A Few Good Greys

Playing around with Photoshop can be fun.....this gives just an impression of a few new colors I came up with recently.

I spent a little time reviewing the range of hand dyed wool colors that I offer on my website. Keeping up with a full rainbow in light, medium and dark shades is no easy task. And there are the dulls and brights too!
I knew there were gaps in my color spectrum but it dawned on me that I had a whole category missing..... we all need a grey now & then. So, I spent a dye day working up a few good grays (plus a few others for fun). Who knew that boring ole' grey could be so much fun & come in so many shades....and look so nice with the Dusty Plums and Canning Jar Blue I dyed on the same day. I think the Warm Grey is my favorite today.

Here's the original photo:

Wonky Houses III

I really admire those hookers who can plan a rug from beginning to end before they ever pull a loop....but, alas, I'm not one of them. My preferred method is get stuck, throw it on the floor for a few days, toss stuff at it, agonize. Repeat as needed.



I do like the way the houses are coming together! I don't think I would normally use Ice House blue, Pepperberry and Pepperberry Plaids in the same rug but your neighbors don't necessarily coordinate their home's paint color to yours, do they?

It's surprising how much faster this project is coming along with the 8.5 cut. I was concerned, at first, that that I'd have a hard time getting enough definition in the shapes but it seems to be working just fine.

.......just playing around with the unspun fleece to see how it behaves!

Wonky Houses II

I'm having such a good time with this! But, I'm also doing more reverse hooking* than usual. Since I'm hooking the houses, window frames and eaves all in medium values I'm having a bit of a time getting everything to show up the way I want....and what to do with the windowpanes???
Sometimes, when I'm having trouble with the values in a rug, I really like to get a good working photo and use the black & white effects in Photoshop....it helps me see what's working & what's not.


* A highly technical term for the time-honored practice of ripping out strips of wool from your foundation when you don't like what you've done.

Planning Wonky Houses

Do you belong to a rug hooking group? I'd love to hear about yours!
A little over three years ago I had the good fortune to find a great group of women who meet weekly to visit and work on hooking projects together. Lately, some of us have been exploring Deanne Fitzpatrick's designs and influence on rug hooking. What glorious inspiration her work is.
I will try to get photos of a few of my friends' DF pieces to share with you but here's what I'm starting on:

Deanne's style is so distinctive and free....this design calls out to me. I'm thinking that I will try adding a greater variety of materials to the sky which I've redrawn to add a sliver of a moon. I think I'll hook the houses in my own style but using a #8.5 cut which I have not done before. What else can I try that I've never done before??
Thanks for putting up with my ramblings today..... perhaps you can see why a design with wonky houses appeals to my wonky mind.