Done!

Despite hours of shopping, playing with grandchildren, cooking meals, and just plain having fun, I managed to finish Labor no. 10 from Frivolite 1 Creaciones Artime. The finished size is 9 1/4".

I think it looks really nice, but I'm not sure I'm in love with Lizbeth Twirlz. The thread is nice to work with, but I can't see the stitch definition that I love looking at in tatting. I think I'm going to go back to colors I love working with before trying another color of Twirlz.

Now, which pattern should I try next?

Keeping it simple?

Round 4 of Labor no. 10 is really very simple, yet I managed to mess it up! I was half way around the doily when I realized something was very wrong...

After the first pattern repeat, I totally messed up the pattern. Luckily, I had my scissors handy, and I made quick work of snipping out my mistake. I started again, but I was distracted by the mail lady.

Look at what arrived! These lovely little shuttles are available through Karen Cabrera. I love wood shuttles! The warmth of the wood in my hands really appeals to me.

I also received my newest Handi-wind shuttle from Grizzly Mountain Arts. Dave is my absolute favorite shuttle maker, and I love the cleverness of his newest shuttles!

The handles twist off for tatting, and there's a little ring at the top of the handle so that it can be worn on a ribbon or chain when not in use.

It's a rainy here today, so I expect to be able to tat quite a bit, even with grandchildren around! ;-)

Spring break

We're on spring break this week, which means a whole week without my little tatting buddies. That's okay, because I have another little buddy to keep me company in the meantime.

We were on shortened schedule on Friday, so I didn't get to spend much time with my tatters. We had a very busy weekend, so I've forgotten who this is. Obviously, this little tatter has been working on a chain with picots pattern!

We traveled to Minnesota on Saturday, a nine and a half hour drive. We celebrated granddaughter Sophia's first birthday a little early. Auntie Andrea and cousins Ella and Lily joined in the fun.

Sunday was Sophia's baptism. Doesn't she look like a little princess?

She was so well behaved. It was like she understood the importance of the occasion!

We made the long drive home on Sunday. It was a trip well worth making!

I finally finished round 3 of Labor no. 10. I really thought I'd get a lot of tatting done on the drive, but it didn't happen. I knew that if I tried to tat or read that the trip would not be pleasant. It just happens that way sometimes!

It was good to have a goal today, because I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of...

Sophia! Of course her mom came along with her. I wasn't able to get a good picture, because she is such an active little girl. They're staying for the whole week!

Going to the mailbox today made me wish I was in elementary school learning how to tat, because a lovely box of goodies for the kids came from Marty!

I love her little hearts! I'm sure the kids will be thrilled with them!

Marty also sent some of her blinged shuttles for the kids. They are so cool! If I didn't already own some of Marty's beautiful creations, I'd be tempted to swipe a few of these for myself! ;-)

I think it's going to be great fun to return to school next week!

Back to school

It was great to get back to school today. I really missed seeing my little tatting buddies yesterday!

Paige has been working on her rings and chains. She chose a flamingo as her prize.

At lunch recess, I get quite a few kids in to rewind shuttles and bobbins, choose prizes, and get extra help. On Wednesday and Thursday, third graders get to stay until their library time, giving them up to 30 minutes of tatting time. They love it!

Brooke patiently tatted two three-inch lengths to earn this tatted lion. A really tight knot in her thread kept her from having a continuous length of chain.

After finishing their keyboarding lesson for the day and checking out books, the kids started tatting. I think it is wonderful that they help each other!

 They sit at tables.

They sit in bean bags.

They talk and laugh.

They even let me take their pictures! I wonder if we could all get in trouble for having too much fun at school?

I managed to finish two more pattern repeats on round 3 of Labor no 10. Wouldn't it be great if I could finish rounds 4 and 5 this weekend?

Snow day!

We had our sixth snow day of the year today. In 29 years of teaching, we have never used more than three snow days. Yesterday, this shot would have shown you brown grass and bare trees. What a difference a day makes!

Wednesday is a great day at school. I see both of my third grade classes, both of my fourth grade classes, and one of my fifth grade classes. I'm kind of sad to have missed seeing them today, especially since I would have met with so many enthusiastic tatters!

The up side of having a snow day is the tatting time I don't often get during the school year. Three pattern repeats to go, and I will have round 3 completed!

