Tag: mice

Not over the rainbow

Rainbow Splash thread that is.  I keep making things with it!
A couple of weeks ago, one of my grandsons asked for a ‘rainbow mouse’.  I didn’t think I had any thread  that quite fit the term ‘rainbow’ so I sent my daughter the email address of Handy Hands and asked them to choose a thread.  They thought #184, Rainbow Splash was just perfect. 
A small order to Handy Hands and I had a ball of the requested color.
“Morgan Mouse” © Wanda Salmans
#184 Lisbeth Rainbow Splash size 20
I’m somewhat picky about variegated threads. I think a lot look really great on the ball but then am unhappy with how they work up.  I also am not usually happy with threads that have a lot of different colors on them, preferring shades of similar colors instead – like all blues, or pinks, or whatever.  But I am very happy with Rainbow Splash!
I needed four mice, two going to each of my daughter’s houses, so I had to make a couple a little different.  One of the mice (second from the right) has blue eyes, and the one on the right has Flora #207 size 20 for the rings. It wasn’t an exact match but I don’t think my granddaughter will object.  You’ll also note that I used washers in the center instead of jewelry findings.
After finishing the mice I had still had thread on the shuttles.  Being spring with Easter on the way, what better way to use such bright, spring-y thread than Easter eggs?

 Simple ring and chain button Easter eggs in #184 Lizbeth Rainbow Splash size 20
I have a package of bright-colored buttons in colors that were right in line with the Rainbow Splash thread.  These button Easter eggs are so quick and easy I just couldn’t stop making them. They are very nice little doodles to make while in the car. I added a pin back to several of them and gave one of them to my mother.  She really liked it. I actually have an idea to use these, we’ll just see if I have time to put it together. Before Easter 🙂

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I had just a drop of tea
☺
The teacup is part of a doll-size tea set I found on Ebay. Isn’t it cute? So dainty with such pretty flowers.
The shuttle is a decorated Boye shuttle.
Rainbows, Easter eggs and flowers – it must be spring!
“I’ve always taken ‘The Wizard of Oz’ very seriously, you know.  I believe in the idea of the rainbow.  And I’ve spent my entire life trying to get over it.”
Judy Garland
www.brainyquote.com

More mice

I had to make more mice this weekend due to a few requests.  From the grandkids, so how could I refuse?
We went on a vacation with our daughters and their families this holiday weekend. There were four children ages two to six with us.  I was sitting on the porch of the cabin with my tatting when they came by to see what I was doing.  They saw the two mice I had in my case and immediately started deciding between them who would get them and wasn’t I going to make more?  As I didn’t expect to get much tatting done during the weekend I didn’t bring a large choice of thread. In fact I only brought two balls of thread, Lizbeth #644 Boysenberry Dark and # 662 Turquoise Light, both in size 20.  I also didn’t bring the black beads I use for eyes and nose.   
That didn’t stop me.  I had a partially loaded shuttle of another color thread that had clear beads strung on it so the mice would have light colored eyes and noses.  I did, fortunately, have enough findings with me to make the required number of mice.  With the blue mouse I had already made (in Lizbeth #652) that was specially requested by one of the grandsons I just needed to make three mice.  I made two in the Boysenberry Dark and and one in the Turquoise Light.  
On Sunday, after lunch but before we went our separate ways, I let the kids choose which mouse they wanted.  One of the grandsons wasn’t very happy with the color choices – none of them were red.  So I promised him I make him one in red and send it to him. 

Here’s the red mouse I made for him (Lizbeth #671, size 20).  Of course at home I had the black beads so it has the dark eyes and nose.  I’ll be sending it off in the mail today or tomorrow. 
This snail is Nancy Tracy’s pattern made in Lizbeth #601 snow white in size 20. I have made this before but I thought I would make it again for the Shuttlebirds Tatting Challenge.  This was tatted on the drive to the cabin.  It’s in white as I had a little bit of this thread still on a shuttle.  
Every morning this weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) I was the first one out of bed, which gave me a quiet time to tat while enjoying the beautiful view from one of the porches.  I got a surprising amount of tatting done this way.  These motifs are what I had planned on making if I had time, which dictated the choice of colors I had brought.  They are to go on a denim purse I want to add tatting to.  They are made in the Turquoise Light with 6-point findings.  The shape and pattern is pretty much the same as for the mouse with a reduced stitch count for the rings, 3+3 and 2-2-2-2 for the chains.  I’m planning on gluing them to my purse (I’m lazy and don’t want to try stitching them on).

We spent this vacation at a small retreat in southeast Nebraska called Dana Farms at Mayberry.  The entire family had a wonderful time.  Not once did I hear any of the kids (adult kids or grandkids) say they wanted to go home.  The pond (Lake Suzanne) was stocked so every time we went fishing fish were caught, which really helped the grandkids have a good time.  The owners were great and the cabin was absolutely wonderful.  If anyone needs a nice, quiet place to get away and you’re in that area I highly recommend Dana Farms.  You can find out more about it at http://cabins4fun.com/
(This is my own endorsement made without compensation. We just had a great time there!!)  

We all hated to see the end of the vacation.  It was very hard to go back to work on Monday, too. 
“There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind.”
Washington Irving