Wanda's Knotty Thoughts

A Heart, a Goat and a Fob

2012-02-14T20:31:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I've known it's been coming, I've seen all the hearts that others have been tatting and I only made one.

This is the bottom of the bookmark that eventually evolved into Heart's Honor. It's not exactly like I'd like it yet, but this is all that I got done before today. It's made with Lizbeth size 20 threads in red and white.

I haven't done much tatting the last week or so, though I did finish Jane's TIAS. Isn't it a wonderful goat? This is perfect for tatting for little boys! I have several ideas on what to do with him.

Here is some tatting I did before Christmas. While on our vacation to Colorado this last summer I stopped in a shop called Bev's Stitchery and found this cute scissors. I saw this and thought of Tabatha and our Christmas exchange. Once I got it home I thought "what's a girl doing all dressed up without a purse?" After a couple of tries I got the fob right (I cut a couple of picots and joined in the wrong places...). It holds a year 2000 US dime - a girl has to have her mad money, doesn't she? I think it came out very well.

I've just heard the sad news that Gina, The Tatting Goddess, has died. She will be remembered with great fondness by those of us she touched through her blogs even though we never met in person.

"Reach out for the joy and the sorrow. Put them away in your mind. The memories are times that you borrow, to spend when you get to tomorrow."

TIAS day 11

2012-02-08T12:37:00.000-06:00

Here is my TIAS day 11. This has been a lot of fun making a really cute goat. There is only one more day left to finish off the goat, then we'll have to wait until next year for another one. Another TIAS, not another goat. I think this goat will be really cute to make for the grandsons. I already have several ideas in mind. It's been a lot of fun seeing everybody's goats, where they are from, the really cute ways some of them have been displayed, and all the different comments people have made while doing this. If you haven't been over to check it out, it's well worth your time even if you aren't tatting it.

I've been doing a little bit of tatting lately, other than the TIAS. Some has come out like I planned, some not so much. I made a four point motif that I thought looked pretty cool, and then thought that putting it together with others would look even better. The motif is not all that hard, and joining them shouldn't have been hard, either, but it didn't always come out that way. And then it would help if I made them all the same way. I had this all together and was pinning it out when I noticed that one - just one - had different stitch counts than the others. If it had been in the center it wouldn't have looked quite so odd. But, no, it's on one of the corners. It's a bit obscured by the shuttles (purposely!). I felt pretty stupid that I hadn't noticed it sooner. Can't cut it off and try again because I'm pretty sure it's not the last one joined. But I thought is still looked pretty good so I'm sharing it anyway.

You might also have noticed that I missed posting on Tuesday. I had time to do day 11 on the TIAS and that was all that I had time for. I didn't even have time for tea! I'm hoping to do a little better next week.

"Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live."

Chamfort

TIAS day 8

2012-01-31T12:53:00.000-06:00

Jane Eborall posted Day 8 of her 2012 TIAS today. I'm thinking it's looking like a goat, though with Jane you never know until the end! Saturday when day 7 came up I had no guesses - until I was over on Miranda's blog and saw her day 7. Looking at hers it suddenly looked like a goat, or at least the back end of one.

(from http://www.supercoloring.com)

Then with Day 8 I'm seeing horns!

I've gotten a little bit of tatting done recently, some I'm not quite ready to share, but here are the ones that I'm ready to.

I made this cute little bell from a free pattern that yarnplayer has available. It really isn't hard and turns out very nice. Mine bowed just a little from the size of my picots I think, but it's a bell, and hanging on a Christmas tree it wouldn't be out of place and not nearly as noticeable as it is laying flat.

I was given "Tatted Snowflakes Collection" by Jon Yusoff for Christmas. I just recently took the time to make one. I first spent some time looking through the patterns, enjoying Jon's lovely work. The one I decided to try first was 'The Twirly', #14. I did make a mistake on one chain, adding one extra repeat of picot and doublestitches - oops. Much as I like this colorway, I don't think that Lizbeth "Caribbean" does this pattern justice. Blogger has done a twisty on the picture - originally the words were on the bottom!

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I enjoyed a cup of Teavana tea, 'Weight to Go & Sakura Allure'. I was fortunate to have Tabatha gift me a sampling of several teas recently. A couple of days ago I had 'My Morning Mate'. Both have been very good. I have several more to try - yum!

"Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side."

Yiddish proverb

Tatting for little boys

2012-01-24T09:43:00.000-06:00

I have two grandsons and have been thinking of things to tat for them. Little girls are easier I think. You can do things for their hair, their dresses, their socks (Fox has done some really cute ones), all kinds of things. But boys aren't usually into the frilly things, and my grandsons aren't old enough to really appreciate bookmarks. I've thought of several things, like pillow cases with critters on them (haven't done one yet) and maybe things to hang on the wall (haven't done that yet, either). One thing I was going to do for Christmas but didn't have time for I have finally gotten around to: insulated cups.

This is "Paprika the Dragon" by Martha Ess, in Lizbeth #122, Caribbean, in size 20. There is one opaque black 8/0 bead and 12 opaque rainbow 10/0 beads. The cup/glass is one that you can decorate an insert for. I don't remember where I picked this one up at, but Hobby Lobby and Micheal's have carried ones similar to it.

The flowers, bird and butterfly were made when finishing off shuttles and are a mixture of threads. I have a baggy (and a few other containers here and there) full of things like this that are great for putting on cards and letters. And now, cups! Tatting Paprika was fun and didn't take much time.

Here is the insert before I put it in the cup.

I was very pleased at how this came out. I gave this to one of my grandsons the other day and understand that it has been well used already. He hasn't drank out of anything else since he got it. He says his "grandma made it and it has a dragon and flowers on it."☺

Now I need to make one for the other grandson.

I'm calling this #24 of my second 25 Motif Challenge. I keep forgetting when I make something to count them!

Let's not forget the TIAS!

This is Day 5. I have no idea what it could be. Day 6 will be out Wednesday (Jan 25), maybe that will help in figuring out what it might be.

"Boys are found everywhere on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them."

Alan Beck

TIAS Day 3

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-06:00

Jane's TIAS has started. This is mine up to day 3. It actually looked better but it curled a little and I tried to flatten it out which deformed the SCMR a little bit. I can live with it. I have no guesses as to what it might be. Last year she had us flying in an airplane and the year before crowing with a rooster, so this could be anything! If you haven't started the TIAS it's never to late to start. She is going to post day four tomorrow (January 19).

If you don't want to participate you might still go over and check out all the different shuttles people are using on this. A lot of participants have taken this opportunity to show off some pretty nice looking shuttles. I haven't shown mine - I chose to do this in Lizbeth Victorian Red #670 in size 20 using Clover shuttles in green and orange. The green doesn't look too bad but the orange clashes badly. Hey, they were the two shuttles that I found that didn't have any thread on them. Most of my other shuttles either have projects on them or little bits of thread that I would have to do something with before I could start. None I found had enough for this project - Jane said you will need two shuttles filled with thread.

Anyone remember this post? Trayna asked for that pattern awhile back and posted about it on her blog recently. As I have been working on updated and sharing some of my older patterns I thought this one would be the next one up. My previous post showed it with the arms joined at the picots and with beads but the pattern doesn't reflect that. I don't think it will be hard to figure out how that was done, but if you have questions please feel free to contact me. My contact information is on my profile page. The pattern is up on the sidebar.

Has anyone noticed that I missed Tatting Tea Tuesday? I've been working some different and very long hours this last week so was just too pooped to post. But it's only late by a day - not too bad. Back to normal today, so I have a bit more enthusiasm.

"Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity." Bo Bennent

January is National Hot Tea Month

2012-01-10T10:28:00.000-06:00

Did you know that January is National Hot Tea Month? This article is from 2009 but the link is still posted on the front page of TEAUSA.com. It has a few things that are nice to know, especially if you like tea :)

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm drinking a cup of Strawberry Misaki from Teavana, a gift from Tabatha. It's a blooming tea, which means it comes in a ball that when steeped in hot water blooms into a flower. Pretty cool! I was going to take a picture of my bloom (I've heard of this before and always wanted to know what the bloom looked like) but I forgot and drank the tea before I got the camera out. Mmmm, strawberry tea. It's a very light flavored tea, but I like it.

Have you read Trayna's blog post from Sunday? She was so nice as to tat one of my snowflakes :) She had seen it in one of my posts and asked me for the pattern. She did a lovely job on it, too. It's part of her 100 snowflake challenge - to make 100 snowflakes in a year(!). Knowing she was making snowflakes I sent her the pattern of another snowflake, which she was so sweet as to test tat for me (good thing that she did!). It is the snowflake I had decided would be my Christmas snowflake one year, which I posted about in December 2010.

This one.

If you like it and would like to give it a try, I'm adding the pattern to the sidebar. I'm touching up the pattern for the one that Trayna made and hope to add that pattern soon as well.

Don't forget, Jane's TIAS starts today!

"May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart may desire."

Irish blessing

Something New

2012-01-03T13:04:00.000-06:00

for the New Year.

Okay, I made it at the end of December, but just barely!

I had two shuttles loaded with Lizbeth Blue Ice #163 in size 40 and had a thought, basically on a variation of one of my other patterns. "What if I tried this..." And this is what came about. As you can tell by the Clover shuttles beside it, the star is pretty small made in size 40. It didn't take too long to make and looks good in that color, don't you think? (I had a hard time photographing it. I tried it on a black background and it was way too bright so showed up fuzzy and stark white.)

And guess what?

I have it diagrammed already! It didn't take too long to do that, either. I guess practice does make things easier. Check the sidebar, I'm going to be adding it there. How soon depends on if I have trouble or not :)

I'm using the new blogger changes and still getting used to the way it looks. The one thing I definitely like is how it adds the pictures. It doesn't add them all at the top anymore, where you have to move them down if you've started adding text. Some of the rest of the changes are still debatable on whether I like them or not, though I suppose that eventually I'll get used to them.

Have you heard? Jane is having another TIAS (Tat It And See) starting on January 10. Check it out here. I did the one last year and it was a lot of fun. My piece from last year is actually hanging on the Christmas tree as an ornament - my grandsons thought it was pretty cool.

I started this Tatting Tea Tuesday with a cup of Zen green tea by TAZO, a gift from Tabatha. (Thanks, it's very good!) I didn't really tat yet but I did work on the diagram for the star - does that count? I do plan on getting a little tatting in today sometime, somewhere.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the New Year.

"Every day is a fresh beginning. Every morn is the world made new."
Sarah Chauncey Woolsey

It must be Wine Wednesday

2011-12-28T09:31:00.002-06:00

It seems I've missed Tatting Tea Tuesday so it must be Wine Wednesday. I haven't had the wine yet, but the day is young. I haven't gotten any tatting in today, either, but I plan to do that next. I did get tatting in yesterday and I drank tea, I just missed posting.

Yesterday I was working on Angels. Not these - these have been sent off already, but one just like it. Though I tatted for several hours I didn't even get one little angel finished. This is my design and I've been making them for years, but now I'm trying to revise the pattern to make it with only one end. Unbelievable, I know, but all these years I've made them with multiple ends to hide. Why I've never thought of trying it other ways I don't know, but the lightbulb did finally come on. Now the problem is making it work. I worked on it all day and never got even one Angel completed. The problem are the wings - they just don't work starting from the top. I've tried different stitch counts, but nothing has really worked. Unless I plan on changing the wings entirely this may just have to have several ends whether I like it or not.

Did you all have a wonderful Christmas? We did. We were able to get together with both sides of the family and see both of our kids and their families. And then we were lucky enough to have both of the grandsons stay over Christmas night. They kept us quite busy. I can sure tell I'm not used to having little children around that much anymore. By the time they left, I was tired. We did have fun while they were here though. We played games, strung beads and cut out paper snowflakes then they helped me on the placement of the snowflakes in the window.

I love Christmas. I love the season. I love the weather getting colder with maybe some snow. And I love the giving of gifts. Getting gifts is fun too, but I just love trying to come up with just the right things to to share with each of my family and friends. It was a bit different this year. This year, when I went to the store I actually had a list of things I wanted to get - no impulse buying! I made quite a few of the gifts this year, and not just tatting. Actually, I didn't get much tatting done this year, not as much as usual anyway. I guess I'll have to start a lot earlier for next year. I guess I'll have to start a lot earlier for next year :-)

Now we're getting to the new year. Do you have New Year's resolutions? I try not to make them, or at least any more than I would on any other day, because I have a terrible time keeping them. Today I'll leave you with a quote from Hal Borland.

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the

wisdom that experience can instill in us"

Let it snow

2011-12-20T22:23:00.002-06:00

I've been so busy doing, well, lot's of stuff, that I haven't had much time to tat. Every year I try to tat snowflakes to put in Christmas cards. This year only a lucky few will be getting them in their cards. What you see is pretty much all I've gotten done this year snowflake-wise. They are simple and quick and pretty small. Three are made in Lizbeth white size 20, the other two are in Lizbeth Blue Ice size 40.

This doesn't mean I won't still be making snowflakes, it just means they won't get them this year in their Christmas cards :-)

I've tatted a few angels done as well, just didn't get pictures yet. I've been working on the pattern for it, too, trying to work it up with fewer cuts and ties. It's a lot harder to write it out than it is to tat it!

That's it on the tatting front. I did get a cup of tea in today but no tatting on this Tatting Tea Tuesday. Busy again.

My husband and I did take a night off from everything to go to a concert last week. We went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Wichita. It was great! What a show - lights, lasers, electric guitars and a string orchestra. We enjoyed ourselves tremendously! If you like Christmas music done by a rock band you'll enjoy them, too.

This is a song by them without all the lights and lasers, but I like it. Check out YouTube for more videos.

Getting ready for Christmas

2011-12-13T23:20:00.000-06:00

I've been busy trying to get things made for Christmas. I found coasters - at JoAnn's I think - that had Aida cloth and a cross-stitch pattern in them that I thought would look good with tatting instead. It came out well I think. The snowflake is one of mine, seen in this post from January 2009 and is made in size 40 Lizbeth Blue Ice #163. It was a gift but she has it already so it's okay to share.

I bought these little composition books at the Dollar Tree, three for a dollar. They are about three inches tall, one green, one black and one blue. I had a thought that they would be cute with scrapbooking paper on them - and I was right. The paper went on smoothly and they actually came out looking better than I expected, yea! I'm definitely going to have to do this again. They make a great little gift, along with a cute pen. Quick, easy, cute and inexpensive - can't hardly beat that.

I'm doing an Advent exchange with Tabatha at Crafting with Tabatha. We did this last year through Ravelry and had such fun we decided we do it again this year. She does a great job on decorating the packages and coming up with neat gifts! One of the things she sent me this year was some Fray Check which I've never used (I have used similar things) but am glad to have. And she made two of these cute crocheted tree ornaments. Up until this last Sunday they were the only Christmas decorations I had up.

Tabatha also sent me this wonderful case of interchangeable head crochet hooks. I've never seen anything like this before. Isn't it great? I won't have to search for just the right size hook when I change thread size and need help with joining (or whatever). As I said, she comes up with some great gifts :-).

I was able to visit with my daughter last week and do a little crafting. She had been given some exotic bird feathers and we played around with them: this is what we ended up with. We didn't know what we were doing when we started but had a lot of fun doing it. We are calling this an angel : )

Hoping you are all looking forward to a marvelous Christmas.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s Strength and Consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear Desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,

Born a child and yet a King,

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all sufficient merit,

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Words: Charles Wesley

Music: Roland H. Prichard

Museum Stop Part 2

2011-12-06T21:40:00.003-06:00

Now, back to Roebke Memorial Museum in Holton, Kansas...

They certainly justified the theme of "A Lacy Christmas" - there was lace and textiles of many types throughout the house. One of the front rooms showcased the work of one woman, Evelyn DeGraw.

Isn't this display amazing? And this is only part of it!

These items were donated by the woman who lived across the street from the Roebke house The entire room was of Evelyn's work.

December 26, the day we stopped by, they had three demonstrators in: a spinner, a weaver and a quilter.

This is Marty Mavrovich, spinning llama fiber as sock yarn. She likes to use as much local fiber to spin with as she can. She didn't buy her spinning wheel new but thinks it's either German or Canadian made. She made this look easy, but somehow I think that's because she's been doing it awhile.

This is Barbara Beyer weaving on her 8 shaft table loom. It can be converted to a floor loom if she needs it to be. This loom is from New Zealand. She was working on a tunic/vest similar to the one in the magazine behind her (which I didn't take a picture of...).

Here is Donna Tudor hand-quilting a baby blanket. She likes to keep one or two on hand for new arrivals as they take a little while to finish. Her work is lovely. I hardly sew at all but I can appreciate the skill that it takes to do this.

These ladies were fun to talk to. It's not often I get to talk to people who enjoy their craft like this, even though each of us had a different one. But I'm such a bad reporter that I forgot to ask where they were from!

