Thursday, August 6, 2020

Today is the Day.

 Finally, after waiting and waiting, I am going to pick up my hook and start a new rug. I don't consider myself an artist, but I imagine how it might be, the ache that comes from not being able to draw, or write or make something creative. My mind has to be in a good place to be able to create. All of those months of getting the house ready and decluttering, I knew my mind was not in that place to do that. Oh, off topic but I wanted to throw in here the book I read that gave me the vision and guts to really clean out my house. 

Its called" The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning" by Margareta Magnusson. Its not sad or maudlin or anything, its a good how to book. It really helped me to get through the years of clutter. 

Okay back to rug hooking. I have always wanted to hook Cape Ann by Edyth O'Neill. I made a promise to myself that after I was moved what ever that looked like, I was going to hook that rug for my new house. 

I ordered as you can see from Woolly Fox. I ordered my wool from Dorr Wool.



I can dye my own wool as I have mentioned but I can never get good reds or good black and my greens don't come out the green I wanted. I spent Tuesday washing and drying my wool. It was a lovely day. Ron got a clothesline rope that I had saved from something else I was going to make and we tied it around the pillars that hold up the roof in the back yard and I hung my wool out to dry. Then Wednesday, I put my Cape Ann on my frame and spent the day staring at it. I did some of my counted cross stitch projects while I just sat and looked at that giant rug. 


I started Spooky Countdown by Primitive Hare. The second picture is Ann Womack 1838 by Shakespeare's Peddler. The third picture is the flower I am going to start today. 
(Oh, by the way, learning this new blogger isn't easy so if you notice weird things, its because I am still trying to figure this out.)

I will be finally getting to my goal today. I will be doing that which I love, cutting wool, planning colors, and finally picking up my hook and pulling loops. I think it will be like riding a bike, and it will all come back to my hand memory. There is nothing like starting a new rug and pulling loops as the colors begin to bring life to the linen. I have waited a year and I am so excited that the waiting is over. 

Last night the wind was blowing in the palm trees that surround our house. I was sitting in back. Ron was watering his little Bonsai trees. I sat and watched the palm fronds as the wind blew them west. I thought as I sat there I do like the sound of the wind in the palm trees. It sounds like the ocean and they are never still. Change is never easy, 2020 has been nothing but change every single day. As I look for things to be thankful for, I realize, even though I may not like some of those things the media seems to scream about day in and day out. The good always outweighs the bad. Most people are nice. We are all in the same boat. I have found in the midst of all of this change, if I can hang onto one tiny bit of normal, life just seems wonderful. So if I have learned anything at all from all of this, kindness, love and compassion will always win. Always. 

Have a wonderful day. I wish you blessings upon blessings today. With a hook in my hand, I am going into this new day. 

~Kim~

"Our deepest fear is not that we are weak. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world ... As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

( Attributed to Nelson Mandela, but in reality it was a quote by Marianne Williamson in her book,
"A Return to Love.") I remembered it as from Nelson Mandela, but I thought it was interesting to note where it originally came from.

"The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory says, "The above quote does not appear in any of his three inauguration speeches." They have cataloged three thousand of his speeches. Whatever its still a good quote for this time. 

11 comments:

acorn hollow said...

Ohhhh I love that pattern!!!! I love large rugs and I love the wool you have. If I started that rug with those colors I would never come up for air! I would continue to hook and hook.
So glad you are happy and settled in your new home. sometimes change is just what we need.
Cathy

acorn hollow said...

Ohhhh I love that pattern!!!! I love large rugs and I love the wool you have. If I started that rug with those colors I would never come up for air! I would continue to hook and hook.
So glad you are happy and settled in your new home. sometimes change is just what we need.
Cathy

Kessie said...

I'm so glad you're getting back into creative things! That's how I know things are settling down. I've been drawing like mad. It's like I'm drunk on it. The kids ask to do art and I'm like GREAT let's DRAW THINGS! It's like all the creativity gets backlogged and it all comes out at once.

Changes in the wind said...

I have done many crafts but never rug hooking so I am anxious to see this started. I haven't fallowed you long enough to know where you are but palm tree and bonsai tree sure sounds nice. You are right about there being a lot of good people out there but it is hard to remember when all we see is such hatred.

TheCrankyCrow said...

YAY for you!!! It's about time you had time for yourself!! I can't wait to watch your progress on this. Those colors are just incredible!! So rich and deep! And...wowsers...that rug is bigger than I thought!! It's a large as The Beast I am working on LOL. Curious as to why you wash your wools when you order them overdyed??? When I buy wool from Red Barn Rugs (my neighbor down the road), I never wash it??? I love palm trees...they are my symbol for all things tropical and vacation-ish. ;-) Would love to see your hubby's Bonsai trees sometime...they have always fascinated me. I am lakeside for a few days and hope to pull a few loops myself. Very windy here today and the waves are slapping the shore....that sound lulls me to sleep every time. It's the only time I can really tolerate wind (vs. gentle breezes)....for some reason it makes me very anxious and on edge. Be well my friend...and hook on ~ Robin~

Rugs and Pugs said...

I thought I commented, but perhaps am just imagining I did...lol!
Cape Ann is going to be spectacular. Yummy wools.
I adore Anne Womack!

Gretchen Joanna said...

I know just how you have been feeling, the creative energy sapped. I still feel it and am SO looking forward to the day when clutter is put away in the still nonexistent closets, and I can think again.

Of course, we all have some distraction from world events, too, but that seems easier to deal with than physical too-muchness, maybe especially when we're talking about tactile arts as opposed to writing. It doesn't matter how many blog post drafts I have in my computer, the machine itself doesn't take any more space!

Debbie said...

this is great kim, time to let your creative juices flow!! a good sign that you are settled in once again!! the rug is a beautiful design and the wools are such pretty colors!!!

Bonnie K said...

What a great post. That rug is going to be amazing! I absolutely love the rich colors of the wool. I appreciate your words about 2020. It has been a strange year, but one can't live in fear and anger. It is best to look at what went well. I know your new house looks nice. I've never heard a palm tree. I would guess it is as soothing as the cottonwood leaves on the prairie and Aspen leaves in the mountains. I never thought about that until now. Anyway, thank you for the wonderful post. I'm so excited about your rug.

R's Rue said...

I understand.

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Wow, just wow! You are talented for sure! The wools are deep gorgeous colors and wil make a beautiful rug. I'm glad youa re settling in..I can't even imagine moving right now, but sometimes I can feel the pull. We moved every four years when I was growing up, Always to a new and (we thought) exciting place. Now I've sat here for almost 45 years and I am quite tired of the heat and the yard mowing, and I dream of aspens in the fall and beautiful mountains. HA...not going to happen, but a girl can dream.
Y'all have a nice weekend!