Author: wandasknottythoughts@gmail.com

Medallion cross once more

Tatted Medallion Cross Bookmark on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Medallion Cross Bookmark © Wanda Salmans
I seem to have a lot of these crosses now, all just a little different from each other.  I keep trying different stitch counts, looking for just the right pattern.
This cross is in Lizbeth Twirlz #404 Mermaid Lagoon.  I’m not all that excited about how it looks in this thread.  I also had an awful time taking a good picture of it.  This is the best of the lot.  Can you tell that is a piece of white printer paper behind it?
I think I finally have the pattern done to my satisfaction.  I still need to tat one with this stitch count to go on the pattern page.  I started one, then I lost it under my seat in the car.  Up until then I thought I’d have it done today, but that was the end of working on it while we were driving.  I lost a bit of tatting time so it won’t be finished as soon as I’d hoped.
Due to a couple of rainy days my kitchen didn’t get finished until Tuesday, but the construction is done! *happy dance* What this means is I now have to put things away.  I have lots of cabinet and drawer space and I have no idea where I want a lot of things.  We just started putting items in cabinets where we (I) think is a good idea, at least at the moment.  If they don’t work there I guess we’ll rearrange.   Pictures will be coming as soon as I get a chance to download them to the computer.
Through all of this mess and muddle I’ve been tatting small things like this cross.  Now I need to move on to other things.  Not sure if I can call them bigger and better, but different anyway.
“See any detour as an opportunity to experience new things.”
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
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Lace in the dust

In an earlier post I mentioned we are remodeling our kitchen.  As you can imagine, it is a dusty process. There is dust everywhere! It gets into everything!
A couple of days ago I was looking for something in a drawer in the living room and found something unexpected.  I wasn’t even sure what it was at first glance because I couldn’t think of anything I had that looked like it.
This is a glasses case.  There was a hanky with a tatted edging laying across it in the drawer.  The dust infiltrated the drawer and left a lovely pattern in dust on the case.  It’s amazing how disappointed I am that I messed up the pattern when I picked up the case.
Dusty tatted lace - dust left an impression on a glass case. The tatted edging of a hanky echoed in the dust. wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
The good news is that the kitchen is almost done.  We can actually start cleaning up some of the dust, as most of that work is about over.  The contractor is putting the finishing touches on.  I may have my kitchen done by the weekend!  The background in the picture is my new kitchen counter.  Isn’t it pretty?
I’ve been working on the pattern for the Medallion Cross bookmark.  I want to review it a bit before I post it but I’m hoping to have it ready in a couple of days.
“An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.”
William Bernbach
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Eenie, meenie, meinie, moe

Two tatted Medallion Cross Bookmarks on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Medallion Cross Bookmarks © Wanda Salmans 2016
in Lizbeth #122 Caribbean size 20
I shared this bookmark a few weeks ago.
Original tatted Medallion Cross Bookmark on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Medallion Cross Bookmark © Wanda Salmans 2016
This is how I made it originally.  Well, not quite, but almost. After looking at this picture I thought there must be a way to make the medallion center look a little better. For the last several weeks I’ve thought about it and tried a couple of different things.
Tatted Medallion Cross Bookmark version 2 on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Medallion Cross Bookmark v2© Wanda Salmans 2016
This version has several changes.  In this one the chains are joined at the arms to make it a bit less likely to twist.  The long, bottom arm is also made with one ring at the top of it instead of two.  The picot count has been reduced making it less frilly.  It came out pretty well, but is it the way to leave it?  Maybe the long arm should be a bit thinner?
Tatted Medallion Cross Bookmark version 3 on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com

 Medallion Cross Bookmark v3© Wanda Salmans 2016

Version three is the same as v2 except for the long arm.  It was made a bit skinnier by making the ring and joins between the sides a little different.  Not bad, but good enough? Is this the way to leave it and write the pattern?
The chains are joined at the arms where they weren’t before and now both of these versions cup slightly.  In a book they would probably soon loose the cup and wouldn’t be noticed, but it’s not pleasing.  Looking at the picture of the original it’s obvious that the way the chains were modified changes the look of the medallion more than planned. Maybe the chain stitch count needs to be altered back to how it was.
Hmm.  What do you think?
Which version should make it to the pattern page?
“Eenie, meenie, meinie, moe
Catch a tatter by the toe
If she hollers make her tat
Rings and chains to make a mat
My mother told me to pick the very best one
and you are not it!”
 