I even got to take out my shuttles and sat with them for awhile.

Somehow I don't think I'd pass as a Victorian lady, do you? I very much enjoyed my visit with these ladies and Margaret Utes.

I'm not sure if you can tell, but we were in the kitchen of the house. Miss Doris Roebke lived in the house after her parents so it was modernized as all lived-in house are sure to be. It was interesting to see some of the older furniture next to the older.

Upstairs the bedrooms were also decked out in Victorian style.

This room was done up as a child's room.

In the hall upstairs there was a display of embroidery. Lovely pillowcases here. On one of the beds there was an cover/quilt with a lot of embroidery, also.

These lovely creations were the graduation dresses of the three Roebke daughters. Can you imagine wearing one of these? Just wearing one of these would make you want to act like a lady.

I put a lot of pictures in today but there is so much more there to see. On another of our trips to or from Omaha we'll have to stop in again.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I tried Candy Cane Lane tea, made with peppermint. It is yummy! Didn't get much time to tat today, but it's not over yet.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Advent season.

"The advent of our God

Shall be our theme for prayer

Come let us meet him on the road

And place for him prepare"

Museum Stop

2011-11-29T21:10:00.001-06:00

Did everyone have a happyThanksgiving? Ours was wonderful, spent with one of our daughters and her family. I didn't even have to do any of the cooking! We're very lucky that our daughter married a wonderful cook. We spent a couple of days there and then headed back to have Thanksgiving here with more of the family.

We took a slightly different route on the way home this time than usual because of an e-mail that I got from Isdihara. A few weeks ago she sent an message letting me know about a museum asking for tatters to do demonstrations in Holton, Kansas. I'm not exactly sure where she heard about it (it was in the Topeka Capital – Journal, a long way from the east coast). I told her I didn't think we'd make it being it's about three hours from home but I was glad of the information. But the timing was right: on the way home from Nebraska we were able to stop in. This time of year they're usually closed except by appointment but they're having open houses Saturdays through the 17th of December for a few hours celebrating "A Lacy Christmas." We just happened to leave Nebraska on Saturday morning and were able to stop in about an hour before they closed.

This is the Roebke Memorial Museum, a block or so from downtown Holton, Kansas. Holton is a picturesque town, with quite a few old buildings and tree-lined streets. The original part of Boebke House itself was built in 1876 and added on as the family grew in numbers and prosperity. The displays are in each room are furnished in Victorian era style and changed periodically with items donated mostly from local people.

We were met as we walked in by Margaret Ute (pronounced 'Oot'), a lovely lady who gave us a personal tour of the house. Here Margaret is standing next to a Christmas tree decorated with crocheted ornaments done by one lady.

Following the theme "A Lacy Christmas" there was a lot of lace everywhere, as well as other textile exhibits. In case you are wondering around on your own there are easily read description plaques with information about the exhibits.

Check out this player piano! Okay, this picture mostly shows the tatting display, but the piano itself is beautiful! And it really works. And it looks very fine with that cloth with all that tatting on it :) Margaret told me that when they found this cloth in the attic it was all brown. She soaked it several times and the stains started coming out. There were also some places where the tatting had come apart (maybe age-weakened thread?) and were repaired by Margaret's mother.

I'm not sure you can read this, but there is a short explanation about the life-style of the Victorian age. It also talks about some of the items in the room, including the tatting.

Isn't this blouse gorgeous? Can you imagine tatting this then carefully stitching it to the material? This would take an amazing amount of patience. But with such a beautiful result.

This is a child's petticoat decorated with tatting.

I wish I had taken a better picture of these tatting shuttles. The one on the left was found in the house and the one on the right belonged to Margaret's mother.

There were three ladies doing demonstrations there that Saturday, one spinning, one weaving and one hand quilting. I will share more about that next week, along with a few more pictures of the beautiful items on display.

I highly recommend this museum if you are ever in the area.

This morning for Tatting Tea Tuesday I enjoyed a cup of Cinnamon Apple Spice tea while looking over pictures from Thanksgiving - a nice way to spend the morning.

If you would be interested in hearing what a Victorian era song sounds like go here.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T11:00:00.001-06:00

The year has turned its circle,

The seasons come and go.

The harvest is all gathered in

And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,

The fields, their yellow grain.

So open wide the doorway-

Thanksgiving comes again!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Old UFO found

2011-11-15T14:30:00.000-06:00

While looking for something else (I can't remember what) I found some tatting I started several years ago. Okay, it looks like I started and pretty much finished, too, except for tying off the last ends and clipping all the tails I left. They're obviously edgings and at least five years old - I have no idea what I made them for. They are not very long, about 9 inches when blocked like this, and 3 1/4 inches wide. I'm sure it's DMC size 30 ecru as I used to do a lot of tatting in it and is one of my patterns. I used to make a lot of cloth runners with tatting at the ends but they were usually at least 12 inches wide but I suppose they could be for that. Maybe for two small wall hangings?

I'm not sure what they were for originally but I'm sure I can figure out something to do with them. A UFO (UnFinished Object) that is actually finished - how cool is that?

While surfing the web the other day I found a darling little purse idea. Over at MeiJo's Joy she has a tutorial for making the cutest little pop-open purse. It really caught my eye because of the shape of the pieces the purse is made of - they're shuttle-shaped! And she did such a cute job of decorating it. I keep thinking it would be so cute to hold shuttles.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I enjoyed a cup (or two) of Apple Spice tea, very yummy. And I actually got a little tatting in!

'Be who you are and say what you feel...

Because those that matter... don't mind...

And those that mind... don't matter.'

Glad I don't live in Oklahoma

2011-11-08T10:10:00.000-06:00

You've probably heard by now that Oklahoma had a 5.6 earthquake Saturday night. Did you know they had a 4.7 Saturday morning? And a 4.0 Sunday morning? Then they had another 4.7 last night. They've also had about 25 smaller ones, probably aftershocks, in between. I didn't feel the first ones, but last night at work I heard the last one. It made the metal stairs beside my office rock and knock against my (inside) window. I thought someone was trying to be funny and scare me as the stairs are behind me right outside my office (inside the factory). I didn't see anyone and just thought "funny, ha ha" until a few minutes later I was being asked if I felt the earthquake.

I wasn't thinking of earthquakes at the time but stormy weather. We were having heavy rain and thunder but Oklahoma was having it worse, including tornadoes, hail and flooding.

Yep, that's right. They were having tornadoes and earthquakes the same night.

I'm glad I don't live in Oklahoma right now! I haven't heard of people being hurt in all this so I hope everyone in Oklahoma is okay.

This morning for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm having a cup of

coffee :-) This time change is a pain. Okay, so we fall back and gain an hour. Someone tell my internal clock that it's now 7:00 AM instead of 8:00 AM!

Today I'm sharing this handkerchief that my mother gave me. It is from her aunt, though I don't know that my great-aunt tatted it. The hen and chicks edging was made first then sewn on, easily seen as several picots have come loose from the edge. The outside picots were curled a bit, as usually happens, so I pinned them out, though I didn't take the time to iron the hanky itself.

I'm thinking of how best to display this and several other tatted pieces I have from other family members. Maybe a shadow box?

"There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control. " Leo F. Buscaglia

Autumn is here

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

We had a hard frost this week. One morning we went outside and the yards and sidewalks were covered in leaves that had fallen, a golden blanket instead of shadows under the trees. I wish I could have captured it all: the bright blue sky, the crispness in the air, the colors all around. What a treasure this would be, to take out and enjoy during the cold days of winter or the hot days of summer. But, alas, this it not something you can bottle, or even capture completely in a picture. Like love and butterflies it is best enjoyed in the moment, without expectation, savoring whatever time it shares with you.

We didn't expect to have pretty tree colors this fall due to the extremely hot and dry weather we experienced this summer, but I have been pleasantly surprised by as much color as we've had. Many trees are past the pretty stage by now, and sadly I haven't taken the time to capture much with my camera. Some days I hardly notice what's going on outside until we step out to go to work, which doesn't leave much time to enjoy it.

I have gotten enough into enjoying the season to tat a few of theses leaves in autumn colors. They are Maple Leaf Motif from the February 1975 Workbasket magazine, with changes by Tammy Rodgers. One is made with Lizbeth #169 Autumn Apple Pie and #670 Victorian Red, both in size 40; the other is in Victorian Red only, still in size 40. I'm planning on making one more in Autumn Apple Pie only, too. I think they will make a nice set.

On the way home from work the other day I was able to watch the sunset, which doesn't happen that often as I usually work second shift. The sky was amazing. I finally stopped and took this picture with my phone, though I really, really wished I had my camera. The temperatures and winds way up high must have been perfect for making contrails, they were all over, going every which way and staying visible for quite some time. I can't ever remember seeing to many at one time. The sunset was awesome. By the time I got home is was getting too dark and I would have had to drive a bit to get a good view. But it was great while it lasted.

"Autumn is a second spring, where every leaf's a flower"

Albert Camus

And the winner is...

2011-10-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

It's the moment you've all been waiting for,

the announcement of the winner of my blogaversary.

Using a random number generator

the winner is.....

Margaret of Margarets Designer Cards!

Congratulations, Margaret!

Margaret, please email at wandasknottythoughts [at] gmail dot com with your mailing address so we can arrange for sending the package.

Thank you very much to all who entered. I enjoyed reading your comments and I really appreciate all of you who entered. It has been a fun three years. I've met some wonderful people through this blog, most on-line but a few even in person. Thank you all for letting me share a little of my life with you.

"It is not true that nice guys finish last. Nice guys are winners before the game even starts."

Addison Walker

Doily Finished! And my giveaway

2011-10-18T10:30:00.000-05:00

My Yes-U-Can doily is finished.

This has been a fun challenge, though I rushed through it. Looking over it now that it is complete I see several things I would need to do differently when/if I do this doily again. In the center ring I'd make the joining picots smaller, as well as the joining picots in the second round (open thread round). If those picots were smaller the third round of individual motifs would still need a little adjustment to keep them from being so stretched looking, but probably not as much as they need the way it is. I'm thinking another couple of stitches in the chains would help. The last round, even with the adjustments in the previous rounds, wouldn't need to be tweaked much if any. Of course, it would be nice if I kept the picot count the same in each repeat on this round. I didn't notice until I was blocking it that some of the chains have seven picots instead of the five they are supposed to have. I knew I had caught myself doing this but hadn't realized I had missed fixing some - and so many! But I'm not changing it now. I have too many other things to do. I'll just take some notes along with stitch counts and try to do better the next time.

Even though it has a lot of issues this doily was certainly a challenge, so I'm calling it #23 of my 25 motif challenge. #23? Oh, my, I didn't realize I was so close to 25.

As I've been saying for the last several weeks, my blogaversary is next week. If you comment on this post you will be entered into the drawing. I do have several things picked out for the package but it's not complete yet (I'm not telling, it's a surprise!). I'll announce the winner on my Tatting Tea Tuesday post October 25th, so comments need to be made before 8:00 AM CST (USA) the 25th to be included.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm having a cup of hot apple cider, mmmm. We've had very fall-like weather here in Kansas the last several days, and what's more fall-like than apple cider? I had bought the jug for a dinner this last weekend then forgot to take it with me, so I'll have to drink the whole thing by myself (my husband doesn't like it). Such a hardship! *grin*

"Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's okay to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing."

2011-10-10T22:10:00.001-05:00

While on vacation in Buena Vista, Colorado, I stopped into a shop called Bev's Stitchery. It has a lot of quilting things in it, but also threads and patterns and such for crochet, knitting and tatting (even a couple of colors of Lizbeth thread). She didn't have a lot of tatting books, but she had this one, which I didn't have (but do now) by Karen Lindsay. What really caught my eye was the witch. I'm not going to have time to try it this year, but Halloween comes every year so I'll have another chance later. I don't have any of her other books and haven't tried any of these patterns yet. She has them diagrammed and written out. There are several cute patterns in here beside the witch that I would like to try and their seasons are coming. This find, as well as the shop I found it in, was a nice surprise.

Over at InTatters they have a challenge going on with the "Yes-U

-Can" doily. The challenge is to tat the doily that is stamped on a can lid with nothing else to go by. A nice challenge, and I'm sure that there will be as many different patterns tatted as their are people who try it, each person with their own vision of it. I decided to try - though I really don't have time. Mine is done in brown #692 and gold #611 Lizbeth thread, size 20. I've made several miscalculations that I didn't go back and fix, and it's not as neat as I would like *blushes in embarrassment*. But I'm doing this instead of several other things that have a time limit (the challenge doesn't) so it will be what it is. I can go back and do it again the right way another time.

This is day 7 (I think) and the first picture I've taken

of it. Once I got started it was kind of hard to put it down. This was blocked a little after the fourth round of individual motifs and then stuck in my bag as I took it with me everywhere. I think the count is close but after the final blocking I'll look it over and evaluate it for that type of thing for when I want to make it again.

(I'm taking a page out of Diane's book, using my computer as a background. I didn't have anything else handy that showed it off very well.)

I'm drinking a cup of Refresh mint tea for this morning's Tatting Tea Tuesday. As soon as I get a few minutes I'll be back at the doily - though my mind will be working on some of my other projects:)

I'll be having a giveaway for my blogaversary this month. If your interested check back next week to find out more about it.

"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction." Will Rogers

Feel like giving

2011-10-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

While on vacation I did do just a little more tatting than mentioned before: I made a bookmark for one of the friends that we went with. She likes pink (a lot) and I happened to have some pink and teal thread with me, so made up a quick bookmark for her.

A very quick bookmark as most of it won't be seen. Yes, I made it for her Nook. Every book should have a bookmark, shouldn't it? (Her husband didn't get it at all). It fits behind the Nook in the case and stays quite nicely. She and I are happy with it no matter how silly it may seem.

I only took a few stitches while we were here - above 12,000 feet it was windy and quite chilly. This is the divide at Tincup pass. You have to take at least a four-wheel drive vehicle (motorcycles can make it, too, and ATVs) to get there. We made it up there on Friday, by way of St. Elmo. We had attempted to get to this pass on Thursday by way of the town of Tincup and Mirror Lake, but we got late a start. We didn't want to try to get there - or down - in the dark!

This is the road to Tincup pass as it goes around Mirror Lake. You can see my husband concentrating in the rear view mirror. We were told that the road to the pass from here was like this or worse all the way. We aren't that experienced with four-wheeling, so turned back while it was still daylight. (Note: we were told by an experienced person we met there that by Jeep it was 90 minutes to the pass from the lake, 30 minutes by ATV and 20 minutes by motorcycle.) Going up the other side from St. Elmo had some stretches that looked like this (or worse) but not as much of it. If we make it that way again we're going to try to rent ATVs instead of a Jeep.

This Sunday at Church was LWML Sunday (Lutheran Women's Missionary League). On this Sunday the women of the congregation do most of the jobs the men usually do, such as pass out bulletins, light the candles, do the collection. The ladies also sang the closing hymn as a choir. This is done once a year, as a way to let the rest of the congregation see what all the League has been doing. They collect sewing kits and school kits to be delivered to other countries, donate to the food bank, serve at fundraising dinners in the community, that type of thing. They also meet at least twice a month to work on quilts.

The quilts are tied quilts and not real fancy, but a lot of love goes into these (and they are very pleasing to the eye). They are displayed on the pews on LWML Sunday and then boxed up to be taken to Lutheran World Relief and Orphan Grain Train. Unfortunately, I don't make it to the quilting days very often, though I would like to. We have a small church and there are only a few women that do this regularly. As you can see, even though they are few they do a lot of work. There is something like 40 quilts they've made to donate this year.

Seeing all those wonderful quilts to be given away, and also seeing the post over at Umi & Tsuru, I've gotten into a giving mood. So I'm going to pay it forward as well. The first three people to comment on this post will each receive a handmade gift from me. [I don't promise how soon I'll get it out :) ]

As I sip my Wild Berry Zinger tea this morning for Tatting Tea Tuesday, I realize that it's October again, which means my blogaversary is coming up. I think I'll have a drawing for that in a week or so - after I think up what I'm going to do for it :)

"The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation" Corrie Ten Boom

Vacation tatting

2011-09-27T11:10:00.001-05:00

We had a little change in scenery last week - a whole week in the Colorado mountains. I took advantage of the beautiful weather to tat outside last Tatting Tea Tuesday. Here I'm enjoying a glass of grape/peach juice while tatting on the porch of the cabin we lived in for a week at Rainbow Lake Resort, a few miles west of Buena Vista, Colorado, on the road to Cottonwood Pass. The cabins over look a lake surrounded by mountains covered in pine and aspen. The trees were turning while we were there, every day bringing new fall color to our temporary home.

