Ready for the tail

8:45 p.m. and I just finished the main part of the mermaid tail afghan! All that's left to crochet is the tail, and I should be able to complete that and sew it on tomorrow. :-)
Spinning

I pulled another skein of HDT (hand-dyed thread) from my stash for my next Spinning Wheel glass mat (Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. This is size 20 Raspberry Ripple with Real Vanilla by Tatskool.

I guess I  need to check my blog feed. Every once in a while I come across a blog that I used to read regularly, and I see that the person has posted and I never received notification. That happened with Tatskool's blog. I've now re-added her to my blog feed, and I can happily keep up with what's happening across the sea!

My little mermaid has arrived!

Sophia is all ready for the play! Doesn't she look adorable in her Little Mermaid costume? Believe it or not, this is the only picture I took of the kids today, and you can't even see Jan's or Karolina's faces. Luckily, they will be here for three weeks!

Isn't it amazing that my newest Spinning Wheel glass mat matches Sophia's costume? I think this is my new favorite, Lilac Sea from Yarnplayer. I think I may choose another hand-dyed thread for my next Spinning Wheel. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoy tatting with HDT!

Getting ready!

Daughter Joanne and family are arriving tomorrow! Of course, there is plenty to do in preparation for their arrival. The morning was spent shopping for necessities such as baby food and a kiddie pool. Big shopping is a 40 minute drive away, so it's something that needs to be planned.

This afternoon I finished up packaging key rings and necklaces for the play. That part of the preparation is done!

Busy days mean frequent work breaks, even if it's just for a few minutes. Hopefully, I will have time to finish this Spinning Wheel while finishing up household chores tomorrow.

I also took time to work on my mermaid tail afghan. Only two rows to go before I start to decrease!

I managed to clear a path to my loom and start another scarf. I do love my weaving time. It's so relaxing... no patterns to follow, just a nice, rhythmic back and forth. I know Sophia will want to help me weave, so I'll have to make a little more space before they arrive tomorrow!

Another oopsie!

In the excitement of the retirement celebrations, I forgot to post my May tatting.

I wish I had completed more, but I'm happy that I kept on track with my Spinning Wheels.

I had a busy day today. I packaged 80 mermaid scale necklaces to sell at The Little Mermaid, as well as 35 key rings. It's amazing how time-consuming packaging is! I also finished six more rows on the mermaid tail afghan.

I spent time with my Spinning Wheel glass mat. I do love this thread! It's size 20 Lilac Sea from Yarnplayer.

The end

It's hard to believe that I have finally arrived at the end of my teaching career! Yes, it's the end of that phase of my life, but that means it's the beginning of the next, and I'm pretty excited about the possibilities!

My friend Edna made our retirement cake. The top left is for Phyllis (high school secretary), bottom left for Robyn (2nd grade teacher), bottom right for Ken (high school guidance counselor), and top right for me.

Obviously, Edna pictures me traveling and tatting!

Robyn and I received crystal bowls as our retirement gifts.

I started my newest Spinning Wheel glass mat (Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior) is in luscious hand-dyed thread from my friend Marilee Rockley aka Yarnplayer. The color is Lilac Sea. Isn't it beautiful?

I love working with hand-dyed thread. There's something about the dyeing process that makes the thread extra smooth, and I love the colors!

For Mom

If finished my Concentric Rectangles doily today! I chose these colors with Mom in mind. Mom loves red, and these colors seemed perfect for her. So Mom, this doily is for you if you'd like to have it!

I have 18 rows to go before I start decreasing on my mermaid tail afghan. It takes me about 20 minutes to crochet a row, so I guess that means I have a good 6 hours of crocheting before I start decreasing. I don't see how I can possibly finish a third afghan before the play, but I'm sure going to try!

Sore fingers

I spent most of the afternoon working on key rings to sell at The Little Mermaid. My fingers are really sore from working with pliers and split rings. I sure hope these sell, or I will have key rings to give as Christmas gifts for years to come!

Despite having sore fingers, I did work on my Concentric Rectangles doily. It looks like I'll be finishing this one soon!