Fun with Bookmarks

InTatters is having a bookmark exchange and I joined it. I’ve never done an exchange before, so I’m very excited about this. I’ve been trying to decide which pattern and which thread to do it in. I’ve made several but I have not been happy with any of them.

This one is pretty good and was my first attempt. It was going pretty good when at the end I pulled the thread up at the end – and the thread broke! It left just a few fuzzy little strands, not enough to weave into any ds. I used the other tail to work it in somewhat, but I don’t trust them not to come out again. I will probably put a touch of glue there to keep it from coming out, but it doesn’t meet the standard of a gift.

I have done a couple other bookmarks that I will share another time – they don’t meet the standard, either, but aren’t too bad. But I don’t like the way my blog decides where the pictures go (instead of me) so I’ll post them at a different time. I WILL learn how to set this blog up better, some time. I just need to know where I can find some of that time. I seem to be very short of it right now.

With a deep breath and a prayer I look for the family to be done with hospital visits for awhile. Both my mother and my DH’s mother are both home and doing well. My father is doing better but the doctor said he can’t go home but needs to be moved to a convalescence home. This will be hard on everyone but a relief in many ways. He has been getting weaker and more confused lately. Now the doctor gets to be the bad guy instead of the family for telling him he’d have to go to a home.

But this means that I won’t have much time for me for awhile. I’ve been taking a few minutes here and there to visit other’s blogs and InTatters, but not really enough time to get pictures ready and post. I hope to get the other bookmarks up in a few days. Wouldn’t that be nice?

And tatting is so portable I can take it with me almost anywhere. So I have hope in getting a few things done. Wish me luck!

Who’s next?


This hasn’t been a good week at all! My mother went to the hospital last Sunday and got out Tuesday, my husband’s mother went to the hospital Tuesday and is still there, and then my dad was admitted to the hospital early this morning. I’m hoping that three is enough and that no-one else has to be hospitalized. Enough already!

None of them has turned out to be serious, which is a good thing in all of this. But it makes life very interesting to try and get to everyone and keep up with how they’re doing. And my husband and I are working nine hours days five days a week and eight hours both Saturday and Sunday. Somewhere in all of this I think I need a nap!

Before all of this came about I did get a little tatting done. I went to a meeting of Hook Yarn and Needle/Fiber Options a week ago. It is through the county extension office and meets once a month. They were doing some needle tatting but I took my shuttles and made “Heart’s Desire” in DMC variegated blue size 8 Pearle. For doing this completely in the midst of several conversations and distractions, I think it turned out very well. I’m counting it as #15 of the 25 Motif Challenge.

They asked me if I’d like to show them how to shuttle tat next month. I agreed, but I’m thinking I will need to give them contact information in case any of them are really interested: the group takes a three month break in the summer! I’m willing to meet with them individually or in a small group elsewhere to help any that want to really learn. I’m planning on making a handout with Internet addresses so they have incentives and support if they want it. I’m also thinking of putting together a DVD of me tatting, both chain and ring. We’ll see if I have time to do this between hospital visits!

Decorated shoes

My nephew is the proud daddy of a new baby girl. Today we had a baby shower for her, which is nice that we all got to see the new baby. These are the shoes I decorated for her. The one on the right is what they looked like when I bought them. The other, is of course, what they looked like when I was done.

Which do you think looks better?

Both of my daughters and their babies were there and helped me host the shower. It was a very nice day, lots of conversation and all the babies got passed around. We had it at the local activity center so some husbands came along and were able to play pool and socialize as well.

My husband had to go to work before it was over (I would have, too, except I made arrangements for someone to work for me!) so our daughters, the babies and I had a great afternoon together and then supper out. My oldest had to leave a little quicker than planned because the weather started getting bad. Nothing severe but she – nor I – wanted her to drive in it.

For my next project I’m looking for a nice bookmark pattern. InTatters is having a bookmark exchange in May. I have never done an exchange before, but I think I can handle a bookmark. And then there is the thread choice, maybe harder than the pattern, because of course it has to be just right for the pattern. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?

Lost and found motif #14

Last week I made this motif using a cabone ring in the center. I showed it to my husband and he liked it, too. As it was late we went to bed and the next morning when I got up I couldn’t find it!

We looked all over the house and couldn’t find it. I looked through all my tatting things, in my chair, on the table, on the floor. My husband looked all over and it just wasn’t anywhere! We even looked to see if one of the cats had decided to play with it and dragged it off. No luck.

Friday we went to Nebraska to see our daughter and her family. We had a nice visit with them and came home late Saturday. I sat down in my chair, looked down, and there it was! Just laying there on the floor! How it could be there I don’t know.

But it was found, oh boy! I hadn’t even jotted down the pattern or taken a picture or scan of it. I was quite relieved. So I can finally post a picture of my motif #14 for the 25 Motif Challenge. I blame this on Krystledawne because I saw her earrings and thought it would be fun to try something with a ring in the middle.

