The weekend was wonderful, but I'm bushed! Saturday was our Tollway Tatters meeting... absolutely wonderful! Sunday I drove up to my daughter's to watch the kids so that Alison and Dan could celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. Monday we had family over for a cookout. It was beautiful for most of the day, with rain starting in the early evening.

Inventory is in full swing in the library, but I still have students at their normal times. Teaching the kids tatting has proven to be valuable in ways I hadn't anticipated. The kids have something to do while I'm working on organizing shelves!

Lillian was very excited, because she finished six inches of Fancy Pants! Now she's ready to learn picots.

Zachary, one of the 2nd graders, came to school with a big ball of red thread that his mom bought for him. The kids were intrigued, and asked if we could get big balls of thread next time. A quick Internet search led me to a sale of Aunt Lydia's crochet cotton. The kids asked... I'll be delivering tomorrow!

I was very excited when I opened the mail today and saw my two latest acquisitions made by "'im in the garage" aka Jane Eborall's brother-in-law. I nearly forgot to visit Jane's shop on shuttle shopping day, so I was pleasantly surprised that the two I really wanted were still available. Lucky me!

Bad Boyes, Bad Boyes

Bad, bad, bad, Boyes, you make me feel so good!

That's what Marilee and I were singing at our Tollway Tatters meeting today. We had so much fun!

I brought along some Boye shuttles that I had decorated. I don't like the tips on the Boyes, so I snipped them off, sanded the rough edges, and blinged the shuttles.

Marilee wound one with thread right away, and started singing "Bad Boyes." We decided it was a great title for a blog post! Marilee and I agreed that we don't care for the Boye shuttles as they come out of the package, but once they've been cleaned up and made presentable, they're not bad at all.

We had a nice sized group today...

Sue Anna and Carol,

Barb,

Marilee,

Alison and Eva,

and Julie, who drove all the way from Iowa to join us!

We laughed, chatted, tatted, and had a wonderful day! The highlight of our day was spreading the tatting love...

A police officer stopped by to see what we were doing. After a little conversation, we learned that she's the youngest daughter of one of my husband's customers! Isn't it a small world? She left with shuttles, thread, and business cards. She doesn't live too far from me, so maybe she and her kids will decide to come tat with us.

A little while later, this lovely lady and her daughter Sophia stopped by to see what we were doing. They were fascinated, and they also left with shuttles, thread, and business cards. They were traveling from Wisconsin to Cincinnati. I hope they're able to learn to tat!

I didn't get a picture, but we also shared shuttles with a tall, lanky young man from the pretzel kiosk. He recognized us by our shirts. Obviously he's been working when we've been tatting. He was interested in what we were doing. Who knows? Maybe he'll have taken the plunge by the next time we meet!

I did manage to get about half way around this row of Renulek's Letnia. I really am enjoying this doily.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. I hope we have as much fun the next time we get together!

Button, button, who's got the button?

It might be me! Mom asked me to be on the lookout for 1.5" to 2" buttons for the bags woven on her Saori loom. I seldom back down from a challenge, if it's something I'm interested in, so I started searching the Internet.

I found these on Amazon, but I'm still looking for more unusual buttons, preferably with two holes, but four will work. If you have any sources for large buttons, please let me know!

My little tatters keep on tatting!

Christian lost his shuttle, so Janie has been letting him tat with one of hers.

Camryn taped two sections of Fancy Pants together to earn her prize. She's a new big sister as of yesterday, and she's very excited!

Look at all these lovely picots!

I think it's great that there are boys tatting as well as girls.

The second graders don't have the opportunity to come in at lunch recess, because I'm on cafeteria duty during their recess time. They do find opportunities throughout the day to come in and reload with thread and choose prizes!

I've started inventory in the library, which leaves me very tired at the end of the day. Could this be a sign that I'm getting older? Maybe. I do find that I fall asleep while tatting in the evening, so I haven't progressed very far on Renulek's Letnia. I keep trying!

Oh, my little tatters!

I just love them!

They keep on tatting, even when I forget to take pictures.

They make presents. Paige tatted this bracelet for me. I am so flattered!

They seem to understand that I am forgetful and cannot remember who tatted what by the time I get home...

...and they keep on tatting!

Yesterday, 6th grader Shawn asked me if I had any more tatting shuttles. When I said yes, his eyes lit up!

I love these kids!

Lost photos

I guess it's time to clean up the photos on my phone, because I seem to be missing some very special ones.

Kayla in 4th grade has been teaching me how to make friendship bracelets. She's been very encouraging, and she's a very patient teacher. I know we took a picture of my bracelet to put on the blog, but I can't find it on my phone or on my computer. It's lost in space!

Yesterday, 2nd grader Atalissa came in to show me her third 6" piece of chain. She's trying very hard to achieve Fancy Pants, but is still tatting Josephine chain. She's not one to give up, but again, the picture of her progress is missing.

I'll try to remember to take new pictures today.

In the meantime, I've been decorating more shuttles for the kids. I used paper napkins for this batch. They're so cheerful!

I'm very excited about the newest addition to my little creative heaven, my Saori loom! Mom is an avid weaver, and I love all of the beautiful pieces she has created. Now I get to learn! The set-up is going very slowly, because I have never set up a floor loom before. I read each step at least 14 times, because I don't want to mess up! Mom and I plan to have lots of fun when she comes to visit in June!

Slow progress

Dave has been very busy at work, which means he needs my help with bookwork at night. It's nice to be needed, but it does cut in to my tatting time. When it comes to choosing between gathering dust bunnies and tatting, I choose tatting. After all, school will be out in a few weeks, and I can take care of those dust bunnies then!

Taking advantage of little bits of time, I've managed to finish two more rounds of Renulek's Letnia.

I think it's coming along nicely!

My tatting students have been tatting up a storm! Some of the second graders have already earned prizes, and they have convinced me to have another after-school session before the end of the school year. Over the summer, I plan to have some tatting get-togethers at my house. What fun!

I think my big task for the summer will be to refill the prize tins!

I did a little reorganizing in my sewing room this weekend and I found some paperclips I had purchased a few years ago with the intent of adding some tatting.

After seeing how much the kids loved the paperclips that Lou Dawn sent, I am inspired to take the time to learn.

Because there are so many kids tatting and rewinding shuttles and floss bobbins every day, I took the time to wind 10 yards of thread on to floss bobbins last weekend.

It was a big hit with the kids! They can exchange their empty floss bobbins for one already wound with thread. They wind their own shuttles.

I had another big thrill on Friday.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, I end my day at the Middle School. I'm the district librarian, and on those days I finish the day checking in and shelving books. I enjoy going up there, because I get to keep in touch with students I've known since preschool.

On Friday, a sixth grader who doesn't know me asked if I know how to tat. First of all, I was surprised that she knew who I was! It turns out, she has a sister in fourth grade. Alexis asked me if I would teach her to tat. You know my answer...

Could this virus be spreading to the middle school? I guess I'll soon find out!

Unbelievable!

We had 44 students in the after-school tatting class today, including the two second grade teachers! I admit, I cheated a little. With so many after-school activities at this time of year, i knew we wouldn't have as large a group as last time, so I invited the second graders. The response was... unbelievable!

During the after-school class, two students finished a challenge. Of course, I can't remember who this is, maybe Jessalyn. She was practicing chains with picots.

I remember this is the prize that Paige S. chose. When she came to get her picture taken, she couldn't find her tatting, a beautiful length of chain in size 80. Paige S. is moving on to picots now.

On a recent trip to Hobby Lobby, I found these foam slap bracelets. I thought they would be great for the kids to decorate with tatting.

Dylan took up the challenge, and she has been wearing her beautiful bracelet to school!

Recently, Lou Dawn sent some paperclips with tatting. The kids fell in love with them, naturally!

They have been very popular. In fact, the kids asked me today if I could learn how to do this so that there would be more available. I guess I'll have to go to Staples this weekend to find some cute paperclips!

I also received a box of goodies from Ann. Included were blank note cards that can be decorated with tatting. I thought I took a picture of all the cards, but I can't find it. There was also a bag of size 10 thread, but the kids were so excited with the colors, they were off winding their shuttles before I could take a picture. Since these threads are so pretty and glittery, the kids suggested that I keep these for prizes. I work with some pretty awesome kids!

Thank you Lou Dawn and Ann! You have really helped to keep my group of tatters motivated!

Where does the time go?

Is it just me, or does time seem to be flying by? I think that with the warmer weather finally here, I'm easily distracted by all sorts of activities... watching the birds build nests, rabbits bounding around the yard, mowing grass. Yet, I still manage to find time for tatting!

It's time for another Tollway Tatters meeting. Sue Anna and I decided on Saturday, May 24. If you can make it and need details, please email me. We always have loads of fun!

I wish my tatting buddies from school could come along. They're so much fun!

Last week, they surprised me by showing me that it is possible for two friends to tat together!

This is the ultimate in sharing! I didn't ask, but I'm guessing that some of the kids left their tatting supplies at home and felt the urge to tat. They say necessity is the mother of invention!

One of my fifth graders finished her first length of chain, and of course I can't remember who it was, but she did a beautiful job! I'm blaming the number of tatters I have rather than my poor memory for forgetting who tats what!

I'm making progress on Renulek's Letnia. I find the colors in Arctic Waters very soothing!

My very talented mother has been weaving up a storm with her new love... Saoria weaving!

She sent me this beautiful bag for my iPad mini.

This one is for my Kindle.

This one is just big enough for my cell phone, keys, and wallet.

And to top it all off, Mom made this beautiful silk table scarf! I haven't decided where I want this yet. For now, it's sitting by my side so that I can fondle its luscious texture!