KNA- It's been 9 days and 40 chairs

You might think by my absence that I was knocked flat by the old November screws. The grey, the damp, the cold the dark, the grey, oh did I already say grey?

But no, I've just been busy, so busy kicking it I haven't been able to post.

Just going away one day last Monday put me way behind but now I'm caught up and full of things to tell you.

Since we last talked I got my Isalas. And before I left home I told Man, no matter what I say I can only have two Isalas, I will want three, but I cannot have them, have you got that Man? I cannot have them. It is too much for our hobbit house.

Yes said Man. He held me fast.

And here they are filled with my undyed wool which I have been whittling down to less of a massive presence in my home. There will be no wool shortage. I don't need to keep it all in my house.

And I love that I've given myself the freedom to return my house to a home instead of an exploded wool factory storage bin.

Here is a close up. 

Man loves to build these Ikea puzzles.

I do too but I let him have that fun.

We used to fight about who got to do it but never about how like most people.

We are weird.

Here is my new Hemnes dresser. It is in my studio to hold wool to spin in it's drawers ( don't we all wish we had wool in our drawers? hmm.. maybe we do but it isn't spinnable) it holds the dyed fibre and my drum carder. It is a perfect height for hobbits to drum card. LOVE IT!

November you makes me nesty insteads of testy.  Na na na na na.

 And now for the fortuitous happenings. Have I ever told you how much I love the As Is section of Ikea? See here this table, beautiful, white, pedestal table with a bun ( OMG I love bun legs on things).

It has two leaves, self stored and it was only 1/3 of it's usual price. Problem? It had 2 ft. of very sticky dirty tape on the top. Time to resolve? 5 minutes. Tool used? Elbow grease and Goo Gone. 

I'm in heaven.

Fortuitous Happening #2

New spinning chair, the Jenny Eklund. Also in the As Is. No problem to solve. 1/2 the normal price, only needed to buy a cover. I love this chair!

I love grey... did you hear that November, I LOVE GREY!

Man made me go around the house and count the chairs I have when we got home, I had to include 3 stools and one child's chair. The answer? 40. OMG is that all? I think I need a few more.

Funny aside. We only drove the Subaru Outback to Ikea. But due to my hooking teaching/ traveling I am a terrific packer. I mean I think I could enter Olympic competition packing. When the car is seen unpacked people are incredulous. I'm very confident in my packing ability.

So I see my long beloved table in the As Is and I want it and I've seen it there before and didn't press because of Man believing it would not fit. And I left it there. BOOOOHOOOO.

I also had 3 chairs with no table to sit around and so they were lined up in a row like a bus station.

This is bad jou jou. It makes people not want to stay in my house.

Then I saw my wee Jenny chair. And I wanted it too.

I had to decide which one.

Can you choose between your children?

So I asked Man for the chair, will it fit? He said No.

He says No to any question but really against all political correctness No does mean yes in his case.

But we waggled our boxes of Isala and Hemnes and voila room for dear Jenny to fit right in.

It was then I told him, I want the table too. I was in the mood for making it work.

I thought we could strap it to the top of the car with it's legs in the air. And we did. I'm so glad I don't have that bumper sticker on my car that says I'm a hooker anymore! Even my table legs are in the air!

We drove home through the November afternoon with a table upside down on our car. It was easy to pick out in the parking lot. It looked kinda cool and it matched our car. But I was glad it was dark ( hear that Nov.?) by the time I got near our home where we might be recognized.

Take that November. Your threats of rain did not scare us.

 By the way November I'll decide who is dark and grey here too, this will happen when I want.

Also in the as is I found a new cover for my Karlstaad chair.

It's pattern was a little much with my orientals.

Using coton dye I turned it grey.

I want to do some more decoration on this cover with black  sharpie and create some additional curvy lines or invent something I haven't thought of yet.

My room is brightened up considerably with this beautiful feather pillow from the smart Swedish store.

 Also I dressed up my dressmaker smarty  ( why call them a dummy? it's not their fault they have no head) in hand spun and hand dyed finery.

