Visiting Mom

Dave and I arrived at Mom's in L.A. (Lower Alabama) about an hour ago. I brought Killian along. I'll do my best to share some adventures with you, but don't expect too much... I plan on having fun with Mom!

Merry Christmas!

Everyone made it in Christmas Eve, and we feasted on homemade ravioli... Jake, my son-in-law, holds the new record of consuming 30 ravioli! The previous record was held by daughter Alison... 22. Such silliness!

The little girls' Christmas socks were finished on time... about 4:30 Wednesday... little girls arrived around 10:30... whew!

I anticipate the pitter patter of little feet any minute now... Santa arrived, and there will be more excitement very soon! Christmas is so much more fun with little children around!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear...

...but a miniature tree, with a fence made of tatting shuttles!


Isn't this wonderful? Last year I was showing some of my tatting shuttles off at school, and I asked our head custodian, who likes to work with wood, if he could make some for me. He gave me one last spring, and I treasure it!

So, what will I do with seven more of the same shuttle? I'm going to give six of them away (I really have to keep one for myself so the original doesn't get lonely). Here's the deal... Make a comment on this post expressing your interest in Dan's shuttles. I will draw six names on New Year's Day... what better way to start off the New Year? If your name is drawn, please send me your mailing address, and I will get your shuttle mailed off to you. All I ask is that you post a picture of your shuttle when you receive it so that I can put a mini-album of pictures together for Dan. He used to be in the Navy, and would love to know how far his shuttles have traveled!

Vanilla Sky

My new thread from Pamela arrived yesterday! I tried to be good and work on Christmas presents, but the call of the thread was too strong. That, and this super cold weather is making my left arm ache... honest, it really does ache from the cold weather! There was just no way I could crochet last night. Well, maybe I could have, but I wanted to play with my new thread. So my arm ached and I decided to wind my new thread on shuttles. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it! My arm feels so much better now! (wink, wink)

Of course once the thread was wound on the shuttles, I just had to make sure I had wound it properly! I'm sure Pamela and Reen can tell what I'm working on. Can you tell? I'll give you a hint... it's an old favorite of mine!

Tatting with Pamela

I was really stuck on how to begin "The Third Day of December" from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn. Luckily, I knew that Pamela could help me out, and I have the beautiful snowflake she sent me as an example. I guess sometimes a picture just isn't enough for me! Thanks for the help, Pamela! I can't find the ball of thread anywhere. I know it's Anchor, but I'm not sure what size... 50? I really should take the time to read my camera manual so that I can learn to take proper pictures!

Now, the reason I haven't been tatting much...


yes, dishcloths! My friend Brenda asked me to knit a dozen dishcloths for her after Christmas last year. She's giving them as Christmas presents. It doesn't really take long to knit a dishcloth, although my knitting has slowed down since I broke my wrist almost two years ago. I just can't knit as quickly or for as long a period a time as I used to. Still, I should have had these dishcloths finished by the end of January last year. I just seem to get a mental block when I have a task that needs to be completed... a good reason for me to never go into business! Anyway, now that they're finished I can move on to my next task... crocheting lace edgings on socks for my granddaughters and finishing the pair of socks I'm knitting for my grandson. I guess that means not much tatting for the next couple of weeks... sigh!

Tatting with longer picots

...or so I thought! I really thought that using a picot gauge two sizes larger would make a huge difference. Apparently that's not quite true! The top snowflake is the one with the "larger" picots. I don't think they really look that much different. However, they do feel a lot different. The top one is softer and took a little more time to get in to shape.

Now, it's decision time. Should I try this in a smaller thread, or try a different pattern? I think size 20 thread makes this too large to use as a snowflake, but it makes a great mini doily. I think it's time to dig through my stash!

Oh, what fun! ...or, another tatted snowflake!

I think I'll probably make a few more of "The Second Day of December." By the end of the second one the pattern was becoming second nature. I love when I can tat something so beautiful!

The thread is LadyShuttleMaker's "Country Christmas," a thread I commissioned after seeing her "Saint Nick." I love the touch of gold! Best of all... I have more of this wonderful color!

"The Second Day of December" tatted snowflake

I was inspired by the beautiful snowflake that Pamela sent me, so I opened up my copy of 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn and started tatting! I skipped the first pattern because it's all rings with short lengths of thread between them. I'm not very good at that! I was so eager to begin, I grabbed the first ball of thread I saw. While this is a very pretty green (Flora #228), it certainly doesn't look much like snow! It did serve the purpose I needed... to see how much thread I need before tatting it in HDT. Don't look too closely... you'll see the ring I messed up!

I think I may try larger picots on the next one for a more feathery look. What do you think?

Happy Thanksgiving!

My dad's favorite greeting was, "God is good", with the response, "All the time!" I believe this to be true. I can sometimes get bogged down with the trivialities of life, but when I think of my dad and his approach to life with God in charge, I know that I have been blessed by God in so many ways. I am so thankful for my loving family and the positive way in which I was raised!

I have the best mom in the world! She has set a good example for me in so many ways. Even now at the age of 57, I think of how my parents, especially my mom, would react to my choices. I would never want to intentionally do anything to disappoint her. I'm sure I have many times over the years, but she is so loving and forgiving that she doesn't recall some of the things that haunt me!

I have two wonderful sisters and the best brother in the world! Yes, we have had spats, but nobody could ever make me believe anything but the best of them.

My husband is unbelievable! Why he has put up with me for 29 years is beyond my understanding! He helps me around the house. He helps pull me out of my bad moods. He is never judgmental. Best of all, he does not complain about my creative messes!

I have four beautiful daughters, and four wonderful grandchildren. Yes, I get frustrated with them at times, but don't you dare question the intentions of any of my baby girls... they are far better people than I can ever hope to be!

And then there are my friends... I have made so many new friends because of this wonderful computer age! Yes, I know there are dangers in the computing world, but there are dangers every way we turn. I am happy to say that the tatting community has offered me some of the best friendships of my life!

So, like Bing Crosby, tonight I will count my blessings instead of sheep!


Oh, you wanted to know about my tatting? Okay! Yesterday, my Raspberry Sorbet thread arrived Pamela! We were both getting a bit worried, because it took so long to get here! My theory... the postal workers could smell the luscious Raspberry Sorbet and held on to it as long as they could! What other explanation could there be for a month long trip from Ireland? Last night I wound my beautiful new thread on the dragonfly... why settle for a boring floss bobbin? I think the dragonfly looks quite dapper in Raspberry Sorbet! Pamela also sent me this lovely snowflake as a gift! Luckily, I have the book! I think I'll have to try this one!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The cutest little shuttle...

Heather asked for some shuttle testers, and I was among the chosen. Isn't this the cutest little thing? It's light and smooth. I had no trouble with it at all. I was able to wind on about one yard of size 20 Flora. Not much thread, I know, but it was still fun to play with. I'll have to try it with a finer thread to see how much I can wind on and how much I can tat. Thanks for the opportunity, Heather!

Note: Sorry for the blurry picture. I really am trying to get better with my photography. Maybe I should take a class!

Wowie kazowie!

The scan just doesn't do this justice! I never would have thought of putting these colors together, but Krystle did, and I love it! Too bad this one's not for me. Maybe Krystle will dye some more (hint, hint).

Set for life!

Ambitatterous asked, and here's my answer... well, sort of. This is most of my HDT stash. I know I have other skeins tucked here and there around the house, but I didn't take time to look for them. What can I say? I LOVE HDT!

Now I suppose someone wants me to lay all the skeins out so that all the colors can be seen... maybe later. Will I share? Hmmm... probably not!

Feeling sleepy

I really don't know how the weekend got away from me, but it did! Friday night I finished up the laundry that didn't get done last weekend because of the play. I know... excuses, excuses!

Saturday I attended the Quilting and Sewing Expo in Rosemont, IL with my daughter Alison and my friend Pat. Yes, I bought lots of goodies, including some cool looking thread that might work for tatting. When I have some time I'll give it a try and let you know!

What happened to today? I really don't know! I looked for some knitting needles, got distracted with organizing my sewing room, found the knitting needles upstairs in the spare bedroom, watched a knitting video, tried the technique with no success, and then it was 5 o'clock!

I did manage to start a pair of socks for my grandson. I really don't think he'll want store bought socks with tatted or crocheted edgings like the girls are getting. I also managed to tat a little more of my Spinning Wheel, but that's about all I accomplished. I'm feeling awfully tired for getting so little done!