I was pretty busy enjoying the novelty of being in the mountains but still managed to tat a bit. The white piece was actually made while my husband drove us out here. It's made with Lizbeth size 10 in 602 Natural (almost white) with red glass beads. It was just to be tatting as I was too busy thinking about where we were going to have much thought of what I was tatting. The other piece is Lizbeth size 20 in 122 Caribbean and 658 Ocean Turquoise Light with red glass beads. I was practicing looped tatted rings through the beads, which I think I have the hang of, at least for now.

But most of the time we were busy enjoying the change of scenery. This is my husband and I enjoying the view on our way up to Saint Elmo.

This is an easy part of Lost Canyon Road. We rented a Jeep to go up this road, which got a bit rougher higher up.

These beautiful trees are a short walk up the creek from our cabin. I took this about 7:00 AM on my morning walk while everyone else in the cabin was still sleeping.

Looking west over Rainbow Lake at sunset. We had a whole week of this.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm enjoying a cup of Country Peach tea and looking over pictures from last week, trying to decide which pictures to share - there are so many! It was very hard to come home! The weather was great, and the company was better. We shared a cabin with some old friends of ours and had the most wonderful time. We're all looking forward to another vacation together.

"If you come home as happy as you leave, you have had a good vacation."

Seen at the fair

2011-09-20T11:55:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd show you the other tatting that was entered into the fair. These all competed against each other (and me!) as there was only one tatting category.

The snowman won first and the larger snowflake won second. My doily (from last week's post) won third. The Christmas-colored doily that hung below mine didn't win anything, but it was make by the same person who made the snowman, and you can only win one ribbon per category.

I thought this was a lovely display. Isn't this a great idea for showing off your tatting?

This was actually entered as Heirloom Embroidery, not tatting, but check out how she added joined the panels together. Wow!

This is a Bobbin Lace bookmark, made by a woman that also entered tatting. Isn't it beautiful? The other one is machine embroidery, and looks great, too. I don't know how the judges make their decisions!

This is a Halloween quilt that took second place in that category. I didn't compete against these, but I thought they were wonderful. My pictures don't do them justice.

This one took champion in the holiday quilt category. It certainly is spectacular.

Congratulations to all the people to enter their pieces at the fair. Keep up the great work.

And to all the people out there who tat - think about entering something next year! I know you're out there. We've got to keep the category alive!

"The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure."

Sven Goran Eriksson

Fair Results

2011-09-14T22:20:00.001-05:00

I made it to the fair yesterday, but by the time I got home I was just too tired to do much but go to bed. So the pictures had to wait until today.

This is what I came up with for a Christmas decoration. I didn't expect it to win anything and it didn't. I wanted to enter as much tatting as possible, and that I had time to make. It's not quite what I planned to do, but it's what got done. You can see the picture that won champion in the same class, Christmas decoration.

As you can see, my doily took third place. When it was shown at the Harvey County fair it was laying down, so the way I mounted it was fine. At the state fair they hung it on the wall and the center sagged a bit. I've learned a lesson for next year! Below my doily is a red, white and green doily. It's hard to tell with it mounted that way, but it looked pretty good to me.

These are the entries that competed with my spider and web. This was Holiday decoration, and you could enter one per holiday. It looks like all holidays compete against each other, not each holiday by itself.

And, yes, it got a blue ribbon! I was pleasantly surprised. I knew it would be competing against a variety of media, and didn't know if the judges would like the tatting or not.

Next week I'll show some of the other tatting that was entered.

"If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything."

Win Borden

Going to the fair

2011-09-13T12:39:00.004-05:00

I plan on going to the state fair tonight after work, where I will see how my entries have done. I hope to get pictures, get back to the house and post before I have to go to bed. This week has been nothing like normal so if you don't hear more from me today, look for a post tomorrow.

Getting Ready For the State Fair

2011-09-06T22:20:00.000-05:00

This is the mess on my table after trying to get things finished for the Kansas State Fair. No actual tatting done, but at least I got a cup of tea in (Country Peach Passion - yum!)

I've been busy with getting things made and put together for several weeks now. I haven't been on the Internet much, I've been too busy tatting. And planning. There is only one class for tatting at the state fair but I wanted to get a few more items of tatting there if I could. Looking through the options I found they have a category for Christmas decorations and one for holiday decoration, one per holiday. So that makes three categories I thought I could enter.

I entered my antique motif doily (of course!). This is at a higher level than the county fair but I think it has a chance to do well. Then I had an idea for a Christmas decoration using those snowflakes I've been working on. I just couldn't get my plan to work out but entered them anyway. They still look nice but nothing spectacular. And I forgot to take a picture of it before I dropped it off.

I chose a Halloween decoration for the other entry. I had this idea of a spider on a web using one of Jane Eborall's patterns. But I just couldn't get those floating chains! *head hangs in shame* I worked on it for half a day, but running out of time I had to do something else. I did come up with a spider, making the legs out of split rings similar to the way Jane made the legs on her stork. The body has a few issues but still looks pretty good. I added a black bead for the body and glass beads for head and eyes. I had planned a black spider but felt it would not be seen well on the black background I had in mind, so it's made of gold Cebelia size 30, color 437. This actually worked better than the size 20 black that was planned, because being a smaller thread the legs worked better. The web is made of size 70 Lizbeth color 602 natural (not-quite white) and a strand of metallic coats thread, a Nylon and Polyester blend. I started once, then realized I made a bit of a mistake so had to start over. I got soooo tired of doing this. The last round is made of chains, each of 35 double stitches. Not very stimulating, and a lot of chance of mis-counting. But I'm very happy with the result.

I hope the judges at the fair like it, too. I'm going to call this #22 of my second 25 Motif Challenge. This was very much a challenge!

I might know by next week how my entries did at the fair. I've told several people who have plans to go to let me know the results if they get there before I do. The fair lasts ten days but I'm not sure what day I'll get to go. There is a lot to see and do at the fair - I'm really looking forward to it.

"Achievement is not always success, while reputed failure often is. It is honest endeavor, persistent effort to do the best possible under any and all possible circumstances."

Orison Swett Marden

Snowflakes and Dinosaurs

2011-08-31T12:01:00.001-05:00

I'm still making a few of my old snowflake patterns, and still trying them out with beads. This one I changed a lot from my original pattern besides the beads for several reasons. One: I had done this one with only five points and I want it to have six. Two: I had done it with lots of picots so it looked very frilly. I have been adding beads in place of picots and this snowflake had lots of picots. But I don't really want to add that many beads, so the extraneous picots had to go. Three: using the original stitch count made it a little bit bigger than what I wanted right now so I reduced the stitches by a few everywhere.

It's somewhat hard to see the clear beads on the snowflakes, but in person the beads catch the light, making them well worth the effort to add.

I've done other tatting this week but nothing that's ready to share. I keep changing my mind on what I want and keep switching from one project to another. Hopefully I'll have finished one thing or another by next week. And maybe even post on Tuesday. I had tea and tatted on Tuesday, I just ran out of time to post!

This last weekend we went up to visit our daughter and family. We had a great time, going to an air show on Saturday and the Omaha Children's Museum on Sunday. I had never been to a children's museum, though I knew that the exhibits were meant to be touched and be interactive with children. They currently have an exhibit of dinosaurs there, something our grandson likes right now.

We found something interesting to see right away when we arrived, before we even went in.

This praying mantis was on our parking meter. We had to stop and check it out before we went any farther. You can see she was quite large. She only moved a little bit the whole time we stood to watch her, which didn't impress my two-year-old grandson.

We decided to go to the dinosaur exhibit first, to make sure we had plenty of time there. For all that he likes dinosaurs, my grandson was a little intimidated by the robotic dinosaurs that moved and made noises.
The dinosaurs are not full-sized but quite realistic looking (how does anyone really know?)
My grandson didn't take too long to get over being scared. There is so much there for them to do.

This is a robot skeleton that the children can push buttons to move, up down, side to side. It was very popular with the kids.

They can also uncover fossils in a sand box.

There were more activities in the display and many more throughout the museum. We were there for several hours and didn't even get close to seeing everything. If any of you with children or grandchildren are in the Omaha area and are looking for something fun to do I recommend this. They do have places for the parents to sit and watch while the children explore :)
(I am not being paid for this endorsement, it was just so much fun to watch the children there I wanted to share with it everyone else.)

"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death"
Albert Einstein

Where were you when the earth moved?

2011-08-23T23:05:00.001-05:00

Did you feel the earth move under your feet today?

If you were anywhere on the east coast today you might have. Most of you have probably already heard about the Virginia (USA) earthquake that happened today. IsDihara lives in Virginia, and she says she's okay. If you'd like to read her experience today check out her blog here. I hope that everyone else out in tat-land are okay and not too shook up.

Did you know there was one in Colorado (USA) late last night as well? I don't know anyone personally that felt it, but on the news tonight they spoke to a woman in Hutchinson, Kansas, that said she felt it. That's an earthquake over 400 miles away. I guess she noticed because she was awake at 1:15 AM local time, and was on the fifth floor of an apartment building. As there aren't many buildings that tall around here, she was one of the few people that had the right conditions to notice. I personally slept right through it :)

This Tatting Tea Tuesday evening I had a wonderful glass of iced tea, which really hit the spot. We had record-breaking temperatures today, 109 deg. F. I can do without breaking anymore records like that! I'm really looking forward to fall weather. I didn't get any tatting done, though *sigh* I had to do some work around the house instead. We ran out clean plates (and glasses and cups and....)

I did get a little tatting done over the last week, a few more snowflakes. And I think I'm getting carried away with those beads.

"We learn geology the morning after the earthquake"
Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's Never Too Early

2011-08-16T19:30:00.001-05:00

For making snowflakes for Christmas anyway. In fact, I might not have gotten started early enough. And this year I'm doing - or at least starting with - something different. Or you could say the same... I make snowflakes to go into Christmas cards every year and usually try to come up with at least one new one every year. That may happen yet, but I've started this year with some old patterns but am adding beads to them.
I'm using clear glass beads, trying for a crystalline look, or at least a hint of it. This picture really doesn't do the snowflake justice; it looks better in person.

I worked on these two Saturday while we drove (I did not tat and drive, I let my husband do the driving) to and from a family reunion a few hours away from our home. Beads and all! I usually don't try to work with beads in the car due to the trouble of not loosing the beads, but thought I'd give it a shot this time. Amazingly, I only lost a few beads and had very little trouble.

I did a little TIPping (Tatting In Public) this week as well. On my way to my office a few days ago I stopped to talk to a friend of mine and show her my current project. As it was in process the shuttles were still attached. A person standing close by saw them and started asking some questions; then another person. So I demonstrated a split ring for them, as that was the next element of the piece. They were quite interested in it as they had never seen tatting before; had never even heard of it. It was a nice start to my day, sharing tatting with new people.

I didn't have tea today for Tatting Tea Tuesday (I had coffee) but I did have chocolate and did get some tatting in - working on another snowflake. Christmas is only a bit over four months away you know. Lots to do and not much time to do it in.

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. " Buddha

Country Fair Results and...Aliens?

2011-08-09T20:30:00.004-05:00

I entered two tatted items in the local county fair, my Antique Motif Doily and a Heart's Honor bookmark. I was so excited about the results of the doily I completely forgot to take a picture of the bookmark! I was the only one that entered tatting but it's in the crochet class, so that means I won grand champion over any crochet that was entered as well. I'm just a little happy about it *bouncing up and down*. My bookmark got a blue (1st place), so I'm pretty happy about that, too. Just because you are the only entry in a category it doesn't mean they have to give you a ribbon if they don't think an item is done well enough. It still would be nice to have more tatting there.

I also entered a picture in the photography class for the first time ever. There are a lot of people who enter their pictures so the competition is tougher, but this one turned out so well I thought "why not?" It is a picture of the grandsons, taken this July.

I was pleasantly surprised to get a third place on it.

I've been playing around with this little motif, trying several different things. I did a split chain on it and realized I haven't used it hardly at all, so am not very proficient with it. I also tried adding some beads, which meant I had to change the stitch count, which in turn made it look different yet. I showed it to my husband, who commented that it looked like a spaceship.

Hmmm, I can see that...

I enjoyed a glass of sweet, iced Vanilla Rooibos tea this morning, though not while I was tatting. I did get a bit of that in, too, just a little later.

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Tatting Tea Tuesday.

"Winning isn't always finishing first. Sometimes winning is just finishing."

Manuel Diotte

A hot Tatting Tea Tuesday

2011-08-02T20:30:00.001-05:00

This morning I enjoyed a lovely glass if sweet iced tea, Black Cherry Berry flavored - very yummy! I hadn't been sure I'd like it iced but I'm very sure I like it now! Yes, the picture shows a cup of tea not a glass but I wanted to show the pretty cup:-) The doily is one I made quite a few years ago, and sad to say I have only a vague idea where I got the pattern.

The little book "Get Well Tea" I picked up on my vacation in Branson, Missouri. I found it in the back room of an antique/flea market that my sister and I visited on our way out of town. The author is J.C. McCracken, the owner/innkeeper of the Inn at Fall Creek, Branson, Mo., at least as of 1996 when the book was published. This little book has a brief history of tea, a little about the hummingbird and a few recipes for "Get Well Tea.." I'm really going to have to try a few of these, they sound very yummy, though I'm not sure they would all taste good if your tummy wasn't feeling to well. But being unwell doesn't always involve the tummy, does it?

I've done some tatting this week, I just don't have any I'm quite ready to share yet. I've also spent a lot of time on the computer (not surfing, though), working on diagramming patterns. I've noticed lately looking at the stats of my blog that a lot of people are looking at the pattern I posted for the Christmas bell ornament from this post, so I diagrammed it and have it in the right sidebar. I spent my day Saturday doing this instead of all the cleaning I should have been doing, isn't that sad? And, yes, it took more hours than I planned; I have a ways to go before I'll be quick at it.

As you might guess from the title of this post it's been rather hot here in Kansas. It was mentioned on a local TV station that the average high temperature for this July was 103 deg. F (39 deg. C), which makes it a pretty hot month. The average temperature is 90 deg. F but we haven't had a day under 93 deg all month. And August is usually pretty hot as well. Today is a good example of how hot it is here: at 7:00 PM CDT it was 110 deg. F (43 deg. C). There have been several records set for the heat this year - these are records I would prefer not have broken! I'm ready for cooler weather.

"Whether the weather be fine,

Whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold,

Whether the weather be hot,

We'll weather the weather,

Whatever the whether,

Whether we like it or not."

A Doll and New Thread

2011-07-26T17:20:00.001-05:00

Isn't this doll cute? This is called a "Wagon Train Doll". It is made of strips of cloth (actually bias tape) in a couple of different lengths with knots tied in strategic places to form arms, body and skirt. You are supposed to trim the material ends evenly along the bottom and the ends of each arm but I didn't do that (yet). The apron and cap are simply done with a few gathers and a little bit of elastic (to keep the cap on the head). You could buy dolls like this already made or in a kit that you could assemble yourself. This was a kit, which consists of the pre-cut material, the head already wrapped, the cap and apron, and directions to make it and future dolls if desired. I bought this in Silver Dollar City, Missouri for my granddaughter. Okay, she's a little young for it yet (two months) but she might like to play with it in a year or two! I'm thinking it could be fun to make matching apron and caps for the doll and the granddaughter later on. Even with my poor sewing skills I think I could manage that.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I was able to tat for about an hour, with the only interruptions being questions of those that happened by. I went with my mother-in-law to her physical therapy today and tatted while she did her exercises and what-ever. Almost everyone that came in asked or commented about what I was doing. And I still got a lot done! No tea though.

This last week I ordered some thread from Handy Hands for an interesting project. A friend of mine is doing a quilt with a muslin top. She chose a white-ish muslin instead of the more usual ecru colored type. She says it's not a crazy quilt but is supposed to have some embellishments on it and has asked if I would make some tatting for it. As it's not white-white material the white thread I have is a little too bright, so I ordered some Lizbeth in Natural, #602. I ordered one ball each of size 80, size 20 and size 10, and two balls of size 40 so she could have a choice of sizes but all be the same color.

Well, that was the plan.

I don't know how well this will show up on your screen - I had quite a time getting a picture of it - but in real-life there is a bit of a problem. This stack of thread has DMC white size 20 on the bottom, then Lizbeth Natural size 10, Lizbeth Natural size 20, Lizbeth Natural size 40 and Lizbeth Natural size 80 on top. The Lizbeth size 20 is a different color entirely. I know that different lot sizes can be different shades, I expected that. But the size 20 looks more ecru than anything else. I emailed Barb Foster at Handy Hands about my problem, but there's nothing to be done. They've lightened the dye in all the other sizes but haven't had to order more of the #602 in size 20 yet, so this darker color is it. That's why the ball of DMC. It's white but it's not as white as the Lizbeth, so it looks a little closer to the Natural of the other balls. If multiple size thread is needed I doubt they will be side-by-side, so this will probably work.

