Catching up on the TIAS

I've been keeping up with Jane's TIAS just not posting the pictures.

Day 6

I'm still no closer to an answer.  People have been sending Jane some very cute rhymes about it.

 Day 7

I was a little late sending this to Jane.  Does that look like a bow-legged cowboy to you?

Day 8

I'm not any closer to an answer.

Day 9 

Curiouser and curiouser.  What could it be??

 Day 10

Hmmm, I think I'm leaning towards the scissors suggestion that several participants have put forth.  I can see another handle coming, can't you?

We should have the answer within the week I'll bet.

Jane has done another excellent job this year, don't you think?

"Think of your favorite teacher you ever had in school: the one who made it the most fun to go to class.  They surprise you. They keep you guessing. They keep you coming back, wanting to know what's going to happen next."

Pete Carroll

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Purple passion

There is a lady I know at work that really likes purple - light purple, dark purple, any shade of purple.  You could say she has a passion for purple.

 Last fall when she saw my dragonfly earrings she expressed a desire to have some, so I decided to make them in purple for her.  But this was getting late in the fall and I was busy making things both for the craft show and for Christmas so I didn't get to them right away.  In fact, I just recently realized I hadn't done them yet.  Then I had trouble - the dragonflies gave me all kinds of grief.  I finally just did something a little different and things went much better.

Wanda Salmans 2015

They aren't very fancy but they are purple and she liked them very much.  They were made in Lizbeth #641 Lilac Dark (I think) in size 20. 

She had also seen Jane's non-flying pigs I had made for a friend of my sister after some trial and error.  She specifically asked for a purple pig.  I finally got around to making her one in the same thread as the earrings.  She did notice that the pattern was different this time - I made the No Onion Ring version this time.

Pig NO Onion Ring © Jane Eborall

Jane's patterns page

My friend was very happy with her purple pig.

(Do you know how hard it is to find a background for this dark color thread - and purple to boot?   It wasn't easy.)

I hope all of you that have been effected by Storm Juno are doing okay.  It sounds like a few places got hit very hard, while others were a little more fortunate.  Dealing with that much snow is not a good thing at all.  Over here in Kansas we are basking in 70º F temps, literally 30º warmer than is normal for this time of year. Love the temperature but could use some of that moisture the east coast is getting.  But not all at once.

Thanks to all of you for your sympathy and suggestions on my mouse problems.  We're still fighting them (of course) but I'm hoping we are making progress with getting rid of them.  We've had several dead ones, if that is any indication of success.  I'm getting pretty passionate about getting them gone!
I'd like to be able to forget about them and get back to my passion of tatting.

"It is obvious that we can no more explain a passion to a person who has never experienced it than we can explain light to the blind."
T.S. Eliot
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Mouse trouble

This is Morgan Mouse.  He's nice and quiet, stays where I put him - most of the time - and never gets in any trouble.  I wish all mice were like him.  I posted about him here.

But there are mice in my house that are nothing like Morgan.  They get into everything!  I have a cabinet they have gotten into that we can't figure out how, but anything I pull out of it has to be washed before use.  I have a large bottle of bleach right by the sink. My hands constantly smells of it - ugh!

But what really made me mad was when I found out that they have been in my thread!!!

A brand new ball of thread - destroyed! I am not a happy tatter right now!

I was looking for thread for Jane's TIAS just before it started and kept noticing these red bits and ends.  I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this ball of thread!   Now I'm having to clean out my thread drawer and figure a way to keep the mice out.  In fact, I'm having to check out the entire dresser.  I have many things I'd rather be doing!

It's days like these that I wish we still had a cat.  We never had this kind of problem with a cat in the house.

On to more pleasant things, like Jane's TIAS.  Here is mine up through Day 5.

There have been a lot of guesses as to what it will be but I don't think any of them are correct - Jane is much too sneaky for that!  My guess has been some kind of plant, but that's only because she's not done one yet for a TIAS. We will have to wait to find the right answer.

Day 6 is going to be available tomorrow, January 21!  I know I'm not the only one looking forward to it.

Will Day 6 be the day it becomes more obvious what it is?  (hahahaha!)

More like Morgan

I have found mice in my house!

Such messes they leave

Everywhere that they roam,

Everywhere in my home.

From cabinet and counter

The stairs and the floor

My house is infested

My patience been tested.

I’d love to send them packing

Clear them out – good bye!

I’ve not yet found a way

That will keep them at bay.

Remember me as I fight

This army of mice.

They aren’t cuddly or cute

As they munch and they scoot.

Why can’t they be like Morgan,

Flat and well behaved?

I could live with mice then.

But these! Go away! Amen.

Wanda Salmans

I've joined the TIAS crowd

Yes, I'm doing Jane E's TIAS I just haven't had time to post about it.

The 2015 TIAS started out on Day 1 with a button - a pretty small button.  This button didn't want to join. It tried getting away and hiding a couple of times but now it is attached to two shuttles, making it a lot harder to disappear.

A few more rings were added on Day 2. 

Not much a clue to say where this is heading.

Jane hasn't done any plants yet (for a TIAS) - maybe it is this year?

Day 3 is no help, really, just a few more rings, though it does look like we are turning a corner.  At least going a different direction on the next installment.

As I have no better guesses I'm sticking with the plant theory.

What's your guess?

"Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment."

Carl Sandburg

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Are You Ready?

The New Year is here and with it new beginnings.

Including Jane's 2015 TIAS which starts tomorrow January 7.

Are you ready?

I looked through my shuttle collection and found two that were empty - not that easy as most still have thread still on them from previous projects.  Then I checked through my button stash for a 3/8th inch button - again, not as easy as I thought it would be.  After I found the button I could think about what color thread to use.  As it was handy and I like the color I wound the shuttles with Lizbeth #657 in size 20.

I'm as ready as I'll ever be for this year's TIAS.

Are you?

I've also started the new year by adding a couple of patterns to my Patterns tab.  I finally finished diagramming the Fall Bookmark (aka Bookmark in Fall Colors) I posted about here and here.  I was also asked about the pattern for the wreath I posted about here.  Both are now available.

I don't make resolutions for New Years as I rarely keep them.  This year I'm making goals instead.  The top three (at the moment) in no particular order are:

Update the header and layout of my blog.

Diagram and write out the patterns for the snowflakes I made in the last few months.

Practice taking better pictures for my blog.

These are practical goals that are totally reachable.  I feel I am ready for them.

Are you ready?

"May it be the best year yet for you

And everything prosper you may do." 

Bedside tatting

A little before Christmas my MIL became pretty sick.  It put a bit of a damper on the whole holiday.  We spent some time sitting with her, to give a break to my FIL. I always have some tatting with me but I don't always have a pattern or a project with me, which is what happened one evening.  I had green thread, red thread and even some red seed beads but no plan.  This is the result from that evening. 

Let's face it, a simple round motif of rings and chains in green makes a simple wreath.  The beads I added after it was done because I forgot to add them as I tatted.  I braided strands of the red thread together to made the bow, and, ta da! A wreath!

I completed it while there and thought to leave if for my MIL, but I wanted a picture of it first.  It took a bit of doing to find a background that worked.  I tried several things before I noticed a Christmas stocking that turned out to be the best background.

I'm happy to say that my MIL is doing much better, though she gave us all quite a scare. In some ways the family meeting there, taking turns sitting at her bedside, made us much more aware of how blessed we are with family, even without the traditional Christmas gatherings.  I'm just hoping it's a long time before we do this again!

"If today was the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?"

Steve Jobs

Update - pattern added to My Patterns tab 1/6/15