You know Spring is almost here when I start tatting butterflies! (or it's the early onset of Spring Fever)

The top row is a pattern by Mary McCarthy and appeared in the August, 1990 edition of Workbasket Magazine. When I learned to tat and entered my first butterfly exchange, this is the pattern I used. I love it as much today as I did then. Do you see that jewel colored one in the top middle? That is Merrilee's Stardate and I just love that colorway!

The second row is another flutter favorite. Rosemarie Peel used to have it on her website but I just checked and it isn't there. The site is still under construction so maybe it will show up later. I'm tellin' ya, you better grab a pattern when you see it because they have a tendency to disappear over time.

Both patterns only take about 1 1/2 yards on the shuttle because there aren't that many rings involved. I ended up changing the length of the picots slightly on Rosemarie's pattern but I suspect that has to do with each person's tension and spacing. I added a few more stitches on the ending chains too and that was personal preference. I may change them back next time.

I've been sick this week with whatever that cruddy cold virus that is going around is. I slept all afternoon, waking up drenched in sweat. While I feel better right now, I remember I did that a few days ago and before half a day was gone, I felt bad again. So I'm crossing my fingers and laying low. For my blogaversary winners, I haven't forgotten you. I had hoped to send it all out today but it didn't happen. The mail won't go again until Tuesday so hopefully I'll be emailing you all to tell you it's "on the way"! I should have made St. Paddy's bags or Spring bags instead of hearts. Oh well....you'll remember the date!

I mentioned in the last post that I started tatting the Angels in the Snow motif with size 20 thread and it seemed way too big. So what was I to do with all that thread?

I also had Rosemarie Peel's book out, Tatting for Pleasure, after seeing Umintsuru's version of the Applique Flower. I'm in love with woven picots though I seldom take the time to play with them. This was my first or second book by Rosemarie and I was still new to tatting. I only remember seeing the "celtic" style of the motif, not the interwoven picots. So many thanks to Wendy for bringing that up front!

I knew it was too late for me to tackle that motif last night and I really didn't want it in that thread anyway so I chose the heart motif in the very front of the book. It's big enough for a frame - maybe a 5 x 7 inch frame. The heart is 4" long and about 3" wide. The thread was some size 20 Manuela that I've had for ages. It was a favorite in its time. I kept pairing the finished heart with this fabric, laying it on different color stripes, using them vertically and horizontally both, finally deciding on this one. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. It's big, it's pastel, and not very Christmasy so I'll just put it in my box of hearts until I'm inspired further.

As I was catching up on blogs today, I noticed one that I've apparently accidently deleted on my bloglist because I know I had it at one time. So I added it back...and realized there were several blogs that have not posted in a year. I deleted about a dozen of them and also moved some that don't update to the "Resources" list. I really hate to delete blogs from the list, wondering what has happened to the owners, are they still tatting, are they well? I kept a few as it's the only contact info I have for those people. It brought up some fond memories of past tatting and tatters. I hope they reappear some day.

I've chosen the task of emptying the spare room today so I can rearrange it more efficiently and thought I'd clean the carpet while everything is out. So far....I've just thought about it. I think I better get started soon though, since it is past noon now.

Three Kings

I tatted two more kings last night and the star. They are in three different sizes of thread, because I was thinking about perspective. The further away an object is in a scene, the smaller it is. The closer the object, the larger it is so I was sort of trying for the illusion of distance by changing the size of the king. (The pattern is in Rosemarie Peel's Yuletide Tatting, published 1992, if you missed earlier posts)
The closest King is in Lizbeth size 20. I think it's Caribbean. The yellow one is Cebelia size 30 and the furthest away is Krystle's Midsummer Night's Dream which I think is size 40. Yep, I checked my Etsy history. LOL!

So then I wondered about the background again, particularly if one were to put these on a card so I scanned in deep red and then a more neutral peachy ivory card.

Then I did deep forest green and the order of the motifs is changed a bit too.

I don't make cards myself but I sometimes add a touch of tatting to them. I probably won't do anything with this but I wondered if cardmakers or scrapbook makers would find them useful? I'll have to get input from my sister but I'm happy to hear from anyone else since she tends to be biased and loves everything I make in hopes I'll give it to her. LOL! and I have to put "LOL" because you can't see me smiling or know my body language. You might think I'm being sarcastic or dinging her in some way otherwise.

They are very quick to tat. I didn't time them but it's probably only 15-20 minutes for me. I think it was only 1 1/2 yard on each shuttle and then I had some left over on one and not so much on the other. That's real clear, isn't it? Kinda like grandma's cooking - a pinch of this, a handful of that. Her hands were long and slender, not short and stubby like mine.

The portable heater has kept the house surprisingly cozy. I close off the rooms that aren't being used, but I do find if I have more than 2 heaters running on the same line, we pop a circuit. My son has one in the basement so that and one upstairs appear to be the limit. My electric bill is going to jump probably. A new furnace is in my plans but not til next year. I wanted to get central air at the same time. So hopefully this repair ( new inducer motor to arrive Monday) will get me through the winter.

It's so beautiful out! I think I need to be tatting leaves. OHHHHHHH.....leaves in ecru to dye in beautiful fall colors! Ooooohhhhhh...stop me...til I eat some breakfast and empty the dishwasher and start some laundry!!!!!! STOP ME!!!! STOP ME!!! It's almost too late............

More blinged shuttles from Umi & Tsuru! Aren't these lovely? I think the one with the roses is especially appealing. My other Clovers are feeling rejected lately because I use these blinged beauties so much!

Here's is one of the 3 Kings from Peel's book. This is size 30 Cebelia and it is much smaller than I expected. I probably had enough thread on the shuttles to make the entire set of 3 but I want them in different colors. Rosemarie shows them on a card and said that is how they look in size 80. Even so, I expected this one to be bigger! It's very easy to tat although it took me awhile to figure out what an 8mm picot was and was that the height or the length? I figured out it was the height. That picot looked like a toothpick or something in the photograph and I didn't realize it was a picot until I read the instructions. It's a very good diagram except there are no numbers or starting point marked so I traced the diagram and filled all that in from the text. It was first published in 1992 and notation has changed considerably over the past 18 years!

I tend to tat the fun symbols of Christmas more than the religious ones. After years of study, I can't say I subscribe to any one belief, seeing the connection in all and more or less developing a concept I'm comfortable with but I appreciate all the different interpretations. There is a cowboy analogy popular in the Western part of the nation that is surfacing and Ruth Ann Adams tatted a wonderful representation of it. I'm trying to find time to put her pattern in writing and diagram form and as soon as I do, I'll post it here with her permission.

As I was writing this post, the furnace repairman showed up, made his diagnosis and gave me the bad news.....bad inducer motor. He just left to try to track one down. Might have to order one and it probably won't show up until Monday if that is the case. Sigh...I think it's going to be a lean holiday season.

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!