Oh, well. It's a little disappointing but not tragic. I think I can live with what I got - and the other colors of thread I bought while I was making the order:-)

"While only a rag doll with a few red yarn strands for hair, she has been loved for generations. Parents enjoy the positive memories of their childhood and sharing those stories with their children." Marianne Szymanski

Heart's Honor posted

2011-07-20T14:15:00.001-05:00

Check the side on the right. The pattern for Heart's Honor has been added.

Teacup for Tatting Tea Tuesday

2011-07-19T19:15:00.002-05:00

Isn't this little teacup with the candle inside cute? I saw it and just had to get it for a Tatting Tea Tuesday post. It's from a candle shop in Silver Dollar City, Missouri. They pour a lot of candles there, in the most marvelous scents! This one happens to be Bayberry. They make the candles right there in the shop; you can watch and talk to them about what they are doing. They also have a dipping station where you can dip your own candles. You actually buy white candles in any of several different sizes (4 inch, 6 inch, 8 inch) then you dip them in different colour waxes for any color combination your heart desires. I had a picture of the ones that I dipped but it seems to be lost in cyber space somewhere. It will have to be shared on a different post.

The lovely little doily the cup is sitting on was designed by the wonderful AnneB (Anne Bruvold), she who designed the Minor Norwegian Flying Dragons. I tatted it a while ago and thought I had shared it here on my blog but I haven't found it, so I must be mistaken. I know it was done in size 30 thread but I don't remember in what brand or color, and measures about four inches across. I'm sharing it now because a friend of mine asked if I would make her one. The pattern for it can be found here. If you are interested in more of Anne's patterns, you can find them at Nuperelle.net (there be dragons!) Some are in English and some are in Norwegian.

This morning I got up and took the pictures of the teacup and doily, several of the dipped candles, then worked on adding the suggestions of the test tatters to Heart's Honor bookmark. I didn't get any tea drank or any tatting done during all that. I did tat a whole ring and chain at my in-laws' house (not of this doily, another project) and then, well, a mess. I was being soooooo careful with my tube of size 10/0 seed beads when I spilled the entire tube of them all over the floor. So instead of tatting I picked up seed beads. The tube says it has 10g of beads and I must have spilled 9.99% of them - there were only about a dozen lonely beads left in the tube when I picked it up. Most have been recovered but quite a few went into my purse, which will be emptied and de-beaded at home.

I didn't get the pattern for Heart's Honor up yet - I had hoped it would be today - but it should be in a few days.

"Inanimate objects can be classified scientifically into three major categories: those that don't work, those that break down and those that get lost." Russell Baker

Branson Vacation

2011-07-12T18:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, I was traveling again, this time to Branson, Missouri with my sister. My husband doesn't have as many days of vacation as I do so he had to stay home, making this a girls only trip. We had so much fun! My sister had ordered tickets for several things ahead of time, which meant that on the Showboat we had front row seats and for the Scenic Railway we were some of the very first to board. The days we went to Silver Dollar City were very nice temperature wise - we went Friday and Saturday mornings, the next day was hot and muggy by 8:00 AM. We didn't have time to do nearly everything we would have liked to do, but we did do almost all the things we talked of doing. The one thing we didn't do was get a tin type photo. The one evening we had the best opportunity we were hot and sweaty and I didn't feel like it at all. But we are talking of doing it again in a year or two, maybe making it a family trip with all the kids and grandkids, so maybe we'll get our pictures then.

I made sure I did some tipping (tatting-in-public) while we were there - okay, I wanted some pictures, too: ) This picture is while we were on the Branson Scenic Railroad, taken while we waited for the train to load. I actually did quite a bit of tatting on the train on the way back to the station. I had some very interested people watching me, none of them having seen shuttle tatting done before. I was quite happy to talk to them about one of my most favorite subjects.

We also found a quiet spot to take this picture at Silver Dollar City, which is an attraction just outside of Branson. Though there are a lot of amusement rides there, my sister and I went for the handcraft demonstrations and items there. We were a bit disappointed how few artisans we actually found on-site. After talking to some of the shop people there we found that the only time there are a lot more crafters is during their National Harvest Festival. We'd like to try to go back for that, but it won't be this year.
As I mentioned, I did get some tatting done. It's about a six-hour drive from where I live to Branson, Mo. - that's not counting any stops you might make. As we weren't in a hurry we made a few stops at places that interested us, so it took us closer to seven hours. I started on a bookmark on the way down - I made it long enough to make a bracelet but I had taken out all the findings from my tatting bag - and finished shortly after we got home. I ran out of thread right at the end and couldn't make both ends the same without adding some to the shuttles, which I didn't want to do. So I played around with it, finally settling on a tail/tassel using macramé.

We had a great time the entire trip. There is a lot I'll be sharing with you in the coming weeks. Today I downloaded all the pictures from my camera while sipping my iced tea, which was just green tea with little Mango Peach MIO. Sipping my tea and finishing my bookmark is the only tatting I'll be getting done today for Tatting Tea Tuesday. I have a few more ideas that I would like to do, and maybe some of it will be done for next week.

"If you come home as happy as you leave, you have had a good vacation"

A Wonderful 4th of July

2011-07-06T19:15:00.000-05:00

Did everyone have a happy 4th of July? We celebrated with fireworks both Sunday night (the 3rd) and Monday night. We were visiting our daughter's family and went with them on Sunday night to a neighbor's to share the fun. There were several children my grandson's age that had a blast watching the show. As the other adults there were mostly parents, the fireworks consisted of light shows - fountains, small ground lights and the type that explodes into lots of lights in the sky - and very few that made only noise - you know, firecrackers. I don't particularly like the noisy ones myself, and my grandson runs and hides from the loud ones because they hurt his ears.

The evening of the 4th we only set off a few ourselves, but there were a lot going off all over town that we could see and enjoy. It was quite a show!

Monday during the day we went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. It was a nice day for a zoo visit, a little hot but not bad, and not very crowded. My grandson had a lot of fun looking at the animals.

Here he's looking at the rhinoceros sleeping. A little later we went by the on the train that goes around the zoo and saw then standing up. He thought they were pretty cool either way!

We finished off our visit with a walk through the rain forest exhibit, which is quite an experience. Our grandson really enjoyed having Papa show him some of the wildlife in there. He didn't really enjoy the 'caves' and dark places, though.

I didn't get much tatting done over the last week, first getting ready to go, and then being there - just too much to do! What little I got done was in the car while we were on our way there.

I'm wanting to add some tatting to a handbag I have and found some metal pieces that I thought had a nice potential for adding tatting to them. I had wanted to try using some beads with this, but I don't do beads well when traveling. I've actually started on another piece with the same center but it's not looking as good as I'd like, so it may have to be started over. I'm calling this #21 of my second 25 Motif Challenge.

I'm not sure how much tatting I'll get done this next week, either, as I'll be doing some traveling again. Probably something without beads again, if anything ; )

I missed Tatting Tea Tuesday this week due to a lack of Internet access, though I tatted and had tea :-) I guess today I'll just have to join Cindy at A Happy Bluebird for Wine Wednesday. I'll have a glass when I get home from work, though instead of tatting I'll be cleaning out my tatting bag so it's a little lighter - somehow it keeps aquiring things!

"There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence, and energy of her citizens can not cure." Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th President

Tipping On Tuesday

2011-06-28T14:05:00.002-05:00

This morning I started Tatting Tea Tuesday with a glass of iced Refresh tea then headed into town for a few errands and a doctor appointment. I happened to arrive a little early so pulled out a shuttle, starting a butterfly to empty it. A lady sitting in the waiting room started asking some questions about what I was doing. I was very happy☺to talk to her about tatting. She asked what the end result was so I showed her my Heart's Honor bookmark that I had just finished. She was quite impressed with it. She also asked about how you knew how to make something, if there were patterns. So I showed her the pattern of the Flag Pin. That's where she saw the name of my blog, which really tickled her. Then her mother came out from her appointment and the daughter wanted me to show her what I was doing. For a few minutes there I had two very interested people to share tatting with. It was a very good morning.

This is what I worked on this week, at least when I could tat. I worked on this for over a week as there was so many other things to do. Including working on the pattern for it. The pattern is coming along pretty well, but every time I start on it I see something else I should probably do with it, to make it better. But it is much closer to being done.

If I can remember how to do it I'll be posting the pattern for the Flag Pin I shared on this post, so keep an eye on the patterns over on the right. This was designed in a hurry but I haven't had time to re-visit it to make it easier. But as Independence Day is approaching I thought I would share what I have in case someone else would like to make it for the holiday.

"All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin" Lord Byron

Tipping = tatting in public

TIme out for a party

2011-06-21T13:45:00.001-05:00

I don't think I got any tatting done at all this week. We were go-hosts and planners for a 60th wedding anniversary, which took up a lot of time. My oldest daughter was such a huge help! She was great, putting together the flower arrangements and the slide show of 70+ years of the couples' lives, before and after they were together (there weren't many before years!) My sister-in-law planned the dinner and arranged for the cake. Then there were different family members that jumped in and helped where needed, from serving the cake and punch to changing the tables for the reception after the meal. It was a great day, full of lots of wonderful friends and family, and the most important part was the anniversary couple were happy about everything!

Then on Sunday, for Father's Day, we were invited to our daughter's house, where our son-in-law grilled dinner for us, our other daughter's family, his folks and his brother's family. It was hot but a lot of fun. And the food was delicious! We got to watch the grandsons play in the blowup pool and run around being boys. It was another great day.

By the time we got home Sunday night we were tired out! Then there was more running around on Monday. I gotta say, today I'm doing very little. The housework that got ignored for two weeks can just be ignored another day (or two).

Bookmarks made for my husband
With no tatting done I was commenting to my husband that I didn't have anything for pictures today. Being the sweetie that he is, he got together several bookmarks I've made him and took pictures for me. He didn't want me to stress or worry it, and likes to make me happy. I think he's a keeper, don't you?

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm drinking iced green tea again, but this time with a squirt of MIO Strawberry Watermelon. I was a little leery about trying this combination but it tastes pretty good! The actual tatting will come a little later, but there will be tatting!

"My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance."

Tatting Tea Tuesday on Flag Day

2011-06-14T10:56:00.010-05:00

Are your flags flying today? It's Flag Day today here in the United States. My family observed Flag Day when I was young, and still do today. I've done so, some years with more awareness than others. And I'm sure I learned all about it in grade school but I had to look it up to refresh my memory. If you are interested in a short history of Flag Day you might try this site.

In the midst of all the things that are going on in my life right now I hadn't really noticed that it was going to be Flag Day today until yesterday. I thought it would be nice to have a little something to wear to celebrate the day. And I needed a little break from my Heart's Honor bookmark diagramming. I grabbed red, white and blue thread on my way out to work yesterday and started this little pin. I finished it this morning while I ignored a few other things I should have been doing. I'm going to wear it to work today. If my count is correct this will be #20 of my second 25 Motif Challenge. I've done a few more things that could have been counted but I keep forgetting to until I've already posted!

While at Hobby Lobby in Wichita this week I happened to notice a yarn shop I hadn't seen before called Odd Balls Yarn Shop. I hadn't noticed it before because it just opened in March (I don't get to Hobby Lobby as much as I'd like to). I had a whole list of things to do but I decided to take a few minutes and check it out - maybe it carried tatting thread. It's a nice, large shop with an area for open stitch (chatting area) and a lot of yarn for knitting and crocheting but I didn't see anything for tatting. But I did see some finished tatting that was for sale. I got to meet the tatter-in-house and we spoke a little of tatting and threads and such. She said that the buyer was currently at a (thread? fiber?) show and was planning on bringing home some shuttles and threads, brands as yet unknown. So this is definitely a shop to keep in mind if you are in Wichita and need a place to sit and stitch and would like to talk to other fiber artists. And maybe purchase some thread or shuttles :-)

The Heart's Honor pattern is currently being test tatted - or the top, heart part is. So far it has few issues, but I have gotten some great feedback from the test tatters. Thanks to all of you who are helping me out. I'm having some difficulties with the second part, mostly trying to get the perspective correct. I should have more time to get into it after this weekend so I'll get serious then.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I had iced green tea with a squirt of MIO liquid Mango Peach. It was delicious! And I was tatting my flag pin while I sipped it - totally into the communi-tea today.

Pledge of Allegiance
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all"

Francis Bellamy

Test tatter needed

2011-06-08T11:04:00.004-05:00

Anyone out there interested in test tatting Heart's Honor? If interested please email me at
wandasknottythoughts at gmail dot com

3/30 PM Thanks so much, everyone that has responded. I have enough volunteers now.

And the name is..

2011-06-07T17:50:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all who offered name suggestions for my bookmark. I had some great suggestions. I heard from a few people that there was some trouble leaving a comment. Thank you, Shannon, for emailing your suggestion when you had trouble.

I pondered quite a bit over the name, wrote them out to see how they looked, then pondered some more. I showed the bookmark to my daughter, who immediately thought of an award like a purple heart even though it wasn't purple. Her idea kept percolating in my mind and the name I've finally decided on is "Heart's Honor". So I guess she's the winner.

©Wanda Salmans 2011

I'm still working on the pattern for it, getting all the stitch counts and joins correct. I'm getting to do all kinds of things with the diagram that was talked about in the Design-Tat class. I know there are some things that could be done better but I'm leaving the drawing the way it is this time. After you get so far, going back and correcting can sometimes mean going back to, or almost to, the beginning. (I promise I'll do better on the next pattern!) Between the written out pattern and the diagram I think it will be pretty clear. I don't know that it will be ready to post next week but I'm hoping it will be ready by the following week.

A few months ago I introduced Ryan, a Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon. Since then we've been trying to find the perfect home for her, and she's been very picky. She couldn't make up her mind about colors or design or anything. But finally, finally, she found something she likes, and would now like to show off her new home. Her landlord is very happy with her as well (I hope they get along). She was also working on her flame, trying for just the right color. We both thought this copper looked perfect.

I had no tea today and I miss that. I was in such a hurry to get out and do some errands I didn't take the time to make even one cup of tea for Tatting Tea Tuesday. And I didn't even realize it until I got to work and it dawned on me it was Tuesday. So today I'll take time to tat during breaks and dream of tea - okay, probably not dream of tea, but I plan on drinking tea tomorrow.

"Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves" Carol Lynn Pearson

No booties this time

2011-05-31T10:25:00.001-05:00

This last week we went up to see our daughter when they had the new baby baptized. Our granddaughter wore the same baptismal gown that her brother had worn but not the booties he did. Her brother was several months old when he was baptized so I had to make the booties to fit him. I also didn't think to make her a pair - where was my mind for the last 6 months?? - so I decided to do something a little less complicated. I decorated some socks.

Even this simple little motif gave me fits. First, I used size 80 thread, DMC # 604, which I rarely even try to tat with. Second, I was tatting these in the car then trying to finish them off in the hotel room. They ended up taking more time than I want to admit. They also don't quite have the same stitch count - I finished one kind of late and made the second one kind of early the next morning. After I'd almost finished I realized I had changed it up a bit. And, you know what? I just left them that way. My husband and daughter looked at them and couldn't tell the difference. Besides, with the baby wearing her long baptismal gown you couldn't see the socks anyway. So someday, if the socks survive very long, someone will look at them and maybe notice that Grandma didn't know how to count - and I'm okay with that :-)

I then proceeded to decorate a second pair of socks (the socks came on a card containing two pair) almost but not quite the same. I didn't add any decorative picots to these. I figure these might be worn a couple of times and picots don't always look so good after washing without a little help. These actually came out looking pretty good - and they do have the same stitch count - though I made them while distracted by the new born and a two-year-old. And I have never claimed to be good with a sewing needle: they are attached in a manner that they shouldn't come off even if it's not pretty :P I used DMC size 80 again in #107.

Babies are a grandparents’ best reward

We bring them home and spoil them

Then return them to their parents

And leave them to their mayhem

Wanda

This weekend I drank a lot of iced tea, though today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I returned to hot tea. There's just something about having a hot cuppa first thing in the morning that I like better than having a cold glass. Of course, it's not summer yet!

For those here in the USA, I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Weekend. We flew our tattered American flag in wind that almost tore it off the pole but didn't make it to the cemeteries. That had been on my agenda, but with the visit to the grandchildren we didn't make it. We drove by a few cemeteries decorated with flags and flowers, very beautiful, and in church we recognized those that had been in the military, giving us a chance to say "Thank you for your service"
Though I'm a day late, I'd like to say "thank you" to all of you out there for your service to your country, and to me and my family. Your are greatly appreciated. Though this was written several years ago I wanted to share this poem with you.
Memorial Day 2007

What's in a name?