Spinning Wheel

I had great intentions of completing this Spinning Wheel in short order. However, Tuesday night I fell asleep in my chair... not much tatting! Yesterday morning I thought I'd get a whole lot of tatting done. Then I remembered that I didn't do laundry over the weekend because of the play. Yes, I did tat... between phone calls! I visited with my daughter Alison (Squeaky Alligator) on the phone several times, and I talked with some friends as well. I'm no good at tatting while talking on the phone... shoulder cramps!

I also spent a lot of time online catching up on blog reading... boy, was I behind! I didn't leave many comments, but I did catch up on every single blog I could think of!

What's that saying, Mom? The road to hell is paved with good intentions? I guess it's a good thing that I had GREAT intentions rather than GOOD ones!

Back to the Spinning Wheel

...glass mat from Tatting With Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. This has to be one of my all time favorite patterns... I've made so many of them!

When Krystledawne (aka Dr. Von Threadmore) decided to list her "extra" thread, I just couldn't resist! I know HDT is a little pricier than Flora or Lizbeth, but it is so nice to work with! Besides, when I buy a little HDT here and a little HDT there, I feel like I am supporting the very talented ladies who are willing to experiment and then share! Of course, now I have a stash large enough to keep me tatting for years, but buying nice tatting supplies is so much cheaper than therapy!

Tatting "Beatrice" - Day 8

After yesterday's performance of Seussical Jr. (which was a huge success!), I sat down to work on Beatrice. I was in a tatting zone, and I would have finished her last night, but I don't have enough thread! Luckily, Tatskool still had some in her shop, so I placed my order for more Raspberry Sorbet. The last pattern repeat will just have to wait for a little bit!


In the meantime, I doodled with size 80 Weeping Cherry from LadyShuttleMaker. This simple little snowflake is about the right size for the frame, but I need to find a background color so that the beautiful thread stands out. I think I"ll play with some variations on this design so that the snowflake has some points.

Tatting "Beatrice" - Day 7

Yes, the end is in sight, but I probably won't finish Beatrice until next week. We have a weekend of excitement here in little Grant Park... the middle school production of Seussical Jr.! I'm not directly involved, but as the mother of the director I take on the role of "go-fer" and wind up with lots of last minute responsibilities. Luckily, I remembered to ask Dave to load the concessions in the van before he left for work this morning. There's no way I could have lifted those cases of water! He also was a dear and washed the coolers.

After taking my Beatrice photo of the day, I put the camera battery in the charger. Last year I took pictures during Oklahoma!, but I hadn't charged the battery, and it ran out of juice about 3/4 of the way through the play!

Performances are tonight and tomorrow night at 7, and Sunday afternoon at 2. At 6 tomorrow there will be finger sandwiches and desserts for those who bought advance tickets. It's always a fun time, but there's always a ton of laundry and loads of dishes to wash afterwards!

To add to all the excitement, Carol (aka Madame Director) is getting sick... horrible cough, losing her voice, no energy... so I've been trying to make healthy germ-fighting meals this week. I have a feeling Carol's just going to collapse when she gets home Sunday night.

So, I'll tat a little bit here and a little bit there for relaxation, but I have a feeling it will be the middle of the week before Beatrice is shown in all her glory!

Tatting "Beatrice" - Day 6

I didn't think I tatted very much last night until I compared the pictures this morning. I forgot a join, so I had to retro-tat two rings and a short section of chain. Amazingly, that only took me about a half hour! I also had to take time to wind my shuttle and join the new thread. I think the next time I make this, I might wind several shuttles before I start so I can keep my momentum!

Yes, I ordered some of the snowflake picture frames! Now I have to find a pattern and thread that will work. The opening is only 1 1/4", so I think the snowflake can't be more than 1" in diameter. The snowflakes are very lightweight, especially compared to the other photo frames I have. They can hang from the ribbon, which I don't really like... I think I'll replace it with some pretty organza! The also have a magnet on the back, and there's an easel so that it can stand up! What a treat! I doubt that I'll get these made for this Christmas, but I'm all set for next year!

Tatting "Beatrice" - Day 5

I can't believe how much I've been able to accomplish with this little beauty! By "limiting" myself to an hour a day, I find that I cheat quite a bit so that I can get just a little bit more done. What fun!

Tatting "Beatrice" - Day 4

I'm finding that setting aside time to work on Beatrice each evening is helping me accomplish much more than I thought possible! At work I'm very goal oriented, but at home I'm very laid back. If something gets finished... great! If not... tomorrow is another day. I've only been setting aside an hour a day, but I wind up tatting for more than an hour. I just want to complete one more set of rings or another section of chains!

Picture Frame Ornaments

Okay ladies and gents... I did a little browsing and I found SNOWFLAKE picture frame ornaments here!

http://www.pricewisefavors.com/snowflake-place-card-holderornament-set-of-4-p-2073.html?utm_campaign=Nextag&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=Nextag

Tattycat... snowflake alert! These are calling your name!

Oops! They have 8 points instead of 6, but I think I can handle it!

Tatting "Beatrice" - Day 3

I love Sunday afternoons during football season! I can sit and tat/knit/crochet/cq guilt free for three hours while Dave watches football! I don't mind football, but I probably wouldn't turn it on if I was the only one home. I'd rather watch baseball. Anyway, during the game I was able to tat, work on my other mitten, and farm! Imagine how much I could have accomplished if my wrist had allowed me to tat for the entire game!

Tatting "Beatrice" - Day 2

I managed to get quite a bit tatted in between other activities yesterday. I did finish most of the laundry, and I made a pot of soup for dinner. I guess I should have dusted and done some organizing in the sewing room. Instead, I visited on the phone with my mom and daughters, watched some recorded t.v. shows, and I tatted! With a little time management, I could have accomplished a lot more on all fronts, but I felt like having a lazy day, so I did! : )

In today's mail...

I bet you think I'm spoiled, and I guess I am! I recently finished paying off some major bills, and I've rewarded myself by purchasing some goodies. That must seem counter-productive, but like many people, I am inspired by new purchases!

The thread is from Tatskool's mouth-watering collection of colors: CocoLime, Rusty Red, Bracken Crunch, and Antique Bronze. The shuttle is from Chris and Erin Hinton at The Shuttle Shop. The mitten pin is from Paulette at Beedeebabee... a beautiful decoration for my winter coat!

Yes, I've been tatting on and off today... pictures tomorrow!

Tatting "Beatrice" - Day 1

I only had about an hour to tat yesterday, but I managed to get a good start on "Beatrice." I forgot to do one thing. I usually write all the numbers in for the rings and chains before making my copies. Oops! I guess I'll just have to pay attention!

Would you like to tat along with me?

I've been inspired to get back to some serious tatting! Yesterday I received my newest basket from Grizzly Mountain Arts, and it's the perfect size for holding a new tatting project!

I do have a confession to make... since joining facebook to keep in touch with high school classmates, I've been distracted by the farm games. Last week I timed myself to see how much time was being sucked up by these games, and I was shocked at how much valuable time was just slipping through my fingers! I need to break the addiction! My solution... tat one of my favorite patterns, "Beatrice" from Tatted Doilies by Iris Niebach, using my favorite thread in the world... HDT!

I tend to spend way too much time trying to decide which pattern, thread, and/or shuttle to use. Not this time! I went to my bookshelf and pulled off Iris's pattern book. Then I went to my thread stash... you wouldn't believe how much HDT I have just waiting for the perfect pattern... and grabbed the first skein of thread I saw. In this case, it's Tatskool's Raspberry Sorbet... probably a poor choice since my mouth will be watering the whole time I'm tatting! I'll try to control myself! But then, I had to choose a shuttle. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while have seen my shuttle collection... well, most of it. I decided to use two of my GMA flat shuttles as thread winders, and one of my GMA post shuttles for the actual tatting.

I am fascinated by the way Iris's pattern weaves in and out between the center and the edge, but I get easily confused. So, I enlarge the pattern and make one copy for each pattern repeat. I pencil in each chain and ring as I complete it. That way I make fewer mistakes. Notice I said fewer... I know I'll still make mistakes!

Now I'm set to tat! I probably won't go cold turkey giving up the farm games, but I know that by using some of my favorite tatting supplies I'll be more inspired to live up to my chosen name... Lace-lovin' Librarian!

Pointy toed socks... completed!

On the sock blockers... I still see pointy toes!


Off the sock blockers... I still see pointy toes!


On the feet... I don't see pointy toes! Well, not too pointy... besides, the toes will be inside shoes! ; )

Tatted Snowflake #2

It sure is hard to get a good picture when it's still dark outside! Same pattern, same thread, same frame as #1... I need to do a little experimenting to figure out which threads and patterns will result in a snowflake that will fit in the frame. Right now, I don't have enough brain power to do that, so I'll just stick with the tried and true!

