Monday afternoon was spent hemming the sheers from my living room and then washing those and the drapes and rehanging them. I rehung a photo display on another wall and put a few pieces of furniture back in place. I also made some corn chowder for dinner. All that up and down the ladder and up and down the basement steps pretty much did me in.

Yesterday and today at work had me in and out and doing some spot inspections which involved more walking and stairs. Last night I went to bed early and I'm hoping to make it a few minutes early tonight too. Still no tree up. I refuse to haul all that up from the basement. I'll catch my son and have him do it!

So, I did do more knitting, even knitting during a staff meeting which was also our Christmas luncheon so I knew I'd be okay knitting there. I tatted the center of this motif one night before the big clean but just got around to hiding the ends tonight and started with the crochet. I'm still getting my needle stuff back in my "corner" which is a new side to the table too. Anyway, this is going to be a gift so you probably won't see the final bit until the recipient gets it. I'm sort of working it out as I go.

I've also been an online ordering fool this past week. I've ordered books and movies and shuttles and buttons.....getting a holly shuttle from Jane, Sally and 'im in the garage. Right before leaving work today, I ordered Yarnplayer's Layered Ring Christmas Tree pattern. I think more than any other Christmas symbol, I love tatting Christmas trees and I have no clue why!

Out of all the trees I've tatted though, I think these two are still my all-time favs!

This simple 1 ring and all chains pattern by Sue Fuller is SO EASY! At one point, I knew exactly how much thread to wind on the shuttle for the one ring and I even knew how much for the chains. When I traveled to Australia, I had cards wound with the exact amount of thread already loaded with beads. I gave them as gifts but it was so easy to make them and a delight every time because the beads always looked different and I'd use a different star for the topper.

At the other end of the "easy" spectrum is this delightful little tree brooch pattern by Sheridan Fernia, an Australian tatter. There are several bits to this tiny tree that only measures slightly over an inch. It's got all the glitter and glam and I think that's why I like it so much. I've only tatted one and it's in a frame with some other Christmas ornaments.

I'm so busy cleaning and sorting this year that I haven't done nearly as much tatting as normal. I need to get back to the cowboy scene by Ruth Adams too, but I haven't had time to get back to the diagram software either. Life is very very busy just now.