Forgetful

I forgot to blog again last night. As I was snuggling down for the night, I suddenly realized that I hadn't blogged. Too late! There was no way I was leaving the coziness of my bed!

I didn't blog on Friday, because I didn't do anything other than read. I finished the murder mystery trilogy that I was reading. As I mentioned before, it was enough to hold my interest, but the foul language and detailed "love" scenes were not to my liking. When I finished the trilogy, all I could think of was the implausible plot twists that made the story confusing at times. I can't believe that the characters would make some of the choices they did, especially the ones that led to the final major scene.

On to better things!

Yesterday we had a Tollway Tatters Zoom meeting! I think there were eight of us this time, including my new tatting friend Ines from Germany. Bernice joined us from Canada. We had a great time showing off what we were tatting. Like any group of ladies that gets together, the conversation flitted from one topic to another. For once, I managed to truly accomplish during our meeting.

I finished round 7 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily!

Making new friends

 

One of the best things about the Internet has been the ability to build friendships! Recently, I've been corresponding with Ines in Germany. Ines shared this beautiful pattern with me, and I finished it this evening. I'm glad you found my blog and started writing to me, Ines!

I bet you're surprised to see another bookmark!

Back to buttons

 

I had two shuttles wound with Island Breeze, and I decided that it would be fun to see how my January 12 ornament would look in this thread. It's a bit busy, but I like it. However, I do prefer it in a solid color.

I've added another bookmark to my stash. Is it time to become a little more adventurous and try some new patterns? Maybe!

Another day, another bookmark

 

I used to love working with size 10 thread back in my crocheted doily days. Since learning to tat, I really prefer size 20 or smaller. However, I really am enjoying working with Elisa. It's nice and smooth, and it makes wonderful bookmarks!

Curds 7 Whey from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior has been my go-to pattern lately. I now have nine of these tatted, as well as two from other patterns. If I keep going at this pace, I should have 100 bookmarks to sell at Christmas in the Village in the fall!

More YouTube

 

I spent hours watching YouTube videos yesterday, and I fell in love with "Olivia" by mai mai kaito. However, I made a big mistake, and her beautiful square motif became a snowflake. I didn't notice my mistake until I was almost finished with the second repeat. 

I thought about snipping my thread and starting over, but then I decided to keep going to see what would happen. I found that it's incredibly difficult to remember how a mistake has been made so that it can be repeated five times!

I hope to find time this week to tat this beautiful motif correctly!

I wanted to try another pattern for bookmarks, so I headed back to Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. This pattern is Crooked Mile. I've started tatting this pattern many times, never successfully. This time I took a picture with my iPad and used the markup function to keep track of my place in the pattern. It worked like a charm!

My shuttle was wound with size 10 Elise for my at-school tatting today. For some reason, I was very sleepy, and it took me all morning to tat this Curds & Whey bookmark. I sure hope I'm more alert tomorrow!

Ups and downs

I did no crafting on Friday! Instead, I read a murder mystery, Olive Park by C. L. Booth. It's not one I'd necessarily recommend, but it did hold my interest. In fact, I purchased the other two books in the trilogy. Why wouldn't I recommend it? I guess I'm turning into an old fuddy daddy, but I was turned off by the foul language. Are all cops and criminals so crude? Maybe they are. Give me Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew, please!

Saturday started off great with another Curds & Whey bookmark (pattern in Tatting with Visual PatternsI by Mary Konior). Once that was finished, I spent time on my computer looking for a pattern called Petals Button Pattern. Wouldn't you know, I got distracted and spent the morning with YouTube!

I can't tell you how many YouTube videos I watched. Let's just say I was on the computer for a few hours! This tape lace video caught my eye, and I just happened to have a shuttle wound and ready for action, so I followed along!

Pretty soon, I had another bookmark! I may be inspired to try some other new patterns today!

I was feeling pretty good about my morning, so after lunch and went back to my computer to search for the Petals Button Pattern. I found it! It was on the Tatted Button Ornaments page on Facebook. The pattern was posted by Iti Fox on December 2, 2020. I know why I didn't try it right away. It's a needle tatting pattern, and I wasn't in the mood to figure things out at the time. However, with renewed tatting confidence, I plunged right in!

