A new thread pack

 

It pays to look through your stash every once in a while. You never know what you might find! I found this Finca thread pack called Holly, which seems to have the perfect colors for Christmas ornaments!

Isn't it funny how the thread  color looks so different with a change in background? This is the first ball from the thread pack. It looks kind of creamy against my blue footstool. It's really a lovely shade of pale green. This time I used a much smaller ring, a 13mm knitting stitch marker. This Dorset Crosswheel has 12 spokes. There are 10 tatted rings around the outer edge, so I think I may try using 10 spokes on the next button. 

We're having a Tollway Tatters Zoom meeting tomorrow! I won't be able to stay on for the whole time. My oldest granddaughter has a part in her college production of  Hello, Dolly! and we will be heading out to catch the early performance. It's going to be a great weekend!

Oops! A loop!

 

I only managed to tat one button ornament today, and it has a mistake that I didn't notice until I was cutting and tying at the end. I'm sure most people wouldn't notice it, but it sticks out like a sore thumb to me! 

Takin' it slow

 

I've been doing a lot of reading the past couple of days, so I've been doing very little tatting. That's okay! A change of pace always does us good!

Rainy days and Mondays

I've always loved the Carpenters' song, "Rainy Days and Mondays." However, rainy days and Mondays rarely get me down! 

In the spirit of trying all of the colors in the box, I used this perle cotton in shades of gray and black. This is not a color I would ever choose to use, but I guess it's a good one for Halloween week!

I haven't worked on my sweater in about a week, but rainy days seem to be perfect for knitting. I have 20 rounds to go before I divide for the sleeves. I am enjoying knitting in the round!

 

Rainy day activities

Saturday was a beautiful, cool, sunny day. Dave and my brother David worked on our shed roof while Mom and I puttered around in the house.

Today was rainy and gloomy. 

Mom and I agree that rainy days are perfect for reading books! After watching a movie about Queen Victoria last week, I went searching for books and this one caught my eye. It will go to daughter Carol, who loves European history. She told me she won't have time to read it until Christmas break, so I'm reading it first.

I started this set of Dorset button and ornament yesterday, but I didn't finish it until this afternoon. This is another color that I never would have purchased separately. However, I think it's really pretty, now that I've worked with it.

I switched from non-fiction to fiction this afternoon. Jo Tulip is helping to solve a murder mystery. She's drawn into the investigation because of her knowledge of household tips. This one's a light read, and I'm really enjoying it!

Rainy days seem like the perfect time to bake, so now we have some fresh bread to eat!

Too busy to blog... again!

Blogging really doesn't take that much time, but for the past few days I've felt too busy to blog. We had cleanup from the dinner theater, typical for this time of year. I've been subbing quite a bit, and I have my regular part-time job of lunch supervision. I'm reading a murder mystery called The Trouble with Tulip by Mindy Starns Clark. Of course there are all the normal household chores, but none of these things have kept me from blogging for long. Maybe I'm just getting lazy! ;-)

Another Dorset button and Dorset button ornament are my biggest achievements of the week. I love this blue/green perle cotton!

While subbing on Monday, I managed to tat two button ornaments.

I guess I should really start calling these donut ornaments!

On Tuesday, I experimented with air dry clay and my Springerle rolling pins and molds. They're still not completely dry. When they are, I will take them to school for students and staff members to decorate. Then they will be offered for sale at Christmas in the Village as a fund raiser for the drama club.

I subbed again yesterday and managed to tat two ornaments at school. I finished a third one last night. 

I'm keeping busy!

Well, I did it again!

I managed to not post for several days. This time I had an excuse... it was middle school play weekend!

Mom, my sister Janet, and I attended to Sunday matinee. Carol's assistant director took a picture of the four of us.

The kids did a fantastic job! It was easy to tell that the thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Despite all the busyness, I did manage to tat some more button ornaments. I feel like I'm slowing down in making ornaments, but it can't be helped. My days have been so busy, and I don't have the energy to do much at night.

My shuttle collecting continues. These are my two newest from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design. I love them!

Thursday already?

I can't believe it's Thursday already and I haven't posted a thing since Monday! I guess I've spent too much time reading information about biscornu, Springerle cookies, knitting, Dorset buttons, and housekeeping tips!

I've still been working on Dorset buttons and ornaments.

I have a good supply of rings, but I still keep searching for new ones to try out!

I've also been spending a good deal of time looking at threads. Why? I guess it doesn't matter. I'm having fun!

Keepin' busy

I honestly don't know how the weekend passed so quickly! I did get caught up in working on a few projects.

I've been wanting to try knitting a seamless top down sweater for a long, long time. Over the weekend, I decided that now is as good a time as ever. Knitting a sweater takes forever for me. The swatching alone took up a good amount of time. I'm a very loose knitter, and I know that I have to go down two needle sizes to get gauge. So why do I always start with the suggested needle size? 

I'm following a class on Craftsy, and I'm using the suggested yarn, Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted. It's very nice to work with, and I love the color!

I also managed to make some Dorset buttons and turn two into ornaments.

I guess I've been a color snob for too many years. I'm finding that these little splashes of colors that I never would have chosen in the past really brighten up my day!

Several years ago, I was really into making Springerle cookies. Let's be honest, collecting decorative rolling pins and cookie molds is far more interesting than baking cookies... at least for me! Anyway, about a week ago I started thinking about the salt dough ornaments that daughter Joanne and her kids made for Christmas ornaments a few years ago. Daughter Alison made gingerbread ornaments the same year. Why couldn't I make ornaments with my decorative rolling pins?

I started doing some research on the Internet, with one thing leading to another. I've read about salt dough ornaments, cinnamon ornaments, and then air dry clay ornaments. I talked with the art teacher, and she brought up making kiln dried ornaments. That's too many choices for me!

After further discussion, I decided that I would try air dry clay. I've never worked with clay before, so this was a totally new venture for me. Here's my first batch of air dry clay ornaments. They've been drying since Saturday morning. I will be taking them to school for the kids to decorate. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do!

Working with the air dry clay was pretty easy. I did watch some videos about working with clay after I made these. I probably should have watched the videos first! I did pick up a few tips that will come in handy if/when I decide to make some more.

I wonder what will distract me today?

Wrapped and ready to go!

 

My white Christmas tree is wrapped and ready to go!

If I counted correctly, there are 18 tatted ornaments and a dozen crystal teardrops. I may have to buy a few raffle tickets for this one myself!

Taking time to blog

I've been distracted for the last few days. I've been following links on the Internet, reading books, organizing crafts, and doing a little tatting. However, I haven't taken time to blog!

I've decided to work my way through my other box of WonderFil perle cotton. I'm working from the top left across, just like reading a book!

The color changes seem subtle when looking at individual pictures, but in the box each color looks very distinct.

Working with this box of colors has pushed me outside my color comfort zone. If I had purchased individual balls of perle cotton, there's only one color I would have been drawn to. Can you guess which one?

Easy weekend

I've been taking it easy this weekend. I spent most of my time yesterday on the computer. I read blogs, watched videos, and let myself be led from one thing to another. This morning I decided that I couldn't waste another day. So, I started with finishing up another bottle cap ornament.

Next, I decided to start another set of Dorset button ornaments with my new box of perle cotton. It's easier to keep going when working with a simple pattern, and with all the subbing I've been doing, easy is good!