘fiber’. That is if you live below the 49^th parallel. Those of us above the 49^th parallel spell it ‘fibre’. 

Actually I’m lying. A good portion of Canada’s population lives below the 49^th parallel; myself I live at the 43.6339° N parallel. I didn’t use anything more sophisticated that Google to come up with that. Sorry if that spoils your image of me doing something highly techy to figure that out.

If you know me, you know I’m a fiercely proud Canadian and a stickler for spelling and grammar, hence the need to write a paragraph about the spelling of fibre. Now, let’s move on, shall we?

Yes, today’s blog post is sponsored by the letter F. Okay, not sponsored. That would imply that F has some funds (see what I did there?) and is spending it on my writing. As far as I know, F is flat broke. Today’s blog post is inspired by the letter F. Phew.

Fibre is fantastic. Fibre is fun. Fibre is….what I live for in actual fact. No I don’t mean that I calculate the fibre content of my diet, day in and day out. While I do enjoy fruits and vegetables and try to enjoy a very healthy diet, I’m not referring to that kind of fibre. To me, that’s not fun or fantastic. I live on that kind of fibre, not for it.

Fibre is wool, cotton, hair, silk, linen, thread, fabric, yardage, art, craft, and so much more. As a maker (I prefer to call myself a maker instead of getting into the overly discussed topic of crafter versus artist), I am moved, inspired and thrilled by fibre in all its many forms. I love fibre and the limitless opportunities for making with fibre. Natural fibres…all the way, baby.

On the subject of fibre, I finished hooking my “Bunny Warhol” piece* last night (shown above). Here it is in its unfinished glory. Finishing will happen. Eventually.

So to wrap up, for F's sake enjoy fibre in all its forms and spellings!

Today's post is my part in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, which I am not officially part of (long story). 

*For those of you that have been reading this blog longer than a week, you realize that Bunny Warhol will be considered part of the #16in16 challenge. 

ECHO Echo echo

Echo echo echo

The other night I was in a church hall that has one of the worst cases of echo I have ever experienced. I’m sure the ringing in my ears had nothing to do with the fifteen screaming 9-11 year olds in the room! Nope. Literally had to escape a couple of times and let my ears calm down.

Which brings me to the other meaning of echoing, something that’s used in craft/art pursuits such as quilting and hooking. Probably others as well that I’m not well versed in.

I know that some people are not fans of echoing in rug hooking, but it’s a personal favourite of mine. I don’t answer to the rug hooking police….you know who you are. Or actually maybe you don’t. You may not realize that you get all judge-y with other people’s work. In my world there is no “right” way to do things. Perhaps there are techniques that serve to accomplish certain desired (to some) outcomes but I don’t worry about those.

So back to the echo. I fancy an echo in hooking, yes I do. If you’re not sure what I mean by echoing, it’s when a strong line or key element is followed exactly and repeatedly with the next row of hooking.

In one piece I completed several years ago, I made Echoing a major element of the piece instead of a subtle means of filling in the background. That’s just how I roll. 

Actually I’m not usually a rule breaker in life. Getting in trouble troubled me deeply as a child. Being sent to the principal’s office was my greatest dread. Now I feel like more of a rebel to know that in this one small way I’m a bad ass.

A bad ass who’s ears can’t handle the screaming of fifteen kids in an echo-y room. 

Today's post is courtesy of the letter E and the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Which I'm not officially part of because I tried to sign up too late, but I'm still participating. Bad ass again. Did you see that? 

Definitely Design

It just so happens that the Smidge is home today, suffering horribly (NOT!) from a cold. Suffice it to say she’s sick enough to be home, so that she doesn’t infect the other kids. But she’s healthy enough to be driving me cuckoo!!

I said to her this morning, “D is for…..”? Her reply “Dinosaurs”. I refused to discuss dinosaurs for my blog post today. You’re welcome. So then she came up with Draw. Design. Decorate. Now we’re talkin’.

I’ve always been attracted to the idea of designing my own patterns – whether it be quilting, knitting, crocheting or rug hooking. To me it’s far more creatively satisfying to design my own work. I have a long list of new ideas that are busting forth. Time to get going on some of those.

Rug hooking by far (imho) provides opportunity for designing and seeing your vision come forth. I’ve done some of my own designs in the past. Some are not so great, others are better. One thing for sure is that there’s a fuller sense of accomplishment and fulfillment when you hook and complete a piece that came solely from your own ideas.

I was chatting with someone just last night about the stress release that comes with drawing and colouring. Hence the explosion of adult colouring books on the market. I haven’t bought one only because I think I might never stop colouring if I got one. I can see it being addictive, in a good way.

Drawing is something that I’ve been “meaning to do” for so long, because I acknowledge that you just have to do it to get better and to enjoy it more. I have one of those big books that’s full of prompts and blank paper. Really should get back to that.

So get to it today. Design something. Draw something. Get out your crayons or pencil crayons or really nice pencils that you don’t let the kids use. Or glue, sew or make something. Release your inhibitions (cue the music).   

Our kids do it so well because they haven’t yet been pounded down by society’s expectations, disappointments and judgments. Be a kid. Just today and maybe tomorrow. See what happens.

Why not draw a dinosaur? 

Blogging about D today as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge.