Category: grandchildren

Second Edging Complete!

Yes, it’s true. I’ve completed the second china hutch edging AND put it on the shelf!

Second china hutch edging on wandasknottythoughts
China hutch 2 shelves done

The top one is the first one, the bottom one is the second. It looks like I should have made one more repeat for the length, but I’m not going back. It doesn’t have as many repeats as the first one due to picot length. The second one is a bit more consistent with the length of the joining picot in the first row. I might be able to adjust the way it lays on the shelf to fit the width a bit better.

Second china hutch edging w/doors on wandasknottythoughts
Two edgings are done on the china hutch

With the doors closed, the way they are most of the time, you can’t see that the edging does’t quite reach the sides. The first edging needs to be straightened just a bit, LOL! I’ll get to that later.

I am still working on the third shelf edging.

Third china hutch edging not quite done on wandasknottythoughts
Still working on the third edging

I’m on the second row of it, too. I just keep running into things that need to be done that are more time sensitive than the edging, both tatting related and otherwise.

In the otherwise category, I’ve taken care of a couple of the grandchildren several times that I hadn’t planned on. Whether at their house or our house there are other things to do than tat. My granddaughter likes watching videos that show how to make Barbie accessories, so we’ve made a few of those. Good thing I have a bunch of crafty things handy!

“You don’t have to get things done all the time to be productive.” David Harsanyi

Bookmarks, Old and New

I opened a book the other day, one that had been sitting on a shelf for ages. Inside was found a bookmark I had made quite some time ago. I don’t know how long it has been since I tatted this, but it was time enough that the rings are facing up and the chains are facing down. I have been tatting with all elements facing up for years, so this bookmark must be 20 years old.

Old bookmark found in a book on wandasknottythoughts
Old bookmark found in a book

I was reading the book to my grandchildren when we discovered the bookmark. One of the children mentioned they would like a bookmark like this. That’s all it took to twist my arm enough for me to decide to tat them one.

Blue bookmark with ribbon on wandasknottythoughts
Blue bookmark with ribbon

I happened to have a blue thread with me, which is a favored color, though I didn’t have any ribbon. A trip to Joann’s made short work of that problem. It wasn’t much later that this bookmark was done. I realize it isn’t exactly like the old one, but close enough.

I couldn’t make one child something without making something for the other. As time was running short I made the second one a bit different from the first because it took less time to tat.

Pink bookmark with tail on wandasknottythoughts
Pink bookmark

This one went much faster. The thread is also sizeĀ 10 instead of size 20, which helped make it as long as the other with less work.

Both bookmarks were received with enthusiasm. Which makes grandma happy šŸ™‚

Three bookmarks, one old, two new on wandasknottythoughts
Three bookmarks, one old, two new

I find it interesting to see how much my tatting has changed over the years, not only in techniques but the thread used. The old bookmark was made with DMC pearl cotton, a very soft thread, which was what I could find if I wanted any variety of color at the time. The new bookmarks are made in Lizbeth thread from Handy Hands, which is not nearly as soft. How many colors does HH have now? Lots!

I have two other grandchildren that haven’t yet received bookmarks. Hmm, what colors, what patterns?

“Change can be frightening, and the temptation is often to resist it. But change almost always provides opportunitiesĀ – to learn new things, to rethinkĀ tired processes, and to improve the way we work.” Klause Schwab
www.brainyquote.com

No booties this time

This last week we went up to see our daughter when they had the new baby baptized. Our granddaughter wore the same baptismal gown that her brother had worn but not the booties he did. Her brother was several months old when he was baptized so I had to make the booties to fit him. I also didn’t think to make her a pair – where was my mind for the last 6 months?? – so I decided to do something a little less complicated. I decorated some socks.

Even this simple little motif gave me fits. First, I used size 80 thread, DMC # 604, which I rarely even try to tat with. Second, I was tatting these in the car then trying to finish them off in the hotel room. They ended up taking more time than I want to admit. They also don’t quite have the same stitch count – I finished one kind of late and made the second one kind of early the next morning. After I’d almost finished I realized I had changed it up a bit. And, you know what? I just left them that way. My husband and daughter looked at them and couldn’t tell the difference. Besides, with the baby wearing her long baptismal gown you couldn’t see the socks anyway. So someday, if the socks survive very long, someone will look at them and maybe notice that Grandma didn’t know how to count – and I’m okay with that šŸ™‚

I then proceeded to decorate a second pair of socks (the socks came on a card containing two pair) almost but not quite the same. I didn’t add any decorative picots to these. I figure these might be worn a couple of times and picots don’t always look so good after washing without a little help. These actually came out looking pretty good – and they do have the same stitch count – though I made them while distracted by the new born and a two-year-old. And I have never claimed to be good with a sewing needle: they are attached in a manner that they shouldn’t come off even if it’s not pretty šŸ˜› I used DMC size 80 again in #107.

Babies are a grandparentsā€™ best reward

We bring them home and spoil them

Then return them to their parents

And leave them to their mayhem

Wanda

This weekend I drank a lot of iced tea, though today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I returned to hot tea. There’s just something about having a hot cuppa first thing in the morning that I like better than having a cold glass. Of course, it’s not summer yet!

For those here in the USA, I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Weekend. We flew our tattered American flag in wind that almost tore it off the pole but didn’t make it to the cemeteries. That had been on my agenda, but with the visit to the grandchildren we didn’t make it. We drove by a few cemeteries decorated with flags and flowers, very beautiful, and in church we recognized those that had been in the military, giving us a chance to say “Thank you for your service”
Though I’m a day late, I’d like to say “thank you” to all of you out there for your service to your country, and to me and my family. Your are greatly appreciated. Though this was written several years ago I wanted to share this poem with you.
Memorial Day 2007