An amazing sight!

It's been a busy week here. Emmeline started back to school on Wednesday--2nd grade this year. Where does time go! Mike works for a college and their students came back this week as well. I was so looking forward to a weekend where we could all catch our breath again. I was finishing up the dishes and thought the sky was looking kind of strange. As I let the dogs out, I saw the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen! The colors were so intense that it just glowed and it was HUGE! People were pulling their cars over to take pictures. We all just stood outside with our eyes heavenward. It sure was a nice way to end a busy week. Kind of felt like a hug from above. Thanks, God!

I'm coming clean...

Well, I've decided to lay it all out on the table...I'm a closet starter-but-not-finisher of rug hooking projects. That's the main reason that I decided to sign up for April's 10 Minute Rug Hooker Challenge. I'm hoping to get some rugs completed. I've just finished Kelley Belfast's Autumn Sampler pattern and will steam it today and hope to whip it this weekend. I have a small challenge swap mat to complete by September 5th for our guild meeting. And then I'll be working on one of the beauties hanging over the railing. Now which one will it be... Decisions, decisions. Maybe I'll just start a new one!!!!

The 10 Minute Rug Hooker Challenge!

Greetings from Maryland!

I'm sure most of you have heard about April DeConick's 10 Minute Rug Hooker Challenge by now. If not, you need to check out her blog, Red Jack Rugs, and find out more about what she's doing in the rug hooking community. Great things are happening there!

I decided to sign up for her challenge...hence the blog to track my progress! It's really quite simple and painless. (The challenge that is. Can't say the same for blogging just yet!) You agree to hook, or do something related to hooking like designing, dyeing, etc, for 10 minutes a day, 6 days a week. I can do that! So, I signed up last week and am amazed at the progress that I've made. I wanted to share the rug that I'm working on with you. It's a design by Kelley Belfast and I love it! I think I might actually get it finished by Halloween...this year even! Life is good!

Hope everyone has a delightful day and, as always, HAPPY HOOKING!

I've arrived...

Well, I've finally decided to jump into blogging. And this time, I mean it! My husband, Mike, and I toyed with the idea of doing a joint blog to focus on our hobbies involving wood and wool back in April but it never really got off the ground. So I've decided to go out on my own! (Sorry Mike!) Over the coming days, I plan to introduce you to my life...my family, my friends, my interests and my world!

My name is Mary and I live in Sharpsburg, MD, which is a great place for me as I enjoy history, especially the Civil War period. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband (more about him soon) and a beautiful daughter (more about her to come as well). We live in an early 19th century home in the heart of small town America and life is good!

As you've probably figured out, I enjoy the art of rug hooking. I've been hooking for about 4 years now and it brings me a great deal of joy. I consider myself to be a primitive hooker as I enjoy working with wider strips and more primitive or naive patterns. I am fortunate enough to belong to two ATHA guilds in the area...the Goose Creek Ruggers in Leesburg, VA and the With Hands and Hearts Antietam Fiber Artists guild in Boonsboro, MD. I'll be posting pictures of these wonderful groups from time to time. I'm off to the Mountain State Fiber Artists hook-in tomorrow and hope to have some pictures to share.

Looking forward to sharing with you all!