What I did While On My Break

I had hoped to post again later last week, but kept coming home each evening tired from work. Mind you, I didn't get much done until my days off anyway. My thread from DS9Designs arrived early this week so I can soon resume work on my tie. I have been working on my Windmills doily. I am two motifs away from finishing the round.

I mentioned that I did a little bit of crocheting. Here is what I made:

This is the second pair of slippers that I made. I wasn't happy with the first pair; they were much too big. As I made the above pair, I adjusted the size of them. Since I used a wool yarn, I also felted this pair in the washing machine to shrink them enough for a nice fit. The pattern is called "Paw Warmers" from The Crochet Dude's book Designs for Guys. I like the pattern even though the slippers take longer to make than my other slipper pattern. I do plan on making anther pair soon.

Here's a collage of the bracelets that I have made over the last few weeks.

The top left bracelet is Box Chain, the same weave as the chain/necklace that I wear. The top right bracelet is called X-Lock Byzantine. It's actually byzantine just with dramatically different sized rings than usual, which makes it flat. The bottom left bracelet is made using the Full Persian weave in titanium. I think I've already showed you the Spiral Chain bracelet. The black and silver chain on the bottom right is called Helm's Chain. I made that one around the time I made Dragonscale since they used the same size rings. This one is actually going to be the base of a necklace that I am working on . I'll show you more when it's done. I also made a pair of earrings to match the X-Lock Byzantine bracelet and refined the ring size used for the Beaded Byzantine earrings.

While I'm still on the topic of chainmaille, I have been seriously considering buying the rings and beginning work on a chainmaille shirt. Since my sales have been slow for the past few months, this may be a good time to begin this large project. I did some playing around with some rings in the gauge that seems to be common for the shirts and feel confident I can do this. I'll let you know if/when I go ahead with this. I will have to wait at least two weeks until my next payday before I can buy the rings. Unless I get lots of sales in the next few weeks.

I will leave you tonight with a few more orchid photos. These were both purchased over a month ago.

These are both Phalaenopsis NOIDs. I love the bottom one in particular; it is similar to one I already own. That's actually why I bought it. While most orchids are seen as difficult to grow, Moth orchids, or Phals, are actually pretty easy to grow. A bright window where it can get several hours bright light-they don't like full sun, though a little is fine. Most of mine are under fluorescent lights. Water them every 10 to 14 days or so. Most orchids do require a special bark based soil to thrive in, and Phals do grow best in it. Some diluted fertilizer once in a while will benefit the plant too. That's about it.

That's it for now. Once I'm finished the third round of my Windmills doily I'll get a photo of it posted. Till next time.

Checking In

Well, I'm back to posting. I'm not sure what happened there a few weeks ago, but I feel better. I wish I could have gone somewhere, preferably warm, for at least part of the time. I think I worked on a little bit of everything these past two weeks. I don't have photos ready for most things yet, so this will be a short post. Despite my claims otherwise, I did work on chainmaille once I got my order of rings. I made three new bracelets and a fourth that is the same as one I already have listed but made out of titanium. I also made a couple pairs of earrings to match the bracelets. I also got some coloured scales and started making coloured scalemaille flowers.

I still have three more colours of scales to make flowers with. If you are wondering the remaining colours are green, goldy-silver, and bronze/black (these are bronze on the inside and black on the back). I want to get these listed and I'll have to add the remaining flowers later. I'll show you what other chainmaille items I've made once I have photos ready

I've also been working on tatting as well. But not on my tie. I decided I should stop working on it until I got another ball of thread. I contacted DS9Designs to see if they still had any balls of thread in the same lot as the one I purchased. Lucky for me, they had three left. So I placed a small order early last week. Naturally, I also ordered a few other balls of Lizbeth. I think they are all new colours. Hopefully they will arrive sometime this week. Unlike Handy Hands, DS9Designs, and Be-stitched for that matter, are more than happy to send my order using cheaper options. I find that the Priority mail that Handy Hands insists on using arrives in about the same time as the slower methods, so its not worth (for me anyway) to have to pay for faster methods. Anyway, instead of my tie, I have been working on my Windmills doily. You can see where it was back in October here. Then I had six motifs completed on the third round. I now have twelve motifs completed and am working on the thirteenth. With any luck I should have it joined to the doily this evening. I am hoping I can finish this round soon. I do enjoy tatting Mary Konior's Windmills motif, but I fear I will soon tire of tatting it soon. I still plan on making the doily oval shaped, but it is getting large. Measured across the diagonal, which is 7 motifs wide, the doily measures 15 inches (38.1 cm) across.

