Merry Christmas

Sue's Been Sprucing Up the Show House

Come and see what's new!

Peconic Ruggers at 2014 North Fork Designer Show House

Photo by Liz Glasgow

Several members of the guild are selling hand-hooked rugs and other decorative items at the North Fork Designer Show House, going on now!  This is a rare opportunity to see and purchase these finely made works of art, so be sure to stop by and see us, and all the other wonderful vendors from the North Fork.

Christmas at the Show House 

and the Best of the North Fork Emporium

Fri - Sun, Nov 28 - Dec 14
27150 Main Road, Cutchogue, LI, NY

Benefiting Wounded Warriors and local families in need
Non-ProfitOrganization

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving one and all.  We have been without power since last night.  But we've got the turkey in the smoker and a fire in a fireplace, so we are nice and cosy and making do.  We're grateful to be here in this winter wonderland with old friends.

New Forms Group Fine Art & Craft Show & Sale

Getting Closer to Christmas . . .

What a busy fall I've had!  Shows and classes and family stuff . . . .  It will go on for another month.  I try not to think about the sheer amount of stuff I've done this fall and have yet to do -- a double baptism, multiple classes, my birthday, Barb's birthday, Pete's birthday, show after show . . . It's all good, though -- fun and profitable for the most part.  I just need a little more sleep.  At least the overnight travel is done with and I can sleep in my own bed.

Scallop season opened last Monday.  It's a good year Peconic Bay scallops -- they are big and plentiful for the first time since 1994.  Pete went out with his scope and net and couldn't believe how easy they were to get.  We ate them almost every night last week (Pete makes a great ceviche), sent some to Clara on the west coast, and brought some up to Barb. We've also packed some away in the freezer, although they are much better eaten the day they are harvested.

Next show up:  I will be at the New Forms Group Annual Fine Art and Craft Show this coming weekend in Remsenburg, New York.  I won't have supplies here -- this show is only for finished work.  Stop by if you are on the South Fork!

Post Fiber Festival of New England

Barb and I hit the ground running after getting home from Rhinebeck two weeks ago.  It was difficult to replenish our stock for the Fiber Festival of New England.  We were dyeing wool and drawing patterns and stitching away like crazy. I managed to get a small round Santa mat hooked and finished the picot edging just in time for the opening of the show on Saturday morning.  Here he is without his edging.  The quills in his beard are not as dark as they look in the photo.

I neglected to take photos of our booth, but you guys have seen it a hundred times before.  I did take some pics of Wool and Dye Work's booth down the row from us.  I love how they hang their swatches and how they hook up the wool they sell so you can see what it will look like in your rug.  They are a nice group of women -- Linda, Diane, Janet, Judy and Margot.  I think that's all of them.  They have a shop in Florence, Massachusetts and will have one of their designs in Rug Hooking Magazine in a month or two.  

And I can't leave without posting photos of two new friends, Belle Star and her sister Viola.

Viola

Belle Star

They are Nigerian Dwarf goats incredibly friendly and loving and smart.  They were for sale -- $500 for the pair and they had to go together, because goats do not like to be alone.  I would have bought them if my village allowed livestock.

Now  am off to prepare to teach a class on hooking snowmen on Saturday.  I'm still running as fast as I can.

Good Stuff to Know

It is a glittering, golden morning here in Greenport today.  I love these fall days, but I am not liking the long, dark nights.

There is some good news for rug hookers, and I am late in posting about it.  But, as you all probably know by now, better late than never is my motto.

Up first:  Wanda Kerr has acquired Magik Carpet Dyes.  These are food grade dyes, supposedly a much healthier product than other dyes.  You can find Wanda and the dyes at Wandaworks.  She is also the owner/moderator of The Welcome Mat and writes Rug Hooking Magazine's dye column.

Second:  Heavens to Betsy has acquired George Kahnle's (Hooked on the Creek) wonderful and whimsical rug hooking patterns.  (Sadly, George passed away a little while ago.)  It is great that George's great talent will be available to rug hookers again.