2011-05-24T09:07:00.000-05:00

I finished the test tat of my diagram of the heart bookmark. I found out that I had forgotten several chains in the diagram, but added them in where they should have been. I made several other changes, too, like joining several picots together where the diagram indicated to join to only one. I just thought it looked much better that way. There are a couple of not-so-pretty spots where I made a mistake and you can tell it's a correction, but as this is a trial anyway I went on anyway. There are also a few things about the heart at the end I want to change to make it look more like the rest. Over-all I am very happy with this bookmark, and found that, barring my missing chains, it tatted up pretty much like I expected. For this attempt I used Lizbeth Ocean Turquoise Dark, #657, in size 20.

Design © 2011 Wanda Salmans

The main problem I have now is I'd like to have a name for it, to put on the pattern when it's done. I've never been great at naming my patterns, they've always been things like "Fall bookmark" and "December 20xx snowflake". So I thought I'd have a little naming contest. As I just thought of this I have no idea what the prize will be, but if you would like to make a name suggestion on this post I'll choose the one I like best and send a little something as a thank you. As the next week is going to be pretty busy I'll announce the winner in two weeks, so you have that long to make a suggestion.

The tea for today's Tatting Tea Tuesday is a cup of Tazo Refresh tea with a little bit of honey. I haven't had mint tea with honey in it since I was a little girl visiting my grandmother. Somehow sugar has become the sweetener of choice, leaving honey on the shelf. It makes for a nice change.

For all that I got some tatting done this last week was busy as well. Last week one of my daughters had a daughter herself, so I'm a grandma again! The tatting for today will be in pink.

"No one likes change except babies in diapers."

Something forgotten

2011-05-17T10:30:00.001-05:00

I went to visit my daughter this week and even took my laptop so I when I had a few minutes I could work on the cross bookmark pattern. And guess what? I had saved the pattern to an external hard drive at home but not on the laptop. So no cross bookmark pattern. Oops.

Not that I had all that much time to work on it anyway. You know how it is when you get around family and two-year-olds, right? I did get a little time after his bedtime to tat a little, but not much, though I did finally get my bookmark for the Tatting Forum's bookmark exchange mailed off.

Instead of working on the cross bookmark I got some work done on the heart bookmark. Okay, very little, but some :-) I'm trying the second design out, finding out if the drawing can be tatted the way it is or if changes have to be made. It's interesting figuring out the best way to tat what was drawn, can it even be done, and in one pass or do you have to cut and start in a different place?

My first attempt at the second version. I see a few changes are in order.

I didn't have tea this morning for Tatting Tea Tuesday but a cup of coffee instead, flavored with French Vanilla La Crème, which I tried for the first time at my daughter's house. Mmmm, very good. I also tried the Cinnamon Vanilla La Crème, which is scrumptious, too. They have been added permanately to my grocery list ♥

"Funny, I don't remember being absent minded."

Designing Practice

2011-05-10T12:40:00.001-05:00

This week I sat down at the computer and tried drawing an idea I have.

I'm getting much better at it. Each time things come a little easier. Some of the things I learned in the Design-Tat class suddenly comes clear. I have these "A-ha!" moments as I'm working, as what was in our lessons finally make sense.

This is a mini bookmark done as a sample to see how well I could tat the drawing I made. There are a couple of things I plan on changing, but overall I very happy with it. I'll have to try a full-length version next.

I've also been working on diagramming the heart bookmark. It's coming along very well. I'm at the really hard part of it - adding the stitch counts and notations for ring directions and such. I've never thought so much about the placement of such notations before! It's a bit more complicated than Elcie was.

For Tatting Tea Tuesday I had a glass of iced Peppermint tea as the temperatures have decided to be summer-like, as in, hot! It was okay, but not as good as it is hot. Of course it might have something to do with me cutting down on my sugar. I've gotten used to hot tea with less sugar but iced tea should have lots! No, I'm not from the south and here in Kansas the restaurants have just recently started advertising they have sweet tea. But I grew up with it. My dad and his family always drank sweet tea and that's what I expect. Trying to cut back on sugar doesn't mean I don't add sugar, just a lot less. I'll see if I can keep it up.

"Do you really think God wants us to live a vanilla-bland life when He's made a thirty-one flavors world? God wants us to color our world with rainbow colors and Willy Wonka flavors. Sure, playing it safe can make things easier (and duller), but branching out - even a little - can make life fuller (and more fun)." Rachel St. John-Gilbert

Bookmarks

2011-05-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

My tatting this week consisted of making a couple of cross bookmarks. I started with the one on the right, with an idea of how I wanted the ends to look. I started several times because it didn't work quite right. I did this in tatting instead of with computer software because I had more time to do it that way. I would have liked to do it with software but it's a little harder to take my laptop everywhere than it is my tatting. That's one of the great things about tatting, isn't it? The portability.

I am pretty happy with the result of the first one. I used a SCMR on the ends of each arm and one in the center as well. I did have a little trouble making up my mind about the tassels on each end, trying several different things before I decided that the spiral tails looked right. The entire pattern is straight forward and easy which will make it an excellent bookmark to make quickly give for special occasions.

There were a few things I thought might work better done slightly differently so made another one. On the second cross I made the end SCMRs a little bigger and each of the thrown rings a little differently, too. I had planned on doing the center the same way as the first cross but I made a little mistake that I didn't notice 'til I came around the next time. I thought it would work, so continued on with that change. I actually like this center better than the first. I did plan the tassels a little better this time so I didn't have to start over and over and over. Using a software program might have helped a little here also, to decide on the size of the rings compared to the rest of the cross. I definitely need to take some time to utilize more of what I learned about software designing in the Design-Tat class.

Both crosses are made with Lizbeth size 20 threads, center in #633 dark purple, outside in #127 Butterfly Breeze. These are #19 of my second 25 Motif Challenge. I am working on writing out and diagramming the pattern for these - again, need computer time to get it done. I've got a good start but still have a long way to go.

I'm still drinking hot tea on this Tatting Tea Tuesday. The weather has been rather cooler than normal this spring so it's still more appealing yet than iced tea. Today Cinnamon Apple Spice really hit the spot. I think I'll make another cup and work on my next project.

"Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better." Pat Riley

Tatting Tea Tuesday April 26, 2011

2011-04-26T19:45:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter. Ours was wonderful - time off from work, time to visit with family, and time to worship with our Christian family.

I've been tatting this week but most of what I've done I don't want to show quite yet due to them being gifts that haven't been given yet. Then there's the tatting that hasn't quite turned out the way I want it so has been started and restarted several times.

There is also a list of tatting I should be doing that I didn't do this week. I have several things I have planned for friends and family that I have been somewhat behind on even starting. I give myself the excuse that it's been a busy week, but I've found time to just laze around and not do anything, so I'm not sure that works even for me.

So instead of tatting today I'll sit here with my cup of tea and contemplate the endeavors I plan for the next week.

"I know now why Franz Schubert never finished his Unfinished Symphony. He would have written more but the clock struck four, and everything stopped for tea." John Baldrey

"Elcie" pattern is available!

2011-04-20T11:48:00.003-05:00

For all of you that have been patiently waiting for the pattern, "Elcie" is finally here! Thanks to Fox for a little help on getting it to my sidebar. That was one of the difficulties yesterday, but by no means the only one! But, finally, success!

"You've got to go through turmoil to get to success. " Tony Battie

Technical Difficulties

2011-04-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

Due to technical difficulties Tatting Tea Tuesday is postponed until tomorrow.

Okay, maybe not. It's still Tuesday and I did drink tea, but there have been problems with my posting today. I was planning on posting the pattern to "Elcie" but I've had some difficulties with putting it up. If things go better tomorrow I hope to post it then.

"Life Affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them gratified." Samuel Johnson

A bookmark for Tatting Tea Tuesday

2011-04-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

Flowery SCMR Bookmark © Jane Eborall

This week I tried my hand at Jane's Flowery SCMR Bookmark, found on her free patterns page.

I used Lizbeth Butterfly Breeze #127 and DMC Cébélia light green #955, both is size 20. I thought they went well together and they do, but a bit too well. The green DMC is almost an exact match for the green that is in the Butterfly Breeze, so there's not as much contrast as I'd like. But I went ahead and finished it anyway. I may have to do this one again in different colors.

If you know how to do split rings this isn't really a hard pattern but I kept having trouble with it - not on the self-closing mock rings or the split rings, but on the way which the split rings went after each of the SCMRs. It's not the pattern's fault, it's just me trying to make things hard. The second side, which is the "leaves" weaving back and forth around the "flowers," was much easier. Jane has a nice way to go across the first side, which I just couldn't get until I slept on it, then it was, like "Oh!", the light bulb came on. I don't have the tail on yet but I don't anticipate any problems from it. It's also not laying very flat but a day or too in a book will take care of that. I'm counting this in my 25 Motif Challenge as #18.

I haven't mentioned tea lately on my Tuesday posts, but I always try to have at least one cup of tea as I prepare my post, or while I finish that last bit of tatting before taking pictures. Today I had Rooibos again. I must thank Isdihara for introducing me to Tatting Tea Tuesday, which inspired me to try different kinds of teas. I never was very adventuresome with teas for some reason, but now I enjoy trying different flavors. Now that the weather is getting to be warmer again I may have to start trying different flavors of iced tea.

Thank you everyone who has been reading my blog. I've not had as much computer time lately so I'm way behind on replying to comments and on reading other people's blogs. Though I don't know what the future will bring, I'm hoping it brings a little time to do all that soon.

There are many methods for predicting the future. For example, you can read horoscopes, tea leaves, tarot cards, or crystal balls. Collectively, these methods are known as "nutty methods." Or you can put well-researched facts into sophisticated computer models, more commonly referred to as "a complete waste of time." Scott Adams

Storks and not much else

2011-04-05T13:40:00.001-05:00

Jane Eborall's stork pattern

As predicted this was a very busy week. We had family here over the weekend, a baby shower and a family picnic. It was a lot of fun but my time was spent with the family with little time for tatting.

The only tatting that got done was this cute stork. This is a pattern by Jane Eborall found for free on her tatting patterns page. I had a lot of fun tatting this and it works very well on the photo album book, which was a gift to my daughter at her baby shower. The stork is made with Lizbeth white size 20 and DMC Cébélia ecru in size 30. Due to the size difference I had to adjust the stitch count a bit with the ecru. The Cébélia is also softer than the Lizbeth which was also something to get used to again. The baby's sling is made with Lizbeth # 621, Dusty Rose Lt, size 20 . The baby is in DMC Cébélia #437, which is a gold color, size 30 . When I chose it every body that saw it on the ball had doubts about it for the baby, but once it was done and on the pink background it looked more like the color we expect the baby to be. It would work for the big brother so I thought it would work for the baby. It certainly shows up better on the pink background than a very light pink would have! I would have had to choose a different book to put it on. Again, it being a size 30 I had to adjust the stitch count and I added an extra split ring to each leg to make the proportions look right. And, yes, I put a green bead for the eye instead of a blue one.

Thank you, Jane, for the wonderful pattern! If you know how to do split rings this is an easy pattern. In fact, a friend of mine just recently became a grandpa again, and a neighbor is expecting a grandbaby soon. Hmmm, maybe a few more are in order.

The weather was great this weekend, though windy - it's Kansas, I really don't expect it otherwise. Saturday the temperatures were in the upper 70s and Sunday in the mid to upper 80s (degrees Fahrenheit). We were able to do a lot outside, including an Easter egg hunt for the little ones. One of my daughters won't be able to be with the rest of the family over Easter so we took advantage of the chance to do one. All the little ones are just two years old - they were sooooo cute! It was a great day.

Wind around here is expected but sometimes the humidity is so low that we have fire weather warnings. That's when you have high winds and high gusts with low humidity, which means any fires that start will be hard to contain and will spread rapidly. I think we've had fire weather warnings every day for more than a week. I haven't heard of any major fires close to us lately but Sunday in Haskell County a town of 1,200 people had to be evacuated due to a grass fire that ended up covering 10,000 acres. Thankfully the only injuries there were a couple of people with minor smoke inhalation. Three families lost their homes to fire but the rest of the people of the town were able to finally return to their homes. We are thankful there was nothing worse, but I must say I'm glad it wasn't close to my home.

I was so busy this week that I basically missed International Tatting Day on April 1st. I had thought to take time to tat and eat chocolate this year but I was too busy. I did read about some fun stuff about it on Isdihara's April 1 posting over on Ambitatterous. If you haven't been over to read it yet it's not too late. April 1st comes once a year, so there's time to plan for next year.

This last picture is of the tatted stork and a stuffed stork that were used as decoration, and gifts, at the baby shower.

" It sometimes happens, even in the best of families, that a baby is born. This is not necessarily cause for alarm. The important thing is to keep your wits about you and borrow some money. " ~Elinor Goulding Smith

Trying to find a heart

2011-03-29T21:05:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago in February, I posted a picture of a heart I was working on. Even on my 'Trial and Error' bookmark I have a nice start of one. Then our homework for the Design-Tat class was to make one. I worked on it but then realized I had done the homework incorrectly. My work was not a complete loss as I got a lot of practice with diagramming what I was playing with, but now I have to start over on that. The hearts I came up with aren't all that heart-shaped so maybe it's good that I have to start over. But I thought I would share what I did as it's almost all of the tatting I got done all week.

(I missed the picture the first time, lets try again)

Start with this...

Try #1

Try #2

Try #3

Anyone who's taken Sharon's course will know what I've been trying to do. Okay, doing wrong. I know what I need to do, now, and will get back on course.

I say I'll get back to it but it might be a few days. I have three other tatting projects I need to get done as they are for other people. Ryan is done but not mounted yet. I've started my sister's doily/runner but have a long way to go. And I have a piece I want to do for my daughter's baby shower. I don't usually have this many active projects going on at a time. I need to quit playing around and get on with them! (pep talk to myself). Maybe I'll have more to show next week.

"Many fine things can be done in a day if you don't always make that day tomorrow"

Ryan shows herself

2011-03-22T13:05:00.001-05:00

Ryan, Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon designed by Anne Bruvold

This week has been very busy but I was still able to get some tatting done - amazing!

Ryan has finally shown herself. After hiding and being generally sneaky, she finally came out and introduced herself. She's in DMC Cebelia size 30 in Christmas green and #797 blue with a single strand of gold metallic embroidery floss, which makes her a little bigger than Jarek. I was able to get her to hold still for a little while as we contemplated different colors to use in her new home. We haven't yet come up with what either of us think will work, so we'll have to keep trying.

I was a little apprehensive about using a strand of metallic floss in with the other thread as I've done it in the past and fought with it a lot. This time it worked great. I had very little trouble with it and the floss didn't break at all, which is what I was most worried about. Somehow I also managed to put the right amount of thread on the shuttles. The first shuttle of blue made most of the body, then it was filled again for the rest. The last came off the shuttle while doing the last chain and I had to manage that last little bit loose. I almost asked for assistance holding it but made it all by my self. The shuttle of green did both wings with just a little bit left over. I guess I should mark that down for next time.

Based on "Angels in the Snow" by Miranda Rensberger

A friend of mine had a birthday last week - which I missed! I was trying to think of a little something to do for her while I cleaned out my tatting bag and found the start of "Angels in the Snow" by Miranda Rensberger that I had done to take step-by-step pictures for Tabatha. I suppose it was the angle I saw it, but it struck me that with a few additions it would make an interesting necklace. Then, of course, I was in a hurry to get it done and made all kinds of mistakes, like joining in the wrong place and adding too many stitches in a ring. It did come out well and the recipient liked it very much. It didn't hurt that I made it in green, one of her favorite colors, Lizbeth size 20 in Seagreen Dk 688. I added black shell beads that I found at Wal-mart. They are textured not flat, and look much better than the picture. It actually came out just like I envisioned it.

I mentioned last week that a Kansas tatter had contacted me through my blog. Believe it or not, another Kansas tatter contacted me this last week. Wow! Two in two weeks! I'm hoping to get together with them in the next week or so but will have to play it by ear and see how things work out. Meeting them is really something to look forward to! A tat and chat - hehehehe! How fun!

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us"
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The right colors

2011-03-15T19:01:00.000-05:00

Colors
My order of Lizbeth thread from Handy Hands arrived late last week, which included the thread I needed to make my sister's birthday present. I've made a start of her gift but there is a long way to go, mainly because I haven't decided exactly how I'm going to join them together or finish it off. I have a few ideas that are bouncing around the back of my mind about it, but they haven't come together yet. Some of you might recognize the motif I'm using is from last October, the Priscilla Tatting Book No. 1. This time I'm using Lizbeth size 20 in 686 and 688, Seagreen Lt and Dk. The inner long picots are a half inch in length, probably a little long, but I like how it gives them a swirling effect :-)

Some of the other colors that I ordered are 'Paint Brush', 'Butterfly Breeze', 'Root Beer' and 'Peacock Blues'. A few of these I have plans for, others just appealed to me. I guess that means I'll have to find projects to make with them. Not to justify their purchase but to have the opportunity to use them and enjoy their colors.

