Rug Hooking, Etsy, and Fiber Festivals

My Etsy shop is a bit bare, but I'm looking to fix that this weekend.  I have quite a lot of dyed wool as well as new patterns to offer.  Here's a few new pieces that will be offered as patterns.

 Not quite sure how I'm going to finish this Ohm, but it was great fun hooking it

 This little Goddess figure will be finished as a stuffed doll.  I'm really loving her.

My lotus blossom.  This was super fun to hook, and adding the beads came as an afterthought.  I think they fit right in.  

I ordered a photo box, so the Etsy pictures will be much better!  Photography is definitely not a strong suite for me.  I am working on kits for my first two shows, which are both fiber festivals, in April.  I've been so preoccupied with our new addition, Jackson, that I've slacked a bit on the hooking.  That's going to have to stop!  I have a goal of being able to quit my current job and just focus on building a rug hooking/fiber business online, with the next step of opening my own store.  I really feel as though this is the direction I should be going in, so I'm going to just do it!  

Before I sign off, if you're in the area, come visit!!

April 14, 10am-4pm April 15, 12pm-4pm - Oxford Fiber Festival - Twitchell Rowland Homestead, 60 Towner Ln., Oxford, CT

April 28th, 9am-4pm - 109th CT Sheep and Wool Festival - Rte 30, Vernon/Rockville, CT

 

An update on Winston.

So, Spring is being a bit elusive this year, but I can see her peeking up through the daffodil shoots in the yard, and a few brave bees flying out from our one surviving hive to get some sun and check out what's going on.  I love all the seasons, but Spring is always a favorite.

I wanted to do a separate post on this next subject, but it's been pretty tough to really type it out.  I just need to do it.  Last Thanksgiving, we lost Winston.  We were celebrating with our son and daughter-in-law, and her family, and it just happened.  One minute he was playing with the other dogs, the next minute, he was having a seizure and his heart stopped.  I did CPR for almost half an hour while we found, then drove to an emergency vet, but nothing helped.  We will never know why it happened, it was just "one of those things".  We were gutted.  I know he loved me, but he was Aaron's best pal.  They went everywhere together, and were always hanging out together in the house or going for long walks.  It was a quiet ten hour drive home the day after Thanksgiving, and it was a long time before we could even look at pictures of Winston.

 This is Winston with our daughter's dog, Zen.

 Offering a trade...a toy for a rug. 

And his handsome face while relaxing with some evening tv.

We kind of muddled along for a few months, then started talking about getting another dog.  Then the looking at rescues online, and finally I just told Aaron that I'd love any dog he brought home.  On March 11th, he brought home Jackson.  We were told he's an 11 week old Lab/Jack Russell mix.  Not sure how spot on the age is, but our vet says he looks like a Great Dane puppy!

Meet Jackson!

 This is how he sleeps!

 He hates to be told no!

And the modeling of the dreaded "puppy eyes"!  (he does them so well)

I had forgotten what a challenge having a puppy in the house is!  The downstairs is gated all over the place, I'm having a hard time finding time to get any hooking done, and, well, house training!  He is adorable, and pretty smart, so I'm sure we'll get past the puppy shenanigans soon.  That biting though!  My hands are chewed up pretty well.  His feet, legs, and how he holds his head really say Great Dane, and we were definitely not prepared to hear that! lol  But that's ok.  We love dogs, and he'll start to fit in soon.  Right now, he's the center of attention, as it should be.

Whew, now that's over, I'm going to do another post, just on hooking.