I also did some crocheting, but nothing spectacular. Two pairs of slippers are all I've managed. I'll post more about them next time. I'll leave you with a photo of one of my orchids that started blooming a few days ago:

I'm not sure if I've shown this flower before but here it is. It's a Phalaenopsis NOID (No IDentification).

That's it for now. We'll see how the week goes; I'll try and post again later this week. Till next time.

I Think I Need a Break ......

I don't know what it is, but I haven't felt like doing anything for the past week or so. I haven't tatted in over a week, and while I did some chainmaille this weekend, I had no desire to get photos of the completed pieces. So they aren't going in the shop this week. I did place a small order for new rings last week, but I don't know if I'll get anything made out of them right now. There's also been work issues on my mind again, or rather about some changes being implemented. Though these affect everyone and not just me. It's related to a new scheduling system that our head office feels will benefit us. I've heard the opposite as well as plenty of other rumors, though I'm trying to ignore the rumors right now.

Anyway, I think I'm going to lay low for a week or two. I've been wanting to do some crocheting if I can decide on a project.  We'll see what happens. I'll still be around, and I'll try and keep up with everyone. Oh, and I hope those of you who got Monday off enjoyed yourselves. And my apologies if you didn't get the day off (I did!). Till next time.

Atomic Tatting and more Chainmaille

Look! I'm posting again, and it hasn't been a week since my last post. I actually planned on posting on Sunday, but it was late when I finished tatting, and didn't deal with the ends in time to get a decent photo. I've also been working on my tie, and am just about ready to start the next page of diagrams. I also realized I am getting close to running out of thread. I am close to running out of thread on one of the shuttles, so I divided up the remaining thread on the ball between two Ez-bobs (for any Canadians wanting Ez-bobs, BeadFX carries them though they call them "No Tangle Bobbins") and counted 28 yards left. I may need to order another ball, though I'll have to try and remember who I bought the thread from. There is a Lot # on the back of the circular card from the ball and I should see if I can get it matched. I knew I should have bought two balls. C'est la vie. On to the tatting!

Hopefully from the title you can tell what I've been tatting. If you can't, then a picture should help:

This is the Tatted Atom from Yarnplayer's book Up and Tat 'Em. This pattern is the reason I wanted the book. There are plenty of other pretty patterns in the book, but this was the one I knew about. It also has some guy friendly potential, if the beads used were plain, which is plus for me. This one was made with my mom in mind so I used Lizbeth size 20 thread in colour #633 Dark Purple with a clear faceted Swarovski crystal bead in the centre (the nucleus) and simple silver toned beads for the electrons. The actual tatting was pretty easy. What made it a bit difficult was that at the midpoint of the pattern, six shuttles were in use, and they all tangle. You also have to weave the chains (the "orbits") over and under each other in a certain way, which I hope I did right. All in all, it was a pretty quick motif to tat, and it kept my attention (another plus). I do plan on tatting it again.

Now I have a few chainmaille pieces I want to show you. I showed you the sample of dragonscale in my last post, and Gina mentioned how the sample would look as a pendant. I've been thinking about that all weekend, and yesterday I sat down and made another sample. A sample with a purpose; I give you my Dragonscale pendant:

As you can see, I've added some smaller rings to the sides to help the weave hold together. I found during my testing-I wore the pendant for a while instead of my regular chain-that the large rings at the top and bottom tended to separate enough for the smaller rings come out of alignment. But the rings I added to the sides seem to help, at least my further testing shows they stay in place. In case you are wondering, the pendant is made out of bright aluminum and bronze. Hopefully I'll get it in my shop soon, but no promises.

I think that's going to be it for tonight. I do have another chainmaille piece to show, but it's getting late, and I'm tired. Even if I don't get any tatting done for the rest of the week, I can still write another post. Till next time.

Tatted Earrings and Dragonscale

I'll try and make this a short post. I did a little tatting this past week. I made a little bit of progress on my tie. On the Etsy front, I've had several sales since my last post. Which is good as I've been holding off ordering more rings until some sales have come. And, I've been included in two Etsy Treasuries, which is pretty cool too. I've never been in a Treasury before. The first one (which actually happened more than a week ago) can be seen here, and the other (which is from today) can be seen here. I don't know how long the Treasuries last, so if you'd like to take a look, sooner is probably better than later. Anyway here is the tatting.

