I don't have any tatting to show this last day of 2007 but I did receive some thread from Sherry Pence aka LadyShuttlemaker today. When I saw the Rainbow Sherbert lot, I was in love with it. As with Marilee's thread, I have no specific project in mind but I'll know it when it calls my name. I suspect it will be a flower. I'm tempted to make a small doily or mat that I can frame but I'll have to play with another size 20 thread and see how much it takes before I use this one.

In the meantime, I've been working on a project for my lace guild - crochet this time. I will teach the other thimble holder I posted recently because the stitches are simpler but I want to show other possibilities at the same time. This is actually from a Southmaid publication. I crocheted the toothfairy angel and pouch for my granddaughter years ago.
I used a bead on the ribbon. The instructions call for sewing a bead on each chain loop but I chose not to do that on this sample. I'm going to make another in a variegated thread and crochet the beads in as I go.

Speaking of publications, I bought several knitting magazines at the Half-Price bookstore the other day and when I went through one yesterday, I saw instructions on how to knit with beads. There are several ways actually. I guess what I'm doing with the amulet bag is okay. I'm certainly not going to rip it out NOW!

I haven't given much thought to a New Year's Resolution yet. Once again, I'll finish the T.A.T program. Life keeps getting in the way and that's okay - I'm enjoying it. I would like to finish it though since I'm about halfway or more. It's so easy to get sidetracked. I'm also finishing my son's quilt this year. (you've heard that one before, right?) I have the fabric, the completed blocks and the sewing machine right behind me though and I found the papers for the paper piecing so I think it's a go this time. It's going to be a fun year with my son getting married and cruise to the Bahamas. I'll teach at Hector. I don't think I'll plan much beyond that but watch out 2009!

For now...I'm counting my blessings of the past year...meeting up with so many wonderful friends and staying in touch with those I didn't meet up with. I appreciate each and every one of you. I love the ideas and the creativity and the sharing and the enthusiasm. I love the internet for bringing us all together. May we all have prosperity and inspiration in the coming year.

Here's the last one - for my youngest son. I was at Michael's yesterday and picked up a bunch more of these ornaments on clearance. Most of them are different but I got a few that were the same as what I have used. I might try to start doing them now so that I'll have a nice little stash by next Christmas.

Earlier today I started an edging to go around the sachet shown next. It took 20 rings for each side. The sachet is from the dollar store but I might make some nicer ones in the future. For one thing, I would make them so you could open the back and put in a refillable bag of potpourri, but this one is a quick gift.

It didn't take all that long to stitch it down. It scans looking pink but it's actually lavendar and the thread has some lavendar in it too. I think it's what is left of some Manuela but it could be some Altin Basak too. Anyway, it's a pretty variegated.


This car was in an email with a bunch of other photos of odd images. I thought it looked like lace. I wonder if you could cover a miniature car or doll car in a similar way?


This is how much of the bag I got knitted so far. I'm learning to snug up the beads before I knit the next stitch. Each row is repeated so you have the same design on both sides. I haven't figured out a way to hold the beads that makes it easy to slide them over when I need to. I can't seem to tension the thread if I'm holding it too securely but if I don't wrap the thread, then it slides all over the place. Of course the stitch count and bead count is different every 2 rows. I think it's shaping up but I'm not sure I would want to do very much of this. It's tedious!

Well...it's after midnight and that's what I get for thinking I could whip up the finish of this project in a very short time!

This one is for my oldest son. I have 3 sons and one daughter. 4 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. 1 great-grandson. So what do you tat for males? Bookmarks. When they get married, you can tat for their homes and their wives but what do you tat for a son? Exactly how many bookmarks are too many - especially if they tend to be more computer-oriented than book-oriented? These ornaments are a good way to pass on a bit of my tatting to them. The two youngest sons will also get booties and bonnets for their future children. I didn't know how to tat when my current grandchildren were born, except for the great-grandson. I made the see-through rulers with tatting for some of the grandsons several years ago. I've made them bookmarks which they seem to lose. I guess my best bet is to make plenty of linens and pretties for my daughter and daughters-in-law to pass on down. But I do other needlecrafts too and they do have a lot of that stuff. Afghans and sweaters and such. But I really want them each to have some tatting because that's the one skill I am most proud of and that has been my greatest passion and pleasure. And the quilts.

I can't remember what I got up for but I took my tree down and changed out the cat's litter box. LOL! It's beautiful outside! Sunny and 48º. Here's the project I started last night. It's a little beaded knitted amulet bag. I bought the kit on clearance a few years ago. The clearance tag says $4.71 but I'm sure I got it 50% off that. Originally it was $14.99. I think I have a second kit somewhere but I'm not sure. Anyway, I thought it was time to do something with it. I may keep it, but if not, it will make a delightful gift for someone. One of my goals this year is to make up all those "kits" I've bought on clearance in recent years as my "gift inventory". That's why I bought them to begin with... and how can I justify buying any more if I don't use what I have? I won't even go out to see what there is until I make some headway. I did pretty good last year. I waited nearly two weeks...and I still found some bargains.

I've never knitted with beads before so this will be a fun challenge. Can't say I've really knitted with thread either other than some playing around with it just to see what it felt like. I've wanted to and still want to knit some lace so this will be good to get used to the feel of 0000 needles and thread...and beads. I can't imagine it's going to use all the beads provided.

I also have to write up my project for Hector. Maybe I'll test it on the Greenfield group.

So...now I have to clean up my mess from taking down the tree. Artificial trees shed needles too, especially as they age and this one has lived its life fully! Even though I should take advantage of post-season tree sales, I probably won't. I don't know what I want yet. Maybe nothing at all if I can find that wall tree. Hope I didn't give it away...I have a feeling I did. Maybe I'll look for one of those instead.

Two more! One for my daughter and one for my middle son. Son #1 gets his tomorrow and son #3 gets his next Saturday so you won't see them until they get them. Not that they ever read this. LOL!

I have to give warning here that the coming year will be a mixture of needlecrafts. I'm missing doing some of the other stuff. I ABSOLUTELY WILL finish my middle son's quilt. I'm working on a crochet project for my lace group. I want to do some more Romanian Point Lace. I got word today that my grandkids want the knitted mittens with the covered open fingers and a matching cap. There are some things I want to knit and to crochet for myself. And I want to do more sewing. And I want to do some needlelace. And hardanger. Try a little bobbinlace. Paint. Write. And of course I will keep on tatting but probably not as much.

And I've got to come up with something special for my son's wedding.

One lifetime is not enough. It simply is not enough.

Trusting everyone is basking in the afterglow of a warm and cozy holiday with family and friends.

This ornament was for my Russian friend, Elena, mother of my godchild. I didn't make the gift for my goddaughter so I made something for Elena. LOL! The colors look much better in person than here. I also tatted a motif for another ornament for my sister but didn't get it scanned before she got it. I have 2 yet to make tonight. Each ornament is different so I use a different thread and have played with different motifs...still not done there.


I had so much fun making this apron for my great-niece. It's been awhile since I've sewn much so it took more thought and time than I expected just for the apron construction. I would have cut it out differently too if I'd given more thought to it. No matter...it's a play apron!

I found the eyelet in my stash....yeah...fabric and trim stash that I need to use or lose. I couldn't figure out how I was going to embellish it, looking for piping or something along that line when it dawned on me to make the heart applique and use a tatted motif from my "tatted" stash. I make these samples but have lost track of documentation so I might as well use them. My best documentation is on this blog. It will be nice when they some day figure out how you can print your blog - what a fantastic historical document of the craft!


I also finished up my Tatting Treasures from Trash challenge. I wanted to give this to my granddaughter for Christmas. I knitted mittens for her brothers...I think she wanted mittens too. LOL!

And so......I head into Christmas Eve with the usual last minute fixes and touches and wrapping.

I downloaded all my pics but I wasn't going to post tonight, hoping for an early night but I have plans tomorrow night so thought I better do it now! When I saw Georgia had this new shuttle I had to have it! If it wasn't already taken...and it wasn't. I like it even better than the other one. And isn't that tin beautiful? Merry Christmas to me! And that reminds me of one more thing I didn't get scanned....it will have to wait.


Yesterday I was trying to empty some shuttles and there was one with white thread and one with red thread, so I decided to do Jules' candy cane again but I didn't want to hunt down the matching ball threads so I tied the two together which made the rings and chains opposite colors and gives it a different look. I like the original better, but I'm glad I tried it.


I'm trying to find motifs small enough for ornaments, shown next, and found this angel by Lenore English. Tatted in size 20, she says it is about 2 1/2" tall so I thought in size 70 that it might be just right....but it's too big. I used two shuttles and just made the head ring with the ball shuttle instead of doing the shoelace trick. The other bit is another minitat from Patti Duff and it turns out, it is just right. I was emptying the shuttle with this one and probably will not put it in an ornament but maybe I'll find a card it will be suitable for.

This minitat is done in the Altin Basak thread that I've been working with. I think I will try to find a different colored background to make it stand out more. I just turned the photo ad around, mostly to see how it fit and what it would look like. I may try to make this same motif in gold and see how it looks. A white background might set off the gold perfectly - although I would put real card stock or some other material there.


I tatted this one in the silver sewing thread by Coats added to a Sulky silver thread. The Coats is very strong and might hold up on its own when closing a ring but then it would be almost too tiny. I like the way the silver sets off the silver in the ornament though. I'll try different backgrounds with this too. I tried scanning it with a red background but I didn't like it.

And for now....I'm off to bed!

Funny Christmas Graphics provided by MySpaceAnimations.com

I decided to give Jules' Bellflake another try. I used the same silver Altin Basak...and you know what? I found another ball, partially used, in my stash. Someone must have given me a ball somewhere along the line too! Anyway, this tatted up nicely but I continued using chains for the mock rings instead of the SCMR simply because the SCMR is harder on thread and I knew it was more likely to break the metallic part. I had some sew-on crystals from Walmart that I've been dying to use in tatting and it hangs there very sweetly. I just joined it right in when I came to the final join. Only thing is, these teardrop crystals have a hole at each end and you can see it if you look closely.

Well, once I'd made it, then I started getting more ideas! I pulled out a bangle and found it fit perfectly. I could attach as I tat or find a way to whip it on there afterwards. Sometimes that looks nicer. I also wondered if I tatted it in a tinier thread if it would fit inside the earring hoop. I did try it with some size 70 variegated Christmas colors but it was too big. I could lower the stitch count but decided I wasn't in the mood to play that much! I had to get my lace guild's gift done before tomorrow...or I thought I had to until it was postponed because of the weather.

But seeing all those hoops and bangles led me to Carolyn Regnier's book on suncatchers. I decided to try one on the earring hoop and ....yeah...have to make it complicated...I used red heavy duty sewing thread and one strand of red metallic embroidery floss. The little white snowflake is a plastic button which I threaded through the tiny ribbon that I pulled through the hoop top. It makes a lovely suncatcher! Or tree ornament. Next time I might add beads in the clovers.

I was putting together stuff for my lace guild's party and was getting tired of tatting. Then I remembered the bear angel I put together a few months ago and I glued it to this rectractable fob. I'm not sure it will go to a tatter, so I didn't put anything on there....I'll let the recipient decide what she wants to attach.

This little star was originally meant to go on the retractable fob but it was a little too big and I didn't like the way it looked. It will go on an organza gift bag now. It's a motif from Patti Duff's Mini-Tats. The beads were my own addition but even without them, I don't think it looks as good as hers. I may try it with another thread sometime.

Well, now I have all kinds of shuttles with parts of thread on them...maybe I'll do some more mini-tats and emtpy them that way. It's been a tat-productive day!

The snowflake is done! The tatting part was easy..and for some reason, the thread got easier to work with. I think I just got the knack of handling it. Still not one I want to use on a regular basis but it did make the flake so pretty and sparkly. I have silver beads on the tips. It turned out much larger than I expected. I added the shuttle to show how big it is in contrast. I think I like Liz's version better than the original. The original had some tiny rings in the inner part of the points too and it just looked cluttered to me. Tiny rings in thread this size often looks bulky. The pattern was originally from the online class but I don't remember if Liz's version is posted on there or not. The online class is done until after the holidays but you can join anytime! Lots of inspiration and support there.

Another angel! I call this one the Festive Angel because I used festive colors, but look what all that festivity has done to her wings! Her feathers seem a bit ruffled. I blocked her and still cannot get those buggers to lay straight. May have to take the iron to her. LOL!

Yep, in angel mode now! Angel #2 is tatted with the same thread but with gold beads this time and I used the picot gauges. I've already put it in a gift for an exchange at work. They make nice little additions to a card or a gift tag. I stuck this one in with a sachet pillow. I considered sewing it on, but decided there wasn't really a good spot to attach it. If you want to use beads, it takes 25 for the ring shuttle and 16 for the ball thread. But if you use beads, to make sure you have enough, either add a few more beads to the ball thread or do the shoelace trick for the first ring after the first chain. Directions say to switch shuttles (if you are using 2 shuttles) or do the shoelace trick. OR you could just add extra beads to each part and not worry about it.

Angel #3 is tatted with a thread I absolutely despise but I thought this might be a good way to use it up. It's Altin Basak in the silver metallic. It feels smooth to touch and looks so sparkly but it does not slide well and the metallic will pull away from the other thread. I like most of the Altin Basak I have, but not these metallics. You can even see how the picots turned out more pointy because the thread is a bit stiffer with the metallic. I can round those points out with the shaft of my crochet hook.

Now I'm working on a snowflake which is a variation by Liz Anderson of the Snowflake Sunday done by the online class - my printout is from February 2001. Anyway, I'm still using that dispicable silver thread and got one point done before going to bed. Why do I use a thread I hate? Well.....silly as it may seem, I seem to remember paying a lot more for that ball than the usual Altin Basak and I'm determined to get my money's worth out of it! I had a gold ball too and I think I used part of it and gave the rest away. I know...sheer stubborness! I keep hoping it will magically change its properties and become a wonderful thread. The metallic snapped on one of the first rings of the snowflake and made it very difficult to close the ring. That's where the stubborness kicked in. I had wound 2 shuttles CTM and I wasn't going to unwind them!

This is such a sweet angel! I didn't track down my picot gauges which would have made this much easier for the wings but I did know where they were - just too lazy to get up and get them once I settled back in my chair.

The pattern is on Birgit Phelps' site as a variation by Marth Ess.





Here's my broken tree top and the fix - green duct tape ($3.49) and a lighted garland (on sale for $6.99).

And back on the tree! I got the lights back on last night and the porcelein angels that I had out. I still have 3 boxes of angels to add plus the rest of the ornaments. It tends to lean a little. I hope it holds out til Christmas without falling over. You can see the tape a little bit but that was before I put the garland in the center.

I have way too many ornaments and don't know what to do with them all. The kids don't really want them. I do have a flat wall display tree that I've never used. I could put all my handmade ornaments on there, perhaps. And I have a little tabletop tree for my tatted ornaments. I had the ornaments off last year for our library display and never quite got them back on....in fact, I'm not sure they are even in the same room now.

Moving along in my binder of printouts - these are all Christmas related printouts - it was late and I wanted to tat something quick....just enough to get me unwound for the evening. I found this sweet little angel, designed by Birgit Phelps in 2001.