Children’s choosing game –
modified 🙂

A short edging

Short edging in Rainbow Splash on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
A short edging in Lizbeth #184 Rainbow Splash size 20
 I have an aunt that is currently in assisted living while undergoing rehab after surgery.  Outside of every room in the facility is a shadow box with glass shelves.  The shadow boxes for those people that are there for long term care usually have quite a few things in them, from pictures to miniatures to postcards and such. My aunt is not expected to be there for a long term but it does look sad to have the shadow box empty.  My mother has been finding cat miniatures at garage sales to put in my aunt’s box to give it a happier appearance.
I kept thinking her box needed a little tatting.  While I was visiting the week before Easter I showed her what colors I had with me and offered to make an edging for her box.  She chose Rainbow Splash.
I envisioned doing something quick and easy that would hang over the edge of a shelf.  That is what developed but not quite as I saw it in my mind’s eye.
Then there was the problem of attaching it to the shelf.  At first I thought I would use sewing thread to go around and around the shelf, attaching to the edging as I went.  I thought it wouldn’t be too noticeable.  But that didn’t work at all.  My husband suggested gluing it to the glass.  As I happened to have a glue stick with me I gave it a try.  It worked great.  As it’s just a regular glue stick the edging should come off easily when she goes home.  The glass should clean off easily as well.
My aunt is very happy with the edging.  She makes sure she mentions it to whom-ever is assisting her as they come and go to her room.
I wanted to get the edging done by Easter – which I did – so pretty much went with the original idea.  There are a few things I want to change the next time which should make it hang nicer without twisting.  I think the edging came out well for a ‘quickie’.
“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.”
Salvador Dali

International Tatting Day 2016

 

International Tatting Day 2016
I had a lot of fun today celebrating International Tatting Day.
Becky, Sherry and I celebrating International Tatting Day
Becky, Sherry and I celebrating International Tatting Day
Becky, Sherry, and me at Montana Mike’s Steakhouse
( I should have moved over with the others so the window wasn’t directly behind us)
Had lunch with two ladies that are my students.  We get together once a month to tat and this month it was in public with tatting and chocolate.  I brought Hershey’s kisses in several varieties, something for everyone.
Becky and Sherry
Lunch with Becky and Sherry for International Tatting Day 2016
I put the tatted buttons I’ve been working on in a teacup. The other teacup has the chocolate.  I also had a candy bowl with several shuttles wound with a yard of size 10 red thread and card stock wrapped with 2 yards of size 10 white thread.  These were to be given away if anyone was interested in trying and wanted them.  I demonstrated for one interested person but she didn’t take a shuttle.  We had several people stop and ask questions about what we were doing and were very impressed.  No-one turned down the buttons when offered one.
Becky helping Sherry with a knotty problem
Sherry was having a little trouble and Becky helped her out.  Nothing ensures you know what your doing as much as having to demonstrate and help someone else.
I  think I gave out about 10 buttons while we were out today.  At work I gave out the other 15 I had, along with a Hershey kiss.
I guess I need to make more buttons 🙂
I hope all of you enjoyed International Tatting Day where-ever you were.
Keep Calm
and
Tat On

Eggs, blooms, smoke and snow

I had a chance to decorate Easter eggs this week.  Nothing elaborate, but fun.
Decorated Easter eggs wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
We didn’t cook any eggs to color this year.  They have eggs at the store that look almost real, and all you have to do is decorate.  My daughter bought two dozen white ones for the kids to decorate.  I thought I was picking up the same thing except colored, ready for stickers or coloring.
They were chalkboard eggs.  They even came with a package of chalk.
Decorating Easter eggs wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
I used colored pencils instead.  Along with a bit of tatting, of course.
I had a lot of fun with these though I only finished three eggs.  I guess I have some to work on for next year.
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned how many of the ornamental pear trees were blooming.  There are a few of those still pretty though most have greened to leaves now.  But the Flowering Crab Apple and Redbud trees are now in full bloom.
Decorating Easter eggs wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com

In the last week or so there was a hard freeze but it doesn’t look like it did a lot of damage.  Well, I don’t have a garden or fruit trees so I could be wrong, but there are a lot of trees and flowers still blooming.

Blooming crab apple tree and statue wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com

This is a Flowering Crab Apple tree in my daughter’s yard and it is beautiful!

The sky has been other than blue over the last week.  There have been several large wild fires in the state that created a lot of smokey skies and caused ash to fall miles from the fires.  The fires are very hard to contain when the wind is blowing 40+ miles an hour.
Smoky sunset wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
A smokey sunset seen from where I work in Wichita.  I missed being outside when all the ash was falling.
We finally got a little moisture Easter Sunday.  In the form of a beautiful snow fall.
Easter morning snow wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
The view from the bedroom window about 8:00 a.m. Easter morning.
Easter morning snow and blue sky wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
This was about an hour later.  Check out that blue, blue sky!
It was a perfect snow.  The roads were clear, the snow only lasted for the day and it was perfect for making snow balls. It did mean that the grandchildren had their egg hunt in the house, but they didn’t seem to mind too much.
This Friday, April 1st, is International Tatting Day.  The two ladies I get together to tat with, my sister, and I are planning to be at the Montana Mike’s Steak House in McPherson for lunch.  We’ll have our tatting and chocolate out and I know we’ll be having a great time.  If there is anyone in the neighborhood that would like to join us there you would be quite welcome!  We plan on getting there about 11:30 a.m. and taking a long lunch.
What are your plans for ITD?
“If an egg is broken by an outside source, life ends.
If an egg is broken by an inside force, then life begins.
Great things happen from the inside.”