I wanted to tat something fairly quick so I took a look at Yarnplayer's newest book Up and Tat 'Em to see what I can find. Here is what I chose:

These are the earrings from the "Beguile Set". These were made using Lizbeth size 20 thread in colour #611 Gold. Yeah. It's the same thread from the previous motif. It wasn't just because I hadn't put it away. It matched the antiqued brass rings I used for the centre. There are also size 11 gold coloured beads. It's a nice pattern, and quick to tat. I did find I had to add an extra ring and chain to go completely around. I didn't know why, since the rings I used were only 1 mm bigger than what was called for, until I noticed that Yarnplayer made her chains a little bit longer in the photo than what was written in the pattern. It's not a big deal and I'll have to remember this when I make them again.

Finally I will finish this post by showing a recently learned chainmaille weave. It's called Dragonscale:

I wonder why. The photo above shows the weave stretched out. Here it is when scrunched up:

You can see where the weave gets its name. It bears a striking resemblance to rows of scales. I assume the dragon part comes from chainmaille's medieval history. It's a cool weave and looks awesome in two colours. You can't tell that here since I should have used two colours that contrasted better. I used bright aluminum and white anodized aluminum. The white rings are new from my supplier. I don't know if I'll actually make anything using this weave. It is pretty dense and has a high rings per inch count. The sample above is about two inches (5 cm) long when fully stretched.

That's about it for now. I'm not sure what I will work on this week. Hopefully I will make some significant progress on my tie. I also got my Palmetto's 2010 Tat Day CD this week, so I've got lots more patterns to drool over. Till next time.

Tatted Motif, New Shuttle, and Some Thoughts About Lizbeth

I did it again, didn't I. I can't seem to focus on anything lately. On top of that, I think my sleeping cycle has become misaligned, again. I fall asleep later, and later and wake up later and later. Which sucks when you have to get up in the morning to go to work. So more than once last week I had a nap attack after supper, which means I lose an hour or two of tatting time. However I did manage to finish one motif I've been working on. I also got to proof read Linda Davies newest book. If it's not on her website yet, it will be soon. And I must say the finished designs look awesome. The tie is still on  hold, but I WILL get back to it. I have to before I lose interest in it completely.

I'm sure one tatter (and new designer) will recognize the following motif:

This is Maeve by Fox. There should be a link to the pattern on Fox's blog. It's a very pretty motif, and pretty quick to tat. I only made one small change to the pattern. Since I used one colour of thread, I made one of the large rings on the third round a split ring so I could continue without cutting and tying. I'll have to try tatting the motif using three colours next time. I used Lizbeth size 20 thread in colour #611 Gold (nonmetallic). Thanks Fox, for sharing the pattern with the rest of us. I wonder what else you'll come up with.

I think it's about time I show off my newest Pop-a-Bobbin shuttle. I don't even remember when I bought it. Here it is:

And here it is with it's new mate (it goes really well with my ebony shuttle):

The shuttle is almost pure white. Not quite but close, a light cream colour perhaps. As I said above, it goes well with ebony. Which isn't surprising since both woods are traditionally used in making chess pieces. As you can see, it doesn't have a hook, but it's not a big problem. Now, I need another shuttle. A dark coloured one. What?! I like them in pairs.

I'll end with some thoughts about Lizbeth. I don't think any other thread has divided the tatting community as much as Lizbeth. Some love it, and some hate it. I fall in the former group. I love the thread. I haven't had any major problems with thread. A knot in the thread in a pain, but easy to fix if caught early enough. I know that doesn't happen all the time-I've tried closing a ring only to find a knot it it. Besides knots, I know some people were having problems with the thread splitting, though I haven't seen that in any of the balls I have. I think the problem with the thread being twisty was solved. Again, I haven't seen this; since I bought mine after the problem was fixed I didn't expect to see this. By now, I've used a fair amount of thread, and from quite a few balls. I figure I should have come across a bad ball by now, but I haven't. Maybe I'm just too accepting. Lucky perhaps? I don't know. Anyway, I'll keep buying it.

That's it for now. I'll try and post again soon. I think I'll try and alternate between tatting and chainmaille posts just so I can post something. I bought a new chainmaille book and discovered a new chainmaille supply company here in the city, so you'll probably be seeing new things on the chainmaille front. Till next time.