Third: The Fiber Festival of New England is this coming weekend, November 1 & 2, at the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts.  Barb and I will be there, with loads of new stuff.  Please come and see us in booth 457 East.

Rhinebeck 2014

I have been thinking about writing long posts about the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival held last weekend in Rhinebeck, but I am so busy trying to restock for the Fiber Festival of New England next week, that I haven't had time to post.  We sold out of so much stuff, my head is still spinning!  It was our most profitable show ever, and I am grateful to all the wonderful people who come to visit us each year.  That said, I have to get back to work dyeing wool and making kits and drawing patterns . . . . . .   So here are some photographs for you to enjoy.

Our booth

Another view of our booth

Yet another

My favorite sheep of the show

This guy was a sweetheart

Our neighbor at the show

Love this woman's baskets -- she's a rug hooker, too!

nice packaging

Goats are my favorites

Sunny skies and colorful trees

Garlands

Love the topknot

These trees look great every year

More yarn than you can imagine

Another corner of our booth

Rug Hooking Classes at the Farmhouse Quilt Company

I am so very pleased to announce that I will be teaching rug hooking on a regular basis at the delightful Farmhouse Quilt Company in Southold, New York.  All classes run from 10 AM to 3 PM.  Feel free to bring lunch -- coffee and a small snack are provided.  Open hooking is $25 for the day; special classes are priced individually.  For more information or to register, please call (631) 236-6030.

2014

Saturday, October 4           Open Hooking

Tuesday, October 21          Open Hooking

Saturday, November 8       Snowmen Ornaments  $40  (kits provided -- bring your hook & frame)

Tuesday, November 18      Open Hooking

Saturday, December 6        Christmas Ornaments  $40 (kits provided -- bring your hook & frame)

Tuesday, December 9        Open Hooking

Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival

I still have lots to say about our wonderful trip to Nova Scotia, but I am just too busy getting ready for our fall shows.  I will try to get to all the posts I want to write, But today, I am just posting the information about the Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival this coming weekend at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Greenwich, New York, just outside of the beautiful city of Saratoga Springs.  It takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 27 & 28, 2014, 10 to 5 PM both days.  For more information and a $1.00 of coupon for admission, go to their hem page: adkfiber.com

Hope to see you there!

Photos from Nova Scotia

Come by Chance Antiques near Chester

Inside Come By Chance

Lots of rugs, new and old

Fisheries Museum in Lunenberg

Hubbards Farmers Market 

Lobster Poutine

St. Johns Farmers Market

The Fruits of Our Labor Day

Sixty-two quarts of plum tomatoes canned!  We spent the holiday coring and peeling and cooking hundreds of tomatoes with our friends the Osinski's.  Fifteen-year-old Susanna was planning on doing about a dozen jars by herself, although her mother really want 40 quarts to get the family through the winter.  So Pete and I said let's just do it -- add a few jars in for us and we'll help.  So while Isabel, Susanna and I cored and peeled, Mike and Pete headed to Agway for more jars and to the farm stand for more tomatoes. Mercator headed to the grocery store for more lemon juice. We had them all canned in a few hours, using all six burners on the stove plus a propane burner outside.  When we finished we sat down to a lunch of fresh caught bluefish, then all jumped into the bay for a swim.  It's amazing how satisfying it is to see sixty-two jars of tomatoes sitting on the counter.

I realized last night that summer is, for all intents and purposes, over.  The sun was nearly down by 7:30, and the garden is overgrown and shriveled.  This summer has been great.  We took advantage of the dry and not-too-hot weather.  We swam almost every day, had a terrific vacation, fun times with neighbors, a wonderful Fourth of July with our wonderful daughter and close friends.  I taught a class and took a class.  I even found a parking place at the Post Office every single time I went, although the village has been full of tourists.  No regrets this year.  I took advantage of every day.

