Shopping day!

Denise asked if I wanted to go shopping and out to lunch yesterday, and I said yes! We each needed one item. I needed ink for my printer. Denise was looking for a suitcase. Needless to say, we each returned home with many more bargains than we had planned for. 😁

For lunch, we went to a little place called Blue's Cafe in Kankakee. We each ordered one of the lunch specials, a half pound bacon cheddar burger with onion rings. Oh, my! We cleaned our plates and took pie home for later. I was so full, I couldn't eat dinner. Luckily, I had planned on a pot of chili for dinner, so Dave was able to chow down without me.

I managed to get all my purchases put away and start my pot of chili before Bella arrived. She was eager to start weaving, and I think she made great progress! Yes, there were a few hiccups, but isn't that how we learn?

I started another Ice Drop last night. This is my Purple Fudge pattern, using Jelly Bean. I'm not very good at choosing names, so Purple Fudge was named for the color gem stone and the thread color I used in the first one. It does seem like a silly name with all of these bright colors!

Here's a copy of my pattern, if you'd like to give it a try. For the one I tatted in Jelly Bean, I changed to order of rounds by tatting round 1, then 3, and finishing up with round 2. Changing it this way allowed me to give the back a shot of steam to make it lie nicely. Isn't it cheerful?


Purple Fudge Ice Drop
Diane Cademartori (https://lacelovinlibrarian.blogspot.com February 22, 2017
Size 20 Lizbeth #697, Fudge Dark


Round 1:

•  Ring: 4-4-4-4, reverse work.
  
•  Chain: 7-7, reverse work.
  
•  Repeat for a total of 6 rings and 6 chains.
  
•  Join last chain to base of first ring with a lock join, reverse work.
  
  Round 2:
  

•  Ring: 6-6-6. Fold ring away from you, toward center of first round.
  
•  Chain: 8. Lock join to base of ring from first round.
  
•  Repeat for a total of 6 rings and 6 chains, joining rings as you go. Note: insert
  
•  glass gem before joining last ring to first ring.
  
  Round 3:
  

•  Chain: 7, reverse work.
  
•  Ring: 6+6, joining to picot of round 1 chain, reverse work.
  
•  Chain: 9, reverse work.
  
•  Ring: 6+6, joining to same picot of round 1 chain, shoelace trick.
  
•  Ring: 6-6, shoelace trick. Lock join to base of previous ring.
  
•  Chain: 9, reverse work.
  
•  Ring: 6+6, joining to same picot of round 1 chain, reverse work.
  
•  Chain: 7. Lock join to base of ring in first round.
  
•  Continue in this manner for a total of 6 pattern repeats. Cut, tie, hide ends.
  

Back to subbing

Today was my first day of subbing for the new school year. It's unusual to be called in the first two weeks of school, but it does happen.

I did have time to tat two Ice Drops, and I really like the way they turned out!

Reading day

Yes, I took another day for reading. I am really enjoying Demelza by Winston Graham, the second book in the Poldark series. I also spent quite a bit of time surfing the Internet and reading blogs about weaving, woodworking, calligraphy, cooking, photograph, as well as the blogs I follow. The time sure disappeared quickly!

So, I only did a little bit of tatting today.

I was reading and watching videos about landscape photography with the iPhone.

Dave's been busy cutting up fire wood, so I used his logs as my subject matter.

I'm not sure I understood what I read, but I had fun experimenting!

Every once in a while, I pull this book of the shelf and look through it. I've had this book for years, but I've never tatted any of the patterns. I think I'm put off by the notation. I really should take the time to diagram at least one pattern, but I get too distracted by other things!

Another one gets away

I had a very busy and productive day yesterday, but blogging eluded me. I just plain forgot to post!

I started the second book in the Poldark series. I'm not rushing through these books. Instead, I'm making sure I savor every page!

I still have plenty of Lizbeth Jelly Bean left. It goes well with many of the glass gems I have.

It's also easy to find ribbons to coordinate with the thread.

It's been a while since I worked on Renulek's Wiosna 2017. I misplaced the pattern, and I finally printed out another copy. I do like this pattern!

School started this week, and Bella is coming over after school every day. Bella is now in 5th grade and wants to learn to weave. She chose the colors and is now set to start weaving next week.

Bella also started designing warping patterns for inkle bands. The second from the bottom is the patterns she followed for her first band.

I love sharing the little I know with others!

Lazy days

I've been very lazy this week. I've done what needs to be done around the house, but nothing extra. I've enjoyed every moment of being a slug!

I did manage to tat another Ice Drop today, still working with Jelly Bean.

My main focus this week has been reading Ross Poldark by Winston Graham. I finished it after cleaning up the kitchen tonight, and I'm ready to start the next novel in the series. Tomorrow is laundry day, so maybe I'll do some reading between switching laundry loads!

Taking a day off

I took a day off from tatting yesterday. I did a little weaving, a little reading, and a little organizing. I also looked at some of my tatting books, but I just never got around to tatting.

Today I meant to tat several Ice Drops, but I only managed to tat one in Lizbeth #119, Jelly Bean.

I spent quite a bit of time getting myself organized for Palmetto Tat Days. I think I'm all set for my classes now. Shuttles are wound with thread. I have baggies with information for each of the classes I'm taking. I even managed to find my denim shirt that I purchased last year. I think I'm ready for some tatting fun!

Solar eclipse

I did not go outside to try and view the solar eclipse today. I didn't have the glasses, and I didn't have the materials to make a viewing device. So, I watched it on t.v.

