Tag: New Year

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!

Of airplanes, ornaments, and snowmen

Several years ago I gave the white airplane on the right to a friend of mine for Christmas. He had it hung on his office wall at work and I noticed a few months ago that it was looking a bit wilted and yellow. It had been stiffened a bit but not enough it seems.  The smaller grey plane I meant to give him last year and didn’t (he got a tatted ornament just not the plane).  This year I wanted to make sure he got both his airplanes but in a way that would look good and last a bit better.

Tatted airplanes © Wanda Salmans pattern found on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Airplane  © Wanda Salmans 2014 Pattern found on My Patterns tab 

Trying to find a background that worked with both planes took a bit.  Craft paper was the best I could find from my stash of both paper and material.  No worries, my friend really liked his airplanes.
I’ve gotten quite a few responses since I posted about these small ornaments.

Christmas Ornaments 2015 found on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Button Christmas ornaments

They are very basic and simple patterns so I wasn’t going to write them up, but I decided to do a few to give people that would like to do something similar an start.  You can find the link on My Patterns tab as Christmas Ornaments 2015.
 The snowman that I made for myself and attached to a pin is missing in action.

Missing tatted snowman on wandasknottythoughts
Missing: Tatted Snowman. Last seen: on this pin on my shirt

I wore it Christmas day and forgot to take it off my shirt before I washed it.
I’m not sure where it ended up.  I used regular white craft glue to put it all together as it was never meant to go through the washer.  I’ll probably find bits and pieces of him in the clothes as we put them on, tucked up inside a sleeve of some shirt or other.  It’s too bad but not a tragedy to lose him as I have others but, man! I wish I hadn’t done that.
2015 is about to make its exit.  It’s been a thrilling year with the new experience of a cruise and visiting Alaska for the first time; a sad year where we have lost three family members and several close friends over the course of the year; and an exciting year as we’ve finally done some home improvements that had been put off for far too long.  It could be said it’s been a normal year with ups and downs, good times and bad.  As we enter 2016 I make no resolutions that I know I won’t keep but move forward with a positive outlook and hopes for a wonderful new year.
What are you looking for in the coming year?
“Every exit is an entrance to new experiences.”
Fortune cookie proverb

Are You Ready?

The New Year is here and with it new beginnings.
Including Jane’s 2015 TIAS which starts tomorrow January 7.
Are you ready?

I looked through my shuttle collection and found two that were empty – not that easy as most still have thread still on them from previous projects.  Then I checked through my button stash for a 3/8th inch button – again, not as easy as I thought it would be.  After I found the button I could think about what color thread to use.  As it was handy and I like the color I wound the shuttles with Lizbeth #657 in size 20.
I’m as ready as I’ll ever be for this year’s TIAS.
Are you?
I’ve also started the new year by adding a couple of patterns to my Patterns tab.  I finally finished diagramming the Fall Bookmark (aka Bookmark in Fall Colors) I posted about here and here.  I was also asked about the pattern for the wreath I posted about here.  Both are now available.
I don’t make resolutions for New Years as I rarely keep them.  This year I’m making goals instead.  The top three (at the moment) in no particular order are:
Update the header and layout of my blog.
Diagram and write out the patterns for the snowflakes I made in the last few months.
Practice taking better pictures for my blog.
These are practical goals that are totally reachable.  I feel I am ready for them.
Are you ready?
“May it be the best year yet for you
And everything prosper you may do.”