Back From Tatting Corner’s Tat Days pt. 2

It’s always so fun to go to tatting gatherings, to see old friends, make new friends, and share experiences and stories with other tatters. And then it’s over, and everyone returns home. When I get home it’s going through the many pictures I take, weeding out the bad ones (is that the floor?), trying to remember why I took that one, and remembering the moment another was taken.

A few memories from Tat Days this year:

Jack and Chuck at Tat Days on wandasknottythoughts
Jack and Chuck at Tat Days

My husband Jack and Lisa’s husband Chuck had a chance to sit and talk about shuttles and shuttle making.

Peggy Rogan, me ,and Kristina Fry on wandasknottythoughts
Peggy Rogan, me, and Kristina Fry

Kristina caught me visiting instead of tatting during Donna’s class.

Donna Denny teaching us her frog on wandasknottythoughts
Donna Pagano Denny

Donna teaching us how to make her frog.

Joy Buck on wandasknottythoughts
Joy Buck

Joy was a great teacher on her checkers-themed pattern. Many of us surprised her by taking what she saw as a beginner’s class but we saw it as a fun pattern.

Peggy Rogan with her Hare on wandasknottythoughts
Peggy Rogan with her Hare
Kay Pettyjohn with her Hare on wandasknottythoughts
Kay Pettyjohn with her Hare

Peggy and Kay finished their Hares during class.

One of my classes working on the tortoise on wandasknottythoughts
One of my classes working on the tortoise

Janet Crow, Susanne Kern, Lora McClintock, and Joy Buck during one of my tortoise classes. Lora was helping Susanne, a very new needle tatter. Thanks, Lora!

After three wonderful days of tatting and friendship, it was time to go home For me, the trip home is a time to think about new patterns and put ideas to paper so I can remember them. Sometimes I even work on, and maybe finish, projects that were started at Tat Days. This year on the way home I didn’t work on any projects started at Tat Days, I was too busy thinking of another pattern. It still has a lot of work to do, but I’m excited about how it’s going.

It is also time to start thinking about and working on Christmas things. I have a lot of ideas floating around inside my head that I hope I can bring to fruition. Maybe even by this Christmas, lol!

And, of course, what is the theme for the next Tat Days? And who all will be there?


“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” Khalil Gibran

Back From Tatting Corner’s Tat Days pt 1

We made it back from Tat Days 2024! Yes, several weeks ago. It’s amazing how busy I was even after we got back. And how lazy I got about posting!

Tat Days was fun this year, as always. I taught classes on the cruise this last fall, but this is my first time at Tat Days. The classes went well and kept me very busy. I met up with friends from other Tat Days and the cruise and made a few new ones. I was excited to see my name on the back of the shirt!

Back of T-shirt for Tat Days on wandasknottythoughts
Back of T-shirt for Tat Days

Lisa had an auction to raise money for the Animal Protection League again this year. $2323 was raised for it! This year the auction was two-fold, the APL and the new tatting scholarship fund. They were done simultaneously with the items marked for where the money would go. $1043 was raised for the scholarship fund.

Lora McClintock, Lynda Brown, and Lisa Adams on wandasknottythoughts
Lora McClintock, Lynda Brown, and Lisa Adams

Lisa was the auctioneer, with Lora and Lynda being her ‘gofers’. Lora and Lynda would take the items into the crowd so we could get a closer look before bidding on them.

Auction crown 1 on wandasknottythoughts
Auction crown (1)
Auction crowd (2) on wandasknottythoughts
Auction crowd (2)

Unfortunately, I didn’t remember to pick up my camera as Lora showed off the shawl, I was laughing too hard. I’m sure she appreciates that I didn’t pick it up! If you were there, you know what I’m referring to. If you weren’t there, you should have been! We are all looking forward to another wonderful show next year, Lora!

Several people finished the patterns I taught before the weekend was over, which is exciting to me. I’m sharing a few here, but I have more!

KayLynn Thygerson finished the tortoise on wandasknottythoughts
KayLynn Thygerson finished the tortoise

KayLynn finished her tortoise before Tat Days were over. It came out so well!

