Hello, 2023!

It’s hard to believe that we are in 2023. 2022 had its ups and downs, with the end coming almost as a surprise. For me, it ended on a high note. My husband had the entire week off between Christmas and New Year’s day. It was great to spend time together without him having to go to work. We were also able to spend time with family, which was wonderful.

Since fall, between making Christmas ornaments and edgings, I’ve been playing with an idea based on a snowflake from last fall, the October snowflake.

October snowflake on wandasknottythoughts
October snowflake

I used the same stitch counts as this snowflake but added a couple more arms and did it all in white. I was not very impressed with how it came out.

October snowflake doily on wandasknottythoughts
October snowflake doily

It has a nice enough look, but the arms are not defined well. I decided to make it again, but in two colors, so the pattern is discernable.

October snowflake doily in two colors on wandasknottythoughts
October snowflake doily in two colors

I had Lizbeth Cranberry already on a shuttle when I started the center. I should have stuck with one of the other two colors. Both colors are in Cranberry, but the variegated center distracts from the overall look of the doily. This is made in size 20, whereas the white one is made in size 10.

White October snowflake doily with shuttle on wandasknottythoughts
White October snowflake doily in size 10

Both doilies are on the small side, as you can see by the Clover shuttle. I suppose I could do another round to increase the size. When/if I do make another, it will probably be in different colors. There are several minor changes I’d make as well.

I haven’t yet started anything new in the new year. In the midst of making all of the Christmas projects, I thought of other things I’d like to be doing. Did I write those down? No. Do I remember all of them? No. But I know I made plans! I’m not good at New Year’s resolutions, but maybe I should resolve to write my ideas down! It would also be good to remember where I write them down, LOL! One thing I do remember I plan on doing – Jane Eborall’s 2023 TIAS! The fun starts on January 11!

What are you working on? Have you started something new in the New Year?

“My New Year’s Resolution List usually starts with the desire to lose between ten and three thousand pounds.” Nia Vardalos

Happy New Year 2022

Happy New Year! We’ve made it through 2021 and have entered 2022. Let this be a year of finishing things started in the past, enjoying what is happening in the present, and welcoming new challenges that come to us in the future.

Yesterday here in the middle of the USA the day was cloudy and warm – about 65 degrees F – and today it is cloudy and cold – 11 degrees F at 10:00 AM and still falling. It is also windy, with snow and sleet. What a way to go from one year to the next! I’m glad I don’t live farther north where it is much colder!

Yesterday I spent a lot of time outside with the dog, enjoying the nice weather while it lasted. In the evening, watching the clock tick down to the end of the year I did a bit of tatting. I’m working on the modified wings I used for the tree-topper angel.

Modified angel wings on wandasknottythoughts
Modified angel wings, from the oldest on the bottom to the latest on the top

I started with wings I made last year for the hymnal angels. But the size of my tree-topper angel was too large for the wings, even in size 10 thread. That is what I made the wings in originally, but they weren’t big enough for the tree-topper angel. I made a set from the pattern with a few modifications and attached them to her but I’m not happy with them, exactly. I think they could be done better.

I worked in size 20 thread last night as that is what I had on my shuttles. I’ve made a change, or two, every time I’ve made them. I think they are getting better.

When I started this post I noticed that the one I had made for this last Monday didn’t get posted! Oops! So I posted it today as well as this one. What a way to start the year!

May your new year be full of plenty of time for tatting!

The Week before New Years

Did you all have a wonderful Christmas? I hope you did. We did. We had family get-togethers, presents, a Christmas Eve program, and a wonderful Christmas day. Now we are in that week just before the calendar year changes from 2021 to 2022. Are you ready?

I finally finished the wings for my tree-topper angel, the day after Christmas. But that’s okay, I still have my tree up and the angel is now ready for next year.

Tree-top angel with wings on wandasknottythoughts
Tree-top angel got its wings

I made the wings in Lizbeth # 601 Snow White in size 10. I had wanted to make them in # 602 Natural but I didn’t have any in size 10. I thought the color would go better with the rest of the angel, but this looks okay. I modified my Angel Wings pattern to make the wings come out larger than I made them before. I even stiffened them so they would stand out nicely. I’m very happy with how the whole angel came out.

At Christmas, our families play a white elephant gift exchange game so we don’t have to spend so much on presents, but there are still a few gifts some of us give because we want to anyway. My sister embroiders and always makes something for the women and bakes goodies for each family (the guys and kids don’t complain!) She enjoys embroidering tea towels throughout the year so we all get them at Christmas. The women don’t complain, either. This year they all had gnomes on them.

Gnome tea towel on wandasknottythoughts
Gnome tea towel

I love my new tea towel, isn’t it cute? Unlike some, I am not afraid to use the embroidered tea towels my sister gives me. I have them out almost exclusively. She put all that work into them, I’m not leaving them in the drawer!

This year has been unseasonable warm here. We’ve been hearing of snow in some other parts of the country, but here in the middle of the USA we have had warm temperatures and haven’t had any moisture but a few sprinkles in over a month. The weather is supposed to change a bit on New Year’s Day.

Weather forecast for the week before New Years 2021 on wandasknottythoughts
Weather forecast for the week before New Year 2021

It’s too far out to know if we really will have any moisture or in what form it will take snow, rain, or ice, or a combination. I’ll take it in whatever form we can get it.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I don’t, I just review what’s been going on, what I’ve been doing, and consider if I’m going in the direction I want to be going. I do sometimes make a list of tatted things I would like to make, but I usually lose it. As I’m retired now maybe I’ll post that list on the refrigerator and remember to make a few of the items on my wish list. Check back at the end of next year to see how well that goes, LOL!

New Years’ Day is this coming Saturday. Are you ready?

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.” Nido Qubein

2010 is almost over

Can you believe the year is almost over? It’s been such a busy year it hardly seems possible.

I look back over the year and think of all places I went, the new things I’ve tried,
and the people I’ve met – I must say it was a year well spent. We went on several great trips, both with family and by ourselves, and made wonderful memories. I learned
several new tatting techniques that will open up all kinds of possibilities for
projects this next year. I met some great people in the travels I made this year as well as
locally and on-line, people I hope to keep in touch with in the years to come.

The last week I did some tatting, some right up to Christmas Eve, but then the projects were done or they weren’t and it was time to enjoy family and friends. We had
great get-togethers with both sides of our families (the in-laws and the out-laws, LOL!) and
still have one to go. It has been a wonderful holiday season.

I did want to share one more gift I received from my Advent swap partner. She really
spoiled me this year.

Check it out – she sent me Yarnplayer’s Layered Ring Christmas Tree pattern! I was thinking about getting this but hadn’t yet taken the time to order. She also sent me a tension-adjusting
tatting shuttle! (I haven’t tried it yet, but I will soon!) It came in a cute little tin. There was
also a beautiful beaded tree ornament that she made – very nice, very sparkly! Her
son had her include someSpongeBob Squarepants candy books for my grandsons and their families and one for us, too. And a large ball of size 30 white thread. She was very
generous!

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Christmas this year. And may your New Year be filled with wonder and joy!