I know what I forgot to say! I've been rearranging my blog links. There is one for Tatting and one for "inspirational crafts". A few in the crafts category have tatting sporadically but unless it was a major focus, I put it in Crafts. When I get around to making a new blog, I will have a section on resources too.

Something else I keep forgetting to post about is this lovely bag I've been using for my knitting lately. My son-in-law's mother was also on the cruise with us and she had made bags for all the women, including me. His sister and cousin also had goodies for us...a bag of candy and a scarf. The candy is long gone and I can't remember where I put the scarf just now but it has flamingo's on it!
This is the back of the bag. Wendy did a wonderful job with it. You can never have too many bags. I put a different craft in each bag which really helps when I'm traveling or housesitting like I am right now.

Today is the first time in a long time that I got to go to tatting guild in Greenfield, hosted by Kaye Judt. She always has a new pattern for us and often it involves a new or little-used technique but this one is just rings and chains. There were several people I haven't seen in ages, Tami- who used to live in Lafayette, and Janet Groves who has lost 62 pounds since the last time I saw her! I'm inspired again to keep at the gym and diet! I've really gotten off track since coming back from the cruise. I can go to the gym but because I don't have my new card yet, I always have to take time to let them find me in the system. Plus I've been so busy and lately, my cold has kept me away too.

These are two snowflake butterfly bookmarks. The pattern is actually snowflake #44 in Tatting by Myra Piper. I made the varigated one first but the black and white image in the book intrigued me with the middle part so I made a second one in two colors to see how the middle stood out. There are even more possibilities if you want to play with thread and colors - maybe the center ring in each "point" could be included in the center? What if the large rings coming out of the center were the same color as the points? There is a lot of switching shuttles as it is and throwing off of rings from chains. I called it a snowflake butterfly because it is originally a snowflake but when I turned it, it looked like a butterfly. The shape could easily be a cross too.

I'm currently at home baking a pound cake for our Thanksgiving tomorrow but it's done so I'll be leaving shortly. I also need to make a broccoli salad and a cranberry syrup but I can do that at my friend's house. She has a gas stove and I have electric. Didn't figure it was a good time to try to figure out the nuances of gas cooking. I've always preferred electric although I grew up with a gas stove. Maybe that's why? LOL!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!