Tatted Snowflake #1

The Bears are playing terribly today, so it's very easy to sit and tat! I think "Itsy-Bitsy Snowflake" is my favorite pattern in Samantha Melnychuk's A Veritable Tatted Blizzard. I used Cebelia, size 20. I've tried using the metallic threads for more glitter, but with very poor results. I looked all over for these little picture frame ornaments the past two years, and it was well worth waiting for after-Christmas clearance sales! I sure I am glad I found my stash in time for Christmas this year!

No, we haven't started decorating for Christmas yet. Dave has so many trees, it's hard to find places to store them. So, one decorates our back porch year round. It works for me!

A little bit here, a little bit there...

and pretty soon I've accomplished something!


I"m having a hard time finishing my pointy toed socks. I'm just not in love with either the toe or the yarn. I will finish them though. I joined a sock club, and I really want to work with my new yarn, but not until I've finished this sock!

The teal and goldenrod is the first of my new pair of mittens! The pattern is from my blog buddy Carolina. It is wonderfully written and easy to follow! I need to add the cording around the wrist, but otherwise, this mitten is finished!

I really did start to clean my sewing room, but I didn't get very far! I found three packages of socks that need some lace edging. I know that tatting would look much nicer, but I can crochet edges on a pair of socks in an hour. I can't tat that fast, and I need to get these off to my granddaughters before they're too big to wear them! To be honest, Ella will be getting socks that I bought for Lily. Lily will be getting socks that I bought for Eva, and Eva will be getting socks that... well, you get the idea!

Where's my tatting, you ask? Well, I just pulled out a ball of white thread, a shuttle, and a pattern book. While I was cleaning, or starting to clean, I found picture frame ornaments that I bought on clearance a year or two ago. I got the idea to put tatting in the picture frame ornaments from Gina. If I get them made up, my Christmas to do list will get much shorter. Get your shuttles ready, Tattycat! It's time for the flurry of snowflakes to begin!

Pure indulgence!

I"m sure many of you know about LadyShuttleMaker's Mondo Monday Giveaway... well, I was the lucky first winner! Believe it or not, the gorgeous HDTs she sent me are the perfect match for my CQ block. To the left of the shuttle is "Leaf Braid" from Tatting With Visual Patterns by Mary Konior in size 20 silk... yes, silk! If you haven't tatted with silk yet, you are missing out on a very special experience!

Oh, and the indulgence... I bought one of the Shuttle Brothers engraved silver shuttles as an anniversary present to me! Dave told me years ago that if I wanted jewelry, I had to buy it for myself because it just didn't do anything for him. Well, I count this beautiful shuttle as a luxurious piece of jewelry for my hands! I guess I must like me! I wonder what my next indulgence will be? ; )

Just because...

I don't need any more books. I haven't had time to do much tatting/knitting/crocheting/CQing/reading, but Elegant Stitches was recommended to me, and the other two were recommended by Amazon. And so, I ordered them... just because.

All systems go!

With the days getting shorter, I really need to use my scanner to get good images. However, I haven't been able to use my scanner since I upgraded my OS to Snow Leopard. All I needed was a little time off (courtesy of Columbus Day), to figure out the problem. I needed to download the new scanner driver. It didn't take long, but I did need a little down time to get my brain headed in the right direction!

Here's the Japanese motif I was working on. I messed up on the last ring... forgot one picot and twisted the join... and it took me a while to undo my mess! I'm very happy with the final product, and it's the right size for the coasters I've been making. This is Altin Basak #3003, size 50. I really like this thread... until I have to retro-tat! I have to be very careful to not shred the thread!


I also messed up on Sheila York's pattern from Projects in Tatting. How is it that I can tat for months and have no problems joining, and then I mess up three joins in a row? It must be a mental block! I love the way Confetti Sprinkles from LadyShuttleMaker tats up. This one looks good enough to eat!


I took some time to work on my CQ block this weekend. I didn't get much done... I was having too much fun looking at CQ books for inspiration! I should have done all my embroidery stitches first, but a little piece of tatted lace was just calling to me to be put in its corner, and I just had to do it! Then, I felt the need to add some purple crystal beads under the fairy... shimmering water, you know!