Janet Niederloh with her Hare on wandasknottythoughts
Janet Niederloh with her Hare

Janet not only finished her Hare, but it was during the class! I thought she used a smaller thread but I have been told it was size 20. She did a great job!

Me and Kristina Fry with her Hare on wandasknottythoughts
Me and Kristina Fry with her Hare

Kristina finished a Hare and a half. She pointed out a problem with my pattern and helped me correct it. Thanks so much, Kristina!

I’ve mentioned several times that my husband has been making shuttles lately. He’s been getting better and decided to take some with us to Tat Days.

Shuttles by Jack 20240711 on wandasknottythoughts
Shuttles by Jack 20240711

He donated one for the auction and sold most of the rest. He brought 12 and left with two. I think he’ll be making more!

This was another fun and exciting Tat Days. I will be sharing more pictures from it in the next several weeks. Hopefully in less than four weeks! Things have slowed down a bit here at home, but I’m working on another pattern, plus Christmas is only five months away! I’ve got a lot of tatting to do before then.

“You have the ability to choose which way you want to go. You have to believe great things are going to happen in your life. Do everything you can – prepare, pray and achieve – to make it happen.” Ben Carson

Off to Tat Days!

On Tuesday we will set out for Anderson, Indiana, for Tatting Corner’s Tat Days 2024. We’re stopping for a bit of sightseeing on the way as the classes don’t start until Thursday. This year I will be teaching two new patterns of mine. The theme is “Games Tatters Play” and my patterns are of the Great Race of the Hare and the Tortoise.

The Tortoise and the Hare on wandasknottythoughts
The Tortoise and the Hare

The tortoise is a stuffed 3D pattern. It is similar to the Sea Turtle I taught on the cruise in November, with a lot of changes. For one, Sea Turtles have fins, the Tortoise has legs and toes!

His opponent in the Race is the Hare. This hare is 2D instead of 3D, and plans on winning! It looks simple, but jumps around a lot, with a lot of reverse work and switching shuttles.

Tat Days are July 11, 12, & 13. I’m looking forward to seeing old friends, and meeting new ones!

The Hare and Tortoise patterns will be available after Tat Days.

Who will win? The fast, or the the slow and steady?

Aesop Fable “The Hare and the Tortoise”

Happy Independence Day!

Independence Day is tomorrow, July 4, but we spent yesterday evening celebrating early with our church family. We had an enjoyable evening with a potluck and fireworks. It was a lot of fun. We watched other people set off fireworks while we sat and watched.

Most years I come up with a little something done in patriotic colors. Instead, this year I’m sharing a pattern I made a few years ago. In July 2019 I decorated a white button for the 4th of July with red and blue threads. A few days ago I was asked for the pattern and realized I hadn’t written it out yet. I finally did.

Patriotic button on wandasknottythoughts
Patriotic button

It’s funny, I’m not sure what I did with the original button, but I made a new one and started a second one. One suggestion about making it: don’t do it while talking to people in a doctor’s office. This pattern uses four shuttles at a time, which can tangle if you’re not paying attention!

Patriotic Button using four shuttles on wandasknottythoughts
Patriotic Button using four shuttles

I was talking about tatting to several interested people in the office waiting area and tangled the threads several times. I should have chosen something a bit simpler to take with me.

If anyone is interested in the Patriotic Button pattern it is on My Patterns page.

I wish you all a safe 4th of July!

“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” – William Faulkner

New Shuttles by Jack

My wonderful husband, Jack, has enabled my shuttle addiction over the years. He has bought me shuttles, gone hunting for shuttles at flea markets, ordered them for me online, and made them for me. He’s at it again, making more shuttles.

Shuttles by Jack on wandasknottythoughts
Shuttles by Jack June 2024

The three shuttles on the left are made from a branch that fell out of our Red Bud tree a few months ago. The branch was already dead, it was blown out of the tree before we cut it out. I told Jack I thought it would be cool to have a shuttle from it, and he did, too. I didn’t know the wood would be so pretty! The shuttle on the right is cherry wood.

