Calling all Mac users!

I love my Mac! What else can I say? I use PCs at school, so I'm very familiar with both operating systems. I just happen to prefer my Mac!

Anyway, a week or so ago my mom told me about a program she found called NoteBook. Have any of you Mac users tried it? You can try it for free for 30 days. Of course, I love free trials! I'm hooked! I've been organizing my crafts with tabs like Blogs, E-mail, Patterns, Projects, etc. That means I've spent very little time crafting, but I'm feeling so much more organized. I've even started a list of books I want to read! You can try the program out at http://www.circusponies.com/.

Another Apple note... daughter Alison has downloaded an app for her iPhone called BestCamera. Some day I hope to own an iPhone, but for now I'll just enjoy learning from Alison. The app allows you to use filters to change the look of your photos and then post them or e-mail them to friends. She took a very cool picture of the ceiling fan in her bedroom. I'm not much of a camera person, but some of the apps that are available make me want to delve even further into technology. If only I had more time to play!


As for tatting... I totally messed up my motif from the Japanese Book... on the last join of course. It's been after dark when I've had a chance to sit down and tat. I just can't seem to focus well enough at night to fix my mistakes, so later today I'll take time to try and undo that oopsie. It's such a pretty motif!


Inspired by Fox, I've gotten back into tatting my coaster motifs. The Japanese motif was an attempt to add variety to my coasters. I may still try to use the Japanese motif, but for now I'll focus on what I know works!

I finished my first striped sock, and have started the second. Again, I've finished a sock with a pencil point toe. Maybe the toe will change when the socks have been washed. I think I'll use a different pattern for the next pair of socks, though. This is the only sock pattern I've knit that gave me a pointed toe! The legs seem awfully skinny to me, but I'll reserve judgement until I've completed both socks and tried them on. I'm not trying the first sock on yet. I'm afraid I'll become discouraged and not finish the second one!

The hurrier I go...

the behinder I get! Does anyone else remember that saying? That's how I feel these days! So, my tatting sits by my chair, and I get very little done!


I really want to make some more coasters, and I can't wait to get started with my new book from Jon. Somehow, life is really getting in my way! I have a solution... quit work! Somehow, I don't think my tatting would pay the bills, though! ; )

My goal: tat tonight, and then post a picture tomorrow! Wish me luck!

What a month!

I can't believe how busy I've been for the past month! Where has the time gone? Back-to-school activities headed up the list. I'm still not where I like to be in terms of organization, but the kids have all been great, so my lack of organization hasn't been a problem. I would like to give up one or two committees, but what would I do with my free time? ; )


Sept. 5 was Erich and Yvette's wedding. We had such a wonderful time! My niece Phoebe, nephew Erich, and daughter Carol were all born the same year, 3 months apart. Erich is the first of the three to get married. We all think Yvette and her family are wonderful! Isn't that a great way to start a marriage?


There were so many photos to choose from! Left to right: my sister Janet, my mom Nancy, my brother David, and me. Our sister Lisa is in Italy and could not attend the wedding. She missed a great time! Mom spent the week before the wedding with Janet, and the week after with me. I think she was pretty tired by the time she headed home to Alabama!


I did manage to finish the brown socks. The right one turned out great, but the left one... hmmm... I'm not sure what I did, but the toe came out looking like a pencil point. I gave the socks to Mom, but I'm feeling pretty guilty about giving her a pencil point toe sock. I may just have to knit another pair for her and take the messed up ones back!

I started another pair of socks in self-striping yarn. The leg looks awfully skinny, but when I put my hand through, it looks okay. I may have to give this pair to one of my daughters with skinnier legs than mine!

Sunday, I finally found some time to tat! My sewing room is a disaster right now... Mom offered to help me organize it, but somehow we ran out of time! Because the sewing room is such a mess, I had to do a little cleaning in order to find my tatting supplies! You think I jest? Hah! Mom is my witness! Carol too! It's so bad, Carol set up an ironing board in her bedroom... mine can't be found for all the clutter! Anyway... I've started a piece for another coaster from Tatting Lace, one of my Japanese books. The Japanese books are very expensive, but the designs are so very beautiful! I'm very proud of the fact that when I looked at the chart for this piece, I knew I needed two shuttles to make it work. Believe me, I wouldn't have figured that out a year ago! The pattern is very simple and pretty. I hope to have it finished this week... time will tell!