Not A Lot Goin' On, Tatting Wise, Anyway.

Yeah, I know. I disappeared from the face of the Earth again. I came down with a cold last weekend, and just haven't felt like tatting lately. I did manage another row, and a bit on my tie since my last post. I do hope to find time to work on my tie over the next two days. But we'll see. As you can probably see, my poll has finished. The "No's" have majority, though barely. So, I'm going to focus on my other tatting patterns for now. Perhaps I will release the pattern at another time, maybe once the tie is complete. I'll continue to take notes as I go, and keep track of what I am doing until that time. I haven't started on Jane's newest TIAS, and I don't know if I'll get to it now. It won't be fun if I rush to catch up. So I'll move on here to the non-tatting that I managed to do this past week and a bit.

I'm not sure why, but I got inspired to work on chainmaille this week. Sales have come to a standstill, so I've been working on some new weaves, trying to come up with some new products. A few items are promising, another few need some work (and by work, I mean I have no idea what I'm going to do with them).

The first item is a fairly simple bracelet:

This bracelet is made using a weave called Double Spiral. Like I said it is pretty easy to make, and I'm not sure why I haven't tried it yet. I need to get some proper photos of it (something I was supposed to do today) and get it listed. It is made out of stainless steel, though it should work in most metals.

The next item I made is just a quick sample of a new weave:

This one is called Captive Zen. It is one of those weaves that relies heavily on very specific rings sizes to work. There are four different sizes of rings used here. Since this photo was taken, I have made a bracelet using this weave. I haven't photographed it yet (again, one of today's tasks that didn't get done). Both the above sample and the unphotographed bracelet were made using bright aluminum rings. This is a pretty stiff weave (it has to be), and doesn't work well for really small wrists, though it apparently relaxes and loosens up over time. I really like the way this weave looks. I'm hoping to make a pair of earrings using this weave too.

Finally, we come to the weave in which I'm not sure how it will be used.

This is a scalemaille flower. The flower is pretty quick to make. The one above has been modified to use as a pendant; the additional rings needed aren't shown in the above photo. I had thought they could be used as earrings, but at 1.75 inches across, they may be a bit large. Since I don't wear earrings, I really don't know. This could be easily wired to a brooch pin too. And one could add a length of wire to back and display it in a vase. I could go on; there are many possibilities. I might just sell them unfinished, so to speak, and let people use them as they please. Both the scales and rings are bright aluminum.

That's it for now. Hopefully I'll get some tatting time in this week. I'm probably going to work some more chainmaille too. Since my birthday is next Friday, I don't know what my posting schedule will be like. I'll aim for mid week, but it will depend on what I get done that's worth posting. Till next time.

My Tatted Tie, Part 3 - Slowly Making Progress

I had hoped to post earlier, but I lost my groove late last week and haven't done much tatting. I also wasn't feeling well towards the end of the week which didn't help. But I have been working on the tie. Before I show the tie, I want to make sure everyone knows I have set up a poll. You can find in on the top of my left sidebar. Please vote (if you wish). I really want your opinion. My feelings won't be hurt or anything if there is little to no interest in a tatted tie pattern. That just means I can move on to diagram and write out some of my other patterns.

Anyway, here is the tie as of this evening:

Currently, the tie measures about 8.75 inches (22.2 cm) long. This is just about the half way point. Here is another photo of the tie, this time against a patterned (t)shirt:

Its kinda a crappy photo, but it gives you the idea. There were several good comments on my last post regarding the tie. One that I really liked was to attach the top of the tie to a narrow strip of fabric to make the tying of the tie easier. I like the idea (thanks Maureen!), except for one small problem. My sewing skills are rather lacking. Actually lacking is being generous. My sewing skills are almost non-existent. I mean, I've sewn the bottoms of my pant legs shut (on several occasions!!) while trying to hem them (don't ask). I have been thinking about this since the suggestion was made and may have a possible solution. I was thinking I could get a "real" tie that is similar in colour (this shouldn't be difficult: the real tie I am using as a guide is very close in colour) and use the narrow part of it for my tatted tie. Now, you may think that's wasteful, but I've got that covered too. I could use the leftover scraps of fabric to make the centre of a temari ball.This is more authentic than using styrofoam(and better for the environment).  Another suggestion was to have a fabric backing. It's a good suggestion (thanks Gina!) but I'm not sure about it yet. As I mentioned, sewing is an issue for me. This one will have to wait until the tie is basically finished. I'll perhaps photograph it against a number of shirts to see how it looks. I don't own any shirts that are heavily patterned so it may not be as big of an issue. But again, we shall see. If anyone else has anymore good ideas, feel free to share them.

