The Old Git

I've had a couple of very busy weeks. The first one involved farm inspections and took me out of town. It was fun, though work related and a nice break. But the real fun was this week!

Some of you may remember my escapade with co-hort Gail Owens back in August of 2009. We kidnapped Jane Eborall and showed her the town! So when the opportunity came up again, we were all primed to say the least.

Unfortunately, Gail had to bow out at the last minute due to work commitments. We missed her. A lot. I'm not from Ohio so I had to do some google scrambling to find some places to take Jane to. She mentioned wanting to go to a Michael's and Hobby Lobby. I found them both as well as some other places to spend our time and attention in!

You won't believe this but I DID have my camera with me. I was just having such a good time that I forgot to take photos and so did Jane! She did snap one of me as I left her off though. So this is from 2009 but truly, she looks the same. I don't think she ever ages!

I was anxious to see her because (one reason) I wanted her to see this bag. She gave it to me in the last visit and the reason it's so special, besides being from Jane, is because it says "Gina Collection" on the front and she brought it all the way from the UK for me!

Oh, here's a better picture of the bag. I haven't put much tatting on it yet, but it's a start. If you check out Jane's blog for 2009, you'll find she initially bought one of these for herself in a different color and decorated it with tatting. I just want motifs that have blue in them so there aren't a lot yet. Plus...they're kind of hard to sew on. The fabric is like heavy nylon and the needle wouldn't always cooperate.

So I picked Jane up at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Last time we did this, my tom-tom had me and Gail in an entirely different place! I got it right this time and she was only 2 1/2 miles from my hotel so I could't get too lost.

The two stores she wanted to go to were less than a half hour away so off we went, after all the proper hello's and promises I would bring her back. Our first stop was at a Michael's Crafts. I'd printed out coupons. Yay! Coupons! These were 25% off the entire purchase, including items already on sale! We spent a good hour there, I think. Jane was looking for some specific jewelry findings. She found some, but not one she had bought before. I managed to find a few good deals myself, even though I have easy access to Michael's at home and what could I possibly need?

The whole week has been well over 90ºF so you can imagine the feel of the Sahara each time we returned to the car! It barely cooled before we got to Hobby Lobby! Again, I had coupons! These were 40% off but didn't include sale items. Hobby Lobby is quite large compared to Michael's so it took us awhile in there too. After we left there, we thought we were stopping at a JoAnn Fabrics but it turned out the store wasn't opening until August 7th! Boo!
I needed a few things (forgot my deoderant when I packed) so we stopped in at a Walmart. Walmarts are usually laid out exactly the same, though the floor plan may be reversed in some stores, but this one was different so it took me awhile to find what I wanted.

I'd seen a Half-Price Bookstore along the same road which is one of my favorite places to go to for used books and even new ones so we stopped there. I got a book on buttons that I will probably use in a program with my lace guild and Jane browsed. This was a smaller store and the area around the "clearance" was congested and hard to see. Not much there in the area of crafts anyway. So we went on.

My purchases!

By this time, between the heat and the shopping, I think we were flagging - and hungry - so we ate lunch at Panera's. Jane graciously bought my lunch, a wonderful strawberry poppyseed salad. Thank you again Jane! She was done shopping, had everything she wanted, so we went to my hotel to really visit. Jane has been a dear friend for a long time and it's really a treat to get to sit down and talk in person instead of emails back and forth.

I brought lots of show and tell, easier to do when you're driving a few hours away compared to flying thousands of miles, but Jane had show and tell too, so we spent a goodly amount of time sharing. It's always even more interesting when you can see something and touch it compared to reading about it on a blog. And we had gifts for each other. The gift of company is enough, absolutely, but it's nice to have a little something to remember the visit by.

Of course, no photos of the wrappings - you really didn't think I'd take the time to find my camera at this point, did you? See this cute little carrying bag Jane stitched? Everything was in the bag but the wrappings are long gone now! The thread is Coates, size 20. We can't get this size of Coates thread here without ordering overseas so I'm especially happy with that. I have a few balls from my previous travels and none are these colors.

See the little British Bobby guarding the thread? There's also a pendant tatted by Jane herself - she was wearing one too and brought others for show and tell. There's a button fob - not for buttons but made of buttons and very clever. Someone else made that and I have the business card if I want more. Then the fob Jane made with my name on it. Guess where it went?

Yep, on the Gina bag!

So then we chit-chatted back and forth for what seemed like not very long but suddenly we realized it was 7:00 p.m.! We gathered things up and I took her back "home". I have to tell you, the dog Buster really really likes me. LOL! I think he would have jumped up in my arms if he hadn't been so short, but instead he jumped up on the sofa next to where I was standing and licked me to death with kisses! He's a cutie.

And so...another grand adventure ended. Pictureless, but not without great memories! I hope the rest of Jane's visitors have as great of a time!

It's been busy lately. Thursday evening I had loads of mail delivery show up. A book I'd ordered for 75¢ plus postage came, non-tatting. The yoga mat and bag I'd picked as my 20 year anniversary gift from Purdue arrived. I just opened it today. Now...to find a yoga class.

My new buttons from Older Rose came and you'll see them further on down. A few other things I'd ordered came too. What an evening!

So in the last post I told you about knitting, practicing the continental method.

This is how far I got before I decided to rip it all out and start over. This all cotton yarn has a soft feel to it and I decided to make it into a winter neck scarf for one of toddlers in my life, children of friends. I decided this one was too wide for little people and I really thought a pattern that looked the same on both sides might be nicer. Not that kids care about right side, wrong side at that age.

So I started over with the garter stitch and a narrower width. This might go to my great grandson or one of the two baby sons of a friend but I will have to knit a second one no matter who it goes to for the "other" toddler in their family. One is a girl and I haven't decided if this will look too girly for boys or not. Need outweighs looks though.

I couldn't believe how fast these buttons arrived! I ordered two more of Gerry's buttons and she surprised me with an extra button, one with roses! Oh my...wouldn't that look nice on the crocheted sachet I made a few years ago?
In fact, I had to go in and dig it out of my sock drawer and lay the button on it to see! I think it would need a clever bow behind it, but doesn't it look pretty? It might be better on something similar but square shaped so the button would be centered and the main focus.

I went to Gerry's Etsy site to get the link and I see she has a haunted house button, for all you Halloween enthusiasts! Only ONE. And now I want a chickadee button, but it will have to wait for next month's paycheck.

Yesterday morning was my lace guild's meeting, Lafayette Lacers. We have a new member, who is also named "Regina". She tats! A newbie, but we'll fix that. While I'm on the subject of my lace guild, I want to mention our Lace Day, the one we have every other year, alternating with Circle City Lacers, will be April 9, 2011, so mark your calendar. It will be at the same location, for those who have been there before, at the Methodist Church. We'll have the usual fabulous array of vendors including Tracy Jackson Kathy Kirchner, Kaye Judt/Jennifer Titus, and John Aebi. We're also having several mini-classes - different laces and subject, not all tatting since this is an all-lace guild. It's 10:00 - 4:30 Eastern DST. Go. Now. Write it on your calendar! Did I mention it's free? The only charge is for classes. Details later.

I've mentioned a few times that we've been getting ready for a month long exhibit at the Tippicanoe Arts Federation which starts October 29th. Yesterday we were trying to wrap up loose ends about the exhibit. Another project we have going is a small Christmas tree that we decorate with handmade lace and donate to a group that auctions it off as a fundraiser. Last year they got $300 for it. The tree this year will be part of our exhibit until we have to take it to the auction group. Carolyn Regnier has been coordinating the tree (and Lace Day) and as an incentive to get our ornaments in and to destash, she has been offering thread. Yesterday, she also gave tatters a shuttle. A blinged shuttle. (Wendy, see what you started???) A new colored Clover shuttle!

