Frustration & Helpers

I have been trying to design another mat...one that I hadn't done before and have been at it for three days...The picture is there in my mind and so clear; yet I couldn't seem to get it to the burlap...Talk about Frustration....I thought I should give up on it and not bother...go on to another one...but No Way, I persisted and I have begun to hook it...Not sure if it will be suitable to show after it is completed.... :)

While in a turmoil over this, I dropped some burlap on the floor and when I reached to pick it up, Goldie had planted herself on top...not sure why the picture is so golden color...but here it is anyways...







After three days of brutal mental work, I laid it on the floor, to see what it looked like, or if it should go in the garbage, when Lo and Behold, Spedo decides he would like to rest on it...He was looking at me as if to assure me that the pattern was ok....I praised him for giving me the courage to keep it...:) :)




And some people say: "Animals are dumb"....Not in my house....

Winter STILL

Well, we had a nice sunny day yesterday but nature must have been just torturing us because today we are having a bunch of snow yet again...

I am posting a picture of my beautiful little hometown of approximately 150 people. This is a portion of it. So picturesque...and Winter sure adds its beauty...
The green building is my former Grocery/Convenience Store, which has been converted into a House now and the White two-storey house to the left of it is my mother-in-laws, who passed away a year ago but left it for those members of the family who wishes to visit in the Summer months, or whenever the spirit moves them...such a great gesture...She sure loved her old homestead and worked very hard to keep things together as her husband died at the very early age of 57, as did my Dad, because of an industrial disease..





We managed to open the Root Cellar to get some supplies two days ago...Have to be careful not to let frost get in there...:)


Also, a picture of our Greenhouse..

New Design

Even though there has been plenty of snow to shovel along with every day life chores & activities, I have managed to complete yet another mat....this one being a New Design for me...I have always loved, and still do to this day, seeing clothes hanging and swinging in the wind on a clothesline...Brings back memories of when I was a young girl when Mom would hang the clothes and when it was brought in at evening time, the nice fresh smell would emanate through the house and when we snuggled in our beds, two or three to a bed lots of times, the smell was so heavenly..I swear we all slept much better that night.
At those times, there were no washers & dryers...just a washboard and tub and later a washing machine with a "dasher" and wringer in it...I don't know how many of you can relate to this as I can.....
Happy thoughts for me....

Snow, Snow everywhere

Just had to share a few pictures of the "Mess" of snow we have at this time. Forecasting for more tomorrow....not sure where we are going to put it....This is the Most we have seen since we moved to this house and that is 26 years now...Wow!!

Spedo and Mocha likes it well enough..... :)

Once Again

This is the Seventh time I have done this mat and enjoyed it just as much as the first time I attempted it...I think it is because there are so many memories in this mat from stories my Mother told me about how hard she, and plenty of other women, worked at this particular chore...It was a necessity as the dried fish was sold in the Fall of the year to buy extra supplies for the winter months...Nothing extravagent...just the bare necessities ,such as flour, molasses, salt pork as they had butter which was made from rearing cows and all their vegetables from the gardens...meals were very limited in those times...Lots of bread and molasses was eaten. But my Mother lived to be 91 years of age so hard work and lack of some food didn't affect her any....

This is the one I chose for the Ecological Center in my area that I had mentioned a few posts back...

New Rug Frame

Well, this is my sixth rug frame and while it is a "beauty", I am still not certain if this is yet what I am searching for. I guess I am spoiled by the fact that I can sit at my "Cheticamp" style one and see the majority of the mat I am working on, while with a smaller one, I am limited. This frame I bought on EBay and is solid Oak, swivels, turns 360 degrees and can be lowered, if need be and made by a man whose surname was "Turney", thus a Turney Rug Frame...I bought the cover because it has gripper strips and even though I have it, I still manage to nick my finger somewhere along the way and find that when I move the mat around to work on, I manage to tear out some of my work....choice words follow sometimes.....

Also, on EBay, I bought this beautiful "sari silk" yarn. It was sent to me all the way from INDIA, with no shipping charges...I couldn't believe that and thought there must be a catch there somewhere, but no....and all six pieces for less than twenty dollars...Needless to say, I am quite pleased with my purchase..

New Project

Sorry I haven't been here in a while..Life got in my way AGAIN.... :) I have always made my mats in size 24"x36" because that is roughly the size my elders used for their floors to keep the feet warm. I guess any smaller wouldn't suffice; however, I decided to try a smaller one because mostly today, these mats are used for walls. I have to say I didn't enjoy hooking this small size as I have with the larger one. I think I spent just about as much time at this one as with a regular size....



I am working on one now that I am sure eveyone is tired of seeing, which I have titled "Women Spreading Fish to Dry in Outport Newfoundland", for an Eco Center in my area. Isn't it great when you get a telephone call asking to display one at their places of business? It excites me to the fullest...