No time to blog!

I wish I could say this beautiful tatted doily is my work, but it isn't! Elizabeth in MA and I corresponded earlier this summer regarding the mistake in the Daffodil Doily pattern in Learn to Tat by Janette Baker. We had both attempted to make our own corrections to the doily, and Elizabeth asked if she could send me one of hers. Of course I said yes! Elizabeth wrote me a lovely note, and she let me know that the book is now available with the corrections... good news for those of us who want to encourage others to learn to tat! Thank you for the lovely gift, Elizabeth! I will treasure it always!

On the home front... I have had very little time to tat or work on my socks. Dave has gotten the bug to work on the house! He gets inspired every once in a while, and there's just no stopping him! The reason for this bug? My nephew's wedding is this weekend, and my mom will be coming home with us afterwards and spending a week! Dave spent a whole week cleaning the back porch. He's been wanting a "picture room" for several years, and now he has it! He found all the pictures that have been in storage for several years, cleaned them up, and then started hanging them. Of course, I had to step in and give my advice. I'm sure Dave would have preferred that I stay in the living room and tat, but I can be very particular!


Our back porch is one of my mom's favorite places to sit, and now she'll really be able to enjoy it when she visits!


We've also hung some of my favorite pieces in the living room: an angel I crocheted, a ship that Mom crocheted, a reproduction counted cross stitch sampler, and one of my dad's favorite pictures. I'll post pictures of them later.

We cleaned and organized upstairs... it really needed it! Dave decided that cleaning wasn't enough, so he's started painting the north bedroom porcelain blue. It's going to look really nice! I think I should have my mom come visit more often! ; )

Colors of my rainbow...

Your rainbow is strongly shaded yellow and blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is says about you: You are a joyful person. You appreciate friends who get along with one another. You're good at getting people to like you. You share hobbies with friends and like trying to fit into their routines.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

I'd say this one is pretty accurate! I have fun taking some of these little quizzes, but I seldom publish the results. There's something very appealing about rainbows, and I guess this shows that each of our rainbows is just a little different... nothing wrong with that!

It's been a busy back-to-school week. I love back-to-school week! The kids are excited to be there, and I'm happy to see them! The best part of my job is that I get to see all the kids and learn all their names. They love seeing a familiar face at the front door, and I get lots of little hugs!

Anyway... I really needed a good pair of shoes for school, and I bought myself a pair of clogs... the kind doctors and nurses like to wear (I'm terrible with brand names, so I don't remember what they are). The just called out for hand-knit socks!



Ta da! I finished my first sock yesterday morning before heading off to school. I'll start the second one today. Yes, it took me a whole week to knit this sock, but it was well worth the time invested! I kind of wish I'd chosen a flashier sock yarn from my stash, but at the time, this brown called out to me. Oh, look! Brown is at the top of my rainbow! It must have been meant to be!

P.S. - The yarn is Patons Kroy Socks from Hobby Lobby, and I used size 2 double points.

I couldn't wait...

...to try out my new shuttle and thread from LadyShuttleMaker! Orland, our weekend mailman, had to come knocking on the door to get my attention (I was busy doing laundry with the music cranked up... yes, I do manage to get a few household chores done once in a while!).


I tried to be a good girl and get some cleaning done, but the call of the shuttle and thread was too strong! This is Flower 5 from page 75 of Projects in Tatting by Sheila York. The thread is size 20 Confetti Sprinkles... I LOVE it!

Tatting in green...

When I was visiting Alison and family earlier in the week, Aidan kept asking me what my favorite color is. It's blue, of course! I think Aidan was hoping I'd change my mind and say green, but I didn't. However, when I decided I wanted to tat another of this pretty little motif from Projects in Tatting by Sheila York, green just seemed to be the perfect color. Andrea's favorite color is green, and my maiden name is Green. I guess it was just meant to be!


...and now I have another pretty little coaster! For those of you who have told me you've had trouble finding them, here's the link:
http://www.herrschners.com/product.aspx?id=391&pid=2517

Happy tatting!