TIAS days 7 & 8

We are up to day 8 of the 2014 TIAS by Jane E.  

And I still don't have any idea what it may be.  Several other participants have suggested sails for a boat, which could be - the boat itself may be last.  But with the TIAS in pieces and no way to know which way is up or how they fit together it's very hard to see what may be coming.

Day 7

Lizbeth #130 Island Breeze size 20

Day 8

Reading through all the entries on Jane's TIAS blog it's interesting to see how everyone is coming along and all their guesses.  Most are using variegated thread (Jane suggested to) which gives each person's venture quite different looks due to the thread color combinations.  When I take pictures of mine I keep thinking it's not laying flat when it is, it's just the color of the thread giving that impression. 

I don't know what we're making yet, Jane, but it is a lot of fun!

I haven't been getting a lot of tatting done this week - I keep getting sidetracked.  I see something that needs doing (the 'h' word) or something I've thought about doing (crafty things) or anyone of a number of things that catch my attention and off I go on a tangent. I finally sat down the other night with a piece of tatting I started some time ago and didn't finish.  

Garden 10 Nazli Gelin size 10 white

I found the center of this long-picoted motif inside a bag of other tatting.  I don't remember what I was going to do with those long picots but the motif was obviously unfinished.  For whatever reason it intrigued me enough to work on it a bit.  I put an outside around it, playing with the stitch count until I thought it was right - and found I probably should have used a couple more stitches than I did.  Now I have to decide what comes next.  Maybe it was to go on a ball Christmas ornament?  I need to see if that center will fit over one.  Hmmm.

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely."

Augusta Rodin

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TIAS and mice

Today Jane released Day 6 of her 2014 TIAS (Tat It And See). So far she's done a great job keeping everyone guessing as to what it might be. 

This is my TIAS up through Day 6.  Days 1 through 4 is on the left, Days 5 & 6 is the small piece in the middle.  I'm sure the two pieces will eventually be joined together but I have no idea how.  Do you have any ideas?

I'm using Lizbeth #130 Island Breeze in size 20.

We were very busy this last weekend with family.  Our daughter came down from Nebraska and we all got together with our other daughter in Wichita.  By the time Sunday night rolled around my husband and I were bushed!  Needless to say very little tatting was done during this time.

Though not much tatting was done there was some thinking and planning being done. This is something I've been thinking about doing for a while. It's not done yet, but when it is I'm wanting to mount this so it can be put on the wall, whether on a plaque or in a frame.

  

"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."

Walt Disney

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Star motif again

Still working on the star motif.  This time I've made it in Lizbeth #159 Easter Eggs and #638 Christmas Green in size 20.

Making it with contrasting colors really brings out the pattern, showing which shuttle was used where.  It changes its look quite a bit from using the same thread throughout. I've also made a bit of a change in the last round - again - trying to decide just how I want it. Not sure about this version, either. 

The TIAS has reached Day 3. Now I'm waiting somewhat impatiently for Day 4!  I haven't counted how many people have joined this year but it looks like quite a few.  It's fun to be tatting with other tatters from all over the world, isn't it?  Just seeing everyone's version of the TIAS and reading their comments enhances the enjoyment of being a part of this adventure.  Thank you, Jane!

"A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind."

Eugene Ionesco

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TIAS Day 2 & Day 3

 It's early days of the 2014 TIAS so it's impossible to know yet what it will be.  I'm using Lizbeth #130 Island Breeze in size 20 this year.  

Day 2

Is it a pinwheel?

Day 3

The pinwheel has fallen over into the water.  Maybe it's a paddle-wheel!

If you haven't already, head over to the TIAS blog and check out who-all has joined in this year.

Have you?

Things to do when it's cold outside

Like a lot of the mid-west it's been mighty cold here this last weekend.  I didn't even leave the house Saturday or Sunday.  I wouldn't have Monday, either, except I had to go to work.  So what does one do for two and a half days of staying inside?

Well, getting some tatting done, for one thing.  Not as much as I could have, but some anyway.

I'm revisiting a motif I made back in October, deciding if I want to write down the pattern or not. I made a bit of a change in the outside round, not sure if it made it better or worse.  It's made with Lizbeth #670 Victorian Red in size 20.

On Monday I started on Jane's new TIAS.

I've started mine in Lizbeth #130 Island Breeze in size 20.  It's only day one so there is little hope of guessing what it will be yet.  It's fun seeing all the people who have joined.  If you haven't yet but would like to try it, it's never to late to start.

Then of course there is the usual things that can't be ignored - you know, the everyday things that have to be done: cooking, a bit of cleaning, laundry (you've heard that "no laundry today, naked tomorrow? It can be true).

I was actually slow getting to my tatting. I had a big distraction: a new book.  While grocery shopping Friday I found one I just had to buy.  I admit I haven't bought or read many books lately for several reasons:

1.  When I start reading I have a hard time putting the book down until I'm done with it. And maybe re-read a few favorite spots...

2. I have decided I should try to only pick up books by favorite authors due to reason #1.

3. I have a lot of tatting and craft projects I want to do and can't if I'm in the middle of a book (refer to reason #1).

4.  We have some remodeling that has to be done, which I can't do while in the middle of a book (refer to reason #1).

5.  Like it or not cooking, cleaning, washing, etc, and going to work are necessary evils, which I can't do while in the middle of a book (refer to reason #1). 

6.  The room we have to remodel has most of my books in it and we have to move them all to work on the room.  There seems to be a lot of books...

So, at the store Friday I found a anthology edited by one of my favorite authors, Mercedes Lackey :-) 

And yes, I ignored 'most everything else until I had finished it! **unrepentant grin**

There are several stories in here that can stand alone but are continuations of other stories from "Elemental Magic", another book of short stories,which was probably the last book I purchased.  I haven't really gotten into Mercedes' 'Elemental' series (refer to reason #1) but I enjoyed these a lot.  And it looks like her story in this book is the introduction of her next full length novel ("Red as Blood" coming 2014).   

Even though I love having an actual book in my hand I need to see how many of her books are in audio books, then maybe I can get other things done while 'reading'!!

"The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp.  The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story."

Ursula K. Le Guin

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New shuttle

My sweet husband surprised me with a new shuttle. It looks better in person than in the picture.

It feels wonderful and is a very nice size, but the tips are very tight.  I even tried size 70 thread, which I very rarely tat with, and it was too tight for that as well.  I'll have to fix that before I can tat with it, but isn't it pretty?

My husband is so thoughtful!