Shhh! They're napping!

It's been a busy two days since my son-in-law Jan brought daughter Joanne and granddaughter Sophia down to visit. Jan is already back home in Minnesota, working hard. The rest of us have been busy playing! Right now, Joanne and Sophia are napping, so I have a few minutes to blog.

Sophia helped Grandpa fill the planters on the porch.

She wandered through the garden and played in the treehouse and on the slide.

Before it started raining, Sophia and Grandpa did a little lawn mowing...

and watched the water fountain and waterfall, with toes being tickled by the grass!

A little t.v. never hurt anyone, especially when time is taken out for dancing!

Of course, I did manage to find time to crochet some more button flowers.

Joanne asked how many I had finished, so I counted.

210! Maybe it's time to start attaching them to headbands and hair clips!

I also managed to find time to tat another snowflake from Robin Perfetti's newest collection, which is now available in her Etsy shop. This one is Eclipse, a very pretty pattern, and so much fun to tat!

Now that I've taken care of business, should I take a nap or start another snowflake? Decisions, decisions.

Could it be the dye?

Last night I decided to unload my shuttles by crocheting a few more button flowers.

These don't take much thread, so I was pretty close on winding enough thread to finish my snowflake.

I may be doing this backwards, but I chose the next thread for button flowers and when I had them finished, I decided the thread would make a pretty snowflake.

I was right! Although 3 cord thread isn't ideal for tatting (in my mind), I really have enjoyed using it for these snowflakes. I believe this teal, bronze, and white thread is Artiste from Hobby Lobby. It's slightly smaller than the pink one. It's 5.5", and the pink is 6". I know that dye can make a difference in yarn, so I'm guessing the dye made a difference in the thread. It doesn't really matter. I'm not going to wear them! In case you haven't been reading my blog, I've been test tatting the pattern Noelle by Robin Perfetti. I love this snowflake!

Again, I used up the thread left on the shuttles for crocheted button flowers. Obviously, I wound a little more thread this time!

Pretty in pink

I've been using Aunt Lydia's and Artiste threads for my crocheted button flowers.

I decided to try tatting with it. It's not my favorite thread for tatting, but I think it looks pretty good!

Stormy weather

What do you do when it storms? I read, or tat, or knit, or crochet. I do not do anything with electronics... no Internet, no phones, no sewing machine. 30 years or so ago, a friend of mine was typing on her electric typewriter during a thunder storm. Yes, she was struck by lightning. Luckily, she wasn't hurt badly, but her scrape with nature was enough to keep me away from any sort of technology during a storm!

So, yesterday I read, I tatted, and I crocheted.

This is Robin Perfetti's Noelle in size 20 Omega. I love this pattern, and I'm really looking forward to all of the patterns in the set being released! I wasn't sure how the size 20 Omega compared to the size 20 Lizbeth. It turns out that although the two threads feel different, they work up to the same size. Noelle is 4.5" across.

I'll bet you guessed that I crocheted more button flowers.

I just can't help myself.

It's much easier to pick up a button and a crochet hook than to decide which project to start on next. Besides, while I'm crocheting, my mind usually wanders and during the ten minutes it takes to finish one, I usually am inspired to look at a book I haven't pulled off the shelf in a while.

Today is the last day of school, and I am looking forward to a summer of weaving, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and tatting!

Operator error

I had to give up on my first attempt at Robin Perfetti's very pretty snowflake, Noelle. I made two major errors...

Somehow, I twisted the chain before joining to the picot. I didn't notice until I'd finished another spoke of the snowflake.

I was watching t.v. while tatting this afternoon, and I skipped a section of chain. It just wasn't worth it to  untat my mistakes, so I just started over.

Luckily, Robin's pattern is well written and really easy to follow. I should easily finish this tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to the release of the full set of snowflakes!

My crocheted button flower collection is growing!

... and growing!

and growing!

Winding down

Today is the last day of school with the kids. Monday is teacher institute day, and then I'll be free to catch up on everything I've let slide!

My obsession with crocheted button flowers continues.

They're kind of like eating popcorn... I just can't stop! I think it's because they are so quick and easy.

I finished a blanket for daughter Joanne's baby girl, due in September. I've started another for baby boy. They're taking me much longer than they used to, but that's okay. I have a little time! The edge looks rippled now, but once the blankets are washed, they'll be nice and smooth.

Last night I started test tatting Robin Perfetti's "Noelle." It's such a pretty snowflake. I'm using size 20 Omega. This thread seems finer than size 20 Lizbeth, so it will be interesting to see the finished size.

Not what I expected...

There's a mystery tat-along at Craftree, and I thought I might join in. However, I'm having second thoughts. I'll have to look at the directions again. Maybe my stitch count is off. There's no way this will ever lie flat!

I finished another set of crocheted button flowers today. My stash is growing!

One done!

It took me most of today to finish the first of the baby blankets. I figured I should start with one for baby boy since he will have two sisters. He may need extra attention!

My crocheted button flower collection continues to grow.

Right now I'm just crocheting and collecting. I have plenty of headbands and hair clips that can be decorated, but I'm not in the mood to use them for anything... yet! I like the idea of having them on hand so that they're readily available when I finally get inspired. 

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!

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!

Just a quick post...

The big news in our family is that daughter Joanne went for her first ultrasound yesterday. She was very excited to learn whether she was having a boy or a girl. The answer is... yes! She's having a boy and a girl! This is the first time for twins for both our family and Jan's... quite a surprise for all of us. The babies are due in September. Her original due date was the end of September, but the doctor told her she can expect them to arrive a couple of weeks earlier. I guess I'll be working on baby things this summer!

Dave's been keeping me busy with invoices, which is a good thing! I'm glad to see his business doing so well this spring.

I decided that since there was just a little bit of this thread left on the ball, I'd spend my time crocheting a few button flowers.

Apparently, there was more thread left than I thought! There's still a little left, but I'm tired of crocheting. Besides, some invoices are calling my name!

At it again...

I can't help myself... I love this pattern! This Spinning Wheel glass mat (Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior) is in size 10 Lizbeth, #122 Caribbean. This is one of my favorite Lizbeth colors.

I've had this book for several years. I can't remember if it was a gift or if I purchased it myself, but I've been meaning to make good use of it by knitting some unique dishcloths.

I started with the January 1 pattern, Basket Rib. It's a very simple pattern to follow. All I have to do is take time to knit!

I didn't make it over to the boutique this weekend. Instead I crocheted some more button flowers for Rita.

I hope to get there next weekend. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Rita has made use of these! 

Waste not, want not

My dish cloths are looking really dingy, so today was a knit day. Unfortunately, I did not have enough of this oatmeal colored yarn to finish the dish cloth, but since it's for me, I'm fine with a blob of color in one corner.

I decided to try a new pattern today. This is the Almost Lost Washcloth Pattern. It was a fun knit, and I think I'll probably make it again.

My button journey continues.

I'm hoping to finish up Rita's buttons by the time school is out.

I've enjoyed working on them, but I'm ready to do some of my own!