I'll leave you with a photo of my Christmas cactus which began to flower late last week:

I noticed what I thought were the beginnings of numerous tiny buds late in December, so its not that far off in its timing. And I haven't killed it yet which is good. I got it last Christmas so I must be doing something right. I've been wanting a few more in different colours, so I really need to see if I can still get them.

That's about it for now. Hopefully I make some more progress on the tie. Jane is also starting another TIAS (tommorow, I believe) which I'd like to participate in. So I need to prepare for that. Till next time.

My Tatted Tie, Part 2 - It's Really Happening

I'm not sure why, but I began tatting my tatted tie. I know, right? I started winding one shuttle a while ago (I can't even remember, I'd have to check to see when I bought the Lizbeth), and it sat in the LCU for a while. Saturday night, after my last post, I wound the second shuttle and began tatting. The tatting went by pretty quickly. Here is the tie as of last night:

I have done more since this was taken, I just don't want to take a new photo right now. As you can see, I'm using two Tatsy shuttles to tat my tie. These things are HUGE! I don't think I have actually used them before now. They were a bit cumbersome to use at first, but they're not bad now. One advantage to using these shuttles is that the size 10 thread I'm using seems really, really small. For those of you not familiar with Tatsy shuttles, they are 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) long. The tie is about 5.5 inches long in the photo. It's also about 1.75 inches wide at narrow end. In case you're wondering (and so I have an online record of it) the tie should be about 18.5 inches long, and 4 inches wide at the widest part when finished. This is based on my calculations that each "four-ring square" (I think that is the common name for motif I am using) is about 0.5 inches square. In reality they are a little bigger, so the tie should be bigger. This is a good thing, since based on the "real" tie I am using a pattern/guideline the tie should be 20 inches long.

Speaking of a "real" tie, I have been thinking of making my tatted tie into a "real" tie. You know, one that you have to, um, tie. I diagrammed the full tie Sunday, and realized that I could easily extend the tie from the top to make a full sized, have to tie, tie. In case you were wondering, I was planning on making a fake knot and putting on the tie with a chain, just like my chainmaille tie. I think it should work, but I'm not sure how well the tatting will hold up. I mean, I don't want it to stretch substantially. I think I could outline that section with chains to add strength and reduce stretching. I'm not going to dwell on this issue right now. I will have to tat a test section to see.

I'll leave you with a final thought. Is anyone out there interested in a tatted tie pattern? I have the pattern all diagrammed out-all five (count 'em, five) pages of it. Four pages are 80-90% diagram. If there is interest, I would be willing neaten up the diagrams and perhaps a bit of guiding text (I am NOT going to write out the whole pattern; it'll be a book!). It's not a hard pattern, just lots (and lots) of rings, and lots (and lots!) of split rings. Some chains may be needed (see above paragraph) and lots (and lots-you get the idea) of joins, both regular and shuttle/lock joins. A fair amount of work went in to diagramming the pattern. I have mapped out the entire split ring pathway to tat the tie continuously. Realistically, I'm sure you'd have to add thread at least once maybe twice during the actual tatting. I will say it upfront, this won't be a free pattern, and I don't know what I would charge for it (advice is welcome on this too). Maybe I'll put up a poll.

That's all for now. Hopefully my progress on the tie continues at my current pace (I haven't touched the second Birdcage motif-my first UFO/WIP for 2011!). Till next time.

Happy New Years and Some Thoughts For 2011

Happy New Year's!!!!!!!

 I hope 2011 started well for everyone. I had to work today (and yesterday) but that's alright. It wasn't busy, and we closed early. It was still very cold this morning, though we are currently warming up, and snowing (apparently, its too dark to see). I have nothing tatting related to report. I should mention, that the Birdcage motif I posted about a few days ago is from Mary Konior's book Tatting In Lace. I will/have change(d) the post to include this omission.