 In the mail I got two beautiful BKL fleeces from Michigan, they will soon be white as snow.

I love snow so much November, I'll have it inside.

And last but not least I was able to get a wonderful deal on a travelling spinning wheel which I need to go to spin in each week. The Little Gem II. See it's bag?

Here is how it folds down and there is the Duchess of York spinning on it. If it is good enough for her, then I say I'm happy November, no matter what you are doing out there, I'm doing great! And your days are numbered as are mine but I'm out lasting you this year.

KNA - Storage

November soon you will be half over and I will still be here wearing my boots. I will have a new storage area with lights and cameras and action for the great dye tools of the North. The eye of newt and hair of bat.

And I will be in possession of two, count em two Isala cabinets as well where my wool will languish before it is dyed in complete Swedish aesthetically pleasing repose. Calm and puce these Isala soldiers will fight my woollen mayhem. Really I think I'll get out the tape measure and see if three are too much. I kind like the look of six though eh?

My home will look normal on the ground level for the first time ever.

What happens below or in the closet?

Secret.

 

Speaking of repose in another meaning let's consider for a moment November, something meant to show you who is boss.

Restorative isn't it?

KNA - A makeover!

Ok- you could think this might be about my hair but you would be wrong!

But probably only about this topic because I know you are well past smart.

Smart I say.

I just made over the Welcome Mat

I was somewhat inspired by this artwork which I cannot credit because I cannot read Hungarian, I can speak it, but just not read it.

It's a small talent I have!

I love the layers and the awesome colours!

You can go here to see where I found it

You know I'm kidding about the Hungarian right?

 I respect and am related to Hungarians. You can learn more about Hungary here.

I encourage you to run out and look at the art work of different cultures for new colour play, lines and layout.

So here is what the Mat looks like now!

I love refurbishing! I left out the yellowing effect because it snowed here today and I was feeling like crisp.

Speaking of crisp take a look at these palettes:

I feel a trend coming on!

Take that November!

KNA- Man Style/ Fly Style/ Girl Style

It was a dark and rainy day yesterday.

That's November for ya!

Because it was so dark here a photo wasn't possible this photo is from "wondering the world"

You might feel happy looking at the array of photos presented there.

But I threw down the gauntlet HARD and did this rendition of the view out the screen with nylons and dye and the point method!

 Man feels a cave is the best course of action, depending on diet, gas mask optional

Fruit Fly option? Drown yourself in amber brew. By the way the fly survived and there were 10 more this morning. That's showing November!

KNA - Birdee's Way

Birdie knows how to give November the gears. Get in the sun!

 I love her shadow, its hunting mice behind the couch.

KNA- BP Style

Today to kick some serious donkey I went to the Beach. 

Yah! That's right... the beach, it was a balmy 16 ˚C aka known as 60˚F. 

I wasn't the only one who went ...that's why it was so BP style! We are all called by the same siren.

It was like a sound wave spread out and lured us to the beach... wait, maybe it was aliens.

Anyway

BP stands for Bruce Peninsula, and we are a close people, interbred even.

Technically Sauble Beach is not Pensinsular but it is not far off it.

Look at what I saw beachside:

 It's a bird

It's a photoshop

It's  Letter C day on Sesame Street 

Kite Boarders! Catching Big Air ! 10 of them and their splendidy coloured kites skimming and dipping swirling and flying! Take that November!

KNA- Super Heros and Cartoon Characters Colour Wheel

Colourful - comedy- creatures.... who could want more in November?

 Go here to see it live and interactive at the source of origin!

KNA- Comfort Food

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

by Jamie on October 31, 2011

Long story short, Jamie is a genius.

Take that November!

You need these today!

Go here to find out how!

Dear Mom Dear Daughter

Dear Mom, I'm writing you this letter 'cos you are so right.
I want somebody to start a new company so I can work for them.
I want somebody to make an amazing quilt so I can enjoy it.
I want somebody to pay attention to me.
I just realized I need to do all these things myself, who needs somebody?

Dear Daughter,
I just realized you are so right.
When we set our minds to something nothing can stop us.
When something keeps happening only we stand in the way of it stopping.
When we need something that's missing in our lives only we can go get it.
 I just realized we are really something aren't we?