Jack has one of my plastic Clover shuttles that he uses as a pattern for size and general shape. He cuts out the shape with a band saw and then uses a sander to finish the rest of it. Then he glues a post in the middle. Each one is slightly different in shape and height, making them one-of-a-kind. He is getting better and better, each one surpassing the previous one. When he’s done, he brings them to me to verify they work as expected, keeping the thread from unwinding when dropped to unwind the twist in the thread, and being smooth to wind and unwind. He’s having fun while improving the process.

He currently has three in process in the garage, and plans on making more. For all that I like them all, he is taking some with him to Tatting Corner’s Tat Days in July, to see what other tatters think of them. If you see him there, ask about them. He’d love to show them to you.

“I’m always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning… Every day I find something creative to do with my life.” Miles Davis

More Bookmarks and a Trip

I’m still on a bookmark kick. They are quick and easy to make and are great to have on hand for a last-minute gift. And a not-so-last-minute gift.

More paperclip bookmarks on wandasknottythoughts
More paperclip bookmarks

These bookmarks are also great to do while traveling. Since I have no set pattern for any of these it’s easy to do in the car or a hotel room. And we happened to take an impromptu trip last week to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sunday, on the way home from church, my husband asked if I wanted to go. We left early Monday morning for a week in New Mexico.

We didn’t have any plans of things to do while in Santa Fe, but we found plenty to do, a couple of hikes, and several wonderful places for food and beverages.

La Cieneguilla petroglyphs on wandasknottythoughts
La Cieneguilla petroglyphs

Not too far outside of Santa Fe are the La Cieneguilla petroglyphs. It is a short hike, about a half mile, but some of it’s uphill over rocks. We hadn’t thought to bring our hiking boots, so we wore our tennis shoes. We made it, but next time…! It was worth the climb. I understand there are many more petroglyphs than what we saw, but we saw enough to appreciate them.

View on road up to Ski Santa Fe on wandasknottythoughts
View on the road up to Ski Santa Fe

We did take a much easier trip up to Ski Santa Fe ski area. No hiking is required, it’s just a beautiful drive with a few lovely views.

A few places where we ate in Santa Fe were Herve’s Wine Bar for lunch and a cocktail, Rowley’s Farmhouse Ales for lunch and beverages, and The Flying Tortilla for several meals. The Flying Tortilla is close to the hotel we stayed at and we took advantage of their good food several times. All three of these restaurants have patios that allow dogs, which is great as we took our dog with us.

I do not get any compensation for mentioning any of these establishments.

Tsankawi Prehistoric site on wandasknottythoughts
Tsankawi Prehistorial site

We also hiked the Tsankawi Loop, which was probably not very smart. It’s 1.5 miles long with ladders. We went at 8:30 a.m. when it opened but it still got hot. We took plenty of water, but we aren’t in as good of shape as we should be for this. We made it, but we were feeling it before we finished. Our dog did great, even going up ladders, but going down was another matter altogether. My husband carried her down the one we didn’t go around. This is an amazing hike, but I’d not take her if we do something like this again. And be in better shape! We didn’t do much the rest of the day.

Wheat harvest started while we were gone. I’m somewhat disappointed that I missed them cutting the field in front of our house. Around the area we live wheat is a major part of most of the farms. Harvest means a lot of slow-moving vehicles as farmers move from one field to another, lots of trucks hauling wheat to the elevators, and lots of dust in the air. It’s good that it only lasts about three weeks.

Now that I’m home I’m gearing up for Tatting Corner’s Tat Days in July. Another trip, this one planned, that I’m looking forward to.

“Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs.” Susan Sontag

The Post That Was Never Posted

I know it’s been over a month since I posted last, but it wasn’t supposed to be. I had made a post just after Mother’s Day, then went on being busy. Including taking a little trip. How awful of me not to notice that I did not make sure it went live! So, here it is! And I’ll continue to work on the next one!