I haven't tatted outward facing rings with buttons before. I had three very sloppy false starts before I got this far. The first set of rings looked great, but as I kept going, my small rings leaned further and further to the right. What was I doing wrong?

I decided to keep going, but I should have tatted one more pattern repeat. Maybe I should have used size 10 thread with the 5/8" button I was using, and maybe I should have checked before closing that last big ring with my shuttle on the wrong side of the tatting!

Totally frustrated, I contacted my friend Shelley and after a video chat, I decided to try again. Instead of tilting to the right, my small rings tilted to the left!

I then decided that the best thing to do would be to tat the motif without the button, a much easier way to see where I was going wrong. This doesn't look too bad, and I think I have choices. I can stick with size 20 thread and use a smaller button. I can stick with size 20 thread and add more rings to the motif. I can switch to size 10 thread, still using the 5/8" button. 

Maybe I'll take a break and tat another bookmark!

Keepin' busy

Last night I was motivated to work on Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. This round is super simple, but it is also very time consuming!

Early this morning I chose to work on my latest Granny Rectangle. I really like the mix of blue and grey!

I promised Jon (daughter Carol's significant other) a loaf of homemade bread. This one is onion and parmesan. It smells so wonderful!

My tatting at school today was another bookmark and a donut ornament. Little projects give me such a feeling of accomplishment!

It's still plenty cold here, but the sun has been melting the snow on the roof leaving some pretty impressive icicles!

A little of this, a little of that...

 

As soon as I finished round 6 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily, I set up round 7. Getting set up is half the battle!

I finished up a bookmark and an Ice Drop that I had in my tatting bag. I know how much thread I need on a shuttle to be able to complete a bookmark, but somehow I managed to measure incorrectly. I had to add thread twice! I really thought I'd get a button ornament made today, but I made the mistake of starting a book, and I can't put it down!

Round 6

 

Today I focused on and finished round 6 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily (free row-by-row pattern available on her blog, or paid version of the complete pattern available in her Etsy shop). This round was super simple, but I made multiple mistakes. I love the simple elegance of this design!

Bookmark bonanza!

 

I'm in the mood to tat bookmarks! Ever since I cracked the code on Mary Konior's Curds & Whey from Tatting with Visual Patterns, it's been my favorite bookmark pattern.

These are done in size 10 Elisa, available at both Handy Hands and Tatting Corner. I know that one shuttle with six good size arm lengths of thread will give me seven pattern repeats, just right for these bookmark sleeves. The bookmark sleeves and tassels are from Amazon. I ordered a pack of 100 sleeves, so I have 96 to go!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

My goal yesterday was to tat Button Love Heart from Button Jar Tatting by Martha Ess, and I did it! It looks complicated, but Martha's step-by-step directions (written and diagrammed) were so clear that I had no problems at all.

Sometimes, it takes me forever to try something new. Instead of picking up my shuttles and tatting, I look over the patterns and get overwhelmed by what I'm looking at. More often than not, if I just find something I like and get right to it, everything works out fine. Even trying new techniques isn't bad, as long as I don't think about them too long!

I received some gorgeous buttons from a new tatting friend yesterday. I have so many ideas bouncing around in my brain right now! The buttons came pressed into a piece of foam board. Wasn't that a clever idea? I'm really eager to see what I can do with the domed buttons. What will these beauties become? Time will tell!

Day off

 

I had the day off from school, so my sister Janet came to visit today. Mom had finished a quilt top for her, and we went to the quilt shop to choose a backing and to have it machine quilted. We stopped at daughter Carol's house for lunch, and then headed home for a leisurely afternoon. While we visited, I worked on my latest Granny Rectangle. I do love how quickly this pattern works up!

Before Janet arrived, I managed to tat one button ornament with one of my newest shuttles from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design. I also started Button Love Heart from Button Jar Tatting by Martha Ess. However, I messed it up, snipped it off, and resolved to try again tomorrow!

Doodle day

 

Well, I only managed to tat one today, but it is a beautiful Doodle Ice Drop. I think it goes well with one of my newest shuttles from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design. Isn't it a beauty?

I would have loved to have tatted more, but this afternoon I headed off to the dentist to get a broken tooth fixed. After that, I headed to the grocery store. We're expecting cold temperatures over the weekend, and I would rather have all my food in the house before the cold hits!

Just one

 

It took me all morning to tat this button ornament. I'm not sure why. It just did!

This afternoon I worked on my newest Granny Rectangle. I finished the first skein of navy blue and started with grey. I don't plan on finishing this afghan as quickly. Crocheting seems to be really hard on my wrists these days. I guess I was a little too gung ho finishing two in three weeks!

Maybe it's the snow...

 

Island Breeze certainly makes me think of the tropics. Maybe I'm secretly ready for the snow to melt so that Spring can come to Illinois. I don't think it will happen any time soon. We're expecting frigid temps through the weekend. 

The colors in this thread certainly are cheerful, and quite different from the winter wonderland I can see from my tatting chair!

Variety

Island Breeze is still filling my shuttles! I wonder how many button ornaments I will get out of this ball of thread?

I've decided to work through some more of my yarn stash, so I started another Granny Rectangle. I am definitely inspired to crochet with these very chilly temps!

Tonight, I finished round 5 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. I really am enjoying this pattern!

Ta da!

 

I finished another Granny Rectangle afghan last night! I did tat a few rings and chains on Renulek's Spring 2021 Doily yesterday, but my fingers were too cold for tatting. Focusing on the Granny Rectangle paid off!

Too cold to tat

My hands were cold today. I think it had something to do with the snow and the high temp of 18!

At any rate, working with yarn was much more warming that working with thread. So, I crocheted!

More Island Breeze

 

Today I finished round 4 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. This was another easy round, so I paid close attention!

I tatted two more button ornaments in Lizbeth Island Breeze while at school this morning. I really am enjoying tatting with this color!

Island Breeze

 

Island Breeze is such a cheerful color! I think I'm just going to enjoy playing with it for a while.

I decided to start another Granny Rectangle today. Once it is set up, it's a super simple project to pick up for even a few minutes. It's also a great stash buster!

Tatting Tuesday

I thought about knitting today, but I didn't. I thought about sewing today, but I didn't. I thought about crocheting today, but I didn't. I stuck to tatting!

First, I went to my cart that's filled with thread (yes, I do have a cart filled with thread), and grabbed the first bright color that caught my eye. This is size 20 Lizbeth #130, Island Breeze. This sure is a fun color!

 I also worked on round three of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. I'm ready to start round 4!

I forgot to blog last night!

I knew I had picked up my computer for something. I watched some interesting YouTube videos last night, and then I went to bed feeling like I had forgotten something. I had... blogging!

We had about 8" of snow over the weekend with quite a bit of drifting. So, yesterday was a remote learning day. I managed to finish my Granny Rectangle while monitoring student activity. It's not a full-sized afghan, but it's definitely large enough to cover my legs on a chilly evening!

When I was looking for donuts on Fire Mountain Gems, I found these 15mm braided circles. It took me a while to find a stitch count I liked. This one in Lizbeth Sky Blue Dark has rings of 6-6-6-6 and chains of 12 ds. It seemed a bit too snug for my taste.

Next I tried Lizbeth Azalea Med. The rings are the same size, but I increased the chains the 15. I like it much better!

I'm a big fan of post shuttles, probably because I learned to tat with a post shuttle. I especially love Rita Richmond's hand-made shuttles. I don't know how she does it, but the size and shape work perfectly for me. The dark purple and lavender shuttles are from her new line of Sparkle & Shine shuttles. No, they don't have a pick or a hook. I don't mind one bit. It's easy enough to pick up a crochet hook when I need one for a join, and I like that I have better control of the thread length with this style shuttle. Isn't it wonderful that we have so many choices?