A Quiet Day At The Patch

Saturday 25th of May was a quiet one at my home in The Patch (Victoria, Australia). Anne, Katherine and myself (Robyne) were joined briefly by my friend Nicole, who had a little go at hooking. I want to convert her of course, but two dogs, four young boys and a full time job keep her busy enough and she said she despairs of any poor rug that lays on their floors just now. I do assure her that children grow (and, shhh, eventually leave home).

I hope the rest of our team were too busy to get along, rather than didn't realise we had a get together. Sooorrryy!! I forgot to send out a reminder....

Katherine working on her Magpie Rug (below). 

Getting there with the Footy Rug. I find if I leave it in the lounge room, I go to it more often, rather than away from the tele in the sewing room. Boring!

Nicole and I are each making 'Calla', a lovely patterned shawl. I dyed some Bendigo Woollen Mills alpaca in two shades of this lovely teal. Mine (the darker) is finished (I started way ahead of Nicole, who is the far better and more dedicated knitter).
We're going to swap our leftover yarn at the end to make complimentary cuffs.

Jennifer Walton, who joined in in spirit from the Atherton Tablelands in FNQ, has finished her first combined proggy/hooky rug! Excepting for the binding (which will no doubt be done by now).
Such finesse! Jen said she spent an aeon preparing the flowers beforehand. So proud! 

Calla. The colour is much darker than this really. It was useful yesterday, out and about in the freezing cold.

Jennie Walton's New Obsession

My dear friend Jennie Walton came to stay a while back, and I showed her my rugs and how to make them. I gave her a copy of Miriam Miller's fabulous book 'Proggy & Hooky Rugs' which is a clear and excellent cover-all of instruction.
Armed, Jennie went home and started! This, her first rug, has a hooked background surrounding prodded flowers.
Jen has always taken a new craft on like a crazy person, mastering techniques in her stride, without the timidity.  Growing up surrounded by the artistry of her father Brian Evans, she has a great eye for detail.

UPDATE: Made using scraps of silk, suede, felt, cotton, velvet, cotton/wool yarn, light blue satin dress, T shirt, and a piece of polyester! The backing is an old hessian curtain bought from the market (heaps left too). In other words, Every kind of  material is here!
Incorporating hooked, shorn-hooky and proddy work.

THE NEXT GET TOGETHER IS AT MY PLACE (ROBYNE'S) IN THE PATCH ON THE 25TH OF MAY. Phone 0410876096 or email r.m.square@bigpond or call any of us or comment here for instructions on how to get here. 10am onward.

Grandson's Wagga & Next Meeting Date:

Rug day at Anne's in Warrandyte was the usual relaxed, lovely day among friends (minus Chris, sigh). We need to take more photo's as everyone was quite productive!

You know when you dye a heap of blanket, only to find it too dark for your hooky rug, or too green/blue...? Well, over time I had quite a bit of green I wasn't using in any current rugs. I dyed another deeper green piece and made this Wagga (follow the link for others) for my eldest grandson's 19th birthday.
The red tartan comes from a kilt I wore on constant rotation when he was a baby (and I was a young'en').
I have pieced together a back from various fabrics I have had in my collection, including some of my Dad's jeans and my Mum's tablecloth (unfinished from when she was 14 years old). These being my grandsons dear departed and ever adoring great-grandparents.

THE NEXT GET TOGETHER IS AT MY PLACE (ROBYNE'S) IN THE PATCH ON THE 25TH OF MAY. Phone 0410876096 or email r.m.square@bigpond or call any of us or comment here for instructions on how to get here. 10am onward.

Please come and join us! It's heaps of fun. Once you start you'll never stop, I assure you.

February meeting of the Yarra Valley Rugmakers

Hi friends and members of the Yarra Valley Rug makers

Just letting you know that our next meeting will be at Chris' in Loch on Feb 23rd 

We hope to have a dyeing session for those of you feel a little challenged by this necessary skill that most hookers use at some stage of their journey.

Hope to see you there. All welcome

Cheers

Chris 

 

January Meeting of the Yarra Valley Rug makers

Hi fellow rug makers.
It been quite a while since you have heard from us. I hope you all have a New Year full of challenging resolutions and that all those incomplete rugs that are still hiding in the wardrobe will see the light of day and be completed.
We had a wonderful first meeting at Anne's in Warrandyte, Vic.
Six of us present, with one newie rug hooker-Kaye, and lots of fun and food. Welcome to the Yarra Valley rug makers Kaye.

 Our days are not just about hooking, they are also, as much about the social aspect- companionship, conversations and good food.

 

Its amazing what you sometimes pick up at op shops. This is Anne's latest  find. Hooked with yarn.

Left photo- front; right photo- back.

                                                          Anne Marie and Robyne inspecting Robyne's footy rug

                     Our new member- Kaye brought in this lovely rug of her mum's in to show us. Kaye came along to get some hints as to how to match up her yarns and best finish it off. Much discussion as to how to proceed. 

Another of Kaye's mother's rugs.  

Both of her rugs are hooked with yarn

Chris continued to work on her Ín the beginning' rug, while Robyne brought along this lustrous pile of mohair, asking Chris to spin it up for, thereby earning her some money for the mission she supports in Uganda.    

     

Well that's your lot for Saturday 12th January. Thanks for joining us. Hope to see you here again soon. Cheers

              

Lilydale Agricultural and Horticultural Show 2018

Hello friends and followers of the Yarra Valley rugmakers.
We had the most wonderful catch up today in Loch at Chris' home. Anne was welcomed back after her trip to England to attend the Triennual TIGHR conference in Reeth.
Lots of lovely photos and hearing about her experiences at the conference and subsequent knitting tour left us looking forward to the next triennual meeting in Newfoundaland, Canada. Should be awesome.

For those of you who are from Victoria, we would love to invite you to the Lilydale Agricultural and Horticultural Show 2018, which will be held on Saturday 17th Nov, 9.00am - 9.00pm and Sunday 18th Nov, 9.00am - 5.00pm, at the Lilydale Showgrounds, Main Street, Lilydale

Here you will find the Yarra Valley Rugmakers deomonstrating the art of rug hooking. Please come and say hi, if you are in the area.
You will find more HERE

No-Name Proddy Rug

Made using TONS of fabrics I've had for years and years and years (plus a little new). My stash is noticeably depleted, in a good way.  

It took almost exactly one month to make. Not a bad effort I do say so mesself.

The back's always more cleanly defined. Plus, the photo's are more distinct than reality. It's just a big fluffy pile of colour, but it feels amazing! So thick! 

Relates to previous post.