Sharing the love

Fox very kindly sent some Lizbeth Twirlz for my student tatters. They were so excited! I imagine there are several of my students tatting away tonight with the hopes of exchanging their empty thread bobbins for one wound with #401 Candy Hearts or #404 Mermaid Lagoon. Aren't they pretty colors?

The kids are fascinated by the Twirlz threads. Candy Hearts is a twist of Azalea Med, Pink Med, and Poppy Read. Mermaid Lagoon twists Apple Green, Royal Blue, and Lime Green. The colors are really very pretty.

Emma was trying to tat Fancy Pants, but instead tatted a beautiful length of Josephine chain!

Shelby tatted some more Fancy Pants, and one of the other girls held the coil together, giving them an idea of how the 3D acorn sent by Stephanie was tatted.

I've started round 3 of Labor no. 10 from Frivolite 1 Creaciones Artime. This round is going to take a while. It's a variation of the first round, so the pattern repeat is very easy to remember.

We have another chance of snow tonight. Predictions have been anywhere from two inches to sixteen. The latest I heard was four to eight with a good chance of blowing and drifting. I'm reminded of that old saying... the snow must go on! Or was that show? ;-)

Lovin' my shuttle!

I said it in my last post... this is a great inexpensive post shuttle with an integrated hook! My first project with my new shuttle is the bookmark pattern on the back of the package. I used size 20 Lizbeth Twirlz, Winter Ice. As you can see, there's a lot of thread still left on the shuttle. Yes, indeed, I am very pleased!

I think the kids are having an informal contest to see who can tat the longest length of chain...

Shelby,

Paige,

and Peyton have been tatting yards and yards of Fancy Pants! Oh, yes, there are others. It is so much fun watching these little fingers fly!

I placed another Handy Hands order on Friday, because eleven more 5th graders asked me to teach then at library time. I think some of them were disappointed, because I had no shuttles left. I promised them they'd be here by the middle of the week.

I ran out of floss bobbins, so when Dave and I went shopping in Kankakee Friday night, I went to Hobby Lobby to buy some more. I didn't realize they close at 8, because I'm usually there in the middle of the day. Just as I walked in the door, they announced that the store would be closing in 10 minutes. Of course my mind went blank immediately! Where in the world were the floss bobbins? The girl at the fabric counter helped me find them, and she tried to talk me into some fancy winding system. I told her no thank you. I just wanted floss bobbins, because I gave them to my 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to hold tatting thread. Her eyes got wide, and she asked me if I really taught tatting. You know my response! ;-)

To make a long story short, I have her my name and phone number so that I could give her tatting lessons. I do believe tatting is going viral!

Am I blue?

Absolutely not! I received my order from Handy Hands today, and I am over the moon!

I ordered the Japanese book on Fox's recommendation, and I love it! I wish I could read Japanese. The Spanish book is one that I've been wanting for a while, because I love the doily on the cover. I'm grateful that both books have wonderful diagrams.

My new Moonlit shuttles arrived... yes, I order the pack of one of each color, but please notice that I did choose the Sapphire Gem to try out! I'm using Lizbeth Twirlz, Winter Ice, and I'm tatting the bookmark on the back of the shuttle package.

My assessment of the shuttle... it's just what I've been looking for! They're post shuttles, which is what I learned on and therefore favor. They're inexpensive, only $3.25 each. They have a hook embedded in the end, which is a real time saver. They're about the same size as the new large Clover shuttles, so they hold a nice amount of thread. The colors are really pretty. Overall, I am quite impressed!

I told myself I wasn't going to forget who tatted what. I was wrong. I do know that each and every child who has earned a prize from the treasure tins has been working very hard to achieve their goals, and that makes each and every child extra special!

I'm pretty sure this is Paige. She's been tatting Fancy Pants like crazy. One piece we measured today was longer than I am tall! I'm 5' 4".

I think this is Shelby. The kids seem to love the way Fancy Pants curls when they make an extra long length.

I am at a total loss. I remember helping to look for the tatted cats. I remember looking at the tatting and giving tips for improvement, but I just can't remember who this is. I guess I'm going to have to make myself a shuttle cheat sheet so that I can remember each of the kids!

My tatting group is growing! Two more 5th graders came in today and asked to learn, and when Mrs. J's 4th grade came in, all but one student started winding thread on floss bobbins and shuttles! This tatting craze at school has definitely taken on a life of its own!