I think I remember how to needle tat…

I got a call from my neighbor yesterday. She’s a good friend of mine whom I taught to tat one or two (or ten?) years ago. She hasn’t really kept up with it, being busy with lots of other things, but a group that meets at the extension office, Hook Yarn & Needle, were doing some needle tatting and she was going to do some, too. It had been so long since my neighbor had done it she couldn’t remember how exactly. So she called for a refresher course.
Okay, I have Needle Tatting, Book No. 2 from Handy Hands somewhere, where did I put it??? Oh, there (why was it in the middle of those Workbaskets?). Okay, now where did I put my needles? In this box? No, there they are, in THIS drawer! Now a ball of thread, open book. Hmm. Yes, that looks familiar. No, no, wrong end… that’s better. That’s right, and pull through there… Yippee! A ring and a chain, and another ring! I DO remember!
Yes, as soon as she called I had to see if I remembered anything about needle tatting. I only have the book and needles because I thought it would be good to know how – I already knew how to shuttle tat when I got them. And I never did much with them after understanding how it worked, very much enjoying shuttle tatting and not wanting to change. Back when I taught my neighbor we started with a shuttle, which she learned, but she pulled her stitches so tight she could hardly pull the rings closed, so we switched her to the needle. Now, years later we were learning again.
So this afternoon I went across the street and we laughed through a few rings trying to make a butterfly. We didn’t get it made because I ran out of time, but we had fun. She now has a better grasp of what she needs to practice. We did talk of some of the Internet sites that have videos of needle tatting, which she is planning to check out.
And of course I’ll practice a bit, too, because it was fun. I don’t think I’ll post a picture of it, at least not what I’ve done so far. If I end up with something presentable I might post that later – maybe.

Motif #13 and the weather

This motif I found on Nita’s Creations here. She designed this in a Design Tat class on line. I really liked the looks of it and have several ideas of what I would like to do with it. She graciously said I could try it. This one I made with DMC size 30 pink and green. This will be my #13 in the 25 motif challenge. And I notice that it’s a bit crooked – oh, well. Check out Nita’s motif and her other projects on her blog. She’s been doing cloonies, which I haven’t mastered yet. Hers are lookin‘ good!

I’ve had a little bit of time to tat and to post because I haven’t been outside since I got home from work Thursday night. Because we had a blizzard! Yes, ice, snow, wind, cold, white out conditions. It was projected to be so bad that they canceled 2nd shift where I work so I didn’t have to go to work Friday or Saturday – thank goodness!! The roads got nasty in a hurry. Wichita had lots of ice and lots of accidents to go with it. So I got to stay home and just watch it all come down.

It looks like it finally quit snowing. It’s hard to tell because the wind is really blowing it around. It’s also very hard to tell just how much snow we actually have. Some places you can see the grass, other places have drifts. It’s not as bad here as just west of us, they got about 20 inches a few miles west and more than that south west of here. I’m just glad I don’t have to get out in it! Welcome spring, ha ha.

Picking up the shuttle again

I’ve finally picked up my shuttle again after a few weeks of recouping from being very busy.

This is just something I was doodling with, nothing really planned. The threads are all size 30 DMC, in pink green and blue. I had shuttles already wound with these colors, so that’s what colors I used. It just kinda grew by itself without a lot of conscious thought on my part. The only part I really gave much time to was the interweaving of the pink and green rows. It kinda works.

Starting Monday I finally go back to regular hours at work, so maybe I’ll finally get back to my regular schedule. And then maybe I’ll have more energy for tatting!

I should be tatting

The excitement is over for awhile, and things are pretty much back to normal. But I haven’t picked up a shuttle all week! I think my mind is taking a break. There are a few ideas percolating in the back there but they haven’t yet made it to the top. Maybe next week.

The weather has decided to be cold again, after all the interesting, warm weather we had last week. There were actually snow flurries on the way home from work last night, nothing sticking. There was fog and haze this morning with the chance of the roads being slick, but I don’t have to get out this early, so I didn’t worry about it.

I was on eTatters and see that it is moving to InTatters. I’m trying to make sure I have everything from eTatters, like my friends, so I can find them on the new sight. I’m registered as tattldy there, so look me up when you get there. I’m slowly figuring out how to get around there and what’s what. It might take me awhile to get used to the changes, but I’ll get it – eventually!

Little angels and booties



Here are my little angels! Aren’t they sweet? They are being held by their mothers, Lacey with Mercutio on the left and Shay with Hunter on the right.
And finally, the booties! This is Mercutio wearing his just before church started. They turned out well and stayed on their feet – at least for a little while. I think both boys ended up wearing only one during the baptism, but you couldn’t see them anyway. But I knew they were there!
I crocheted the tie for them but added a little tatting to the ends, both to keep them threaded and to distinguish the two pairs. One pair had two rings on the end of each tie and one pair had a single ring.
The boys were very cute and actually got through all the excitement very well. Mercutio actually went to sleep and slept through the whole thing. Even getting his head wet only made him open his eyes a moment then he went back to sleep. Hunter wanted to fuss a little, but Mom’s finger did a good job of pacifying him for a while.
Several people joked that the boys will hate these pictures when they’re older, but I think they looked more like cherubs than little girls. Maybe I’ll have sepia toned pictures made so they look older, antique even.
Mercutio’s other grandmother was unable to come, so we taped the whole thing. I’ll be getting the DVD off in the mail tomorrow. I did loose track a couple of times, watching the boys instead of what I was doing, but not bad for an amateur.
And now, life returns to normal – or what passes for that at our house. On to other tatting projects!

Rough Weather

Well, tomorrow is the baptism for both the grandsons. My daughter from Nebraska came down yesterday with Mercutio so she could be here in plenty of time.

Today we went to pick up the cake for after church – and spent 10 -15 minutes in the freezer in the store. The tornado sirens went off in town. They made an announcement over the intercom to either leave the building or go to the freezers until the all clear was given. Having the baby with
us we went to the freezer.

There were about 20 people in the freezer we were in, all standing around shivering. It has been above average in temperatures here for several days, which of course leads to tornado weather around here. And the sirens went off because of a sighting close to where we live!

But every thing is fine. There was only a funnel cloud which never touched the ground, a little hail, a little wind and a little rain. We’re still in a severe thunderstorm watch, but it seems to be going south and east of us. I don’t know how well it’s showing up in the picture, but the sky was very orange when this picture was taken, and very dark looking to the south.

Oh, the joys of living in Kansas in the spring time!