I'm going to end this post with a list of things I'd like to accomplish for 2011, tatting/craft related anyway. I don't make resolutions and the common ones, weight loss, healthy living/eating are things I've been working on for a while now, so I don't need to promise myself that I'm going to do it. Anyway, here is what I've come up with so far (this list is not conclusive):

1. I am going to finish some of my UFOs and WIPs. 

2. I am going to write out and diagram some of my other patterns (I know I said that last year). As much as I'd like to offer them for free, a few may be for sale (my male Betta, for one), though this isn't set in stone.

3. Use up some of my HDTs, even though they are too pretty to use. I know. I know. They're thread and they're supposed to be used. But still.

4. Get more tatting time in. I don't seem to have the time to tat lately.

5. Blog more often. I don't like to write posts just for the sake of posting something. This one will be affected by #4 above. More tatting = more posting. 

6. I'd love to learn something new. Though since I don't seem to have the time for the arts/crafts I do now, this goal is going to be optional.

7. Well, actually the above six is all I can think of right now. I'll amend this list if/when I think of other goals.

That's all for now. Here's hoping for an awesome year for everyone! Till next time. 

Tatted Birdcage, Skate Pin, and Some Chainmaille

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. I did. It was nice to get away from work for a several days and spend them with family. I had a good trip both ways in case you are wondering. I love my newish truck (though I could use a remote starter for these cold winter days). Anyway, I figured I should make a quick post before 2010 ends.

I didn't get much tatting done. But I did manage to tat this:

This is Mary Konior's Birdcage motif, from her book Tatting in Lace. I know, my post title is a bit misleading. I'm sure you were expecting something else. The motif was tatted with Lizbeth size 20 thread in colour number 109 Wild Flower. It's about 2 1/4 inches across. For the record, I don't know how often I will use this thread-I find it very girly. Sorry. Anyway, I found this motif very interesting and I don't honestly remember seeing it tatted before. My apologies if you have tatted and showed it off. I think the thing I like about it most is how the bare threads in the centre, from the four separate motifs, appear to be part of the design. My rendition doesn't count-the length and position of the thread, not to mention how my threads passed from from to back somehow (???). I did however make it in one round thanks to two split rings. I had to mentally shift the pattern around since my starting points were different than Mary's. I like the motif and am currently tatting another one. This time, I am using two solid colours (one for rings and one for chains: I believe numerous SLTs will be needed). And I am doing the centre using many split rings to eliminate the bare threads. I am thinking maybe I could add the bare threads after if I wanted-we'll see.

I also finished Sharon's Skate pin that I showed a few posts ago. Here is the finished pin:

I gave the finished pin to my mom as part of her Christmas gift. I think she liked it. Not much else to say that hasn't been said before, so, moving on.

Since I haven't done it for a while, I thought I'd show some chainmaille I'm working on/finished. The first one may be a bit late for the season but, meh, I'm going to show it anyway.

It's a snowflake! I'm sure you could have figured it out. It is made out of Bright Aluminum using a weave called Japanese 2 in 12. Like the European 4 in 1 (and others) I have showed, this weave was used in armour for the Japanese. It leads itself well to jewelry. The pendant above is ready to be listed, as soon as I can find the time, probably over the weekend. I still need to figure out a price for it. I should be able to make the pendant out of Stainless Steel as well. It's about 1 3/8 inches across, and I can make a larger version as well. That one would be about 2 1/2 inches across.

The next piece is one I started a while ago. I must have got bored or busy, not sure which.

This is about half of a bracelet called Hodo or Sidewalk (Hodo apparently is Japanese for sidewalk). This is also a variation of Japanese 2 in 12. This one is made using Stainless Steel. And I should be able to make it in Bright Aluminum too. Hopefully I will finish this one so it too can be listed. And it also needs to be priced out. A quick shop note (shameless self promotion). I will be ending free shipping probably Saturday sometime. So, um, feel free to stop by. And don't forget about the coupon code on my right sidebar. Shameless self promotion over.

That's about it for now. I hope to post again on January 1st, not promises. I'll leave you with a quick photo of the Monster (don't let her cuteness fool you):

Why a monster you say? Apparently balls of thread with tatting attached are fun to play with. I didn't think so. Really? You try winding a ball of thread that's been unwound all over the house. It's a good thing tatting doesn't unravel. Next trip on, I will be bringing the "Lizbeth Containment Unit", LCU for short:

Till next time.

Merry Christmas!

Merry

Christmas

 To One and All!

I hope everyone is having a very good Christmas this year. See you next week. This is a recording.

The poinsettias pictured are from last year. The one I bought this year decided it doesn't like me. It's been shedding since I got it.