The newest dragon
Ryan hasn't shown herself completely yet. Okay, I got excited about getting started on my sister's gift and did that instead. I'm using DMC Cebelia size 30 with one strand of metallic embroidery floss, which makes the finished project bigger than one made in size 20 Lizbeth. Only her wings are missing yet, and then framing and finishing. I don't think I'll get her done yet this week as we're having company this weekend - our daughter and her son will be here for a few days. Somehow having a two-year-old running around doesn't give a person much time to tat!

Contact!
I had an interesting email yesterday from a woman who lives here in Kansas and also tats who would like to get together sometime. Oh, goodie, goodie! The biggest problem right now is I'm so busy with a lot of different things that our meeting might have to wait a week or two. But I'm sure eventually we'll find a time that will work for both of us. I'm really looking forward to it.

Blogger issue
I happened to use a computer using Explorer to view my blog yesterday and I found out what Kathy and Margarette found - that the end of my 2/15 blog post was now showing in Wingdings! As I post using Firefox I hadn't seen it before. I changed it, hopefully for all the different methods of viewing.

Japanese disaster
I'm praying for all those that have been effected by the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. May God bless and protect them from further harm. I don't know how many who read this blog may live in the effected areas but I hope they are all safe.

In this disaster, as well as the ones recently in Australia, I don't always know how I can help, one person a long way away. But there are ways, including donations of money to organizations that are capable of being there to help. The company I work for has employees in Japan and has announced that all are accounted for. Now the company is donating $1 million dollars to the Japanese Red Cross and getting out information on how the rest of us can help. It's good to work for a caring company.

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."
Helen Keller

Bookmark is done!

2011-03-08T10:30:00.008-06:00

I'm finally done with my Trial and Error bookmark. It actually turned out better than I thought it would. Blocking helped a lot. There are a couple of things that made it into this bookmark I'll probably try on other projects later on. It could be better proportioned for a better over-all look, but as my boss pointed out "put it in a book and I bet it will mark your place just fine."

Gift

My sister's birthday is coming up very soon. I have been talking about making her a runner for a side table she has for several years but have never even gotten started on it. So this year I am determined to get it done! The plan was to actually have it completed by her birthday. I thought about the colors of the living room and chose a couple of colors that I thought would work, Lizbeth 654, Navy Blue and 655, Wedgwood Lt in size 20. I got started on it and decided to get the actual dementions to finish it in a day or so.

Okay, these colors would have been great - in her other house. She recently moved and is painting her livingroom in shades of green.

She loaned me the paint chips of the colors she's going to use so I could find out which thread colors would work. Lizbeth 686 and 688, Seagreen Lt and Dk are almost exactly the colors her livingroom is going to be. That meant I had to order thread. Of course, I had to order more than those two colors, right? I've ordered several more colors, including the Peacock Blue that Isdahara suggested to Handy Hands. This does mean, though, that her gift won't be done in time for her birthday. But it will be done shortly after the thread arrives, really!

Blogger issues

It was commented on by several readers that the end of my post from February 15th was not readable - well, Kathy said it was in Wingdings! I've looked back in the edits of this post and can't see any change in the font, so I don't know how to correct it. Kathy copied it into a text program and changed the font so she was able to read it. If anyone else has that problem let me know. In future posts I guess I can delete and right it over and see if that helps.

Visitor?

I think I have a visitor but I haven't gotten a good look yet. Jarek has assured me that Ryan will come out and meet me soon but wants to investigate the house first. I did get a glimpse of a glimmering tail in my philodendron this morning, but that was all. I guess I'll have to have a little patience.

"If you can't take the heat, don't tickle the dragon"

"Meddle not in the affairs of the dragon; for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

Trial and error

2011-03-01T21:10:00.000-06:00

I continued on with my bookmark trial from last week. I'm using it for trying a few different ideas, seeing how a few things work together. This would probably be a good exercise for using a drawing program though I didn't take the time to try it. It might lay a little a little flatter and be more aesthetically pleasing without all the thread if I had. I have learned a bit, though - like, it's easier to tat the inside first, then the outside (like I didn't know that already!). The other way 'round is a little trickier. I did the outside first, trying to find a shape I liked. I'm not exactly happy with this shape but I didn't want to cut it off and try again, so I started trying ways to stiffen the shape a bit by adding additions in the centers. I like how some of them look, just not necessarily together. There are still a couple of things I want to try as I'm this far with it. Might as well get as much out of it as I can.

A little trade
Isn't this picture pretty? I'm not sure if this is crewel or tapestry work or exactly what. I was given this in exchange for some tatting.

For my wallpaper on my computer at work I have a picture of Crosby, the Norwegian Flying Dragon. The other day a friend and co-worker was in and commented on him. The next day I came into my office shortly after the start of work and found a large frame in my chair, positioned so with the picture was facing the back. It's a beautiful piece of work in a beautiful frame. There was absolutely nothing to say who put it there or why. So I start asking around. My friend said his sister had made the picture but, for whatever reason, he didn't want it anymore but he would like a dragon. If I liked the picture he'd give it to me in exchange.

Anne B has stated that she doesn't want the dragons sold, but trade is acceptable. She had mentioned thread to make the dragon in exchange for it, but I thought this trade was in keeping with her wishes, so I agreed. Now I have to find the just the right thread - he said he likes blues and greens. Hmmm, maybe peacock colors....

Tatting Tea Tuesday
This has been a tea-less Tuesday, but for a good reason. We have been encouraged at work to stay healthy or try to get healthy and they've done some of that encouraging by offering money to have a health check done. They brought in a company this week to take our blood to check for cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose, take our blood pressure, height and weight and give us our BMI and body fat numbers, all in just a few minutes. They gave us a monetary incentive - we might as well take advantage of it, right? As both my husband and work at the same place we went in together this afternoon before work to have our fingers pricked. The down side in this is that you are not supposed to eat or drink anything but water for eight to twelve hours before the appointment - there went my tea. And no trip to IHOP, either.

We planned our day to go in about ninety minutes before work so we could get our fingers poked then go to lunch. We went to a nearby Applebee's, which worked out well except then I was ready for an after lunch nap by the time work started. What we go through for our health :-)

"In the future we'll all have 15 minutes of fame and 15 minutes of healthcare" Nicole Hollander

"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs" Joan Welsh

"In health there is freedom. Health is the first of all liberties" Henri Frederic Amiel

"To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life" William Londen

A little distraction

2011-02-22T23:15:00.001-06:00

This is all I have to show for tatting this week and it's not even done. I had a little distraction this week, which I'll get to in a moment, and what I've been trying to tat hasn't worked out quite the way I'd like.

I started out with an idea to utilize my new knowledge and skill of SSSRs (single shuttle split rings) on, maybe, a bookmark. I had a pretty clear idea what I wanted to do and how, so loaded up a couple of shuttles with Lizbeth size 20 in Lilac Dk. #641 and started. It actually went really good, putting my shuttles just where I wanted. And then things didn't happen quite like I had imagined.

I knew from doing the dragon's bodies that SSSRs didn't behave quite like regular split rings - obviously, there's just one thread instead of two - but it didn't really hit me just how different until I had the first row of SSSRs done exactly how different they are. They were kind of, well, wimpy. Some of it could be that I'm new enough at it that it was my stitches that were the main culprit, but whatever the reason, I did not like how it felt and reacted, though it looked like I wanted it to. So I cut out the offending rings (it's not easy to open a SSSR after it's closed!) and tried something else.

In the Design Tat class Sharon is teaching us that using drawing software can be quicker and easier to use in testing out some designs than actually tatting them. And I'm working on it, but I'm not there yet so it was back to the shuttles. I should have tried the software, because I didn't like where I was going with the next try.

So this is where I'm at. I like the start, I just need to re-think what I want to do next.

That little distraction I mentioned earlier: it started when I decided to take advantage of an offer I heard when I was listening to Pandora radio on the internet. It was for a couple of free audio books from audible.com. The first book I chose was Jeff Dunham's All By My Selves Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and Me read by Jeff himself. I loved it! It has a lot of laughs in it. If you don't know who Jeff Dunham is or would like to know more check out jeffdunham.com and this.

Okay, I can tat and listen to audio books. But then I started looking for a second free book and I saw a Lois McMaster Bujold title I didn't recognize. It was a new Miles Vorkosigan book! Oooo, I was so excited! Bujold is one of my favorite authors and the Vorkosigan books are the greatest - if you like space opera (as Ms. Bujold has described it). I of course had to get it, but should I get the audio book or the printed version? I hurried over to Amazon.com to see what they had. They had it listed, of course, but did I want to order it or go to a local store to get it sooner? Audio or printed? Getting my hands on it sooner and printed won out and to the bookstore I hurried.

It is only out in hardback yet but that didn't matter, I wasn't going to wait for paperback or the library. For the next couple of days I got almost nothing else done that didn't absolutely have to be done. Even sleep was something of an option, at least for as long as I could keep my eyes open, then it was up and at it again as soon as I could the next morning. Ahh, I love a good Miles story! Then it was back to other things, all that I had ignored for a couple of days including tatting. The book lay on my table, finished but not yet ready for it's home in the bookshelves.

I had noticed when I bought it that it had an announcement on the front about a CD-ROM in it and had found the sealed envelope in the back but hadn't opened it yet. I finally took the time to find out what it was. And, oh, wow! It contains the new book, Cryoburn, and the entire Vorkosigan Saga in multiple formats - that's all 14 novels for free! It also contains all the cover art, pictures, essays - all kinds of stuff. And you can do almost anything with it you like, including make copies and give them away. The only thing they don't want you to do with it is sell copies of it, otherwise it's yours to do with as you like.

This is well worth the price of the hardcover. I already have all the books in one form or another, but I love it anyway. If I ever get a Kindle or other digital reader I can read the books on them, too. This is a really sweet deal.

Well, next week I shouldn't have such a distraction and I'll try to have a bit more tatting done. I do have a list of things that I want done...

"Eloquence consists of persuading people of things they desperately want to believe." - Miles Vorkosigan, Komarr

"Aim high. You may still miss the target but at least you won’t shoot your foot off." – Elli Quinn

Adding to my 25 Motif Challenge

2011-02-15T19:00:00.002-06:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Valentine's Day Monday. I had every intention of posting this weekend but time got away from me again. I was working on this heart, writing and diagramming the pattern and I didn't get it done! So I decided to post it today. February has Valentine's Day and is considered American Heart Month, but I think hearts are appreciated any time. This one is made from Lizbeth size 20 in #147. This is #17 of my second 25 Motif Challenge.

This last week Tabatha, from Crafting with Tabatha, asked for some help with 'Angels in the Snow' by Miranda Rensberger. Tabatha is very new to tatting, having started just this year. This is a pretty ambitious pattern for one so new, made with two shuttles and SCMR, but she is doing an amazing job tatting already so I think she should be able to make this. I'd seen this snowflake on Miranda's blog and other places where others had made it, but I hadn't yet purchased it. Tabatha's questions gave me a good excuse to buy the pattern and help Miranda raise money for the Brain Injury Association of New Mexico at the same time.

Angels in the Snow © Miranda Rensberger

I made this in Lizbeth size 20 in #662 Turquoise Lt. and #657 Ocean Turquoise Dk. While I didn't find this difficult I have been tatting quite a bit longer than Tabatha and I still remember when this would have been a problem. I started this again, taking pictures as I went to help her understand what she was supposed to be doing. I checked her blog this morning and she's made a good start. I'm naming this #18 of my second 25 Motif Challenge.

This is 'Triana' by Megzaela, one of my classmates in the Design Tat class. I test tatted this in Lizbeth size 20 color (?). This was an interesting challenge. None of the elements were that hard but you have to pay attention to which way's up and where you join. I found I had made a join incorrectly after I was completely done so it has not been fixed. Apologies, Megzaela! This will be #19 of the 25 Motif Challenge.

'Triana' © Megzaela 2010

While I was blog surfing this week I happened upon Peachtree Cottage Creations and noticed that one of the bookmarks she had made kind of looked like the one that I had designed last fall. And it was! If you haven't been over there you might go check it out. In this particular post she was trying to decide how best to stage a couple of bookmarks for a photo. She has a lot of really nice things she's done on her blog, well worth a visit.

On this Tatting Tea Tuesday I'll leave you with a couple of quotes in keeping with a month dedicated to hearts and love.

Poetry is the song of the heart, molded by the mind.

- Roger W. Hancock –

The thing about falling in love,
is that if you do it right,
you never have to hit the ground.

- Kendall Lepitzki -

Dragon visit and snow

2011-02-08T17:40:00.001-06:00

This is Crosby, another Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon (as designated by Anne Bruvold). He stopped by to say "hi" to Jarek but didn't stay long. He found a couple of frames he liked and tried them out. He liked the first one but decided it just wasn't "him".

He liked this one a lot better. He thought it went better with his coloring (black and #147, Lizbeth) and he liked that it was a map.

Crosby was on his way to help my boss celebrate his birthday. He let me take a few pictures then continued on his way. He did let slip there might be a few more flying through in the not too distant future.

Well, the 2011 TIAS by Jane Eborall is over - or at least she's published the final day of the pattern. If you've started and aren't done it's not too late to finish and let her know about it. I think she surprised just about everybody by not making it some kind of critter. It turned out to be an airplane! It was a lot of fun to make and not too hard to follow, if, of course, you read it correctly! I made a couple of mistakes, most of which I fixed. On the first wing I switched shuttles where I shouldn't have so just repeated that on the other wing. I think it looks just fine. I might just have to go back and finish Norman from last year now! And of course wait until next year for the new one.

I've been drinking a lot of tea on this Tatting Tea Tuesday, 'Cinnamon Apple Spice' and 'Black Cherry Berry', both by Celestial Seasonings, very yummy! I'm drinking so much mainly because it's snowing again, and this time we're actually getting a lot, at least for this area. We have drifts all the way down our drive that were 10 to 15 inches deep. That was several hours ago and it's still snowing hard. My husband and I decided to take vacation today, which is good. I'm not sure we'd have made it out the drive when it was time for work and I really doubt we'd be able to get back in when we got home. We did make it out awhile this morning, before the drifts got so high. I thought I would share a few of them with you.

This is the water tower in a town about 15 miles away. I tried to take a picture of a water tower in another little town on the way home but you couldn't make it out because of the snow!

We saw these horses on our way to town.

These are turkeys we happened to see when we went to town. I don't think very many people had noticed them even though they were close to the road and we were still in town. They did get a bit nervous when we stopped to take their picture.

We don't get snow like this very often around here.We think a lot of snow is maybe 2 or 3 inches so we aren't really prepared when we get this much. And it's not over yet! I think I'll sit here inside, sip my tea and tat a bit.

And give a little thought to: What do you call a group of dragons?

Maybe as they're tatted it should be a Ring of Dragons?
Some names I found on-line
Westerns: Rage
Easterns: Tatsu
Furs: Clan
Wyverns: Wing
Lizardus: Lounge
Dinos: Pack
Pteros: Flight
Felis: Pride
Darks: Dignity
(A Dignity of Darks... Has a nice ring to it!)
Weyr: Foxed used this for her Seahorse Dragons

Dragon sighting

2011-02-01T16:00:00.005-06:00

This little guy flew in on the Arctic wind blast that gusted in yesterday. My boss thinks he's an Ice Dragon due to his coloration. I haven't gotten much out of this small dragon, mainly his name, which he says is Jarek. He does seem to be attracted to my earrings that I had laid on the table - they don't look too shiny here but the picture doesn't do them justice.

When he first arrived he and I had a few problems. He twisted and turned and generally was a bit of a pain and wouldn't lay down, making me feel quite ambisinister. He finally settled down a bit when he saw my earrings. He looks to be a Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon, in shades just like Lizbeth #142 Turquoise Twist, as described and patterned by Anne Bruvold, though I haven't seen his type described yet. While trying to get information of where he's from he indicated that there may be one or two more dragons flying in soon. How exciting!

Something not quite as exciting, but definitely intriguing, is Jane's TIAS. I still have absolutely no idea what it might be. I think Isdihara's suggestion to it being a skink is the closest so far, but that thought may easily be changed as we get closer to the end.

My version of the TIAS through day 7

I'm sure there are lot of you out there that are being effected by the really nasty, cold, icy, snowy weather that's happening on the eastern half of the United States. Here in Kansas, in the middle (where I am) we didn't get much in the way of ice and only a little snow, but the wind and cold are definitely letting us know it's winter. At 2:30 PM it's 7° F, wind gusts up to 44 miles per hour, creating a wind chill of -13° F: translates into, it's cold! I know there are places that have it much worse and/or will be getting it much worse, but it's still cold! Good news, my boss called a little bit ago to let me know they canceled work tonight - yeah! I don't have to get out in this! Whoopee!