A few weeks ago I thought it would be nice to give a little something to each of my daughters for Mother’s Day (they are great moms!) We were all going to my mother’s house to celebrate with her so I would be seeing them. And my nieces. And my sister. Maybe I’d need a little something for them as well. Something quick and easy. Lucky for me, they all like to read, so bookmarks would be perfect.

Simple bookmarks on wandasknottythoughts
Mother’s Day bookmarks

I was trying something out with the purple bookmark. It didn’t come out as planned but I was not unhappy with it. The next one, in green Twirlz thread, started one way, and then I realized I hadn’t put enough thread on the shuttles to do the whole thing that way, so I changed it up a bit. After that, I decided to quit playing around and just get them finished. I like doing split rings, which work well for this type of bookmark, and they are quick. I missed taking a picture of the one I gave my sister.

After Mother’s Day, I was still playing around with bookmarks, trying different things. One of those ideas got away with me and became – not a bookmark. I was unhappy with how it looked, so I tried several other things, hoping to make it better.

Doodle on a button on wandasknottythoughts
Doodle on a button

I did not think to take pictures as I was making this. I did most of it while watching TV and without much of a plan. It started on a button. I thought there would be five or six arms, but it didn’t fit right, so I stopped at four. But it was quite ugly like that. The top eight layered rings were tatted in the manner of Ankars rings and then sewn to the button when done. It still looked bare, so I added the bead.

I like the ideas in this, but not the pattern of the bottom arms. I will ruminate on this and see if something more developes later.

I have several relatives graduating from high school and college that could use one of these bookmarks. And they fit well in cards. It wouldn’t hurt to have a few extras for when an unforeseen small gift is needed. I think I’ll make a few more.

“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” Roger Staubach

New Things

For all that I seem to be busy all the time, I have taken a few minutes here and there to get a little tatting in, and to see what others are tatting. I was intrigued by several different techniques I saw on the Internet, some of which I decided to try.

I saw a FaceBook post where muskaan talked about a Single Shuttle Beaded Braid. Oooh, I had to try that! She explains it in a blog post from April 2024. I found that it is not hard to do, but much harder to get it to look nice and even.

Single Shuttle Beaded Braid on wandasknottythoughts
Single Shuttle Beaded Braid

I am happy with this technique, but I certainly need more practice! I see how it can be used. FYI, the shuttle is one I bought from The Knotted Vine last fall.

While playing with the idea of beads in rings like this I fiddled around with beaded split rings. These were even worse in not being even! Again, more practice is needed.

Beaded split ring practice on wandasknottythoughts
Beaded split ring practice

As I was in the mood to try new things, I looked up a technique I had wanted to learn for a long time. I have a book of patterns that use it but I could never follow the written directions on how to do it. The Internet is a wonderful place to learn new things if you can just frame the question correctly. After a bit of trial and error, I found what I was looking for. It is a Lock Join Picot. Tatman has a video of it.

Lockjoin picot practice on wandasknottythoughts
Lock join picot practice

I know this looks a bit odd, but I was just trying the technique in threads that were already on shuttles. I can hardly believe how simple it turned out to be! Now I need to find the book and give those patterns a try.

I had two shuttles wound with thread from a recent project that I wanted to empty. Instead of unwinding them, I made another “Life is Bliss Butterfly”, an Endrucks #32 derivative by Antonia Lia, from the PicotMeEndrucks April game. This is the first one done in size 10 thread instead of size 20.

Life is Bliss Butterfly orange on wandasknottythoughts
Life is Bliss Butterfly

I changed the stitch count in several places but did the lock join picots as I did on the previous butterfly. While I’m typing this I noticed that one of the bottom lobes of the butterfly seems to be missing a picot. It’s there, I did a poor job of laying it out before taking the picture.

Did you have a good Mother’s Day? I had a wonderful weekend, including Sunday spent with my mother, our daughters, their families (and my husband!), my sister and her family.

Friday night we watched something I had never seen before, and certainly never expected to see in Kansas – the aurora borealis!

