This is the edging Beauty Spots from Mary Konior's Tatting with Visual Patterns. I plan to make a bookmark with it by reversing the other side and joining at the picots. When you click on the thumbnail and see the larger version, you can see where the thread is drawn up from the base to the joining picot to start the center ring, then you draw it back through the base to do the last side ring and the josephine knot. It kind of bothers me having that "unfinished" look to it. I think the rings could be done differently but then the thread might not be in the right placement for the josephine knots that are done by making the josephine knot after the ring on one side and before the bigger ring on the other side - so you have a thread drawn through a bit there too. It looks all nice and neat in the book photo. Maybe it will all come together when it's complete and blocked.

I'm starting row 41 (out of 102) on the filet snowman. I expect to be half-way done by tomorrow night! I proabably won't have as much time to give to it next week, but still - I think I can have it done within 2 weeks if I keep at it.

I popped into Hobby Lobby earlier this evening. I bought two 100' rolls of Xmas ribbon for 66% off. Then I found 3 crochet booklets that were about 1/3 of the original cost plus one cro-tat with lovely porcelain angel head and arms - and cro-tatted clothing. Each one had a matching ornament topper too. I've had no desire to learn cro-tatting, but I really like these angels so I might give it a whirl. Some sweet Irish Crochet bags too, all around the 6" size.

I sold about 15 of my older crochet booklets on ebay - is this insane or what? At least I bought fewer than I sold - if you don't count what I won on ebay over the last 3 weeks. LOL!

I just visited Tatslife by Dutch tatter Jan Voskes. Keep watching there. He says he will have a new project there on a regular basis. Expect the first one around January 20. A tatting group tattingroundtheworld was mentioned too, which I hadn't heard of before, even though it's been around since 2000. I don't get as involved in the tatting groups anymore but I strongly encourage new and old tatters both to use them. You learn so much and get so much encouragement, whatever your skill. I know it was the tatting groups, e-tatters and tat-chat, that inspired me to stick with tatting and learn so much more than I ever would have on my own. Through those groups, I've made the most wonderful firiends too, so don't be shy!

The Second Annual Palmetto Tat Day is June 4 & 5, 2004. Sounds like a fun deal to me!

Another great place for tatters to gather is the online tatting class on Sunday and Monday nights - take your choice. There is a link on Georgia's site to email about joining the class. No fees, no grades, no deadlines for projects - just fun and learning. I believe the first two classes in January are general - meaning no specific project, just chat time like a question and answer period. This would be a good tiem for newbies to get familiar with the group. I keep forgetting to go myself but I'll make a note for myself.

Another project for the coming year............my niece is pregnant and probably expects something tatted...............but I haven't heard what the baby is yet. She's due in May.