First ... Happy New Year! And we mean it! I love the little saying ~

The best is yet to come!

Feast your eyes on this early rug!

The design ~ the colors ~ just so pretty!

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Blessed Christmas,
Bonnie and Dwight

I adore a hit and miss whether it is in a border or featured like here as the main

part of the rug. This early rug is for sale at an auction and is 63" x 13".

That would make a small dent in my left-over strips!

Early rugs are so inspiring! It reminds us that hooking a rug is a good thing that can become a treasure ~ more valuable as the years go by.

The rush is on ... Thanksgiving is like a jumping off place for the holidays ahead.
Today is December 1! I am spinning my wheels a little bit. That is a sign I need to
prioritize. What do I really want or need to do. It is OK to let go of some of our
own expectations and get real with what is important. Peace is a good sign we are
on the right track. Do we have time for a little hooking? That would help to bring
balance to a too busy day... The is would be a perfect rug to take our minds to another
place at least for a while.

Don't you just love old things ~ the older I get the more I appreciate how long some of my old stuff has lasted! It seems to be what means the most to our children too ... lots of memories attached ... all of them different and most important to whom they belong. I have heard folks say that if you have 2 things of a king of thing you have a collection ... I don't know, what do you think? Anyway, it is fun to gather some little treasures together and make a big splash with them ~ otherwise they may never be noticed. Here is a little group I put together for my own pleasure. I hope you enjoy it too.

I think that many of the folk art designs fit into every decor possible.
They are timeless.

Even a very modern and neutral design would be enriched by a
simple folk art design like this one.
And, a hand hooked pillow or rug would warm up any spot! 

We could all use a little warmth now and then. 

The nights are getting chilly!

Fall ... it's almost here ~ the golden yarrow in our garden

is beginning to turn and the clouds are sitting down

in the valleys of Pikes Peak ~ 

Sipping my coffee out on the porch a little later 

in the cool mornings ...

Thinking about dyeing some orange wool.

There is nothing like a pumpkin mat!

It doesn't have to be big ...

Here is a good example ~ with or without the flag.

A WSJ Design ~ go to www.woolstreetjournal.com

.... or draw your own!

A wool keeper never knows what will happen when playing

in their wool room ... today I was color planning a rug and

look what I found!

I had forgotten all about this fun project. 

One day I printed out some rug hooking words and took them

to a stamp making store. Then I dipped some tags in some stain -

let them dry and stamped them with my new rug hooking stamps....

You can do this too!

SUMMER IS SUCH A BUSY TIME!

If you are missing your wool, hook and frame ...

Keep it simple to match the hustle and bustle of spending a lot of time outside!

Have you ever thought about hooking the WSJ's

Max the cat?

He is approximately 24" tall and 11" wide.

Go to our website and click on patterns/paper patterns $9.

Or, call Tina and ask her to put him on linen for you ~ $34.

All God's creatures - great and small ...

perfect for a heart warming rug.

If you don't have a house pet like a dog or cat 

hook a pet rug anyway. If you do ... design it around

a favorite pet photo - just trace on a window, size to suit and hook away!

The July issue of WSJ is shipping soon ...

Do you need to renew or subscribe?

Here is a peek at the cover ...

This time of the year in the USA some folks begin

to think about a patriotic rug ~ eagles and stars!

Red White and Blue!

We are not limited to red, white and blue. We

can hook a great patriotic rug in any color theme

and not lose a beat of our heart beating true!

I hooked this little early rug called Double Eagles to

top off a little box that I use for a footstool ... using 

the original color plan which fits me perfectly!

FRESH OFF BONNIE'S FRAME ...

An early rug pattern ~ lots of time spent on

outlining everything in narrow black strips ~ 

adds a special look ~ an expression of folk art.

FRESH OFF TINA'S FRAME ...

See more about this rug in the July issue ...

Coming out soon!

Old army blankets can still be found and

purchased for a reasonable amount.

Here is a great example of a table topper

designed using lamb's tongues and decorative

stitches. A good project to keep by your 

favorite chair ... busy hands!

LET FREEDOM RING!

PRAY FOR OUR TROUPS! AND BE THANKFUL

FOR THE WONDERFUL COUNTRY WE LIVE IN!

HERE IS A GREAT PATRIOTIC DESIGN PAINTED

IN THE TRADITIONAL BLUE COLOR

ON AN OLD CROCK.

There is nothing that says summer has arrived like a bee skep! 