Aurora borealis on wandasknottythoughts
Aurora borealis

We did not see the waves of light that are usually shown when they are seen farther north. When we first went out to look, we didn’t realize we were seeing them. The sky seemed bright, with what we took as a cloudy sky to the north, but nothing we recognized as the northern lights. Our daughter came by with her family a few minutes later and showed us how to take pictures of them. By then the sky was pink to the naked eye, though not as spectacular as the pictures show. What we thought were clouds were the northern lights! We stood outside marveling at the sight for a long time. We live in Kansas, and to see them is quite rare. What an experience!

Have you tried anything new lately? How did it come out?

“You don’t have to get it right the first time.” Barbara Sher

Another Life Is Bliss Butterfly

I usually take my tatting with me in my purse. Usually, I have some idea of what I have to tat with in my tatting bag. Last Sunday morning we had to leave for church early and pick up the grandkids on the way. I had almost an hour before Bible study started, time I could spend tatting. What did I have in my tatting bag? Several partially wound shuttles of miscellaneous threads and no plan.

I had been trying out a few ideas the evening before, nothing of which I wanted to continue. I had a copy of the April Endrucks game of Picot Me Endrucks “Life is Bliss Butterfly” and wound shuttles, so I worked on that during my wait.

LIfe is Bliss Butterfly in random thread on wandasknottythoughts
Life is Bliss Butterfly in random threads

One thread is white, the other in some shade of turquoise, both Lizbeth size 20. I wasn’t sure I would be happy with this pattern in these colors, but I think it came out great! There were a few distractions so I wasn’t very imaginative with the picots. I did add a few extra stitches on the chains of the top part of the wings so the picots stayed more distinctive. After I was done, I noticed I wasn’t mindful of the picot sizes. It still came out well. I like it!

Now I’m off to another track meet. Oh, boy. LOL!

#Endrucks1920Project #PicotMeEndrucks

Tatted Comb

One of my granddaughters was confirmed at church last Sunday. Confirmation is not a sacrament or a divine order but is a step on the confirmand’s faith journey with study and understanding. Each confirmand wears a white robe as a symbol of the Christian’s holiness and purity in the sight of their Creator. They may also wear a corsage or boutonniere from their families. Fancy hair accessories are optional. We got her a corsage, and I also gave her a decorated comb. Of course, I didn’t start it until a week before.

I had an idea of the tatting attached to a barrette to be worn in front of her ponytail. I had the opportunity to try it on her hair the Wednesday before the event. I temporarily attached the tatting to a short hair comb to see how it would look.

Temporary hair piece on wandasknottythoughts
Temporary hair piece

I thought a few tatted tails hanging down the back might look good.

Back of the hair piece on wandasknottythoughts
Back view of the comb

The idea didn’t make it past this test. I didn’t restart quite from scratch…

Changed my mind on wandasknottythoughts
Changed my mind

I didn’t know where I was going with this at the beginning, so I didn’t think about putting beads on, or where to put them, to begin with, so the beads at the center were sewn on after instead of being incorporated in the tatting from the start. I added the rest of the beads as I tatted.

The finished hair piece on wandasknottythoughts
The finished comb

My granddaughter and her mother both were happy with the finished comb. Instead of the short comb or a barrette, I sewed the tatting onto a larger, metal comb. I’m glad I did, as one of the first things my granddaughter said was there was one tooth poking her in the head. I bent up the offending tooth and the problem was solved.

Hair comb fallen forward on wandasknottythoughts
Hair comb fallen forward

I did not put anything in the tatting to hold it down on her hair in the back, not considering that she is twelve and doesn’t sit still all that much. Over the day the tatting fell forward frequently onto her head instead of staying nicely over her hair. If you didn’t know better, maybe you would think it was supposed to be that way.

I thought I had taken at least one good picture of her wearing the comb that showed her and it off, but I was wrong. Maybe she’ll wear it again soon and I’ll get a better picture. When there aren’t so many things going on.

A friend suggested it would make a beautiful part of a wedding veil someday. I think it would, but hopefully, that’s a few years in the future!

The pattern is not complicated, even with the beads on it. I’m hoping soon to write out the pattern. It has been added to the list of patterns I need to write out.

“Life is too short to have boring hair” found on Southern Living