Dave and I went to southwest Michigan to tour some wineries on Saturday to celebrate our 29th anniversary. It was a beautiful day, and we really enjoyed ourselves! I worked on dish cloths while we were driving. A friend of mine asked me to knit 12 for her to give as Christmas gifts. After seeing how pretty the new ones look, I really think I should knit some new ones for myself!

Squeaky Alligator

Hi everyone! I'm so excited! My daughter Alison has started her own blog. She's a very talented young woman. I hope you'll all visit and leave her some comments!

http://squeakyalligator.blogspot.com/

A new showcase for my tatting!

I have been fascinated with crazy quilting for a long time, and I spent a lot of time reading blogs and books about crazy quilting when I broke my wrist (almost two years ago!). Melissa at Honey Bee's Bliss became a particular CQ friend and sent me some lovely supplies to get started. I frequently pull out my stash and look at it, but I just didn't have the confidence to begin!

In the meantime, I found Pat Winter's blog and continued to dream about creating lovely CQ pieces myself. This summer, Pat announced that she would be giving CQ lessons in her summer kitchen as soon as she and her hubby finished transforming it into a studio for lessons. When I found out that Pat lives about an hour or so away from me, I jumped at the chance! I called my daughter Alison and my friend Pat, and I asked them if they would join me for a day of fun. Of course they said yes! Pat W. asked us if another lady from Michigan could join us, and we were happy to meet someone new. So, three Pats, one Alison, and one Diane spent a lovely day together yesterday!

Pat made us all so comfortable! She put kits together for each of us that reflected our individual preferences, and provided plenty of inspiration! We spent most of our time working away... if you can call it work! Our morning task was piecing,


and our afternoon task was embellishing.

Alison seemed to catch on more quickly than the rest of us... maybe because she's so much younger! ; )

We had a perfect day for creating beautiful pieces. There was just enough rain that we would not have been able to pursue many outdoor activities... not that any of us needed an excuse for playing with luscious fabrics, ribbons, laces, and beads! The sun peeked out through the rain clouds on and off throughout the day, and it kindly shone at lunchtime so that we were able to eat our lunches outside.

I would highly recommend one of Pat's classes to anyone who is interested. In fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much that I'm sure I could talk Pat and Alison into going with me again!

Look at all the goodies that I brought home with me!


Pat generously put together enough materials to really hook us on crazy quilting. I had to have a copy of her book. After all, I am a librarian!


Here's some of Pat's hand-dyed silk ribbon for embroidery, and a little wire teapot filled with goodies (candy, cookies, tea).

Thank you Melissa and Pat for sharing your love of crazy quilting with me! Now, if I can only manage to spend 8 hours every Saturday dedicated to crazy quilting...

Calling all Mac users!

I love my Mac! What else can I say? I use PCs at school, so I'm very familiar with both operating systems. I just happen to prefer my Mac!

Anyway, a week or so ago my mom told me about a program she found called NoteBook. Have any of you Mac users tried it? You can try it for free for 30 days. Of course, I love free trials! I'm hooked! I've been organizing my crafts with tabs like Blogs, E-mail, Patterns, Projects, etc. That means I've spent very little time crafting, but I'm feeling so much more organized. I've even started a list of books I want to read! You can try the program out at http://www.circusponies.com/.

Another Apple note... daughter Alison has downloaded an app for her iPhone called BestCamera. Some day I hope to own an iPhone, but for now I'll just enjoy learning from Alison. The app allows you to use filters to change the look of your photos and then post them or e-mail them to friends. She took a very cool picture of the ceiling fan in her bedroom. I'm not much of a camera person, but some of the apps that are available make me want to delve even further into technology. If only I had more time to play!


As for tatting... I totally messed up my motif from the Japanese Book... on the last join of course. It's been after dark when I've had a chance to sit down and tat. I just can't seem to focus well enough at night to fix my mistakes, so later today I'll take time to try and undo that oopsie. It's such a pretty motif!


Inspired by Fox, I've gotten back into tatting my coaster motifs. The Japanese motif was an attempt to add variety to my coasters. I may still try to use the Japanese motif, but for now I'll focus on what I know works!

