Tag: travel

Miscellaneous Tatting and Update on Luther’s Rose Pattern

I’ve done it again, haven’t I? It’s been several weeks since I last posted. It’s not that I don’t have things to post about, it’s just getting time and pictures to do it.

I’ll start with the Luther’s Rose pattern I promised. Do you know how much harder it is to diagram and write out a pattern than it is to just tat it? I’ve been working on it and it seems to keep getting longer and longer. I even took my computer with me on a trip just so I could work on this pattern. And it still isn’t done! It didn’t help that I had a bad attack of allergies while we were gone, making it hard to concentrate. Now that we are home again I’ve made a lot of progress but still have a bit to go. And I have not reviewed it to find mistakes! I have the cross, the heart, and the white rose parts diagrammed and, I think, tat-able. If anyone would like to get started on it to have it done by Reformation, and don’t mind taking a chance on the pattern, email me. (wandasknottythoughts (at) gmail.com) Update 10/24/2024: pattern can be found on the My Patters page.

We’ve been traveling quite a bit lately. My last post was right after we got back from Branson, Missouri. A week after we got home from there we went to Colorado to visit our daughter and take her dog back. They moved at the start of September and it was easier for us to keep her dog until they got into their house. After a month we took the dog to their new home and stayed a week with them. This is where I had the allergy attack. I am allergic to their male cat. I don’t have much trouble unless I pet him and then don’t wash my hands right away. The good news is that I had time to tat in the car on the drive, which is about nine hours each way, as well as the trip to and from Branson.

Bookmarks on wandasknottythoughts
Bookmarks

My other daughter, who still lives close by, requested more bookmarks. These paperclip bookmarks are easy to do while riding in the car. I don’t have to try and keep track of where I am in a pattern, which is great. My daughter still wants more, but this was a great start.

I also started on snowflakes for Christmas while we were traveling. I’m not fond of tatting with white while not at home due to the chances of it getting dirty, but I did it anyway. I have plans for small snowflakes this year and need quite a few. I wasn’t following any patterns, just making easy ones.

On a more serious note, have you read Jane Eborall’s post of October 14, 2024, on her ‘Tatting and Not a Lot Else’ blog? She found several “tatting” books that are awful. I’ve been hearing about a lot of fakes out there that are possibly made with AI or people stealing other’s work. I highly recommend that you use caution when buying any new craft books of any kind.

Besides hoping to get the pattern finished, I hope to have pictures of some of the other tatting that I’ve been doing ready soon. And to post faster!

“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” George Santayana

Tatting With Friends and Travel

Is it Friday already? The week has gone by so fast! It has been an extremely busy week. Last weekend we took a trip to Missouris and I feel we’ve been running ever since.

My husband and I traveled to Springfield, Missouri last weekend to meet up with a few tatting friends. Kristina Fry arranged for a room at The Library Center where we could tat and catch up. It was a great location for us to spread out, share what we’ve been doing, and do a bit of tatting together.

Tatting with Kristina, Kay, and Peggy on wandasknottythoughts
Tatting with Kristina, Kay, and Peggy

Kristina Fry, Kay Pettyjohn, Peggy Rogan, and I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of tatting. We all met at tatting events put on by Tatting Corner and went on the Tatting Cruise last year. Our time together went by so fast! My husband left us to our threads to go to Bass Pro Shop, where he enjoyed himself much more than if he had stayed with us.

Tatting and chatting on wandasknottythoughts
Tatting and chatting

Thanks to Kristina for taking a few other pictures than the one I took. I was so busy doing I didn’t even think about pictures.

Ladies, I’ll see you in Anderson, Indiana in July for the next Tat Days.

From Springfield, Jack and I went on to Branson, Missouri. The only plan we had there was to see the Titanic museum. We’d seen the outside before but had never gone through it. It is amazing!

Titanic Museum, Branson, MO on wandasknottythoughts
Titanic Museum, Branson, MO

It takes about two hours to go through and you must purchase tickets before showing up. There is limited space inside so they restrict how many people can be inside at one time. We spent a bit over two hours inside, there was so much to see and hear. It is self-guided, but they give you a device with audio descriptions. I highly recommend this place!

Presidential suite on the Titanic on wandasknottythoughts
Presidential suite on the Titanic

This is a recreation of one of the largest accommodations on the Titanic, one of the two presidential cabins. The portrait is of the couple who were in this one on the fateful voyage.

All of the people working in the museum dressed as they would have if they were actual crew members.

Musicians of the Titanic on wandasknottythoughts
Musicians of the Titanic

This gentleman’s name is Tommy, who explained how the musicians from the Titanic were paid and lived, and then sat down at the beautiful piano and played for those of us in the room.

If you’ve never been to Branson, MO. before, it has lots of things to do and see. Just driving around is fun (at least for us!). Here is a couple of pictures I took (of the many I took).