Here's the one I picked! I've already tatted with it. I used the one I got from Wendy and this one to tat another teapot bookmark in ecru. I didn't bother to scan it since it's the same basically as the last one. It went in the dye bag. I can't wait to see how those pieces are going to turn out!

Late last night I felt a need to tat with color again and I got out Jane's Christmas Tree/Brooch Pattern. Jane likes to put the beads on as she goes. I don't. I like to have them on the thread and ready to push whereever I want. There are advantages to both methods, but I decided to work out how to add them first. This is very similar to the way Dianna Stevens designed her beaded amulet bag. I wasn't real sure about the sides so I made the split rings but when I do it again, I may try just chains. I don't think it's too bad for a nearly-midnight tatting adventure. I want to try it with two colors of green beads like Jane's photo too. I really do love all the different Christmas tree patterns. I might make up a collage some day of all the trees I've tatted.

One last note. I borrowed this Christmas Tattig book by Rosemarie Peel from the I.O.L.I. library. I think I borrowed it before but I wanted to see it again. It's one of the few books of Rosemarie's that I don't have. I see a few motifs I want to try before I send it back.

I haven't forgotten the giveaways or the tatted cowboy scene I've mentioned in the past month or few days...but I'm still not prepared to show them. Soon!

I wanted to wait until later to post this as I think the scanner will show it better than the camera in this case. I won't have the scanner set up until later in the weekend though.

I wanted to show you the bookmark Miranda tatted for me in appreciation for making that little white bag for her. It's the Chinese Coin Bookmark by Jon. I've been wanting to make it for ages and now I've been gifted with a beautiful one!


The camera didn't show the color well [changed photo!] and it's a beautifully shaded blue in size 40. I don't remember the thread brand and forgot to pick up the card on my way out this morning but I'll insert it here later. [Olympus, possibly color OL-M14]

I tried laying it across my blue eyelet blouse this morning, hoping the blues would stand out even more but they didn't. [changed photo here too!] I HAD to put some color on my blog today! It was feeling so colorless - maybe because I'm tatting so much in white.

I tatted a 4 corner piece from Myra Piper's book last night. Apparently I've tatted it before because I had written in the corrections. LOL! There is a ring missing and a reverse work. Or maybe a rw where there shouldn't have been. They're simply numbered so it wouldn't do any good for me to search the blog...unless...I search for Myra Piper! Here are some bookmarks from different patterns in the book. And here are some bookmarks made from the one I tatted last night. Wow - looks entirely different! And I'm embarrassed to admit I'd forgotten all about tatting these bookmarks! I do remember the bookmarks I get as gifts though.

So anyway, the white version goes into the dye pot too. I ended the edging I posted about the last time. I measured it against the lovely Gina purse that Jane Eborall gave me during a visit to the states last year and it's already too long to embellish it without cutting a few bits off. I'm also dubious about matching the color.

The thread Miranda used in the Chinese Coin Bookmark might be a perfect match though!

Wait! Stop! I already have ....things to do. LOL! You see how these things snowball though, don't you?

This is where I left off last time, getting ready to tat these beauties!

I took them to an Easter Dinner I was invited to and tatted one for each lady plus gave her a suction cup to hang it in the window.


You know how some of our creative bloggers in the tatting community build up the suspense by posting a photo of an unopened package they received in the mail?

Well...I'm not one of them.

I rip into the package (carefully....sort of) and take a gander at the contents without the least bit of thought for any of you. Within a few short hours, this is how my package looked:


Yep, I'd already gone through every page and post-it marked where I wanted to return to! It arrived on Friday, April 9th, my first day of vacation. I'd planned on leaving that day for Hector originally but as expenses piled up in February, March and into April, I withdrew my registration knowing I didn't need to incur more debt, no matter how much I wanted to see everyone. This was a nice consolation prize.