Dear Reader,
You are so right to keep reading this blog because it is riveting isn't it?
And I'm going to listen to you this time.
To what you are doing, not saying. But please comment too. It adds to the rivets.

Dear Mary,
 You are so right, you do not like to be patted.

Just so you know I'm not kicking it in this post. But I will tomorrow!

KNA - Go Draw Sumpin

FlockDraw

During the month of November I'll posting something nearly everyday to kick November's Donkey (or Ass as they were called in biblical times.)
Nothing earth shattering... just something creative to brighten these dismal days.

Go draw!

A Big Wheel

Happy Hallowe'en!

It was treat only today when we went to spin in because we had a great person, Bridget demonstrate and then teach us to spin on a Walking Wheel if we wished.

 She found this walking wheel in a family farm homestead and they handed a bag of parts to her and said, good luck. By trial and error and sometimes great luck in finding people with skills to help her to  refurbish it she then taught herself to use it. Clever!

I was the witch in the story spinning old school but she was a genius and so great at teaching you what to do. Most likely a princess. She wasn't wearing a nightgown though.

A very old school style of spinning, probably what they were doing during the of the Salem Witch  Trials, this is not for those of us who like to sit down. You can see a demo here, this is not Bridget! But this is how you do it. Very dancelike and calming to watch. Sorta Tai Chi for spinners.

Here is one- not a wheel for apartment dwellers!

Today I spun special wool for Alicia's fingerless gloves she won in The Wool of Fortune, the Welcome Mat's game show.

I'm wishing you the treat of wonderful wool working for you this week!

Whose Daughter ARE you?

You all know I'm a rug hooker and a wool worker and frankly my dears I feel that is enough at this time in my life.

Coincide this fact with the fact we want to give #1 her wedding present. She forces us to call her #1. We have no choice.

Now we want to give these two something that lasts. A gift for a lifetime. Hopefully hand or homemade.

Far be it for me to lay one of my horrible rugs on someone unwanted. But really I can make any kind of vile rug and will ( just try and stop me) and it is something you can easily cover the woodpile with, let the dog vomit on or let your cat have kittens in, very, very useful. 

I think you can strain gravy through them too but I've never tried.

Last night on the phone I'm skirting the edge of this again...

When I asked her for the bleventy bleventh time what would she like or what would her number one 

( we must spell them this way to make sure we do not get mixed up) like I get met with silence.

And she says you know what I really want you to make ?

What I say? 

A quilt!

 A quilt?

A quilt!

Are you crazy? I'm not a quilter. I'm a hooker.

I hook.

Do you know who I am?

Do you want a wool quilt?

 NO!

Why don't I make you a jet plane from recycled tin cans ?

Or maybe do the plumbing in your house with buttons and zippers ?

 Or maybe I could make you the leader of a small country with the power of my mind?

 All seem equally possible.

I'm standing firm, I am not a quilter.

Strangely I said the same thing about spinning and look what happened there.

No really  LOOK!

Terrifying, hold fast to your boundaries dear readers, hold fast.
All I need to break the spell is a kiss from a quilter.

Spirit Moose

Here is wee spirit moose waiting for her raspberry plate (trim for the outline of the rug) and a few other refinements/ adjustments like her disappearing berries for instance.

 I love make strange scrappy pieces and this sure fits the bill.

 If you want to hook this pattern or peruse other varied and interesting archived free pattern choices, Join the Welcome Mat

Also from my new dye column on The  Welcome Mat, Dyeing Matters this weeks colours:

Holgate Blue and Thomson Green inspired by the Group Of Seven.

Hope you are creating and are well and happy!

I'm on drugs. 

I said yes.

to

Sinus drugs.

This public service announcement has been brought to you by the good folks at The Welcome Mat.

Blockage/Spinrite/ Styling

If only my sinuses would act half wise I'd be able to think and function.

Instead they are trying to take over my whole body with their rebellious ways. Who needs a teenager when they have a sinus condition? Continuous hell with intermittent periods of drainage but not of the wallet thankfully.