Wax Museum of Branson, MO on wandasknottythoughts
Wax Museum of Branson, MO

This is the outside of the Wax Museum at night. King Kong can be seen from a long distance, especially at night.

Aquarium in Branson, MO on wandasknottythoughts
Aquarium in Branson, MO

The outside of the Branson Aquarium. The water is a show all by itself. We stopped in the parking lot to watch it.

There are a lot of shows in Branson and many choices for places to eat. If you don’t mind the crowds, it can be a lot of fun. It’s a fun place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” Martin Buber

I have no affiliation with anyone linked in this post and earn nothing for mentioning them.

Shuttles From Tat Days

During Tat Days, Lisa Adams, of Tatting Corner, has an auction to raise money for a good cause. This year the auction was for The Animal Protection League. Representatives from the League were there to explain their mission, which is a beautiful cause. The auction raised $3,695! The auction consists of tatting-related items, including books, threads, and shuttles, among other things. It was fun to watch all the action at the auction as tatters bid on the different items. My husband and I contributed by having the winning bids on a few shuttles.

Pawel Pekalski shuttle on wandasknottythoughts
Pawel Pekalski shuttle

This is a stainless steel shuttle from PekaloDesign. I haven’t tried tatting with it yet, but I’m looking forward to it. I hear they are wonderful to tat with.

Etched bone shuttle on wandasknottythoughts
Etched bone shuttle

How about the etching on this shuttle? It feels nice, too. There were two like this, and I was lucky enough to get one.

Brass shuttle on wandasknottythoughts
Brass shuttle

This brass shuttle is a type I’ve never had before. It’s numbered and dated which must mean it is a limited edition. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one feels to tat with.

While I was attending the tatting classes, my husband was finding other things to do. On Friday he went to several antique stores and flea markets. He surprised me with another shuttle.

Celluloid antique shuttle on wandasknottythoughts
Celluloid antique shuttle

My husband has been around my and my shuttles enough to know what to look for in a shuttle. This one is a bit misshapen from use, but the tips are tights and the point is in good shape. He didn’t spend nearly as much on this one as the other three shuttles.

Since I’ve been home I’ve been tatting a lot, but on a new pattern and not so much on the class projects. I did finally finish tatting the body for Craig’s Tatted Pocket Toddler.

Tatted Pocket Toddler body on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Pocket Toddler body

I enjoyed tatting this. Craig put a log of work into the pattern and the directions. I’m currently working on the dress for this doll. Maybe I’ll have it done by the time I post next time.

Tat Days were only Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but my husband and I made a week of it. We left home on Sunday afternoon and went to Kentucky to see the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. We visited the Ark on the 4th, and the Creation Museum on the fifth before heading to Anderson. We have heard a lot about these and were glad we had the opportunity to visit them.

Jack and I at the Ark Encounter on wandasknottythoughts
Jack and me at the Ark Encounter

The Ark is BIG. We got there just after opening and there were already a lot of people there. We had bought our tickets online, so we got on the bus at the parking lot with minimal wait to be taken to the Ark. This is a very cool place to visit if you are in the area.

At the Creation Museum on wandasknottythoughts
At the Creation Museum

The Creation Museum is not just items under glass. There was a lot of walking here and at the Ark. We spent about five hours at each place and still didn’t see everything. Both places also have zoos, with interesting animal interactions. We didn’t personally do anything but look at the animals, but the opportunity to feed and interact with some of them was available.

The entire week was wonderful! We saw some beautiful country, visited interesting places, and had a wonderful time at Tat Days! We are both looking forward to going again next year!

“Jobs fill your pocket but adventures fill your soul.” ~ Jamie Lyn Beatty

Travel tatting

We went to visit one of our daughters this weekend to celebrate one of the grandson’s birthday.  Our other daughter and her son were also able to come up, which made for a great weekend!  All the grandkids together equals not much time for tatting, at least while we were there (I don’t plan on it, either!).  We left on Friday evening, which meant in the dark as the sun now sets so early.  Almost five hours of driving time – in the dark.
I have a booklight, one of those that clip onto a book so you can read in bed or wherever in low light.
And the battery was dead.
But I did have a small, regular flashlight that worked just fine.  I just tucked it behind the seat belt across my chest. I had to re-aim it every little bit, but it put light where I needed it.
I didn’t want to try following a pattern in those conditions so my best bet was something that I could do without a pattern.  What better than a bookmark?  A very basic cross bookmark is the result of our drive. 
I also emptied a few shuttles by making birds, butterflies and flowers.
We left earlier in the day Sunday to come home so I had light to tat by for a while and I still did simple things.  I got several snowflakes done, which I’ll be putting on some items for the craft show that’s coming up in a couple of weeks.  I might have pictures of those next week.
We had such fun this weekend. As our daughters live so far apart the cousins don’t get to see each other often, but they got along great.  We’ll have another chance to get all together in a few weeks for Thanksgiving.  I’m really looking forward to it!
#grandma #grandpa #grandparents #grandkids #grandchildren #quotes