Another Snowflake, Sharon's Skates and an Angel

I know. I've been kinda lacking in the posting department. I guess I've been busy. I am also going away Friday, so I wanted to post before leaving. I should be back next Monday. I have had a few more orders since the last time I posted which I have been working on. I still haven't listed the coloured Bicubix Blocks earrings, though I'll try tonight. I'm not sure if I'll keep the shop open while I'm gone, though I don't expect many (if any) orders this weekend.

Here is probably the last Angels in the Snow Snowflake for this year:

This one is tatted with one strand of DMC Cordonnet size 50 thread and one strand of Güttermann metallic filament thread in colour #143. I found this snowflake took forever to tat. I have the pattern memorized, and it's not difficult. The metallic filament broke a few times. I had to carefully retro-tat several times. I also had to do some cutting and retatting. But I finally got it done. I do like the way this one looks like. It has that hint of blue that snow sometimes has, though the ice crystals are clear.

I'm sure you've seen Sharon's skate pattern by now. Well, here is my tatted version:

I haven't made it into a pin yet. I still have to do that. This is going to be part of my mom's Christmas present this year. I'll have to get photos of the rest of it. I making the pin pretty much the same way Sharon did, except for the jingle bells. I'll have to lace them up yet, then assemble the whole thing. I made the holly leaves a little larger by using 3 ds instead of 2. Quite an interesting little pattern. I'll try to get a photo of the completed pin. I'll try anyway.

You may remember the crocheted dress I showed a few weeks ago.  A few of you easily guessed what I am making.

It is a clothespin angel. This is the only one I have made. Yeah, I know. I said I wanted to make five or six, but that never happened. Maybe another time.

That's about it for now. I don't know how many of you were aware, but there was a lunar eclipse last night. I took a quick photo before going to bed.

It's not the best photo, but it does show the beginning of the eclipse. If I didn't have to work today, I would have stayed up to see totality, which would have occurred shortly after 3 am (CST). It's actually kinda funny I didn't stay up to see the total eclipse. Some of you may be aware that Jane listed a number of shuttles on her Etsy shop. I actually set an alarm for 3 am (CST, of course) to be able to purchase a Holly wood Pop-a-Bobbin shuttle. Of course, I stayed in bed while purchasing the shuttle, and I didn't have to go outside in the -20 degrees C (-4 F) cold. I wonder if NATA (Nuts About Tatting Association) is still running. Getting up in the middle of the night to purchase tatting supplies must qualify. Anyone else see the eclipse?

That's it for now. I probably won't be posting until next week sometime. Till next time.

Quick Update

I figured I should do a small update. I made it to and from my parents house safely. I picked up my new(ish) truck, which is a 2006 GMC Sierra. It is similar to the Silverado that I used to have, which is nice 'cause I really liked that truck. On the tatting front, I still haven't done much. Hopefully I will have a few things to show in a few days. I've had a few sales through Etsy this week, so I've been busy remaking the sold items. I also hope to make a pendant using the Bicubix Blocks as well.  I still need to photograph the earrings I showed you last week. I forgot to mention last week as well, that my supplier has also started anodizing their gold coloured aluminum rings with their new process which makes them nice and shiny like brass or gold. Which is nice because you get the rich gold colour without the problem of turning green like with brass. Anyway, I have to get ready for bed. I'll leave you with a photo of my mom's new kitten, Grace. Till next time.

I Got Nothin'

Pretty much, anyway. I'm still working on the Angels In The Snow snowflake that I started before the last post. I had a couple of sales last weekend, and worked at remaking the items that sold. I ended up playing with the Bicubix Blocks earrings, seen below:

I played around with using some then all coloured rings, with some very pretty results. Though due to my work schedule, I can't get some decent photos (I prefer to photograph my items outside, temperatures permitting). I did get a few indoor photos, but they don't do the earrings justice.

They look waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better in person. The purple rings in the bottom pair are much darker. The blue rings in the top photo are absolutely gorgeous. See here (hopefully). And that still doesn't do them justice. My supplier started using a new anodizing technique to make these, and other ring colours. Unfortunately, it will be at least another week before I can get these listed, but we'll see.

On the truck front, my dad found me a new(ish) truck. It's a 2006 GMC something or other. He won't tell me exactly what it is. I will be going back to their place Saturday after work. I have to admit, I'm not really looking forward to the trip. I'll be careful. Promise. Till next time.