Now it is time for the show season to start.  First up:  The Hallockville Fall Festival and Peconic Ruggers Rug Show.  This is such a fun day!  Be sure to join us.  Barb and I will have a booth in the Naugles barn, where the rug show will be.

The 34th Annual Hallockville Fall Festival & Craft Show

September 13 & 14, 2014 10am-5pm each day!

The Fall Festival is Hallockville's largest fundraiser of the year! Join us for the annual tradition-the North Fork's only true old-fashioned country fair for all ages!

Admission is $8 adults, $5 children ages 5-12 ( 4 & under free) 2 adults & 2 kids $20. Parking is available on-site.  **For the safety of all animals on display, please leave your dogs at home. Dogs are not permitted in the Festival grounds.**

Admission includes:

- access to over 50 artisan craft and folk art vendors- jewelry, baskets, clothing, artwork, soaps, candles, something for all ages & interests...plus Miss Ella's Shop which offers a variety of local gifts and souvenirs which benefit the museum, plus quilting fabric

- handmade rug show in the Naugles Barn by the Peconic Rug Hookers Guild

- folk art demonstrations including decoy carving, wood carving, basketweaving, rug hooking, quilting, and more

- hayrides, tractor pull and antique farm machinery display from LIAPA

- historic house tours including the 1765 Hallock Homestead & Barn,  1931 Cichanowicz Farmhouse

- special exhibit spaces including the 1876 Combs Decoy Carving Shop,  the "Defense of the Eagle" War of 1812, and model trains from the Railroad Museum of LI

- children's activity area and fun games like the popular Egg Toss

- animal and livestock displays including cows, horses, donkeys from the East End Livestock and Horseman's Association

- live music from the Eastbound Freight Bluegrass Band and a traditional dance performance from the Blue Spruce Cloggers

Additional amenities that are available for purchase include:

- children's mini train ride and pony rides

- food vendors including Maple Tree BBQ, Island Empanada, Ice Cream Truck, Rosie's Country Kettle Corn, and Greenport Harbor Brewing Company

Thank you for supporting our not-for-profit mission by attending the Fall Festival!

Rug Hooking Heaven: Nova Scotia

Pete and I just returned from a wonderful week in Nova Scotia, where rug making is a national sport.  Hooked rugs are everywhere -- in gift shops and studios, museums and humble houses by the side of the road.

We made several stops, of course, starting with London-Wul Fiber Arts in Moncton, New Brunswick.  This is Heidi Wulfraat's shop -- she hosts a free online bulletin board called Rug Hooking Daily.  We traveled down a rural road to a lovely wooden building with bins and shelves full of colorful fiber and walls decorated with Heidi's work.  Students were learning to nuno felt in the back room, and a quilter was stocking up on the cheerful cottons Heidi carries.  I was fascinated by Heidi's stained glass-like pieces hooked with hand-dyed nylon.  I bought a few skeins to try my hand at it.  (I will leave the nylon to Heidi in the future; I found it difficult to hook, even with my harpoon-like Ritchie hook.)  I also found some incredibly soft pale green yarn with which I will make baby booties for my niece's and nephew's new babies.

Our next stop was Deanne Fitzpatrick's shop in Amherst, Nova Scotia.  This is a happy place, full of color.  There's a sandwich board out front that proclaims "We can teach you to hook in 5 minutes!"  I love that Deanne makes the craft accessible to everyone.  Inside the door is a salad bar of wool -- bowls full of small bits and pieces for sale so you don't have to buy a whole yard of anything.  Her famously textured rugs hang on the walls.

Pete picked out one of Deanne's signature house mats for us to take home.  I think it will hang in our kitchen over the French doors to the back yard.

I have lots more to share, and I will share it all!  But I need to buckle down and get some work done.  I messed up my back the first day home so I haven't worked yet this week!  The fall shows are coming soon!  First up is the Peconic Ruggers Rug Show, which will be held  September 13 & 14, 2014, during the Hallockville Fall Festival -- two great events for the price of one!

Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

We've had a pretty remarkable summer so far, weather wise.  Pete and I have been swimming almost daily, in the warm water of Peconic Bay.  We are dining on the bounty of Pete's vegetable garden -- zucchini, green beans, beets, onions, Swiss Chard.  The only thing we buy is sweet corn, because we don't have the room to grow it.  Our tomatoes are just coming in, and I cannot wait to have a Caprese salad whenever I want and to make a Tomato Cobbler with our multi-colored cherry tomatoes.  

The whole summer has felt like vacation to me.  When I want to read, I sit down and read.  I've been leaving the dishes in the sink, waiting days to do the laundry.  And I have not been working much, which is sort of a problem, lol.  I should be designing new patterns and making finished goods for my fall shows.  When I read other people's blogs with my morning coffee, I see pumpkins and witches and black cats, snowmen and snowflakes and Christmas trees.  I haven't finished my Fourth of July designs yet.  

I'm teaching a class tomorrow at Farmhouse Quilts in Southold -- a good thing -- it jarred me out of  the staycation mode I've been in.  I designed a new 10 inch square mat called Southold Sunflower.  It's a simple mat, a single sunflower against a brilliant blue sky, so it lends itself to a beginner class.  I have been thinking about embellishing it with beads for added interest, but I will wait until after the class for that. 

So today, I am dyeing wool while watering the garden and packing up the car for tomorrow's class.  When its over, I'll try to get my head out of summer and into fall.  I'm a little wistful about that -- I have already noticed the shortening of days and Labor Day is three weeks away.  

Summer Sunday

Lazy Sunday here in Greenport.  Looks like it will storm soon.  We're short on rain this year, so it is welcome.  

I seem to be stuck in vacation mode, even though we haven't gone on vacation yet!  We've been swimming a lot -- nearly every day.  What a joy.  We're lucky to be able to walk a block and dive in.  Pete's garden is starting to produce lots of produce, so we are eating well.  Some nights we just eat what he picks --  zucchini, cooked on the grill, or green beans sautéed in olive oil with a little garlic.  Delicious.

I was inspired to try my hand at homemade ricotta cheese -- recipe courtesy of Julia at Of Petals and Wool.  I even bought raw milk to do it.  It's easy and delicious, although the raw milk cost a small fortune.  Julia has a dairy farm, so she has a lot of raw milk at her disposal!  Thanks for the inspiration, Julia!

I'm going to spend the afternoon reading on the porch, listening to the rain.  Enjoy your weekend.

Learning to Butt Braids with Kris McDermott

My rug hooking guild, the Peconic Ruggers, sponsored a class with rug hooker and braider Kris McDermott.  Kris, along with two of her friends, cowrote Combining Rug Hooking & Braiding: Basics, Borders, & Beyond.

She does amazing things with braids, and is an amazing teacher.  Her visual aids are great, she arrived completely prepared, and is as nice as she can be.  

Kris works with lots of interesting fibers, such as taffeta and banana silk.  Look at that sparkly stuff in the rug pictured above!  It's great to see someone venturing into new territory.

Kris had us bring two 6 inch hooked pieces to class, one round and one square with an unhooked circle in the center.  I hooked some paisley, of course, although I used a 4-cut, instead of my usual 8.  I love the way the circle looks, but  think there's too much going on in the square piece.  I'm going to quiet it down by replacing the three-color braid with a one-color braid so your eye has some place to rest.

These pieces were hooked with my sister Barb's hand dyed wool.  This combination is called Moroccan Mosaic.  (Contact her at thimblefolk@comcast.net if you are interested. Or thimblefolk.com)

It was a fun way to spend two days -- both jam-packed with information -- our hands were never idle, which is just the way I like!  For more photos tootle on over to the Peconic Ruggers.