Wednesday, April 1, 2015

I'm Still Here!

I'm still around, just been too busy to post. Or tat. I've been pretty busy with work, and life and just general stuff. It's not super busy at work, but busy enough. I got a new cellphone at the end of January-an iPhone 6. I got it mainly for the Apple Health features; the phone itself tracks steps taken and flights of stairs climbed and with the help of apps you can add other health related info as well as calculate other stuff- ie: calories burned, etc. You can also buy hardware products that integrate into Apple Health to-I bought a new blood pressure meter that is compatible with Apple Health which is cool. With the phone, and hopefully one day using a compatible standalone fitness tracker, I've been motivated to try to exercise daily. Especially on my days off. I also taught myself Indian cooking thanks to a cookbook I bought. It's pretty good and many of the recipes can be frozen. That means I can cook on my days off and freeze serving size portions for days I don't or won't have time to cook. I also discovered why I haven't felt like tatting much.

I think the main reason I haven't done much tatting lately is basically pure laziness. I discovered this the other day when I wanted to tat, but having to dig out and then wind the shuttles, find a pattern,etc. It doesn't seem like a lot of work or time but it seems like it's enough for me to lose interest. I don't know; maybe I'm just not in the mood. I was motivated to tat mid February however. I wanted to make a bracelet for myself and thought I'd try to make one using interlocking rings.


As you can see, I didn't get the spacing quite right initially but I did figure it out near the end of the sample. Yeah, I didn't actually plan to make a sample since I didn't realize I'd have issues with bare thread showing and stuff. As you may be able to tell, one the of the threads broke while I was closing a ring. I'm not sure if it was me or the thread. I was using two of the Manuela threads I bought. Hopefully I'll get around to trying this again. Perhaps I'll try the pattern again using size 10 thread instead of size 20. Whenever that'll be. I keep thinking I should go back to a pattern I know that I could mindlessly tat, maybe the Windmills motif/doily. Of course I have to find the thread, and wind a shuttle and...yeah, I sense a cycle.

Anyways, we'll see what happens tatting wise over the next few weeks. Maybe I'll get inspired and get some tatting done. There was and orchid show last weekend that I went to. It was awesome! I've never been to one before so I was completely overwhelmed with it all. I bought several new orchids while I was there. I'll try to make a whole post of pictures (I did take a number of photos the second time I went). Hopefully it won't take me two months to do it. Till next time.

Happy International Tatting Day!


5 comments:

  1. One word for you, Jeff. Movies. Admittedly, you do have to find your thread first, but once you do, just turn on a good movie and you'll have the shuttle wound before you know it.

    Or maybe you just need a new book to inspire you. We all need new tatting books, don't we?

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  2. Hello Jeff
    That orchid show sounds lovely watch my blog I have my orchid in flower for the second time and i have a picture scheduled for Saturday or Sunday
    Sometimes motivation seems far away, it must be the time of year we all seem to be suffering in the northern hemisphere from it. Sometimes a new book can be just thing to get us going again.
    Have a lovely easter
    Margaret

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  3. Happy Tatting Day to you, too!

    I think we all wax and wane on our hobbies. I've been concentrating on organizing my load of crafting stuff. It can be daunting! But, slowly, I am making headway. Then, who knows, I might tat up a storm. :-)

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  4. Those interlocking rings look really nice!! :)

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  5. I've been trying to figure out how to do the interlocking rings. There isn't a good pattern out there and I haven't found any videos on youtube to help. It is a gorgeous piece.

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