In her foreword, Angeline Crichlow starts off by saying, "It is the author's opinion that very few persons can successfully learn to tat from a book." Amen Sister! I did teach myself from a book but it was, as Angeline says in her second statement, "filled with a tremendous and shattering frustration."

And then, only a few paragraphs later, she is recommending Coats & Clark's SpeedCroSheen for beginners! I hope Angeline had the pleasure of tatting with a good 6 cord thread in her lifetime. I think she did from some other comments, but I was floored to read her early recommendation.

I was intrigued that she started off with Josephine Knots and finger tatting. Finger tatting is not an unusual way to start, but Josephine Knots? Then I realized that it was a good way to get used to the motion of tatting and actually making a ring without the complication immediately of going in the opposite direction for the 2nd half of the stitch. Good idea!

I won't tell you any more about the book - I'll leave that for future recipients, but I do want to thank Fox for this EXTREMELY GENEROUS gesture! The book is hardbound and stitched at the spine. It is also a signed copy:


I trust that all recipients of the book will handle it with respect and do their very best to get it back to Fox in the same condition it arrived in. It truly is a treasure and is now on its way to the Land of Leprechauns, where Tatskool resides.


Now, the same day the book arrived, I also got another treasure in the mail - my T.A.T. package! I am now a Tatting Artisan! I would love to get started on the last phase but due to the aforementioned unexpected expenses, I think it will be June before I can afford the fee.


So...what kind of tatting have I been up to?

Once again my lace guild is making lace ornaments for a small Christmas tree that we donate to a charitable organization to auction off as a fundraiser. There is so much happening this summer and we also have a big exhibit to get ready for (the tree is included) so I'm trying to get as much tatting done as I can. We make ornaments in sets of three because the tree is divided in thirds and the ornaments equally spaced. So here's my contribution:




The angels are a pattern by Birgit Phelps that was subsequently adapted by Martha Ess. I suppose we all add our own little twist. These are tatted in size 50 and I've used a variety of beads and charms for embellishment. The doves are actually a chick pattern by Karey Solomon that was featured in her February issue of Tatting Times. When I got it, I put it in my work bag thinking I would check it out on a lunch hour but somehow it got lost in all the other things in my bag and it wasn't until I cleaned it out over vacation that I found it! The chicks were actually meant for Easter but I'm using them as a Christmas symbol. There is also a very cute heart on a cabone ring pattern in there that I'll get around to tatting eventually. I did block the pieces but the organizer is stiffening them all so they will be uniform. I just wanted them to have a little shape before she gets them.


One night very late, I decided to take a break from all the ornament tatting and tat Jane's butterfly bookmark, except I don't use beads in bookmarks (unless I can figure out a way to keep the beaded part OUT of the book) so it's just a butterfly.

Timing was bad, I was tired and I didn't really read through the pattern and prepare other than getting thread and beads. I was ready to throw it across the room before I was done! I needed six hands to juggle beads, shuttles, crochet hook, glasses, and pattern!

It's really not that hard, but you need to prepare. Have some safety pins on hand and you need a very fine hook - I had to use my Lacis size 16 hook - to pick up the beads. When you go to make the long picot, put the beads on it and secure the thread loop with a safety pin until you are ready to join it to another element later on. Have your beads counted out and ready to pick up. It would probably be better to be sitting at a table instead of in a comfy easy chair. Read the pattern all the way through FIRST! And before you know it, you'll be done!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Okay, I'll admit it. This sabbatical is not working out all that well for me. There are things I want to blog about. There are things I want to show. Posting only once a month makes it a huge post to read. It's not really keeping me OFF the computer which was meant to push me to finish other non-computer related stuff. So I may be back sooner than I expected.


One night this past week, I got home to find an unexpected package in the mail. At first, I couldn't read the name but it was from Singapore!

I opened it up and found this pretty pink envelope with a sweet note to me. I opened the envelope and there was a pink tissue paper package tied with delicate looking novelty thread and I could feel that inside was a bubble wrapped item. I couldn't tell what it was though - too much padding!

