Quick Hooking Tip & a Bunny Rug

Well, although its been a super busy week I did have some down time to finish my bunny rug. Well, I guess I shouldn't really say "finished" since I still need to press it and bind it, but the hooking is all done. Well unless I decide to make some last minute changes...Here's what it looks like...

I think like the way it came out...but I might want to switch out the swirlies to a different color...what do you think ? Is the white too stark ? Maybe one of the tans would look better or one fo the flower colors ??? I would love to hear some opinions on this before I bind it.

So for the quick hooking tip...When you miscalculate the amount of wool you need (yep, I didnt have quite enough of the olive wools for the background ). I simply took out the flower stems and the outside border loops (all op which were the same light olivey color) and rehooked those with a darker olive. I know you cant really tell in the picture, but the darker olive wouldnt look great IN the background but worked great AROUND the background, but it still looked a little lost so that's when I decided to add that darker color IN the rug as the stems. Have I totally confused you ? Well, I had just enough of the light olivey wools once I took them out of the border and stems to finish the background of my rug. So, if you are hooking along and find that you dont have enough of a particular color look and see where you can "steal" some wool  from places you already hooked and "exchange" it for a different color and then be sure to add it in somewhere else too so it doesn't look out of place. The original pattern also didnt have any pennies in the corners...I added those too so I would need less of the background color. Remember you can always add something to your rug...you can make them even more personal that way. Sometimes you can add a date, or some ABC's or some flowers and squigglies...be creative !

I also just finished hooking a set of coasters/candle mats using up a bunch of left over wools. I cant seem to get the color to show up right in the picture...they are softer than they look on my computer. I will be backing these with wools that coordinate with the outside border of each mat. As many of you know I LOVE to hook but am not so wild about binding them, but I will force myself. If anyone is interested in purchasing either the bunny mat or the coasters, let me know. The bunny mat measures 9.5 x 15.5 and the coasters are 4.5".

As I said I had lots of time to work on these because I spent time waiting at the hospital with my husband and his family. His dad was diagnosed with colon cancer just a few weeks ago and went in for surgery this past Monday. Good news was they got all the colon cancer but the bad news was it had spread to his liver and they said he now has Stage 4 Secondary Liver Cancer. None of us were really prepared for that and it's hitting us hard. Not real sure what the future will be but I know God will bring us through. I would appreciate your prayers though not only for my father in law, but for my mother in law as well...she was just devastated.

I would also like to ask for prayers for my son, Kyler, who will be home this coming Monday for his last military leave before he ships out for deployment. (Yes, I have been crying my eyes out lately and not sleeping much). It's hard to believe it's been a year since he joined the Marines. We are so proud of him but, given the state of the world right now, we are nervous too, obviously. I will post pictures before he leaves.

Just a reminder that I will be announcing all the details for my "Big Blog Anniversary Giveaway" on March 11 which is the anniversary of my very first blog post.  I am planning lots of yummy prizes. I have a couple picked out already and I might even tell you a prize or two over the next couple weeks. You will just have to stay tuned. I will post as time allows with my son being home and driving back & forth to see the inlaws. I have several projects packed into my travel bag so I can get some solid hooking time in during the hour long drive to and from their house, waiting at the airport etc. I am sorry that I wont be able to comment on everyone's pages right now. I am just too overwhelmed, but please know that I think of you all, pray for you all and read your blogs (even when I dont comment). I get so inspired by all of you and am so grateful for the terrific friends I have made here in the prim blogosphere...you gals all rock !

Ok, before I start bawling, I will go finish my taxes...then I can cry for a completely different reason, hahahaha.

Grace to you,
Margie