Shuttling between projects

I've been spending time with "Beatrice" by Iris Niebach this week, but since I haven't been to therapy in two weeks, I decided I really need the workout I get from crochet.

Three evenings for a 6" crocheted doily is an awful slow pace for me, but at this point I'm just grateful that I can crochet! This is #11 from Mini Masterpieces: 30 Little Doilies by Patricia Kristoffersen.

Good news from the doctor! More therapy has been approved! The insurance company only approved 6 sessions out of the 12 the doctor requested, but something's better than nothing! I guess I'm going to have to force myself to tat, crochet, and knit this summer... all in the name of healing my wrist, of course! Sigh! A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Thank you, Ruth!

Ruth is the president of our PTO (Parent Teacher Organization), and she has done a great deal to promote positive involvement with the schools in her four years of presidency. Beyond that, Ruth has helped me tremendously this school year. She subbed for me the three times I flew to Alabama to be with my parents, and she subbed for most of my absence with my broken arm. If any of you out there are teachers, you know how difficult it can be to find a sub who can or will follow your lesson plans. Without Ruth's help, my students would never have been able to complete the tasks and learn the skills I think they need to succeed throughout this school year and prepare for the next school year. I can never thank Ruth enough for all she's done for me this year, but I hope this little doily/coaster helps her understand how much she is appreciated!

The doily is #23 from Mini Masterpieces: 30 Little Doilies by Patricia Kristoffersen (my favorite crochet designer). I used some more of my Bre-Aly hand-dyed thread (there's still enough left to make another little doily). My Hitty basket from Grizzly Mountain Arts has become my new favorite sewing basket. The crochet hook is from Janel Brown, whose shop is on eBay. Can you tell I love to collect all kinds of needlework tools and accessories?

Bre-Aly Thread

Zarina asked me how I liked the Bre-Aly thread I purchased, and honestly, I hadn't tried it yet! So, my task this weekend was to try my new hand-dyed thread.

I don't really care to work with size 10 thread for tatting, and I really purchased it to make a Patricia Kristoffersen doily (#52 from 99 Little Doilies, published by Leisure Arts). I'm really happy with this thread as a crochet cotton. It was easy to work with and blocked very nicely. I also like the way the color flows, especially in this little doily.

It's really not bad as a tatting thread either! I tried tatting Mary Konior's "Curds & Whey" from Tatting with Visual Patterns. I had a terrible time with the pattern. It's charted beautifully, but I kept counting incorrectly and reversing my work at the wrong time. I literally retro-tatted each ring! After the last mistake, I just gave up and cut the thread. This thread was surprisingly easy to undo, and I think it held up very well considering all I put it through. I never felt like the thread was going to break, and although it did become fuzzy from unpicking the knots, I think it still looks pretty nice in the rings I finished. I then tatted a little clover... no unpicking necessary... so maybe you can click for a close-up and see how the thread held up.

I will definitely buy more of Brenda and Alyssa's thread. I love the feel of the thread and the color (which is definitely pastel in person... the colors show up much better in Brenda's Etsy shop), and it's packaged in neat little cakes that don't roll away!

Another distraction

No pictures today... I've been cleaning my sewing/knitting/crocheting/tatting/computer room and I don't know where I put the camera! I'm almost finished with my Spinning Wheel glass mat. It is so pretty! I'll have to take time to find the camera. I think I'll be able to finish this piece tonight, and I can't wait to show the final results!

I purchased a new-to-me book online last week... Tatting Patterns by Mary Konior, published in 1989. What a gem! There are so many beautiful pieces I just have to try. Next payday, I'll be on a quest to find her other books... Tatting in Lace and A Pattern Book of Tatting. I already have Heritage Crochet: An Analysis, which is fabulous, and my favorite, Tatting with Visual Patterns. If only I could afford to retire and spend all my time tatting!

I'm splitting myself too many ways lately. I've also been knitting a scarf from Victorian Lace Today, and crocheting a Patricia Kristoffersen doily from Doilies with a Twist. As if that's not enough, I just received a Romanian Point Lace kit in the mail today from Doina Craciun. What can I say? I love lace!

Happy birthday, Nicole!

My friend Denise made this beautiful dimensional doily as a birthday present for her daughter Nicole. I stopped by Denise's on my way to school yesterday morning so I could see it in person. I just had to take a picture and show it to everyone! The pattern is from Doilies with a Twist by Patricia Kristoffersen (Denise and I love Trish's designs!) It's crocheted in Hakelgarn size 20. The doily looks pink on my computer, but it's really a beautiful clear red! Nicole will receive her birthday present today. I can't wait to hear Denise describe Nicole's reaction to it!

Nicole and my daughter Joanne have been friends since first grade. They took knitting lessons when they were very little from Dorothy Forbes, a very dear friend to both Denise and me. Both girls learned to knit and crochet. Nicole stuck with the knitting and has been going through Mason Dixon Knitting like wild fire! Joanne prefers crochet and loves to make baby blankets.