I finished my first striped sock, and have started the second. Again, I've finished a sock with a pencil point toe. Maybe the toe will change when the socks have been washed. I think I'll use a different pattern for the next pair of socks, though. This is the only sock pattern I've knit that gave me a pointed toe! The legs seem awfully skinny to me, but I'll reserve judgement until I've completed both socks and tried them on. I'm not trying the first sock on yet. I'm afraid I'll become discouraged and not finish the second one!

The hurrier I go...

the behinder I get! Does anyone else remember that saying? That's how I feel these days! So, my tatting sits by my chair, and I get very little done!


I really want to make some more coasters, and I can't wait to get started with my new book from Jon. Somehow, life is really getting in my way! I have a solution... quit work! Somehow, I don't think my tatting would pay the bills, though! ; )

My goal: tat tonight, and then post a picture tomorrow! Wish me luck!

What a month!

I can't believe how busy I've been for the past month! Where has the time gone? Back-to-school activities headed up the list. I'm still not where I like to be in terms of organization, but the kids have all been great, so my lack of organization hasn't been a problem. I would like to give up one or two committees, but what would I do with my free time? ; )


Sept. 5 was Erich and Yvette's wedding. We had such a wonderful time! My niece Phoebe, nephew Erich, and daughter Carol were all born the same year, 3 months apart. Erich is the first of the three to get married. We all think Yvette and her family are wonderful! Isn't that a great way to start a marriage?


There were so many photos to choose from! Left to right: my sister Janet, my mom Nancy, my brother David, and me. Our sister Lisa is in Italy and could not attend the wedding. She missed a great time! Mom spent the week before the wedding with Janet, and the week after with me. I think she was pretty tired by the time she headed home to Alabama!


I did manage to finish the brown socks. The right one turned out great, but the left one... hmmm... I'm not sure what I did, but the toe came out looking like a pencil point. I gave the socks to Mom, but I'm feeling pretty guilty about giving her a pencil point toe sock. I may just have to knit another pair for her and take the messed up ones back!

I started another pair of socks in self-striping yarn. The leg looks awfully skinny, but when I put my hand through, it looks okay. I may have to give this pair to one of my daughters with skinnier legs than mine!

Sunday, I finally found some time to tat! My sewing room is a disaster right now... Mom offered to help me organize it, but somehow we ran out of time! Because the sewing room is such a mess, I had to do a little cleaning in order to find my tatting supplies! You think I jest? Hah! Mom is my witness! Carol too! It's so bad, Carol set up an ironing board in her bedroom... mine can't be found for all the clutter! Anyway... I've started a piece for another coaster from Tatting Lace, one of my Japanese books. The Japanese books are very expensive, but the designs are so very beautiful! I'm very proud of the fact that when I looked at the chart for this piece, I knew I needed two shuttles to make it work. Believe me, I wouldn't have figured that out a year ago! The pattern is very simple and pretty. I hope to have it finished this week... time will tell!

No time to blog!

I wish I could say this beautiful tatted doily is my work, but it isn't! Elizabeth in MA and I corresponded earlier this summer regarding the mistake in the Daffodil Doily pattern in Learn to Tat by Janette Baker. We had both attempted to make our own corrections to the doily, and Elizabeth asked if she could send me one of hers. Of course I said yes! Elizabeth wrote me a lovely note, and she let me know that the book is now available with the corrections... good news for those of us who want to encourage others to learn to tat! Thank you for the lovely gift, Elizabeth! I will treasure it always!

On the home front... I have had very little time to tat or work on my socks. Dave has gotten the bug to work on the house! He gets inspired every once in a while, and there's just no stopping him! The reason for this bug? My nephew's wedding is this weekend, and my mom will be coming home with us afterwards and spending a week! Dave spent a whole week cleaning the back porch. He's been wanting a "picture room" for several years, and now he has it! He found all the pictures that have been in storage for several years, cleaned them up, and then started hanging them. Of course, I had to step in and give my advice. I'm sure Dave would have preferred that I stay in the living room and tat, but I can be very particular!


Our back porch is one of my mom's favorite places to sit, and now she'll really be able to enjoy it when she visits!


We've also hung some of my favorite pieces in the living room: an angel I crocheted, a ship that Mom crocheted, a reproduction counted cross stitch sampler, and one of my dad's favorite pictures. I'll post pictures of them later.

We cleaned and organized upstairs... it really needed it! Dave decided that cleaning wasn't enough, so he's started painting the north bedroom porcelain blue. It's going to look really nice! I think I should have my mom come visit more often! ; )