I forgot one of mine in an obscure place and it 

was left out over the winter ... it didn't weather well.

I gave it a face lift with gesso ~ which is a primer, but

white paint would do just fine. 

I have redeemed myself!!

Here is a bee skep pattern perfect for hooking ...

You could hook it in off white ... dark gold background.

Narrow strips would be good for the details ... black.

Finish as a pillow for the porch swing ...

Life is good ...

RIGHT CLICK - SAVE - PRINT

It's traditional to plant gardens on Mother's Day ... 

our squash is sitting by the kitchen sink next to the

peat pots of early planted and sprouted morning glories. 

 A typical Rocky Mountain spring snow ...  

came our way on Mother's Day.

The night before we had to carry all the newly potted 

pansies and the hanging pots of blue lobelia and 

white petunias into the screened porch ~ 

and cover with blankets. 

Outside in the yard a big blue tarp 

makes the lilac bush look like a hot air balloon. 

We left the tall red and yellow tulips to fend 

for themselves ~ they are fine. 

Everything else will get unveiled this afternoon. 

It's hard to believe but the latest safe date to plant 

here in Colorado Springs is June 10. I have seen

it snow wet big flakes ~ melting when they hit the 

ground as late as June 4th! 

Home Sweet Colorado!

I am hooking on the Rooster and Cart rug ... It is

going a little slow ~ so much going on in the backyard garden!

When it is too cold, windy or hot I turn back to my frame ...

It is wonderful to have a rug to sit down to ... 

one that I don't have to rush to finish.

This rooster seems to be in a hurry though!

Saturday was beautiful outside in our gardens. 

Sunday not so much. Gray skies.

I took some pictures anyway because I knew the 

blooms from our fall bulb planting would not last forever. 

I want to share them with you and along 

with that share an idea for those who are

not as confident as others when it comes to drawing.

1. We will begin with a simple digital photo. 

Downloaded onto the computer from our camera's card.

2. Next ... I changed the photo to a grayscale. 

I used photoshop but there are a

lot of other image applications out there. 

I printed this grayscale image.

3. Making the pattern is next and is simple ... 

I placed the grayscale photo onto my

small light table, securing it with a piece of scotch tape.

Then, placing a clean white sheet of

paper on top - tracing the outline 

and some details with a fine tip marker.

You can now reduce or enlarge this pattern for 

hooking, needle punch or applique.

Apply it to your backing using your favorite method.

My plan is to create a small hooked pillow for our 

wicker love seat that sits on our back porch.

Now you know how to create a pattern if you are not

confident in your drawing skills.

Just by pushing a button!

Watch for a sample of hooking this pattern 

in a future issue of The Wool Street Journal.

We have a wonderful downtown street here in Colorado Springs. It is called Tejon and is pretty much the center of activity for shopping, eating and strolling around for several blocks. It is walking distance from a couple of famous hotels and you can look west at every corner and see Pikes Peak. Today it is covered with snow - and when the snow is gone ... "purple mountain majesty!" I love my home town!
I remember when my folks would drive us downtown on this very street and park and do what they called "watching the people go by." Sometimes we would get out and let others watch us go by. Great memories of the good old days - when the best things in life were free!
Today we can find the freebies in our back yard ~ and we don't have to go far ...
This watering can filled with silk lavender sits on a shelf under a window right outside the room I use for WSJ office. A family of morning doves built their dream nest right under my nose!

HELLO SPRING!!!

HAPPY SPRING!

Winter was really hard for some of you! Too much!

It is so good to see the spring bulbs peeking up through the mulch ...
and sometimes through the snow here in Colorado.
We are having a typical Rocky Mountain Spring -

snow one day sunny the next day. That is what turns everything green! 

Georgia where Tina lives is way ahead of us with the color scheme
... we will catch up.

There is a Robin that visits me ... through the window behind my computer
... sits on a branch and looks right in! I swear!
The amazing thing is that it is for a long time.
You know how birds flit around and come and go fast?
This Robin is different - and I am enjoying it so much!

The April issue of The Wool Street Journal has
reached most of you by now ... and, I am hard

at work on the July issue.
 It can be confusing at times ... exactly what season
I am I living in!

Old rugs are popular in any season ... they are usually designed
around the homesteads of days-gone-by.
Home is where the heart is ... will always be true.

I recently posted this old pictorial rug circa 1890 on
Wool Street Journal's Face Book Page ...

Please visit us there and don't forget to like us ...

You have a rug hooking pal in Colorado and Georgia.