I'm enjoying multiple cups of hot tea this Tatting Tea Tuesday, which are definitely helping me enjoy being inside instead of out! Now that my day has opened up I'm hoping to entice a few more dragons inside. Do you think if I raid my jewelry box they might show up faster?

"The Lenox Globe (in the collection of the New York Public Library) bears the phrase 'HC SVNT DRACONES' (i.e. ' hic sunt dracones ') on the eastern coast of Asia,
'Here Be Dragons!', they warned ".
taken from draconian.com

TIAS, Test tatting and Trying something new

2011-01-25T12:45:00.000-06:00

On this Tatting Tea Tuesday the TTT could stand for this week's tittle - I put a lot of T's up there! I've let my housekeeping laps a bit so I can do other things - terrible of me, I know. Today as I ignore my chores again I'm drinking Vanilla Rooibos tea and writing this.

TIAS day 5 2011

Jane has posted up to day 5 of the 2011 TIAS and I'm still right in there with 'em! Yea! I still have no idea what it's going to be, I don't even know if this is right side up or if whatever-it-is is standing on it's head ☺. There have been some really cute guesses so far, but Jane still isn't telling.

This week I tatted a couple more motifs designed by my classmates in the Design-Tat class. This one is by Nina Libin. I liked it in the white she made it in and really liked it when I made it in two colors. The two colors change the look, letting you see the flow of the pattern more clearly. Sharon suggests that we design in white or a light color but then seeing how color can change our patterns is fun, too!

Design © 2010 Nina Libin

As I'm going through this class I'm learning how much goes into writing the patterns, how to write the pattern to explain to all who read it what each step needs to be to get the same results I did when it was designed. We're writing them out in long form, in short form and then diagramming them. Each type of pattern writing has it's good points and bad points, and some are easier to do than others. After reading patterns of classmates, how they have written their patterns, I'm looking at my own pattern writing more critically, seeing how they phrased things to make themselves understood and asking myself "have I accomplished that?"

In a Christmas swap this year I was given a Nifty Knitter by Tabatha. It's a round plastic loom with pegs that you wrap yarn around. It comes with a tool that's got a hook which is not nearly as small as a crochet hook and not bent as far, more like a 90 degree bend. You use this tool to catch one wrapping of thread on a peg and pull it over the top wrapping on the same peg. Okay, it's easier done than said. So in the last couple of weeks I've given it a try and found it's rather fun, and very easy. These looms come in several sizes; small, medium, large and extra large. I was given the smallest loom that makes hats small enough for infants and with it I was able to make two small hats.

Hats done with the Niffty Knitter

Many ages ago I learned the basic stitch of knitting in school. So that no-one had to spend money on something that may never be used again the class used sharpened pencils as knitting needles. And, yes, the pencils marked the yarn a bit but we didn't care. It was a cheap way to learn and we had fun - who wouldn't want to do something like this a few times during school instead of math or English or such? But that is as far as I ever went with it, a pot holder or two (it was a good thing we didn't have to pay for knitting needles!). I never thought I'd make anything like a hat. I feel so accomplished!

If it's not fun, you're not doing it right. - Bob Basso

Motifs, TIAS and Tea

2011-01-18T21:00:00.001-06:00

Motif
I am in the current Design-Tat class that Sharon is doing. We've designed our motifs and are learning how to write them out, both in text and with diagrams. We are also supposed
to test tat some of our classmate's motifs, both to help them write better and for us to learn
to write better as well. This is the second one I've successfully done.

Design by Barbara Barney, 2011

We all started with the same basic center and had to design a second round. Didn't Barbara do a great job on coming up with something totally different? This was fun to do and I can think of several places to put a motif like this. I was trying to empty a couple of shuttles so the threads aren't exactly the greatest match but they still aren't too bad. The center is Lizbeth #114 Sea Shell and the outside is Lizbeth #641 Lilac Dark, both in size 20. And I got to use my new shuttle that I got from a swap partner for Christmas. It handles nice but it's going to take a little bit to get used to it.

TIAS

My day 3 of Jane Eborall's TIAS

This year I've joined in on Jane's TIAS. I started the one last year and life got in the way so I didn't finish it. I'm hoping to do better this year. So far, so good! I'm using Lizbeth size 20 thread in #657 Ocean Turquoise Dk and # 662 Turquoise Lt. I have no idea what this is going to end up.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, TIAS stands for "tat it and see" - Jane's idea of how to have fun in the winter. She gives just a little of the pattern every few days without telling us what it's supposed to be. We try and follow along and make guesses as to what we think it will be. It's fun because there are people from all over the world doing this together. Not quite like being in the same room with other tatters but kinda close. If you'd like to try it there's no time limit to start or to finish so you would have plenty of time to join us. Here's a link to Jane's blog and a link to the TIAS blog, where she posts the updates.

Tea
Did you know that this is National Hot Tea month? Over at favecrafts.com they have several tea-related crafts in honor of Hot Tea Month. So today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'd thought I'd share one of them with you.

Image courtesy of favecraft.com

They call this an Upcycled Tea Box, made from an old book (sorry, Diane, it wasn't my idea!). They even have a video to help teach you how to do this. They suggest it as a gift for Mother's Day. Do they think Mom has to hide her stash of tea?

It's taken me almost all day again to get this posted! I have to figure a way to get done a little earlier than this. But I am happy with what I have achieved this week, and that I did actually get this posted on Tuesday!

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort
Franklin D Roosevelt

2011-01-11T23:20:00.002-06:00

I'm a little slow getting this Tatting Tea Tuesday post going, but I've definitely been drinking tea - lots and lots of plain ol' green tea. Hot tea has a soothing effect on my sore throat. Yes, I have the dreaded cold. It's hard to get motivated, or even get my brain to concentrate on anything. Not that there hasn't been tatting, just slowly, and some by others.

Others, as in Wendy from Umi & Tsuru and Fox from tat-ology. Both volunteered to tat my Design-Tat homework motif "Elcie". Check these out:

"Elcie" tatted by Wendy with long picots. Quite a different look.

And "Elcie" tatted by Wendy with shorter picots.

This is how Fox tatted it. Isn't it nice in red?

What is kind of funny is I had just finished tatting Fox's "Abigail" when she sent me the picture of "Elcie". So I had to show Fox how I had done her "Abigail"
"Abigail" design by Fox
tatted by Wanda

In Red! :)

Thank you both for testing out the pattern for me!

The only other thing I've done this last week is this bookmark. It is suggested practice of crossed picots from "Advanced Tatting Patterns +" by Judi Banashek. I definitely need to work on them! Its done in Lizbeth #142 in size 20.

Well, that's all folks! It has taken me all day to write this much. Hopefully I'll feel better next week and do a little better job.

Homework

2011-01-04T08:32:00.000-06:00

Do you remember when you were in school as a child? Did you ever ask why you had to learn a certain skill/subject? Back then, you could never see how you would ever use it and homework could be a real pain. And then you're older and taking classes, through a school or because of your work, on subjects that you are interested in. Then the homework isn't quite the drudgery because you can see the where, why and when you'll use the knowledge. It doesn't mean it will be easy, though.I'm taking Sharon's Design-Tat class, learning how to design tatting and then how to share it by writing out the pattern. One lesson was to design a motif, with part of it given to all, and a part of it we each were to come up with ourselves. That wasn't too hard, and was fun. But then the next lesson was to write it out - not as much fun. But after a bit of stress and several starts (and re-starts) I finished that, too.

So, what do you do with a motif? I've done lots of them over the years, but when they're done, just what is their purpose? Some I've done in white and hung on my Christmas tree, though they may not be a snowflake, and a few I've put in frames. Quite a few are tucked away, hidden from sight, because I didn't have anything planned for them. I think the main thing done with motifs is to join them together to make mats or runners or tablecloths - something bigger anyway.

Okay, I have a motif: let me try to make something bigger.

I played around with my motif a little and soon realized that it, at least to me, did not lend itself to be joined together, not as it was anyway. The edges are very frilly, and when two are joined together as designed end up with overlapping picots. Not very aesthetic. So I made a few modifications, which helped a little, though I still wasn't happy with them. I played around with them a little more and came up with adding corner pieces. Much better. This design leaves the finished piece a little floppy as there aren't many joins to the center. I found that a bit of hair spray after blocking does a great job of stiffening it enough to fix that without being too messy or taking too long to dry (hair dryers are a wonderful tool)

Both the single motif and the mat are made in Lizbeth size 20 in white. I'm going to call the single motif #15 of my second 25 Motif Challenge and the mat #16. I'm hoping someone in the class will be kind enough to test-tat the motif. It really does a help a lot to have someone else read over a pattern and try it. I always see what I know should be there, not necessarily what's really there. I haven't written out the changes and additions to the mat pattern yet - I'm waiting on the proofing of the other pattern first.

And now, on this pretty Tatting Tea Tuesday as I sip my "Constant Comment" tea ("tea flavored with rind of oranges and sweet spice") - which was a gift from my Advent swap partner - I'm going to share what my wonderful husband did for me this weekend.

He made me another shuttle!

It was hard to take pictures of this; I had a hard time getting the camera to focus. Finally I got the right setting on the camera and was able to take some clear pictures but not as good as I'd like.

This shuttle is made with, we think, Japanese walnut; he actually got the wood from one of our neighbors. In the pictures it looks like the sides are rough but they are actually smooth. In person it looks the same, you touch it expecting it to be rough. It's also very light weight. The color was much lighter before the hand rub polyurethane was applied. The tips don't, and aren't supposed to, meet, but when dangled the thread doesn't unwind because of the way the slots are cut. I will have to keep a crochet hook with me when I use this shuttle because it doesn't have a sharp point, but that's okay, I have several hooks:) It's a little longer than the Clover shuttles I usually use, but not bad. I think it will hold a bit more thread than a Clover, too. It might be a good shuttle for when I use beads.

Can you tell I'm a little excited about this shuttle??

May this be the start of wonderful new year
May you have enough thread for all your projects
May your shuttle always hold just enough thread
And may there always be a little tea with your tatting on Tuesdays: )

Happy New Year!

2010 is almost over

2010-12-28T08:20:00.000-06:00

Can you believe the year is almost over? It's been such a busy year it hardly seems possible.

I look back over the year and think of all places I went, the new things I've tried,
and the people I've met - I must say it was a year well spent. We went on several great trips, both with family and by ourselves, and made wonderful memories. I learned
several new tatting techniques that will open up all kinds of possibilities for
projects this next year. I met some great people in the travels I made this year as well as
locally and on-line, people I hope to keep in touch with in the years to come.

The last week I did some tatting, some right up to Christmas Eve, but then the projects were done or they weren't and it was time to enjoy family and friends. We had
great get-togethers with both sides of our families (the in-laws and the out-laws, LOL!) and
still have one to go. It has been a wonderful holiday season.

I did want to share one more gift I received from my Advent swap partner. She really
spoiled me this year.

Check it out - she sent me Yarnplayer's Layered Ring Christmas Tree pattern! I was thinking about getting this but hadn't yet taken the time to order. She also sent me a tension-adjusting
tatting shuttle! (I haven't tried it yet, but I will soon!) It came in a cute little tin. There was
also a beautiful beaded tree ornament that she made - very nice, very sparkly! Her
son had her include someSpongeBob Squarepants candy books for my grandsons and their families and one for us, too. And a large ball of size 30 white thread. She was very
generous!

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Christmas this year. And may your New Year be filled with wonder and joy!

Getting ready for Christmas

2010-12-21T02:20:00.002-06:00

... and I'm still very busy. I have quite a few things yet to tat before the big day arrives. I did take a little time out from all that to make this bookmark for The Tatting Forums' bookmark-a-month challenge, just for fun: ) It's made in Lizbeth color 625 size 20.

I was thinking how busy I've kept myself the last several weeks, and though it's been fun it's also getting to be a bit stressful as the day gets closer and I don't have everything done. So I took a little time out for a different kind of fun. With a nod to Isdihara of Ambitatterous, famous for her twisted lyrics, and an apology to Clement Clarke Moore, sit back and enjoy a cup of tea this Tatting Tea Tuesday while I leave you with a poem that I - hmm, adapted - from Mr. Moore.

'Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the house

I was still stirring, and I think so was a mouse.

The stockings weren't hung, the mantle was bare,

I sure wasn't ready for Christmas to be here!

Patterns of lace were strewn all over the bed,

While visions of things undone danced in my head.

With thread on the table and a cat on my lap

I couldn't settle my brain on one thing to tat.

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.

Hanging down from the table a part of my stash

Caught me off guard, I went down with a crash!

The glitter that fell from the table like snow

Gave quite a shine to my head down below.

When, what to my watering eyes should appear,

But a miniature person in fancy foot gear.

She was dressed all in lace, from her head to her toes,

And her clothes were all covered with lots of picots.

An array of bright thread she had clutched in her hand,

And she looked very lovely, in fact very grand.

Her eyes - how they twinkled! Her tresses, how lovely!

Her cheeks were like roses, her stance very queenly!

Her red little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

The dress she was wearing was as white as the snow.

She spoke not a word, but went straight to her task,

What she was doing I had no thought to ask.

And plying the thread, not seeming to bustle,

She made gorgeous lace with a bright silver shuttle!

Her hands flew through the thread, this lovely small elf,

And I laughed as I watched her, in spite of myself!

Each piece as she finished she laid on the table,

Fine tatting she made, her face very tranquil.

When her tatting was done, when finally she finished,

Then as quick as she'd come she suddenly vanished.

But I heard her exclaim, 'ere she faded from sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good knot!"

Based on "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore

PS Real quick - did you see the lunar eclipse last night? Pretty cool, wasn't it?

It's white all over

2010-12-14T12:10:00.000-06:00

Snowman and snowflakes, all in white, at least inside my house. (No snow on the ground here, and I can live with that.) Working all in white is what I've been doing all week. The cute snowman is something I saw on line and decided I just had to try. It's made from an old, inside-out sock (it was washed!). I gifted it to one of my grandsons yesterday. Well, actually, I gave it to his mother to put out on a shelf for decoration because my grandson really liked it when he saw me working on it the other day. I had to do a few things a little different than the directions called for, but I think it turned out well.

The snowflakes are ones I've come up with this last week trying to decide what I wanted for my 2010 Christmas card snowflake. After making all of these I've decided the one I will consider this year's snowflake is the one at the top right.

Speaking of snowflakes, did you see what Kathy did with one? She hung it from the inside a clear plastic ball ornament. It looks great! I've got to try this. I know I had some clear glass ornaments somewhere but I can't find them. If I don't find them I'm going to go get some! I just love this look. Great idea, Kathy!

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm enjoying a cup of Raspberry Royale tea, a gift from my Advent swap partner on Ravelry. I wasn't sure I'd like it because I'm not that fond of the taste of raspberry, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's pretty good: ) In the spirit of TTT I'm trying a new technique (to me) I saw online yesterday. Who knows, if I really like this, and I can do it, my snowflake for the year may change.

For my Advent gift today my partner sent me a cute little crocheted stocking for the tree and a ball of hand-dyed thread from Crochet 4 U 2 Dye 4 in "Mistletoe", size 20. I'm looking forward to using it. Isn't she the sweetest swap partner ever?

I hope you are taking the time to enjoy the season, without getting too stressed. Take a few minutes for yourself, have a cup of tea and tat a few minutes this week - a gift to yourself.

A busy busy elf

2010-12-07T10:15:00.000-06:00

That's how I've been lately, very busy! I've been working a lot on Christmas things, both for swap partners and for family. But I can share a few of the things I've been working on now as some were for an advent swap and have been opened.

Something to brighten the evenings

This is a candle jar that I decoupaged with red tissue paper then added small tatted snowflakes. There was also a candle tucked inside. I had never done decoupage before I started adding a little bling to my shuttles and now I can think of so many things I could do with it. In fact, I have all kinds of things in mind for Christmas gifts now that include a little decoupage. Now if I only have the time!

A little sparkle for my partner to hang on the tree.

Napkin rings to add a little Christmas cheer to the her table.

A stocking for the mantle with a little chocolate inside!

I had such fun thinking up all kinds of things to send. It couldn't just be snowflakes, I needed a variety! I'm hoping she's having as much fun opening them as I had putting them together.

I have also received some wonderful gifts in return. These are just a few of the great gifts I've opened so far.

Kooly the Koala

This is a Kritter Craft Case from Clover. Isn't it cute?! It's a semi-hard case that will be just perfect for a tatting project.

A little something to dress up my dish soap!

A dishcloth, a notepad and a size 12 crochet hook

And today the cutest hot pads!

This advent swap has been so fun! There is talk of doing this again next year and I am seriously thinking about it already! I will certainly start making things much earlier, though: )

In the midst of all this crafting I've also been trying to find time to put up my Christmas decorations. The tree is up but not decorated (it's one that already has lights so it doesn't look too bare) and that's about it so far. Maybe this weekend...

