Thanksgiving is here, and then comes Christmas

Yesterday, as I was getting home from work (late, late) I realized I had missed having tea with everyone for Tatting Tea Tuesday. It didn’t dawn on me until then that it was even Tuesday! I’m sorry I missed it! I hope every one had a nice cup of tea and enjoyed a little tatting.

Here in the States tomorrow is Thanksgiving, also commonly known as turkey day because the traditional main meal of the day is centered around a turkey, be it roasted, fried or smoked. I don’t want to forget the reason for this holiday, which is to remember all the things we have to be thankful for and give thanks for them. I’m very thankful for my wonderful family – the kids, the aunts and uncles, cousins, parents, and of course, my very loving husband. I’m thankful for the great friends that we have, many of them so close as to be like family themselves. Even though I’ve been known to complain about the long hours that we’ve had to work this year, I’m very thankful that I have a job during this time when many people don’t. And I’m very thankful for the Internet, that I can share my love of tatting with people no matter how far away from me they are and meet new friends that share that same passion. I have much to be thankful for!

After Thanksgiving comes Christmas, very close around the corner. Among other things, I’ve been working on snowflakes. I try to send one in each of my Christmas cards to close friends and family, and make it different every year. This year I’m working on these two. The finished multi-colored snowflake is made with a pattern I’ve posted about previously here . I’ll probably put it in a bangle for people I hand deliver cards to, but probably not for the ones I’ll mail, as I’m not sure it would mail nicely.

The white one is new this year, too. I very much like the looks of this one, and it’s pretty quick and easy to make. I’m trying it in the multi-colored thread as well. At least on this background it’s not showing up as well as I’d like. I’ve found that I love the look of this thread, but what background to use for pictures? The white one is made in DMC size 20, the others in Lizbeth Christmas Delight size 20. I’m counting the white snowflake as my third motif in my second round of the 25 Motif Challenge.

I got a nice surprise from my mother yesterday. She’s been doing a lot of cleaning, getting rid of things she doesn’t use or need any more. She found a stack of old Workbasket magazines that she gave to me for the tatting patterns! These are mostly from 1987 and 1988, with one from 1989. Isn’t she sweet to think of me? She was concerned I already had different patterns for some of the things in them – cross bookmark, hearts, etc. – until I explained to her that wasn’t a problem. Who wouldn’t want a variety of edgings, bookmarks, hearts, and the like?

I remember back in the day when the Workbasket was one place you could find tatting patterns. There weren’t nearly the amount of books available as there are now, and no Internet to find patterns on-line. Of course, the patterns are written in long hand, so can be somewhat hard to follow. But, hey, in those days I didn’t complain because this was all I knew, and who would I complain to? I didn’t know any other tatters! I did make a few notes here and there in my short hand – much closer to how a lot of patterns are written now! One more thing to be thankful for 🙂

Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving!