A good read

 

My friend Katie recommended A Man Called Ove by Fredric Backman, and I'm so glad she did! I found myself laughing and crying, something I haven't done while reading a book in a long time. As soon as I finished reading it this morning, I looked for the movie and found it on Amazon Prime. The movie didn't follow the book exactly, but it was close enough that I didn't feel like the story was ruined.

This afternoon I focused on round 12 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. I finished, but I'm paying the price now. My wrists and forearms are pretty sore from too much tatting. I may have to take a break tomorrow!

Lost and found

 

Today was bread day! I haven't baked any for a few days, and it was time. I chose to add cheddar cheese and black pepper to this loaf. Both Mom and Dave approved!

I ventured upstairs to do some more sorting this morning, and I found a partially finished shawlette. Honestly, I don't remember starting this one. Luckily, the pattern was in with the project, and I had clearly marked where I had left off. Rather than put it away to be finished later, I decided to finish it today. I should do that with more found projects!

A good start

 

I'm off to a good start with round 12 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. I've tatted about 1/3 of the way around from the picot gauge at the top to the two shuttles at the bottom right. Not bad!

Round 11

 

Tollway Tatters met via Zoom yesterday, and during our meeting I managed to tat more than half of round 11. Today I finished round 11!

Spring break

Today was the first day of spring break for me! I celebrated by doing laundry and doing some organizing upstairs. I didn't get too carried away, but I do feel good about what I accomplished.

My big accomplishment of the day was finishing round 10 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. I'm eager to start round 11!

I didn't get any ice drops or button ornaments tatted today, but I did manage to finish another bookmark. My ball of green thread is close to being used up. I'm guessing I have three or four bookmarks worth of thread left. Time will tell!

New shuttles

 

Opening the mail was fun today, because I received new shuttles from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design. They're so much prettier in person!

Today I decided to tat two bookmarks, one in size 10 and one in size 20. I personally prefer the one in size 20, but the size 10 bookmarks are much quicker to finish!

One little button

 

Today I took one little button and tatted a very pretty ornament! I don't have much Sea Island Breeze left, just what's wound on this shuttle.

So, what's next? I think I might focus on Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. I do love the pattern so far, and I like the feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing a large project!

The end

 

This is the last of my buttons from my tatting friend Hanneke. 

I think they look wonderful together on this little tree. I guess it's time to move on to a new project!

Just one

I was too busy reading today, so I finished just one piece of tatting. I wonder if I'll ever tire of tatting button ornaments, ice drops, or bookmarks? I hope not!

Volleyball

I didn't accomplish a whole lot today, mainly because I enjoyed watching granddaughter Ella play in a volleyball tournament... virtually! My internet connection wasn't the greatest, but it was enjoyable to watch anyway. Granddaughter Lily has a tournament tomorrow, so I may be glued to the screen again!

I experimented with olive bread today. Mom and I love it! Dave isn't a fan. Lucky for him, we still have some triple cheddar and pepper bread left!

My only tatting today was a bookmark. I guess it's better than nothing!

Distractions

 

I allowed myself to get distracted again! Shelby, the high school girl who found a tatted bookmark at Barnes and Noble, is reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. When I saw how excited she was, I decided I should read it. The book arrived this afternoon, and I've already read 1/4 of it. It's one that I would definitely purchase for the school library... if I were still the librarian!

I baked another loaf of triple cheddar and pepper bread this afternoon. This one will go to daughter Carol tomorrow. Lucky for her, I still have half a loaf left or I'd be tempted to keep it for myself!

Because I was so distracted, I only managed to tat one button ornament today. I've probably said this before, but I think this one might be my favorite!

Progress

 

I'm making all sorts of progress. Today I managed to tat a bookmark and a button ornament, something I haven't managed to do in several days!

I also finished round 9 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. I took the time to pin this round before giving it a shot of steam. I wanted to make sure I had everything just right for starting round 10!

Something different

 

Our art teacher came up with a fabulous project! Staff members and students were given a card stock feather to decorate, something that reflects the individual. I chose tatting and memories from my 31 years as librarian and computer teacher. 

The wall isn't finished yet, but it sure looks good so far!

The kids call daughter Carol "CC", with her permission of course! She loves books, drama club, travel, her cat Wally, and I believe the right side is a cup of tea. 

Today's bread experiment is triple cheddar and pepper. I'm not sure what inspired me to add pepper, but it sure does smell good!

Slow start to the week

I'm off to a slow start with my tatting. Dave finished revamping our clothes closet this weekend, so my Saturday and Sunday were filled with sorting, pitching, cleaning, folding... you get the picture.

I did tat a bookmark at school this morning, but this afternoon was spent with more sorting and organizing.

Remember the year I had most of the third graders tatting? Those kids are now sophomores in high school. The other day Shelby showed me a tatted bookmark she purchased at Barnes and Noble. Isn't it adorable? She said she bought it because it reminded her of learning to tat in third grade. Does anyone know where the pattern is from? If it's for sale, I would love to purchase it. I think it would be a great gift for high school book lovers!