Much to my delight, it was a pair of earrings from Wendy over at Umi & Tsuru! I had commented at one point that I loved those little shell bits hanging from the earrings she makes. They are so delicate and pearly looking. What a lovely surprise! You can see examples of her jewelry on the left side of the blog. They are certainly beautiful eye-candy! Thank you Wendy!


Speaking of eye-candy, earlier this month I paid a visit to Pat Winter from Pat Winter Gatherings. A few members of my lace group and I are taking a dye class with her in May and I needed to scout out the location and surroundings. Pat is such a gracious lady and her crazy quilt work is exquisite! I got to see the studio we will be working in - or out in the garden, weather permitting. I went to a few bead stores later that Pat told me about in the area and had hoped to visit some other places too but $$ were a little short so I decided to come home instead. As it turns out, we'll only have a short time after the class before we have to head back to Lafayette so we won't be able to go to anything too far away. I'll have to make a trip on my own later in the summer. I wanted to spend some time at the Dunes and that will be an additional luxury for me.

It seems like I've been on the computer all day today (4-25) but I've unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, made meatloaf to take in my lunch, washed some laundry (still in progress) caught up on email and blogs and added to this post. My son helped me move a heavy piece of furniture earlier so later I will clean up all the stuff around it.


One reason I'm so behind is that I've been tatting intensely all week to make some booties for my little Miss Smith who will be here in another month. Yeah, I gave up on the bonnet, at least for the shower which was the 24th. For the booties I used the pattern I've always used, an adaptation by Lenore English. Unfortunately my printout shows geocities.com as the host and it's shut down so I don't know if the pattern is available elsewhere or not.

Lenore came up with her own design using one from Anne Orr's baby shoes, something different for the toe, and an Aunt Ellen pattern for the edging. I used all of these elements but then added a motif I've used in many of my own patterns, a two-layer rossette that I placed on top of the original round motif. I put a tiny little button in the center. Now that I've finished it, I see a few more ways to tweak it but those notes will go into the next pair I make. I also would like it to come up a little higher on the ankle and that could be a major tweak.

(Originally I had 2 collages here but finally decided which one I liked better and removed the other)

I used size 20 thread. Lenore's pattern used size 30 but the only pink I liked and had was in size 20 so I used it instead. If memory serves me right, size 30 seemed just a tad small when completed. Fine for a newborn, but for someone using these for a christening, the baby is often 3-6 months old. The last pair I made had to be lengthened to fit the baby. I also tied the ribbon in the back instead of in the front. It was just a whim but the rosette takes up more room than the original motif and I think it would be too bulky to have the bow there. I finished the final tatting at 9:48 a.m. on the day of the shower. I had to block them and put the ribbon in, take pix, and then wrap them.

It was worth it. Look at 'em dance!

Make your own animation

This is my last attempt at this snowflake. It's closer to the original, but it shouldn't have been this hard to achieve a duplicate!

LOL! I just realized - usually, I purposely make a change along the way to suit my tastes more but this time I wanted it to look exactly like the picture!

The only thing I changed this time was the way the inner chains were made. The directions call for the tiny picots to have two ds between each picot. I changed it to only one stitch and I made the picot itself almost negligible, a bare bump in the road, so to speak. I did pull the center ring of the clover out a bit when blocking but I pin from the inside of the ring, not the picot. In the designer's version, it's clear the pinning was done in the center picot of the center ring. That would definitely give it a pointier look. My center laid flat because I left a little space between rings. The thread is size 20 Lizbeth.

My next snowflake will be either Jane's newest one, the Snowsettia, or one from Jan Stawasz. There are 3 or 4 in his book that I love and they turn out the same!

Jane Eborall has done it again! Tatted Cats Maybe one of these will go in my granddaughter's ruler.

LOL! I still don't have my sister's bookmark done and tomorrow is the Birthday! One more heart and a tassle.