Commemorative shuttles

You may have guessed that I love collecting shuttles! I especially like commemorative shuttles, because I hope that at some time in the future there may be a tatter somewhere who gets excited about finding one of my little beauties and cherishing it as I do.

This morning I decided to join Jon Yusoff's tat-along, which is posted on Facebook.

Round 1 is in size 40 Lizbeth #618, Magenta Dk.

For round 2, I used Lizbeth #683, Leaf Green Lt.

It's been a while since I've tatted with size 40 thread, and I'm really enjoying it.

I really like the way the Boysenberry Dk looks with the crackled glass gem. This is the basic Ice Drop with three picots instead of one. The shuttle is another beauty from Veronica of TattingShuttles on Etsy.

I found my box of shawl pins this mornings, so I decided to wear my new Garter Lace Triangle Shawl to school today. I couldn't believe the number of compliments I received!

Daughter Carol took the pictures for me after school. Maybe I'll knit some more shawls!

Finish one, start another

In finally finished my Garter Lace Triangle Shawl from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls by Martha Waterman.

Since it went so well, I decided to start another shawl right away. This one is Reyna by Noora Backlund, a free pattern on Ravelry. I did get off to a rough start on this one. I finished the 28 row garter section only to realize that I had made a mistake all the way back in row 3. Luckily, this is an easy pattern to follow!

I did some experimenting with my Doodle Ice Drop pattern. Both rows of chains that form the outer pattern have 6 ds on either side of the picot flower. In the original pattern the first row had 6 and the second had 7. I just wanted to see how it looked, another variation. The beautiful shuttle is from Veronica of TattingShuttles on Etsy.

Another of my experiments with Doodle Ice Drops was to add extra picots on the chains, giving a very frilly look. I think this one looks prettier in person, and I'm sure daughter Joanne will claim this one for her pink tree when she comes to visit this summer! The pretty green shuttle is from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design.

A fun new shuttle arrived in the mail today, another beauty by Rita Richmond! It arrived just in time for the frigid temperatures we're expecting again this weekend. The cold might be a little tough to take after having a few days in the 40s, but I'm sure we will survive!

Where did the weekend go?

I can't believe it's Sunday night already! We have the Super Bowl on while I'm blogging and Dave is doing paperwork. We both enjoy watching football, and it's much more relaxing when we don't care which team wins!

I've spent a lot of time looking for a hat pattern that I like. I love looking for things online, and I'm always amazed at how much time I have whittled away. This afternoon I decided to stay off the computer and tat an Ice Drop. I love the way this one turned out!

I was in the mood to knit yesterday, and I was able to make pretty good progress on my shawl. I love this pattern, but I think the Mandala yarn works better with other patterns, especially the Virus Shawl. I may change my mind when it's finished, and I'm getting pretty close to being done.

There are so many projects I want to work on. I really want to get back in to sock knitting, but I have Alison's waffle stitch afghan to finish first. I sure wish I could work on all my projects in my sleep!

The big warm up

We managed to get up to 18℉ today. It felt wonderful! School was open for the first time this week. Our district was lucky... the buses all started and there were no broken pipes. The next towns west and south of us weren't so lucky. It felt good to be back at school.

Since my normal time at school is from noon 'til 3, I have plenty of time in the morning to do as I please. This morning I tatted a Doodle Ice Drop.

I enjoyed making it so much, I tatted another one when I got home from school. Yes, I have looked at my tatting patterns looking for a larger project to catch my interest, but I'm enjoying working with yarn as well as thread. So, large tatting projects just aren't doing it for me right now.

I worked on my shawl some more after dinner. While I do enjoy working with the Lion Brand Mandala, I kind of have an itch to work with the hand-spun yarn I purchased from my friend Jen. I haven't found just the right pattern yet, but I'm having fun looking!

Still a bit chilly

We woke up to -20℉ again this morning. I was so chilly, I decided to make myself a good hot foot bath, which usually keeps me toasty for about 20 minutes. This morning it lasted about 7 minutes. It wasn't long, but it did help warm me up!

I started out the day with an Ice Drop, but I needed something to keep me warmer. My fingers just weren't limber enough to work with thread today. I did need to try out my new shuttle from Grizzly Mountain Arts, and I'm still trying to build up my Ice Drop stash!

I moved on to yarn projects and completed another ten row pattern repeat on my shawl. It's too soon to tell whether this project will be out of one or two balls of Lion Brand Mandala, but I'm really thinking it will be two.

Daughter Alison's waffle stitch afghan is growing steadily. I'm almost finished with the first ball. By the time it's long enough to keep me warm, the weather will be much warmer!

Brrr, chickie dog!

That's what daughter Carol says when it's cold out, and it was very cold when we got up this morning... -20℉. I was very happy to stay indoors all day long!

