~*Happy New Year*~

Hello Dear Friends! Happy New Year to you! Yes, we are already a week into the New Year... but I do still wish you the best, brightest, warmest, most fun~filled & blessed New Year that you could possibly have!  I mean that with all my heart!!!

Like over half of the country right now, we too have been on the COLD side.  Today though, it looks to be thawing out some... and the weather folks are telling us it may be near 50 by the weekend.  WOW!  What a difference a few days can make!  Yesterday we were -10 or maybe more ~ I lost track... I didn't pay too much attention to the outside.  I stayed IN!  If you are in the cold... I do hope you are staying warm & safe!

We are still settling into our new home.  We had a wonderful Christmas... and now have all the decorations down.  I'm still trying to put some of our nick knacks about the house, but we are getting back into the groove of living... and doing things that aren't as stressful as the last half of 2013 was for us!

I'm so happy to share this with you... I hooked and FINISHED a small rug/mat!  Before the hook-in at Judy Cripps this past December ~ seriously, the NIGHT BEFORE ~ I drew up this little doodle on linen, grabbed a handful of worms, and started to hook.  I worked on it a little that day at Judy's, but then it sat abandoned for several weeks.  Until this past weekend!  I finished it!  I can not begin to tell you how good it felt to have MADE SOMETHING AND TO HAVE FINISHED IT!  My feelings of joy don't necessarily come to me because it is a 'great' rug... it isn't.  I love to hook, but am not really all that good at it.  This is just a finish for me and I was able to do something with my creative side... and work with my hands!  Oh... I do hope this is a start of more to come!!!

I hooked with worms from my scrap basket... and was trying to make the rug look good & old... and primitive.  Simple and sweet?

The linen was turned under.  Then I whipped the edges with some awesome, wool yarn that I recently purchased from my dear friend, Ginger.  By the way, have you seen her new website yet?  You should!  She calls it Prairie Moon Primitives.  Anyway, after whipping, I then sewed on a piece of aged mattress ticking... and a charming, red wool heart.

When we were moving, and I was sorting through all my stuff... I ran across this rug I started YEARS ago.  I had started hooking on it... but last night reverse~hooked it... and now I have plans to restart it as my next hooking project.  The pattern for this rug is one given as a freebie by the obber~talented & gracious Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm.  I will do my best to show it to you again SOON.... and ALL HOOKED UP!

Just for cuteness... this is Lucy looking out the window this morning.  She will bark & carry on like crazy when there is a squirrel or rabbit in the front yard!

We have our wood-stove working full blast... and it keeps the house so nice & toasty... perfect for hooking!

Wishing you warm smiles... 

Betty