A bigger project

I have started a big project just for me.  I’ve been thinking about trying this for a long time but there has always been other project/ideas that seemed more important.  
Garden 10 Nazli Gelin in size 10 white

The beginning.  The collar of a vest. 

It has evolved a bit since I started, due to a fortuitous miscalculation.  A decision in stitch count for one row, which put more curve to it than planned,  then changing at that particular place to see if it worked better.  Hmm, that looked pretty good.  Repeated the extra stitches on the other end which gave it a nice shape that I hadn’t planned but looks like it might work very well.  Time will tell.
Have you seen the tutorial that Kathy has made on interlocking rings? I’ve given it a quick try and admit I haven’t quite got it.  I’m pretty sure I’m rushing it instead of taking it slow.  My bad.  I will try again, hopefully with a little more care and a lot less rushing.

“Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you’ll land among the starts.”
Les Brown.

I had this almost completely ready last week but got caught up in all the things that have been happening both in Boston and in Texas.  My prayers go out to all that have been affected by these tragedies.

Two Bracelets

I finished the bracelet I was working on last week and another one as well – will wonders never cease?

Both are made with Lizbeth Caribbean #122 in size 20.   Well, the shuttles weren’t empty yet so I might as well use it, right?

This one is the same pattern as the green one I made a couple of weeks ago. 
This one has silver, six-pointed findings instead of buttons.  When I started it I thought I would have to go around a second time because I didn’t think I’d like it like it was.  That was when I was just doing the first side.  When I got around to the other side I decided I liked it as it was.   Originally I was going to make each end like the first bracelet but when I got to that point I had another idea to use findings there as well.  I think it came out pretty well.  My sister is quite fond of this colorway and would have taken both off my hands immediately when I showed them to her.
I’ve not been on the Internet much lately and am way behind on reading blogs.  It just seems like there is always something going on that keeps me busy.  I’m hoping to do a little catching up in the next few days, but I’m not holding my breath.  The good news is that I’m still finding time to tat!
We’ve had some beautiful spring weather here – sunny then cloudy then rain and lightning.  Then today we get up to cloudy skies but nice temperatures, about 75º F up ’til about 3:00 PM. That’s when the cold front came in from the northwest.  It dropped 20º in about 20 minutes.  Yes, it is really spring in Kansas.
“You can’t get mad at weather because weather’s not about you.  Apply that lesson to most other aspects of life.”
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#9 – I think

In my current 25 Motif Challenge
I’ve been making things, even challenging things, but haven’t been counting them for the Challenge.  I looked  through my previous posts and I think I’m ready for #9.  
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
 Lizbeth #626 Shell Pink Light size 20

The center of this piece is made of stone.  I picked several up at Odd Balls Yarn Shop in Newton, KS.  Each of them is unique in coloration because they are stone.  I used this shade of thread because the stone has the same shade in it.  But then the whole thing looked really washed out against all the backgrounds that I tried it on even though the thread and stone look great together.  Then I tried it against this button, which I also got from Odd Balls. This button is almost the length of a Clover shuttle across (I was going to take the picture with a shuttle beside it and forgot) – a very large button.  I’m going to glue the tatting to the button and try it as a pendant.  Or maybe a brooch.  I’ll get back to you on that.

Lizbeth #122 Caribbean size 20

My daughter has returned a verdict on the bracelet I gave her to try – she likes it.  The only trouble she’s had is the closure, so that might have to change.  But as the overall bracelet works I’ve started another, this time with purple buttons.  I’m liking the looks of this one.   I also picked up some new buttons that I think would look really cute in a bracelet.  Now to pick out just the right color thread for each.  A challenge I look forward to!

“A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it.”
Ray Davis

Hat Medallion

I was given several very thin metal findings – ‘doodads’ – to see what I could come up with.  This is my first try.  The outside came easy enough but I kept wondering what to do with the center, which has a small hole. My solution, at least this time, is two rings, the larger on the bottom.  The tails of the two rings are threaded through the bead then through the hat to hold the medallion on.  The doodad is so thin it bends easily so I’m thinking maybe putting a button on the inside to help keep it from bending when wearing the hat.  
Lizbeth # 652 Royal Blue size 20
I put it on the side of the hat but I’m not sure it’s positioned quite right yet.  I think I’ll have to put the hat on a head to be able to see where it looks the best. 
Lizbeth #144 Leaf Swirl size 20

I’ve had the idea for while to make a bracelet with buttons and finally found a combination of buttons and thread that I like.   I’ve given this to one of my daughters to try out for awhile.  She has instructions to let me know what she thinks of it, what works and what doesn’t.  She hasn’t got back to me about it yet though I’m anxiously waiting.  I have some other, really cute buttons I would like to do this to but if there is something I should do differently I’d like to know before I start.

It’s funny, for as many hearts as I did for Valentine’s Day I haven’t done a thing for Easter.  I guess it’s still a few days away, I could still get something made…

Thank you to all of you who asked after my mom.  She is doing very well and is back home.  She does have some in-home care and a neighbor who checks in frequently so I’m not too concerned about her being alone.    She did spend a few days in rehab to get some of her strength back, which also relieved my sister and I.  We were afraid she would try to go straight home from the hospital.  This situation could have been a lot worse.  We are very grateful of how well things are working out and how well she is getting along.