On a happy note today someone told me my rugs were like fine french food. Wasn't that delightful?

But really I wish they would stop eating them because they are made largely of butter and cream and that stuff is expensive to replace and harder to hook with.

I went to the Anderson Center Site and learned they called me Wand in the list of artists.

Isn't that cute?

 I would have like them to add Magic to that, like Magic Johnson.

I would really be styling then.

Speaking of styling I'm going to be getting more grown up furniture.

This is part of my bid to no longer live like "honeymooners in their first apartment ala orange crates and found street orphans of chest of drawers and couches"

It is a good thing. A sectional. I took cat hair to choose the material best suited to not show it.

I hope the next person who chooses that sample is not allergic.

It is a twill weave with a repeat making small diamonds. 

If I can't wear 'em I'll sit on 'em.

It was music to my ears when the saleswoman said, do you know about our sale?

I also went to the Spinrite outlet. I was hoping for cones of fine things.

I was mildly disappointed but did find some things for core spinning and for the stuff to make this yarn, I'm going to make wrap a wreath with it:

 Celie likes it!

And I spun this yarn... and plied it at Back to Basic's Monday Spin in

 And look at the way roving and then spun locks that were plied back on themselves look from the same dye pot lot.

 And here are some spun natural locks ( BFL)

I have also finished hooking my spirit Moose and will post him here tomorrow

 Happy hooking and spinning!

What I built this week

I'm greatly inspired by our Welcome Mat events this week.

Below is my Spirit Moose from our September free pattern:

This is also our fall challenge project, to let our spirits move us to explore this pattern. So many amazing moose ( meeese? ) of all types ( abstracted, interpreted, exciting!) and varying wonderful colour plans, some of us are hooking it twice we are so smitten!

I'm using up the wool, as I stated before, from my summer rugs.

Earlier this week taken in day light

As of tonight, still a work in progress.

And we are having a scary yarn challenge too in our group Amusing Yarns

Ghosts and Goblins

 Spyikes

I've also started a new monthly book review for good rug hooking books and am well into my new 

column called Dyeing Matters. It is somewhat like my column in Rug Hooking but with completely different content and weekly submissions, sometime with kinda the same results formula translation We are currently exploring colours from The Group of Seven. 

You should join us, we are having a blast. Just click the link at the top of this post.

Last but not least

I'm getting this quote as a tattoo, not sure where just yet.

 Will take into consideration submissions of general areass. areas Whoops that was a typo but I guess it was kinda Freudian... wasn't it?

Hi Claude!

Let 'er rip I say

I feel pretty strongly about ripping out offending loops as I hook.
I'm not from the leave it in and see what it looks like later school of thought, I'm not that curious.

When I'm deciding to rip out it is instant.

I ask myself the question, is this colour selection doing the job it needs to in this section I placed it?

Of course I already kinda know what it will need to do, because mostly while hooking I hold a pretty firm concept in my mind. Maybe it needs to recede or provide a fence or make another part stand out or make rest for the eye, or keep action and passivity balanced. There are many jobs colour does.

I can see that right away. I don't wait, fearing a domino effect by letting a slacker stay in the work place I fire them as soon as possible in case soon everybody is leaning on their brooms.

I often rip out pitifully formed loops too especially when I'm trying to go in another direction and I start loosing my smooth corn kernel look.

Right now I'm hooking Spirit Moose with leftovers from my summer rugs.

It is clear when one part is alarming. When light dawns over yonder yardarm I'll take a photo for you. Meanwhile you can imagine all the strips left from 3 rugs joining together, hmmm dogs breakfast anyone?

I just realized you might have though this entry was more of a gaseous nature.

Sorry to disappoint.

Signed the old windbag

Hooked Hand bag and fingerless gloves

My Hat and Fingerless Gloves

Long ago I started a handbag, then I fell down on the job, but today I finished it!

It is called Stoned.

The rocks go all the way around and change colour, I dyed it with my method " The World's Most Wonderful Wool" So humble.

Speaking of rocks, my new and just started yesterday and finished two hours later fingerless gloves with my hand spun match my new bag perfectly. Fall here I come!