If you go to the main page link, you'll see several other patterns by Birgit. I found a variation of her simple angel by Martha Ess that I did not see before and absolutely have to try now!

Surfing the other day, I found an Australian stitcher posted a vintage tatted doily that an aunt had made on her blog. It's lovely seeing they used color back then, which I've read that they did but for some reason, everyone thinks they only tatted in white and ecru.

One nice thing about the internet is that you find so many wonderful people who also love tatting. A new friend in Virginia gifted me with a copy of this book of edgings by Karey Solomon. I love her creative titles: zinnias, happy, lake shells, stand up and cheer, mittens on the line, perfume bottles, cat and mouse, hopscotch, building bridges, and so on. There's quite a variety in there.

Juanita also sent me a hanky! I have plans for a quilt with my hankies, but I also ran across some hanky angels in my craft directions last night, so I might make a few of those. I can name the angel after the giver of the hanky! And if I do that, then I have to tat edgings on them!

I had a tree disaster last night. I was putting up my artificial tree, which is probably close to 15 years old, and was beginning to hang ornaments when I noticed the top kept leaning.....a lot! I kept straightening it up and it kept flopping more and more until I realized that segment was breaking. In frustration and tears, I walked away from it for the night. This morning, I figured out I could duct tape it and put greenery around the duct tape.

You think I'm kidding? LOL! I bought a roll of green duct tape today and a card of pre-lighted garland. I got the pre-lighted garland only because it was the only greenery I could find for under $10 but it will make a nice addition to the tree. Normally all the lights are towards the outer edges of the branches. This will add some light and color to the center of the tree. I'll get a new tree on clearance after Christmass or just wait until next year. I have neither the money or the inclination to buy one right now.

Okay...I'm sort of in a rut now tatting Christmas trees that I've never tatted before. This is another printout, from the same page protector as the last one so it was probably printed out around the same time but this one doesn't have a url on the page and the author doesn't give his/her name anywhere or even contact info for questions. It's possible I copied it from a post to a list to a word document. I didn't always think back then that I would need the name and email for future reference. I know I've seen this somewhere but can't think of where just now so if you know who designed this, let me know!

Speaking of Christmas trees, while reading Sherry Townsend's post about her advent of gifts in the Secret Santa exchange, I followed her link to Linda Davies' blog with the wonderful Christmas Tree Earrings!

Surfing...I found Craft Leftovers and one of the projects, a crocheted twine Welcome Mat, caught my eye. Inexpensive, okay for beginners - a great gift! It can also be a cat-scratching mat! I had a spool of twine in the house for ages that the cats would go to when they felt the urge to spiffy up those claws.

And speaking of recycling, look at this Felted Recycled Sweater Flower Wreath from Craft. I think some tatted florals might just set that wreath off!

Check the site out further and you'll see 99 Octopuses on a Tree. Now..I don't know WHY anyone would put octopuses on their Christmas tree but you gotta admit they are cute little buggers.

Need a gift for a guy? How about this crocheted baseball beer cozy?

Oh..hurry! Before the snow and sleet totally annihilates all the fallen maple leaves! Check out this Maple Leaf Roses tutorial!

I think a lovely tatted doily could be wrapped and beribboned around the stems of this one. I love recycling when it doesn't look recycled. You know.....I have acres of trees around me and they have spread a fabulous carpet for me every time I step out the door...when the snow melts, I just might be able to find a few to play with!

Teach kids how to knit the with Finger Knitting. Intriguing!

The other day I was going through a binder of internet printouts and found a tree I've been wanting to tat for ...years! I printed it out on 10/15/99 so that tells you how long ago it was. The first tree was okay but I missed a ring much too late to fix it and as usual, the first time I follow new instructions, there are challenges. Maus had a drawing but not everything was in it. Some rings were missing numbers and picots or joins didn't show at all by the usual lines. These were the early days of diagramming and there were very few patterns online that showed diagramming as we know it today. Software has made it very easy to show joins and stitch counts now. Her text skipped parts that she thought would show in the diagram but occasionally, they left something out that wasn't clear on the diagram either. That was how I missed a ring. It has to be a split ring (#44) but you couldn't tell from the original diagram and text. I've adapted the diagram a little, trying to fill in the gaps. I lettered the chains although I'm not sure that isn't more confusing. I also added the number of picots on the chains, partly because they changed in the pattern and partly because I also changed them from the original count in the pattern.