“We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does.  Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining – they just shine.”
Dwight L. Moody
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What a week!

Oh, wait, it’s been two weeks!
No, I didn’t forget to post – life got in the way.
I have gotten some tatting done but haven’t found much time for picture taking.  Finally this morning I just took the time to take a few.
 Lizbeth size 20 #122 Caribbean
I usually keep several bookmarks handy for those times a small gift is needed unexpectedly but my supply of these has dwindled to nothing. I started restocking with this cross that has a finding – ‘doodad’ – in the middle.  
I’ve also be playing with the motif idea I had a couple of weeks ago.  The one on the left is the original, the one on the right the next try.  I think I like the second one better.  Both are made in size 10 turquoise. 

It has been a very busy two weeks, lots of things happening, little of it planned.  I’ve spent a lot of time at the hospital with my mother who fell and broke her hip and femur. As breaks go they aren’t bad but there was still surgery, hospital stay and now rehab.  
I did get to spend a beautiful day with one of my grandsons in the middle of all this.  My son-in-laws’ family also had a medical emergency and a babysitter was needed for a few hours.  It happened to be on the most gorgeous day – 80° F, sunny, very little wind – so we went to the park.  Three parks actually.  He didn’t want to go home at all! It was a great day. 
I have to admit that there is something else that has kept me from tatting as much as I’d planned – a new book.  I found out last week that my favorite author, Lois McMaster Bujold, had a new book in the Vorkosigan saga out last November(!)  The first six chapters are free to read on-line – which I did, but it leaves you hanging (of course).  Then I tried something I’d been putting off – I bought the ebook to read on my tablet.   I instantly had the entire book to read (heheheheheh), no waiting to go to the library or book store.   This has proved to be dangerous – it’s just too easy to buy new books.  If I’m not careful I’ll never get anything else done!
“I am simply a ‘book drunkard.’ Books have the same irresistible temptation for me that liquor has for its devotee.  I cannot withstand them.”
L.M. Montgomery

Decisions, decisions

Have you ever had that problem of trying to figure out what to do next?
Have you ever tried to do this with limited resources?
I did this last weekend when I went to visit my daughter’s family.  I took my tatting things with me (of course!) and a very small variety of thread. What I didn’t take with me was a plan! I hadn’t gone there with a decision of what I was going to be doing!
Most of the time when I go visit this isn’t much of a problem as I spend most of my time with the grandchildren or doing family things so don’t have a lot of time to tat anyway (even though I always take it with me!). This time however I knew that there would be some waiting time where my tatting would be welcome.  I also had with me the bag I had added tatting to last week, as well as the thread I had used.  It did look a little bare, like it could use a bit more tatting on it, so that’s what I ended up working on. 

As the bag had squares on it I thought that should be the shape of a motif to go on the front in the middle.  That worked until the third ring when I was distracted and headed down a different path.  Instead of untatting it I just changed direction and went with the flow. 
I used the same size 10 turquoise thread I used for the edging but no beads.


This didn’t turn out too bad.  I see several things I want to do differently when/if I do this motif again.   I made it in one pass, climbing out with a split ring but it doesn’t quite look right.  I also missed a chain in the center because of the split ring.   And I can really tell I’m not used to using this large of thread!

I had a hot cup of green and peach tea this morning for Tatting Tea Tuesday.  I’m getting more adventuresome with my tea drinking than I used to be, willing to mix flavors where once it was the same tea all the time.  Thanks, IsDihara, for giving me the incentive to try new things – at least in regards to tea!

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg.  We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad”
C.S. Lewis
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Edging for a bag

I’ve been wanting to add tatting to one of these bags for myself for quite some time but never took the time to do it.  As you can see, I finally did it! 
The bag is a planetE by Eco-Stream from Wal-mart, brown with ecru lines, 17 inches wide by 14 inches tall (not counting the handles). The tatting is a size 10 thread in turquoise but unfortunately the label disappeared a long time ago and I don’t remember the brand. The beads are from a container of mixed pink beads.  I used Fabric Fusion from Aleene’s to glue the edging to the bag. I don’t know how well it will hold but as this is for me I’ll use the bag and find out just how good it is. 
The edging is a simple one I came up with, one that wasn’t complicated and wouldn’t take long to make.  I thought I had measured it to fit the top of the bag but miscalculated a bit.  I had to bow it down a bit to fit.  I see I didn’t do a good job keeping it even when I glued it down.  I guess I’ll just have to live with it that way.  Unless it comes off, then I guess I’ll try to do better next time. 
After having little snow and mostly warm weather all winter – with temperatures around 50 and 60º F – we were hit with two major winter storms in less than a week.  At our house we got about a foot of snow last Thursday.  A lot of businesses as well as schools and church functions were cancelled, including the plant where I work.  Then Monday we had blizzard conditions with very wet, heavy snow and a forecast of another seven to twelve inches.  I wasn’t looking forward to driving in it and ended up not having to – they cancelled work again.   Because it was right about 32º F the snow actually was melting almost as fast as it came down, so we didn’t get as much measurable snow as predicted but we still got several inches that drifted.  
This picture is looking out my backdoor to the neighbor’s yard Monday afternoon.  Pretty if you don’t have to go out in it.  You have to understand, in this area we’re lucky to get three or four inches of snow at a time, maybe all winter.  To get one storm with a foot of snow is pretty unusual – to get two within a few days of each other is very rare indeed.  We certainly can use the moisture, but oh, my, this much snow at once is ridiculous!   