I tatted "Helen" from Twenty to Make: Tatted Snowflakes by Jennifer Williams, this time with beads. There are supposed to be beads at the join of the chain and the rings on round one, but I couldn't bake it work, so I gave up. I'm not sure if I could make this work as an Ice Drop, but I may give it a try all the same.

My fingers sure don't like this cold, so I found it easier to work with yarn today. Unfortunately, I have a hard time counting, and I had to unknit three rows to get my stitch count right. Just think, I could have finished another pattern repeat today!

Did you notice Dave's afghan over my legs? I figured he wouldn't mind since he was at work. :-)

I received an extra special shuttle from Grizzly Mountain Arts yesterday. Who wouldn't love to have a beautiful shuttle with her initial engraved in the wood?

As a bonus, the back has pyrography as well! Isn't it gorgeous? Naturally, I needed to tat an Ice Drop for each side of the shuttle!

I'm making slow progress with Alison's waffle stitch afghan, but I am making progress! I switched to my silver/white polar fleece blanket when I started tatting. It made a better background for tatting.

I put my spinning wheel back together today. Grandson Janko was fascinated by all the things that could be taken off, and so he methodically took off all the parts he could. Luckily, nothing was lost! I look forward to the day when he can take it apart and then put it back together. I'll have to be patient, though. He is only three!

Baby, it's cold outside!

Yes, it is cold, with a high of 6℉ today, but it's supposed to be much colder tomorrow. Needless to say, I'm staying inside where it's toasty warm!

Yesterday, I worked on "Helen" from Twenty to Make: Tatted Snowflakes by Jennifer Williams. The pattern calls for beads, but I decided to tat it without beads first so that I could get a good feel for the pattern. I'm glad I did. I found the lock chains to be a bit challenging. I've done lock chains before, but yesterday my fingers just were not cooperating with the thread.

The cold weather gives me the urge to work with yarn, and this morning I went upstairs and found one of my drop spindles with fiber attached. I think I'll take time to practice spinning today. My goal is to perfect my drafting so that I can move on to my spinning wheel!

Daughter Alison really liked the waffle stitch afghans I made for the kids for Christmas, and she asked me to make one for her. She chose Lion Brand Mandala "Griffin" for her blanket. I do enjoy working the waffle stitch!

It's awfully dark in my corner of the living room since my Ottlite burned out. Luckily, the new bulb is supposed to arrive today. Since I couldn't see to tat, I worked on another 10 row pattern repeat of my shawl. This is also in Lion Brand Mandala. It will be interesting to see how large this will be with one ball. The color way is "Pegasus" and it's a ball that I bought on clearance for $3 at Walmart last year. I love a bargain!

My friend Jen

My friend Jen has opened an Etsy shop, Green Gables Fiber Farm. Jen has two alpacas and two sheep, and she goes through the whole process of creating luscious yarns by herself. I am happy to say that I am one of her first Etsy customers, and I'm pretty sure I'll be buying more!

I wish you could reach through your computer screen and feel this fabulous yarn. I love the colors, but the feel of the fiber is really what has me hooked!

Now I need to decide what to make out of these. Whatever I make, I think I'll be selfish and keep it for myself!

I was called in to sub at the last minute, and I was dismayed to discover that when I carefully packed my tatting bag this morning, I left the loaded shuttles on the table next to my chair. Luckily, I had a backup. I was able to work on my Garter Lace Triangle Shawl from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls by Martha Waterman. I would have gotten a lot more done if I hadn't had to unknit three rows. Still, I made pretty good progress.

Not to worry... I was also able to complete an Ice Drop before dinner! 

Ice, ice, baby!

School was cancelled today, because last night we had freezing rain. The main roads were okay, but the secondary roads were in bad shape. I know when Dave left for work this morning, I could see that our drive was solid ice.

I was glad to have an excuse to stay home today. My sinuses are all out of whack with the ups and downs in temperature, and it was nice to be able to just stay at home and take it easy.

I started the day with the intention of tatting three Ice Drops, all basic, but with varying numbers of picots. Then I got to dreaming of new projects!

Years ago, I knit a triangular shawl from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls by Martha Waterman. I love this book! The pattern is an easy ten row repeat. I remember there was a challenge when the book came out, and several knitters used this pattern in various weights and types of yarn. I can't remember which magazine it was in, but that challenge is what attracted me to this book.

I still have my original shawl. I kept it on my chair at school for years, so that if it got chilly in the library I had something to throw over my shoulders. This ball of Lion Brand Mandala was sitting by my chair, and I kept thinking that it might be perfect for this shawl pattern. I'm happy I decided to give it a try!

My afghan is growing! We're expecting frigid temps again over the next week, so I figure I will have the perfect opportunity to finish it and keep warm at the same time!

Nothing to show

I sat down to blog last night, and I thought... I have nothing to show!

I've been on a cleaning binge... don't get excited... a cleaning binge for me means to focus on one room and work hard on a portion of it. I'm the only one who notices a difference! This cleaning binge centered on three places: the bench in the back hall (under and over), our trash cabinet (inside and out), and under the kitchen sink. It's been exhausting, but I'm feeling very pleased with myself!

