Playing around

I couldn't decide what I wanted to do today, so I just played around.

I started out look through Tatted Crosses by Sharon Briggs. There are so many pretty patterns in this book! All of the patterns are designed to be tatted with size 80 thread, but I wanted to practice with size 20 first.

This is the center os Sharon's Rose Cross in size 20 Lizbeth, Azalea Lt. I can tell that this cross would be gigantic in size 20. Just the center measures 2" across. I'm glad I practiced this rose motif in size 20 first. It was good practice in tatting chains in a consistent length.

Next, I pulled out this tatting magazine from 1944. Did you notice the price?

The very first pattern was one I wanted to try. It's #8894. I'm using Coats and Clark's size 70, color #8.

It's been a while since I've tatted with thread this fine. It was surprisingly easy!

Of course I had to finish the day with an Ice Drop!

Just tatting

I did absolutely no housework today... I just sat and tatted!

I finished my Spinning Wheel glass mat in Coats & Clark's tatting-crochet thread, size 70, color #171. It's about 3 1/2" across.

There was plenty of thread left on the shuttle, so I tatted Renulek's Snowflake Rosie. I love this pattern, but I wish I had tatted it in white. I think it's much prettier in a solid color. The finished size is 3 1/4".

Keepin' busy

My main goal in retirement is to get my house organized. I've been working on it a little bit at a time, and although it doesn't look like it, I've really accomplished a lot. I guess the fact that my house still looks super cluttered shows how much this reorganization is needed!

Today I worked on rearranging two shelves in one cabinet and one section of counter top. I can't tell you how happy that little bit of reorganizing has made me!

I also spent a good deal of the day going through four large boxes of beads and findings, deciding what I want to keep and what I want to give away. I only have three more boxes to go through... three on the back porch, that is!

Last night after posting, I wound some Coats & Clark's size 70 tatting-crochet thread on my newest Hand-wind Shuttle from Grizzly Mountain Arts. I may have to pass this shuttle on to daughter Joanne some day. She is the super cat lover in the family, and I know she will love the tiny little cat paw prints on this shuttle. When Joanne was down visiting in June, she did tell me that she might be open to learning to tat. That means it's time to put together some supplies for her! ;-)

I wasn't sure I'd like this thread, but I think my Spinning Wheel looks pretty good!