FACT: Between the two storms Wichita, KS broke its record for the most snow in any month since records have been kept – since 1888 – with 21 inches, 14.2″ in the first storm and 6.8″ in the second storm.

I did get some tatting done yesterday afternoon while I was home but no pictures yet.  I didn’t get as much done as I was hoping to, but more than if I had gone to work.  And I actually finished something!

“When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels.”

Another Keeper

Scissors keeper in Lizbeth #142 Turquoise Twist in size 20
I’m rather pleased how these came out.  More pleased with the scissors fob than the badge reel motif, but happy with both on the whole.  
You might remember that last week I was working with purple LBH size 40 thread.  I had the keeper made and was working on a fob for the scissors.  Wellllll, I’m not sure if it was because the thread was old or because I’m so used to working with size 20 thread, but the thread kept breaking.  It was getting so frustrating that I had to move on to a different thread.  Turquoise Twist wasn’t it. 
I had chosen Caribbean thread in size 20 and some pretty beads in those shades that would have looked really nice.  I was over at my sister’s house and showing her the thread I was going to use – and left it there.  So instead of going back to get it right away I just chose another thread. 
I liked the fob enough that I made one for my crochet hook as well.  I got all the way around to the last chain to finish it off and found that I had made a mistake almost at the beginning.  It looks strange, it can’t be fixed. I think I’ll finish it and and use it like it is until I make another one.  
This isn’t the first fob pattern I tried.  I didn’t really like the first try – parts I liked, but I didn’t like the end result.  So I tried again. 
, 
First fob try in FBH size 40 thread. It’s almost the same color as Lizbeth #633 Dark Purple.  The motif was the start of the motif I used in the Turquoise Twist, but the purple kept breaking.  I think that might have been a good thing, because I do like my second try better, much better.
The original keeper?  I’m using it for my badge at work. ☺
Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I had a cup of Vanilla Rooibos with a bit of Wild Berry Zinger added. It was pretty good.  I’ll definitely be drinking hot tea tomorrow.  It was 65° F Sunday and tomorrow we are supposed to get several inches of snow and maybe sleet and ice, too.  Oh, joy. 
“A little snowflake falls from the sky
Like a new kid moves to a new junior high
Different and unique like everyone else
Who will notice except for itself?
No one will watch, no one will see
How amazing and unique this thing may be
So next time it snows just look down
And watch to see what can be found”
A. Phinney – 8th Grade
http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cxtdm/met/snow/snow_quotes.html

Scissors Keeper

What, no hearts?
This last week I have indeed made more heart earrings, both for my self and family and friends, but other than a color change they are pretty much the same, so no pictures. 
What I have spent the most time on is a scissors keeper.  Lately I put something down and I loose it, just that fast.  My mind is obviously not paying much attention to these details.  Which means I put my scissors down and then spend 10 minutes looking for them.  Same goes for my crochet hook, the pen I was writing with, the bill I was paying – you get the picture. (I wish I could loose the dirty dishes as easily).  So I have been putting my scissors on a badge reel with a retractable cable.
I got these from Discount Embroidery Blanks but I know they are available other places. On this site they show them with a button or other decoration in the center, but up until now I’ve left mine naked.  
The plan was to make this layered, to raise up the center a bit because of the indented center.  Things did not go quite as hoped.  Instead of joining two layers together one is glued on top of the other.  Sometimes my ideas don’t work out quite as hoped.  But it I think it still looks pretty good. The thread is LBH size 40 but I can’t find the color number anywhere on it.  
Now I’d like to make a cable for the scissors in the same color.  It’s taking a little longer as I haven’t liked what I’ve done so far. I was hoping I’d have time today to work on it but it’s looking less likely as the day goes on. 
Today is International Pancake Day, which is always on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  I wrote about the race between women of Liberal Kansas and Olney, England here.  The women in Liberal have to deal with about an inch of snow this year.  The city cleaned the streets up for the race, but will it be enough to beat the women of Olney?  I know the race in Liberal is over but haven’t heard which town won.  I planned on pancakes today in honor of the day but ended up making biscuits instead (I was in the middle of writing this post!).
One more thing before I go today – the 2013 TIAS is done. Jane did a wonderful job this year keeping most people guessing for more than half of it.  The end result was a cute baby buggy (pram, carriage).  
Thanks, Jane, for another fun pattern. 
“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” 
Arnold Bennett
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