Cleaning is not my favorite task in the world, although I do love a clean and organized home. I think I must have been wealthy in a former life and had a staff at my beck and call. However, I no longer have a staff... my four daughters each have their own homes far enough away that I know I'll never get my house clean if I wait for them! ;-) Dave is a great help, but once April hits, he's way too busy to help as much as he does during the winter months. So, I set my favorite pastimes aside and clean every once in a while.

This morning, while the coffee was brewing, I thought I'd better clear off the dining room table, and I realized that I have accomplished quite a bit since my last post.

I started prepping flannel receiving blankets for the twins my daughter is expecting in September. Today I'll have to hunt for my wing needle so that I can pierce evenly space holes all the way around for a crocheted edging... my favorite way to finish receiving blankets!

Dave and I watched the last 15 minutes of the Blackhawks game last night. I think this is the first time we've ever watched hockey! 15 minutes of any sporting event takes a whole lot longer than 15 minutes, and during that time period, I managed to crochet some button flowers for my collection. These weren't all done during the hockey game, but they were all crocheted last night.

I've also made pretty good progress on my shawl. Of course progress is much slower now that I have approximately 150 stitches on the needles. I do like knitting this pattern. I must be getting ready for a knitting binge... I've been watching knitting videos, searching for interesting patterns, and ordering luscious yarn.

Have I given up tatting? Absolutely not! I've just turned to mindless pursuits so that I don't mess up my doilies! My brain is kind of weary with all the end-of-year school activities and deadlines. We only have six more days of this school year, and then I will have all the time I like to pursue my passions!

This much more...

I've been tatting rings and chains in between working on invoices for Dave. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in bits and pieces!

I was up extra early this morning, so I was able to finish another pattern repeat on my shawl.

It's looking like another busy day tomorrow. All books are due in the library this week. I've been busy making sure the shelves are in order. Next week I'll print out a list of books that are still checked out. I'll double check the shelves to see if any were re-shelved without being checked in, and then I'll have to send out reminder notes with the hope of receiving all books before school is out. None of it is hard, it's just very time consuming, and it does leave me a bit brain weary by the end of the day. Thank goodness I have my tatting and knitting to help me unwind! How do you unwind?

Shuttle love

It's no secret that I love my tatting shuttles!

My newest shuttle from Grizzly Mountain Arts arrived last week. I really like these Handi-Wind Shuttles. The screw-in handle makes it easier for me to hold the shuttle while I'm winding it. I also like that Dave puts a little ring on the end of the handle so that it can be worn on a ribbon around my neck. I always know where my handle is when it's time to reload my shuttle!

Today's post brought my newest Pop-A-Bobbin shuttles. I was really hoping that the Spalted Beech shuttle would be available when I visited Jane's shop. Luckily, I visited right after it was listed! The Elm shuttle was too pretty to pass up. I really like working with wood shuttles. The wood feels so warm as I'm tatting... perfect for tired fingers!

I managed two pattern repeats on my shawl today. I do enjoy knitting, but I find that it's getting harder to knit for long periods of time. I guess that it pays to have multiple interests!

I've passed the halfway point on this round of the Jan Stawasz Masterpiece. I guess if I didn't take time to blog I would be able to get a lot more done, but I do enjoy posting my progress. It's a great way to keep me motivated!

Caribbean Spinning Wheel

I had another morning of riding in the truck with Dave to make plant deliveries, so I had plenty of time to work on my Spinning Wheel glass mat (Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior). Size 10 is not my favorite for tatting, but I've been using it for these Spinning Wheels so that they turn out larger. Since blue is my favorite color, I think I'll be keeping this one for myself!

I did spend time working on my Jan Stawasz Masterpiece. I'm about half way around. I didn't take a picture of it opened up, because I would have had to vacuum the carpet first, and I was just too busy tatting!

I also knit a little more on my shawl. Although blue is my favorite color, I find this beautiful Lemongrass color to be very soothing. I've been trying to complete one pattern repeat every time I sit down to knit, but I won't be able to keep that pace up for very long. The pattern repeat is ten rows!

Focus?

That's the only explanation I have for not posting the past two days. I've been focused on finishing Rita's buttons so that I could deliver them today.

This has been a fun project, and it's been fun seeing all the different buttons in Rita's collection.

I love all these little peace signs. I hope I get to see what Rita makes with them!

I finished the last of the buttons this morning before heading over to the boutique. I will be crocheting more button flowers, only this time I will need to figure out what I want to do with them since they'll be mine!

I've been in the mood to knit a shawl, and I found this pretty Lemongrass Lace by Yarn Bee at Hobby Lobby today. The pattern is one I've knit before, "Garter Lace Triangle Shawl" from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls by Martha Waterman.

Now that I've finished Rita's buttons, I can focus on my tatting again. My Caribbean Spinning Wheel is calling me!