Besides, staying inside and watching t.v. allowed me to keep tatting!

I finished my Hanging Garden doily from  Tatting lace with your life. The rings are in Lizbeth Green Coral Sea, and the chains are in Azalea Lt. As you may recall, I guessed that the finished size would be about 6". Wrong! In size 20 thread it measures 8 1/2".

I managed to tat another Ice Drop in Vinyard Harvest. It's a bit darker than I like, but I think it's a pretty good combination for heading into fall. 

Back to Ice Drops

I've been concentrating on my Hanging Garden doily for the past few days, and I've neglected my Ice Drops. So today I neglected the doily and worked on Ice Drops!

I stuck to the basic pattern so that I could finish more. These are done with size 20 Lizbeth #131, Vinyard Harvest.

I'm planning on taking them to our Christmas in the Village in December.

I plan on having three trees on my table filled with Ice Drops. The rest will be in little baggies so that people can see the variety of colors.

I think I may switch to white so that I can tat ones that look more like snowflakes. It sure has been a year for Ice Drops!

Fun on the tollway

Tollway Tatters had a wonderful time today!

Ana was working on her very first Ice Drop.

She worked with a red glass gem and white thread from one of the goody bags that Denise passed out to us.

Barbara also worked on her first Ice Drop today.

She used a beautiful blue bead. She's hoping she has another at home, because she feels that a darker blue thread would have set off the look of the bead better.

Sue was the teacher of the day! She graciously worked with Ana and Barbara on their Ice Drops. Sue made one also, but somehow I didn't get a picture of it. The box of red and white Ice Drops is the set that Sue has been working on over the past several weeks. They'll go on the Christmas tree that Denise is setting up as a library fund raiser.

Mary was our only needle tatter today.

 Her needle tatting is beautiful, but we're still trying to talk her into giving shuttle tatting a try!

Denise decided to match her thread and top today... just kidding... it wasn't done on purpose! ...or was it? 😏

Denise worked on flowers for one of the classes she's signed up for at Palmetto Tat Days.

Sue Anna is the one who got us all going with tie-dye t-shirts.

I'm afraid I've forgotten what she was working on, but I know she is the biggest fan of Marilee's patterns!

Marilee was sporting a beautiful necklace from her second Craftsy class. She also had on very pretty earrings.

Marilee worked on this technique from a Japanese book. I have the book, but I'm too lazy to go check out the title!

I worked on my Hanging Garden doily, but I'm not quite finished... maybe tomorrow!

Sue's husband Richard was kind enough to take a group picture, not an easy task since we're all so easily distracted!

Way off!

Hanging Garden doily from Tatting lace with your life
size 20 Lizbeth Azalea Lt and Green Coral Sea

My guess that this doily would be about 6" was way off. It's already 7" and I still have a round to go. Don't count on me for good estimates!

In the pink

I finished the second round of the Hanging Garden doily from Tatting lace with your life. This was a very simple round, and I love the way the Azalea Lt and Green Coral Sea look together! Two rounds to go!

I pulled out my ball of Pink Cocoa today. Yes, I did crave chocolate and strawberries while tatting today!

Feelin' blue

I started off the day feeling blue...

Caribbean blue! I kind of like the pink glass gem, and the pink ribbon seemed to be the perfect touch.

I did some band weaving on my new mini loom. I made a mistake on the first pattern repeat, but I decided to let it be and keep going. So far my tension is good, so maybe I'm finally catching on!

I was inspired to pull my Korean tatting book, Tatting lace with your life, off the shelf when I read Jeff's post this morning. I do like this book, and I haven't done anything from it in a while.

So today I started the Hanging Garden doily. This is the first round, and it's the most complicated round. It won't be a huge doily. It's only four rounds, and the other three rounds are not as deep. Right now, this piece is about 3 1/4" across. I'm guessing it will be about 6" when it's finished. We'll see if I'm right!
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Hydrangea Doily

It all started with one little motif from New Tatting by Tomoko Morimoto. A nice simple tat was just what I needed to start my day. Then I got distracted.

Yes, I have another new little loom. I just had to play with it! A few weeks ago, I contacted Gene Marino of Hard Maple Looms with some ideas for a mini loom, and Gene came through!

Before warping the loom, I did some more reading and watched some more videos so that I could perfect my weaving. I guess time will tell if I learned anything!

Remember that little flower motif? I could stop at just one, so I tatted the Hydrangea Doily in New Tatting.

Hmmm... I guess I should block it!

Distractions

This weekend was filled with distractions... wonderful distractions, which left little time for tatting.

We spent Saturday car shopping with daughter Alison. I had forgotten how long it can take to choose a car! Sunday we visited friends.

With all the activity, I became very distracted. I tried starting a new doily, but have nothing to show for my efforts. I started several times, made foolish mistakes, snipped, trashed, and started over. I'd like to say today will be the day I really make progress, but I offered to help daughter Carol set up her classroom, so this may be another unproductive day on the doily front!

Luckily, I can almost tat Ice Drops in my sleep! I love Lizbeth Caribbean with the blue glass gem. This time I put picots on all the inside chains... much better!

I'm not sure I like the pale yellow with the pink, but I'm sure some little girl will love it, and I have several little girls who will be visiting in the next several months. 😊

Can you tell that I"m enjoying the Green Coral Sea and orange glass gem combo? Orange is not a color I am drawn to, unless it's part of a Dreamsicle, but since I have several orange glass gems, I have to find a way to incorporate them in Ice Drops. Finding threads that work with the orange has been a real eye opener for me. Who knew orange went so well with so many different colors?