The website I printed it from no longer exists so I couldn't provide a link and I'm sure some of you will want to try this one. Maus (aka Etha Shuette) also had an all white tree on her site but I like the colored and beaded version she had. She used 2 colors, brown for the rings and green for the chains but I used Omega variegated size 30. The color number is not anywhere on the label, but it's a mixture of olive green to gold yellow. It's more a muted old world sort of color which seemed perfect for this. She used size 30 Cebelia in the original white one which was about 5 1/2 inches tall. Her green one was done in size 80 and was 4 inches tall. If you use beads, string 160 beads on the chain thread. I also had 3 on the ring thread for the top of the tree ring. Mine came out to be 4 1/2 inches tall and I had to pull on it pretty good to the sides to get it to lay nicely.

I emailed Maus to ask permission to post the diagram of her pattern since there wasn't a website to go to any longer and she very kindly said yes and even sent a larger diagram. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. There is link in the upper right you can click on. I tried to condense the written part as much as possible. The diagram should enlarge when you click on it to something that will print out big enough to see easily.




~~~~~~~
Start with ring 1 and continue up to split rings 5 & 6 which turn and come down the other side, joining to corresponding rings on first side. Ring 11 is a split ring which turns you in the opposite direction to go up again. The first two chains have 6 picots with 2 ds between but the next row around has 7 picots in the bottom 2 chains and after that have 6 picots with 2 ds between. Check each part to see how many picots are in the chain.

Rings going up the sides are 12-p-12 or 12 + 12. The center rings vary in size. The 3rd row of chains is 7 picots for the bottom 4 row and then 6 picots for the top 2. All chains on the outer part are 7 picots but the top center ring joins to the last picot and first picot of chains leading to and away from it. All chains have 4 ds before and after the sets of picots. All ZZ chains are 3 -2-2-2-2-3. I’ll list the size of the rings here but you must follow the diagram to know if there is a picot or a join needed.

12-p-12 or 12 + 12
Rings 1, 2, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60

10-p-10 or 10 + 10
Rings3, 8, 15, 20, 31, 32, 36, 37, 52

8-p-8 or 8 + 8
Rings 4, 7, 16, 19

Split rings
6/6
Rings 5, 6, 17, 18, 33, 35
12/12
Rings 11, 25, 44, 62, 66

End rings at bottom
4 + 8-2-2-2-2 or 2-2-2-2-8 + 4

Ring 34
3 – 3

Ring 53 is 4 + 4 – 4 – 4 the next chain will join to the last p

Ring 64 is 4 + 4 – 4 – 4 and ring 65 will join to the last p

Chains Z at the top are the regular 4 ds, 7 p sep by 2 ds, 4 ds but ring #53 joins to the last picot and the first p of chains leading to and away from the ring. ( I know I said it, but it bears repeating)

Ring 63 at base of tree is 12 – 8 – 4. Then ring 64 joins to last picot of ring 63. Ring 65 joins to last p of ring 64 and then 8 - 12, clr

And I will lastly say this took me longer to tat than I expected - probably because of the beads. It probably took a good 6 hours.

I tatted
Aussie Julie Patterson's Bellflake using 2 sulky embroidery threads. One was metallic and didn't like all the manipulation I was doing. The directions call for size 20 and I was experimenting but I'll try it again with a more stable thread later.






This is also a pattern by Julie. She offered it last year but I just got around to tatting it. I made the first strip the wrong color, so the colors are backwards, though it doesn't really matter. It's a quick tat and easy as long as you notice the stitch count does change to make the curve.







I found these online while looking for something else. These are from some early exchanges I was in. I still didn't know split rings or split chains. I was just beginning to find good thread. One of these is tatted in size 8 perle cotton - really! I believe the exchange was in 1999...when I'd only been tatting a little over a year. Here is where I found it....you'll see others there too.