Speaking of decorating, did you hear? Sharon has won Isdihara's decorated chocolate box contest? If you haven't seen Sharon's box you definitely should check it out. Check out all the others, too, the links are on Ambitatterous, Isidhara's blog. There are some very cute decorated chocolate boxes! This was a fun competition. Congratulations, Sharon! You had an awesome entry.

I'm enjoying English Teatime tea this morning that was in the box of gifts from my swap partner. I'm fortifying myself for another busy day of playing elf. I have a long list of things that I would like to get done before Christmas though I keep telling myself if I don't get them done it won't be the end of the world - no sense in stressing over doing things that should be fun!

Wishing all of you a blessed Christmas season. Take a little time for tea and tatting, and maybe a little time to reflect on the reason for the season.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-11-30T15:22:00.008-06:00

My Secret Santa, crazytatter, from the Intatters exchange sent me some really cute stuff!

The little guy on the top left is a giraffe paperweight, very cute! The two little boxes have paperclips in them, one regular sized and the other large. There is also a large-eyed needle taped to the inside top of one box, and when I say large-eyed, I do mean large. I've never seen a needle quite like it. There is also some neat little stamps for scrapbooking or what ever, a Christmas-y bookmark that she tatted for me (very nice!), and a journal to write in. Wasn't she generous? Thank you, crazytatter!

I also joined an Advent Swap on Ravelry. You make/buy/use-from-your-stash gifts for every day of December through Christmas. This is the first of three boxes from my exchange partner, Medictabs.

Look at all the presents!

She also put in a few little things for right now. I wonder how she knew I'd like these?

Tea!

It was just in time for Tatting Tea Tuesday, so I'm trying the Cranberry Apple. Yum! The CD with the snowman on it is a mix of Christmas songs! I'm taking it to work to listen to tonight. It has a few of my favorite songs on it, isn't that great?

A lot of the tatting that I've been doing was made for these exchanges and now that they've all been mailed I've actually got a little bit of tatting done that I can show. And guess what? They're snowflakes. Surprise! Okay, not really.

The top one is a pattern from a few years ago but I added glass silver seed beads to it to give it a little shine. The larger one on the right is the center of one from last year but with a different outside round. I've got a look in mind that I'm trying to achieve, so tried something a little different this time. It didn't come out quite like I had in mind - not bad, just not quite "it". The other two are variations on a theme, so to speak, one with six points and one with five. Again they didn't come out quite like I envisioned, but they still look pretty good. All of these are headed to the center this year's Christmas cards - cards I need to get busy with very soon! All of these snowflakes were make with Lizbeth white, size 20.

May you all have a wonderful week, with a little tea and tatting somewhere in there!

Making wreaths and wrapping gifts

2010-11-24T09:05:00.001-06:00

I got up on Tatting Tea Tuesday and had a cup of Cinnamon Apple Spiced tea and tatted for a couple of hours - with a lot of interruptions. The whole day was full of interruptions and re-dos, actually. My tatting was a couple of wreaths, which aren't hard - if you just follow the directions! I started the first one three times because I didn't pay close enough attention to what I was supposed to do! My own fault; there were just too many things going on that kept pulling my attention away from my tatting (one is about three feet tall and gets into everything! Very cute though.)

Chain Christmas Wreath by Susan B. Taliaferro

I'm counting the Chain Christmas Wreath as #14 of the 25 Motif Challenge. Considering how much trouble I had with these I can definitely say it was a challenge. I like this pattern well enough I'll be making more for this Christmas - the shuttles are already wound anyway, might as well :-) Susan has the pattern posted on InTatters if you'd like to try it. I'm not sure of the thread, Handy Hands tucked it into an order I made back when Lizbeth was new. It's a green with a slightly blue tint, but it looks very nice as a wreath with red beads.

I have been tatting like mad the last week, but everything is for gifts, so I can't show them until I know they've been opened. Other than that I've been wrapping said gifts. In fact, most of my day has been spent wrapping gifts, in between running after my two year old grandson that is staying with us. His mother had to go on a short overnight trip and my DH had to work, so it was just the two of us - oh, boy. He gets into absolutely everything if you don't keep your eye on him constantly!Secret Santa gift from xstchntat

Look what I received in the mail! Look at all the goodies! These were sent to me by xstchntat for the Intatters Secret Santa Exchange. The bookmark was part of a group that won second place at the Arizona State Fair - it's lovely. A ball of Christmas Delight, 116, Lizbeth thread, size 20 (but it's labeled Mocha Brown Dk, 692!). Three balls of Coats and Clark thread, size 70, variegated pink to white, variegated green to white and variegated pink, blue, white. A skein of pink Lola color 135 Rayon thread from EdMar which looks a little finer that size 20. Two cute little mittens that would look good on stitch markers (strivers), a Clover shuttle and...

Handmade Podauk Shuttle and striver!

a handmade striver and a handmade shuttle! The shuttle is made from Podauk wood and is very light. You can see it's smaller than the Clover shuttle. I think it will work very well with the size 70 thread she sent. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I'm very much looking forward to giving it a try. I know I'll be using the striver soon as I have another project I need to do this week that needs several.

Thank you, xstchntat, for the wonderful gifts!

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving this week, and take a little time out for tea and tatting if you can!

Tatting Tea Tuesday with Chocolates

2010-11-16T09:01:00.002-06:00

Have you heard? Isdihara, from Ambitatterous is having a contest, to decorate an empty box of chocolates with tatting. The one she likes the best will win 25 balls of Lizbeth thread of your choice! 25 balls of Lizbeth! For that I have to at least try!

Okay, how do you decorate a box of chocolates? I was having a terrible time coming up with a theme or idea, so I went with what I was working on. Snowflakes. I don't know how good an idea it is, but I came up with something! The box didn't show off the snowflakes very well so I covered it in brown paper, which shows off the white thread very well. Then I tried laying out snowflakes on the top in different arrangements. That looked way too busy no matter what arrangement I tried them in, so I reduced it to just one larger one. I'm not sure about this, but it's what I came up with. I hope you like it at least a little bit, Isdihara!

I have been very busy, both with tatting and with other crafty things, but they're all for gifts so I can't show them yet. I'm in a Secret Santa exchange on Intatters and an Advent swap on Ravelry, besides having projects to make for family and friends. As the Internet things have to be sent out first they've been first on my list to do. I'm getting close to being done with those - I think! I have done a few things I've thought about for awhile but never got around to trying and I've been pretty happy with 'em. They'll be shown in future posts, after I'm sure they've all been opened.

I'm still working on snowflakes today as I enjoy a cup of peppermint tea. I keep humming Christmas songs which helps keep me in the gifting mood. "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

May you all have a wonderful week with a little tea and tatting if you can!

Fall Housekeeping

2010-11-09T10:18:00.000-06:00

So, I was trying to get a little more organized (don't laugh, it could happen) and cleaning out my "tatting cabinet" - an old dresser that sits in our living room and holds most of my thread. As I was going through all the balls of thread I kept finding shuttles, all holding at least some thread of one sort or another.
The problem, of course, is I don't know what the threads are. I'm sure I have most of the colors/sizes somewhere, but is it worth it to try to figure that out with the (usually) small amount of thread on them? I think I'll be making a lot of butterflies and flowers to try to empty them out. I've got a lot of Christmas tatting to do and I could use a few empty shuttles:- )

Speaking of Christmas tatting, I did get a few snowflakes done while on the trip back from Washington, D.C. I figured I needed a lot of snowflakes for the Christmas cards, and if I only took one color of thread it would take up less space. And maybe I wouldn't get too sidetracked and start something else!
The one on the top left was supposed to be like the one on the top right, but I knew before I started the outside round that my stitch count was off and it wasn't going to work, so it was modified a little. The one in the middle and the one on the bottom left were supposed to be the same, and again, the stitch count changed just a little. But it will work. I made the small ones - they are about an inch across - for project I'm working on. It was fun trying to come up with very small six-pointed shapes. Okay, some have more points than that, but they're snowflakes if anybody asks, and all are made with Lizbeth white in size 20.

For my trip I took my tatting in my new tatting tin. It's an Altoid mint tin that I decoupaged (I keep finding things to cover!). It holds two shuttles, the short crochet hook, the scissors, the necklace they attach to and the needle book. It fit very nicely in my purse and looked great while doing it.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm sipping hot Cinnamon Apple Spice tea I found at the store the other day. It smells and tastes yummy! I'm not sure how much tatting I'll get done today though - I've been neglecting the house since I've gotten back from D.C. I really need to get things done before it gets too out of hand.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week.

On the road again, meeting new friends

2010-11-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Me and Kathy

I took another trip this week - back to Washington, DC to my daughter's. Her husband has been stationed back to Omaha but there has been some issues with getting all the arrangements made for the move. My daughter got tired of all the run-around and decided to come back now instead of waiting on the movers. So I flew out on Saturday so she wouldn't have to drive all the way back by herself. We started the drive back on Sunday, she and I and her almost two year old son. Our trip took us up into Pennsylvania then across to Kansas.

You remember that I had a drawing last week? Well, Kathy Niklewicz, the winner, lives up there! We made arrangements to meet in Washington, PA on our way through. I emailed her our plans and she checked into a place to meet. It was great - she even got online and checked out how easy it would be for us to get on and off the interstate. And then called the restaurant to make sure that was accurate!

Kathy with her prize (or part of it!)

We met at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant and ended up visiting for over two hours! It was so fun to be able to give Kathy her prize in person. The anticipation of the gift giving was as great as if it was Christmas! It was so much fun to see her get the Pumpkins on a Vine bookmark and all the other little things, too. Check out the pendant Kathy was wearing

Kathy and her husband were so nice. And she brought me a present, too! There was a small Steelers football for the boys to play with and a cute Steelers Christmas tree ornament (we were in Steelers country) and some cookies (these didn't last too long!).

And the most special gift was a paperweight with a patriotic motif in it - Sue Hanson's 5 point Celtic motif. It was the same motif that I had been inspired to make because I saw it on Kathy's blog a year ago. It is so special to have this connection between us. Thank you, Kathy!

Not too far from Pittsburgh

If we had to make the drive we chose a great time to do it. The trees along the way were beautiful. We took our time and stopped for two nights along the way, getting out every couple of hours to stretch and eat or just walk around. I think that helped a lot, no one got fussy (much) and we could enjoy the ride.

I've been trying to post this for the last three days but I'm not used to a two year old running around everywhere: -)

Thank you Kathy for meeting us. It really was fun. We'll have to do it again sometime.

A Givin' and Gettin' Tatting Tea Tuesday

2010-10-26T09:00:00.006-05:00

Today's the day! Are you ready?

And the winner of my anniversary drawing is...

** drum roll**

Kathy Niklewicz!

Congratulations Kathy! Email me at the address in my profile with your address and I'll send you your wonderful prize package!

Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered the drawing. I have really had fun coming up with what to put in the prize package. The biggest problem - from my end - was when to stop adding stuff! I kept thinking "this would be cool to put in" or "that really fits the theme" and a few hundred other thoughts. I finally had to tell myself "enough already!" LOL! Kathy, I hope you enjoy the package as much as I have enjoyed putting it together and givin' it out!

I've also been enjoying making my next bookmark. Last week I asked for a suggestion of a good one to make. Gina suggested using 'Pumpkins on a Vine' by Heidi Sunday for a fall themed one, and Isdihara gave me the link to the pattern, so I gave it a try.

I think I got a little carried away - it's like "Pumpkins on a Tangled Vine" now. This is definitely a one-of-a-kind bookmark. The outsides are per the pattern except that I added the turns to come back down. Then I had to figure out how to connect the two sides together so I started adding the pumpkins down the middle. That made it look kind of like a pumpkin ladder so I started a little free-form tatting up and down the sides. Then I had to come up with a bottom that didn't look like it had just been whacked off at random. Just look at the pumpkin patch that grew up out of all that! I'm very happy with this. It's a bit three-dimensional because of the way the vines climb around, very textured. I stayed up late finishing this because I just had to see how it was going to end. Thank you, Heidi, for the wonderful pattern, and Gina and Isdihara for the inspiration and help finding the pattern. This was fun!

Oh, it's made with Lizbeth size 20 in 694 (Harvest Orange Med) and 684 (Leaf Green Med). I'm counting this as #13 of my second 25 Motif Challenge. How appropriate for October, hey?

Now on to the gettin'!
About a week ago I was on the Handy Hands website admiring all the books - okay, drooling over some of the books - and I mentioned to my husband that I really would like this book. And he replied "Why don't you get it? Birthday, Christmas - something's coming up pretty soon." So I did.

This is a wonderful book, full of enough pictures of gorgeous shuttles to make any shuttle-tatter drool. Pam has done a lot of work looking into the history of shuttles and shuttle making and put it together for the rest of us. Wow! If you are interested at all in the history of shuttle making, or would like to see a lot of ways people have added "bling" to their shuttles, and you get the chance, check out this book!

But the gettin's not done! I also picked me up a few Clover shuttles - as I was making an order anyway, right? And then of course I had to personalize them a little bit. It seems everyone is dressing up their shuttles right now - and it's such fun! Of course, the new book has a lot of inspiration in it, too!

This blue one was pretty easy - I just added a little fingernail bling*, then sealed it. Makes for a fancy-looking shuttle in a very quick time!

And then I touched up one with material. Cutting out the shape of the shuttle was a little bit of work - my scissors seems to have developed a dull spot, just where I cut the most! But I succeeded! I think it came out very well! These are pictures of both sides of the same shuttle.

Here I thought I wasn't much of an orange fan - but I'll take this shuttle anytime!

Over the next few weeks I suppose I'll be working mostly on snowflakes and other Christmas goodies. Can you believe it's almost November already? And I realize that I'm way behind on all those things I try to do for Christmas gifts. I have quite a list of things I want to do and my time is getting short. So I'll sit here this Tuesday morning, sip a little hot tea (mint!), wind my pretty new shuttles and get started on more of that givin' stuff.

May all of you have a fun and safe Halloween and find a little time for tatting!

*Fingernail bling - those little decals you can get to jazz up your fingernails.*

On Bookmarks and Following Directions

2010-10-19T17:10:00.001-05:00

Welcome to fall! Here the leaves are starting to turn though the temperatures haven't gotten all that cold; the nights make you think "fall" without being too cold. Getting into the season I made a bookmark for the Tatting Forums' Bookmark a Month Challenge in Lizbeth Falling Leaves and black in size 20. Now I need to start one for November. What pattern should it be??

Fall is the harbinger of the winter to come, including the Christmas season. It reminds me that I should be getting all those snowflakes done that I usually include in my Christmas cards.

Okay, so only one of these is a snowflake. They are both out of DMC's 'Tatting for Today' copyright 1980. The one on the left is motif #5 and the other is motif #22, and this is the one that is alluded to in the title. This is not what the tree looks like in the book because I just couldn't read the pattern correctly. Fortunately I have enough skill to adapt as I go so I didn't have to scrap it and start over. The rings around the edges are not per the pattern and the 'trunk' is too long, but overall the impression is the same as the pattern in the book.

I bought this book probably about 1990 when I had been tatting close to ten years. There was no Internet in those days to share information on books or other tatters. What patterns I was finding were in Workbasket magazines and how-to booklets, you know the ones - "How to knit, crochet and tat" types, with a few descriptions of how-to for each craft then a couple of patterns of each. I remember being pretty excited when I found 'Tatting for Today'. It had good pictures of each pattern and the written pattern wasn't the long wordy type from Workbasket. Looking at the patterns now I find they have something to be desired as they have all the directions in a paragraph making it hard to follow. I usually re-write them, having one element per line instead of everything in one paragraph. I think that's why I had trouble with the tree motif, I didn't write it out first. Still, it came out acceptable, just not per the pattern : )

This weekend I tried my hand at adding a little something extra to a shuttle - decoupage. I thought the napkin would really look cool on this Susan Bates shuttle, but it didn't come out quite like I had envisioned. It's okay, for a first try I guess. And it still tats okay, which is the important part, right?

I would like to thank everyone that's stopped by to check out out my old-fashioned doily in last week's post. You are all so very kind. A big "Thank-you!" to TattingChic for sharing it on her blog and sending people my way. I get such a kick out of sharing something that I'm so excited about. And tatterjil, I'd share with everyone what I was giving away in the drawing - except I don't know just exactly what's going to be in it. Okay, some of it's planned already, but not everything! It will just have to be a surprise - for everyone. I'm having a lot of fun coming up with what's going to be in it. Come back next week when I announce the winner.

This Tatting Tea Tuesday I slept in and haven't accomplished much since I got up. I had a cup of green tea and thought about tatting. I didn't get any done until I was on the way to work (don't think I tat and drive - I was the passenger!). Just trying to get another snowflake done, as I have a lot of them to do.

Remember to stop back by next week when I announce the winner of my anniversary drawing. Until then take a little time for tea and tatting if you can, and have a great week!