More buttons for ITD

Buttons for International Tatting Day on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
With all the dust and disruptions at the house due to the remodel I’ve not gotten much tatting done. I can still do a bit in the car so I’ve continued to decorate buttons for International Tatting Day.
I did give away a few green ones last week to be worn for St. Patrick’s Day.
And one to an aunt who thought it was pretty.
And one to a co-worker who really liked it.
The grandchildren like them, too. And their mothers.
I guess if I don’t give them all away on ITD I’ll still be able to do something with them eventually.
“Who gives from the mind is great
Who gives from the heart is truly blessed.”
Marinela Reka


Shortly after I posted this we went out for lunch.  We met a nice lady in another booth that recognized that I was tatting and had a nice visit.  Before she left I gave her a button and my card.
Do you think I’ll have any left for ITD?

An early spring

It’s only the middle of March and many of the trees are in bloom or finished blooming.  Every where you look there are beautiful flowering trees and plants.
Ornamental pear tree in bloom wandasknottythoughts
This ornamental pear tree is just down the road from our bank, one of many in the area. You would almost think there was snow on a lot of trees by all the white every where.
Blooming Ornamental Pear tree wandasknottythoughts
With the weather being warmer than normal it is tempting to stop and admire all the lovely blooms. So on the way to the bank I did.
Now we worry that we’ll get cold weather again and loose all the fruit and flowers that have bloomed. People with ornamental trees like this pear don’t have to worry about loosing fruit. People with actual fruit-bearing trees do.
The early spring has helped our contractor out a lot.  He can leave the doors and windows open while he works on our kitchen remodel.  I am looking forward to getting this completed.  Our kitchen is a bit of a mess right now.

We’ve been eating out a lot lately 🙂
The only tatting I’ve accomplished lately is a few buttons.  This is a good thing as I want to have as many as possible for International Tatting Day.  My problem now is that I keep giving them away.
“Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.”
Sydney J. Harris
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Tatting for ITD

 There are so many things going on lately I’ve not really gotten into any projects even though I have several in mind.  Instead I’ve been working on little things to give away (I hope) on International Tatting Day April 1st.
Button Tatting for International Tatting Day 2016 on wandasknottythought.blogspot.com

 

Tatting around buttons is easy and quick and people really like them when they see them, making them ideal as small give-a-ways.  I’ve done a few in green because, hey, St. Patrick’s day is coming up – never hurts to have a little green on you.
Back of the Button Tatting for International Tatting Day 2016 on wandasknottythought.blogspot.com
 Instead of sewing in the ends on these I’ve used them to sew on a small safety pin.  I have a whole jar of safety pins of different sizes, thought this would be a good place to use the smaller ones.
I think I’ll move on to other colors now and maybe make a few into Easter eggs like I have the last couple of years; a few on paperclips and a few on safety pins.
I really need to keep a few of these handy all the time, not just for ITD.  I’ve had several opportunities to give something like this away to an interested by-stander but didn’t have any with me that were finished.  Okay, I’d already given the finished ones away…  So I need to keep more on hand.
Still haven’t gotten my drawing program fixed.  Now that I can’t I really want to work on some patterns.  I hope I keep up the enthusiasm for when I have a working program again.
While I wait I might as well do another button.
“You gotta try your luck at least once a day, because you could be going around lucky all day and not even know it.”
Jimmy Dean
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Hanging Basket Edging Winter Runner

I made this edging for a table runner back in August.  I hadn’t been sure I was going to be happy with it, but it turned out looking good.
'Hanging Basket Edging' © Wanda Salmans on a runner November 2015 found on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Hanging Basket Edging © Wanda Salmans
I was in a hurry when I took this picture and I didn’t notice how crooked it looks.  It didn’t look like that when it was hanging up.  This just shows that I’m better at tatting than I am at sewing 🙂  This runner was given as a gift for Christmas.
"Medallion Cross Bookmark" © Wanda Salmans found on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Medallion Cross Bookmark © Wanda SalmansI noticed a bookmark in my Bible that I made several years ago and thought I would make it again.  I couldn’t find anywhere that I had written down the pattern so thought I would.  Jotted it down on paper and lost it.  Re-wrote it.  Then tried to diagram it and found my vector program has a problem just after I upgraded to Windows 10.  Serif Draw X8 is supposed to be compatible with Windows 10 so maybe it got corrupted during the upgrade.  I uninstalled SDX8 and re-installed and still get an error.  I tried installing an update but still no luck.  I have put my problem on their forum and hope to get an answer.  If not it will be direct contact with Serif.  I’m used to this program and like it, it’s a real problem to not have it work.

It has been quite a week.  Besides the program issue we’ve had some trouble with the Internet so I had trouble posting.  We’ve also had a lot of things happening at the house getting ready for a bit of remodeling.

There has been some other distractions as well.  You may have heard about the shooting at Excel Industries in Hesston, Kansas.  Hesston is just down the road from us.  It was quite a shock to have something like this hit so close to home.  I don’t personally know any of the people that were shot but people I know do.  In such a small community, something like this effects everyone.
It’s wonderful how the entire county has joined together to get through this ordeal and help those who need it.