I don't remember who they went to. You might notice they were all Workbasket patterns. I didn't have hardly any books at that time. Actually, I'm not sure I had anything besides a Coats & Clark How-to and Workbaskets.

I finished the second mitten tonight. Certainly not my best knitting job but it was a good warm up. I forgot I bought those round knitting looms last winter on clearance. I should give those a try for some hats. Mostly, I just want to use up this yarn rather than put it in "storage". I don't have to. I just want to. Once again, I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed by what I want to get done.

I need to set up the display window at work this weekend - a holiday safety theme. I tried writing up some dialogue at work today...but I just can't quite get on paper what I sorta see in my head. It's not clear yet and that's why.

I did a little surfing today, trying to catch up with everyone. I found that Turkey Feathers is having a Scavenger Hunt to go with her Dollar Days on Etsy. Looks like a fun timewaster....not that I need anything to waste my time on!

One thing about this time of year is that there is so much inspiration that I feel like my head is going to explode. While I was waiting for my lunch today, I was jotting ideas down on a scrap of paper from my purse. I have a paper laying by my desk at work that I scribbled some ideas on the other day and I seem to remember writing something in a tablet here at home. Getting ideas is no problem...executing them is. There are people paid to think up designs. They don't even have to actually do them, they just come up with the idea or the sketch and someone else does the detail work. I want a job like that!!!!

I did get the gingerbread boy in the E-snips files. I have him on my yahoo group too, Tatting Goddess Updates, as well as some others in the file section. I tried to find my Southwest Butterfly to add and I can't seem to find it on the computer so it must be saved on a CD. I'll find it another time. I think I looked on the home computer but not the work one. Ha! Found it. I'll put it in before I go to bed.

I also changed the url for Irish Pam's blog on the sidebar. I had her personal blog listed there but her tatting blog has a different link. Not sure how that happened. I think I have some blogs to add - I'm usually in a hurry when I check my google alerts and don't check to see if I have them listed.

I found some pretties while shopping this evening but I can't show you because they might go to you or someone you know.

Tomorrow I tat at the Brew Pub from 10-1 for Dickens of a Christmas. I've mentioned it here before...just about every year, I think. LOL!

It's Here! It's Here! I absolutely adore this shuttle. Oak leaves and acorns have been a favorite motif of mine ever since I can remember. I put off bidding until late. Georgia did tell me there were more like this in the works, so if I didn't win it, I could try again. What if the next one has red leaves, or brown and purple leaves? sigh...temptation..and it came in this Christmasy tin to boot!

Thanks to everyone who commented on the butterfly bookmark. I agree - a ribbon would distract from the tatting. I'll try using it without anything for awhile. I can always add a tail or tassle later. This butterfly motif in this particular way has inspired me to try something else. At the moment, I'm knitting a second mitten so I want to get that done first....although I get bored doing the same thing too much.

HI AUNT MARY!!!!

My aunt who was visiting from Texas last week commented that I could say hi to her now and then from the blog. She's probably thinking....."I'd rather have that bookmark." LOL!

I started walking the treadmill again which I really needed to get back to, but it takes up so much time after walking an hour, showering, and then eating dinner that it shoots half my evening and then I don't have much time for tatting or anything. I'm skipping it tonight so I can get more done. I'm going to try to get my gingerbread boy pattern in the links in the sidebar. I had so much fun making him last year. Or was it the year before?

I was in Walmart the other day and found some buttons and ribbon that I'm anxious to play with but they aren't Christmasy so maybe I'll wait. Actually, I better get busy for some exchange deadlines coming up.