Bread

I am having way too much fun baking bread, and it's showing up on the scale! I'm going to continue baking bread, because I really enjoy it. However, starting tomorrow I'm going to be much more careful about how much I consume!

Yesterday was a tatting disaster. Can you imagine that happening twice in one week? So, today I went back to bookmark and ornament tatting, sort of a tatting reset!

 

Boring?

 

My posts may be getting boring, but I'm okay with that. I started blogging as a way of keeping myself motivated, not as a way to promote myself as a writer! 😉

I am doing a good job of keeping myself motivated. I'm making good progress with my bookmarks and my ornaments. I'll need both for the fall... I hope!

More than expected

 

I was able to accomplish so much more tatting than I expected today! Button ornaments were my focus.

I also managed to tat a bookmark.

I thought I was done for the day, because my fingers were cramping up on me. I took a break and massaged my hands, and then I was ready for another button ornament!

Mission accomplished!

 

I finished cutting apart Dad's shirts this afternoon. Now they're all pressed and ready to be cut into squares for the quilt I'd like to make. We'll see how long it takes me to get to that phase!

My only tatting today was another Curds & Whey bookmark. I guess it's better than nothing!

Not much tatting

Not much went on in the way of tatting this weekend. Dave worked on our closet, and I slowly worked on doing some reorganization around the house. There's not a whole lot of difference yet, but I know I'll have a feeling of satisfaction once I've finished!

I did manage to tat a few rings and chains for round 9 of Renulek's Spring 2021 doily. My plan was to finish the round this weekend, but every time I sat down to tat I felt the urge to organize one more little thing.

One of the things I need to do is go through the bins of projects and supplies I have upstairs and find a new home for all of the things I know I'll never use. I started cutting up some of Dad's old shirts for a quilt I'd like to make. The rumpled pile is the shirts that have already had the buttons snipped off. I plan on using those for button ornaments. 

When I opened the bin with Dad's shirts, I found Drama Club t-shirts that I had saved to make a t-shirt quilt for daughter Carol. She has since decided that she'd like to have the t-shirts made into curtains for her classroom. We discovered that we were missing t-shirts from several of her plays. Most of the ones we were missing are in this pile!

It takes a while to cut away all of the unusable pieces of the shirts. These two stacks are ready for pressing.

I have a project basket started for the pressed pieces. Once everything is pressed, I plan on cutting out as many 8" squares as I can. Then, I'll take any good sized scraps and piece them together for additional blocks. It's good to have a plan!

Light bulb moment!

I don't know why it took me so long. I've seen the idea in many tatting books, but it took all this time for me to realize the benefit of having sample tatting pieces!

It took a question from a Facebook friend for the light bulb to come on. So, yesterday I tatted the back side of my basic Ice Drop in several sizes, all in size 20 thread. The top one has rings of 4-4-4-4 and chains of 6-6. The middle one is rings of 5-5-5-5 and chains of 7-7. The bottom one is rings of 6-6-6-6 and chains of 8-8. 

I'll probably make one smaller one with rings of 3-3-3-3 and chains of 5-5 and one larger one with rings of 7-7-7-7 and chains of 9-9 just so I'm prepared!

With these samples on hand, I can choose a shank button or glass gem and decide which stitch count will work best before getting started. I don't know whether I should feel brilliant for figuring this out, or foolish because it took me so long!

I like using this back with shank button, because it helps disguise the shank. As you can see, the base of the each ring just goes over the edge of the button. I think this size will work out great!

Mom asked if I'm going to mount the samples to a piece of paper or card stock. I think that's a great idea, and once I have all my samples made I may do that. For now, I'll just tuck them into my little sewing tin that I carry in my tatting bag.

My Roly-poly bag from Jane Eborall is perfect for take-along tatting. Jane, are you still making and selling these? I know I have at least three. This one is my favorite!

Another Facebook friend asked how I get my tatted bookmarks into the sleeves neatly. The sleeves come with a paper insert.

I pull the paper insert out part way and set the tatting on the paper. Then I gently slide the paper and tatting back into the sleeve. Sometimes this goes smoothly, and sometimes it's a bit fiddly. I'm not sure why!

When the tatting is close to where I'd like it, I start to gently pull out the piece of paper. With a little bit of tapping on the plastic, I can get the tatting to the exact spot where I want it to stay. I can then pinch the bottom of the tatting to hold it in place while I slide out the paper insert.

I add the tassel, and the bookmark is finished!

A new thread

 

I ordered a new thread, available at Handy Hands and Tatting Corner. Ljiljan thread was not one that was familiar to me. A tatting friend asked if I had tried it, so you know I had to search for it! It's a very nice thread, one I'd recommend.

It works up nicely as a button ornament, and I loved using my new shuttle from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design.

I liked it so much, I tatted a second one! I also managed to tat another Curds & Whey bookmark today. I love it when my tatting days go well!

My adventure in baking no knead bread continues. Today I made beer and cheddar bread for daughter Carol. It smells delicious!