Keep on rockin' in the free world!

Yes I'm headless for a reason, the hair my friends is despicable. I was up all night and well it is astounding!

hmmm, gotta do something about my upper lip too it seems...

 Just look at the gloves my friends.... that'll solve everything.

Promise.

Here is a terrifying chunk of The Welcome Mat's newest pattern:

Which is scarier?

Saucy!

Daughter you asked and I will share with you this long held secret. Now I can die in peace.

 Cheese Sauce

3 tbsp flour

3 tbsp butter or margerine

Mash together in a pot to form a paste

Add in 1/2 tsp dry mustard if you wish, it adds tang. Do not add French's  Flavine Yellow mustard, not tranferrable

Add in some pepper.

Pour in two cups of cold milk or half and half ( dear god!) 

Heat while whisking.

It will get thick and ubbly or bubbly as I meant to say.

Let it cook for a minute on low.

Grate 2 cups of old cheddar the colour of cheetos if'n you like yours orange.

Add in and stir until melted.

 It's go time girly!

Straight to the broccoli.

Make sure the broccoli really drains well, because it tends to hold water and that is nasty to the cheese sauce, NASTY I say!

It is the food of gods.

Love your mom even if you don't like her.

Around The Sound Studio Tour! We are ready.

This was just before we were ready to roll, we had a great week-end and lots of fun, good sales too, including my pear rug, "What a pair!" There were interesting people, wonderful conversations and I hooked half a rug and spun 4 batts up. What else could a girl want?

Oh and my hair was fabulouso.

I hope this explains why I fell off the face of the blogosphere for a week or so.

I'm hard at my article for spring in RHM right now so I've got to run to the scanner, that's the best way I've found to bring you the truest colour I can.

Cathy! Gives us a tour of the Anderson Center Rug Show!

Go here to see her thoughts on the show and see amazing rugs!

 I think I might hook a rug of this photo... if Cathy lets me!

This sheep has a better orthodontist than me!

That's all I'm saying.

The Antique Coverlet/ The Bar/ The Edge

 This week I bought an antique coverlet in an overshot pattern from Back to Basics Farm, I'm going to look up which one in my Marguerite Davisons book, soon and report back. It is in primo condition!
It is wool turquoise weft and a white linen warp making this linsey woolsey, sometimes it's called winsey! If you read Anne of Green Gables, winsey is mentioned many times.  This brings us full circle back to Joanne who owns Back to Basics as she is reading all of Lucy Maude Montgomery's autobiographical journals right now! Isn't that a interesting circle?

Birdee loves it, in her former life as a super model she developed the talent of always situating herself to the best possible photographic advantage. Too bad the camera wielder is not so talented.

Speaking of handling... this monarch, it's a boy! ( how to sex a butterfly will be in the next instalment) was hatched at Man's work and then abandoned by it's handler for the week-end. It needed FOOD but was still in its enclosure, inside our house, far from any butterfly fast food.

So how can you force a monarch to belly up to the bar?

To explain in a simple way, they eat through something like an elephant's trunk.

It is curled up close to its body somewhere between its first legs and antennae.

It needs the flower to trigger it somehow to unfurl the "trunk. I don't know for sure what makes it 'know" where it can eat, I'm a woman of wool,  not science!

But instead of flowers we have a tray of sugar water so we need to intervene.

Using a beading needle ( the blunt end) I stroke the area until the "trunk" unfurls (it was beautifully curved), I dip the end of the trunk into the sugar water and it straightens right out like a hose at the gas station and it takes on all it needs. We kept him until this morning and then released him. It is cold but he was energetic and sailed right up to the roof and over heading southward on the strong north wind. Probably he is crossing Lake Erie right now!

The moral of this story? You can lead a butterfly to the bar and have him drink.

I'm officially done with September Vogue, the edge is on and I'm replete with completing. Now for the final steaming and over looking for errant strip ends or threads. It only took 3 Septembers! 09, 10, 11.

And though I hated it for all of 2010, I'm now back in the area of kind regard or even fondness.