Luther's Rose Pattern Done

It’s weeks later than what I had promised it would be, but the pattern for Luther’s Rose is done! I’m sharing today, before I’ve test-tatted it, because Reformation Day is celebrated this coming Sunday. I don’t believe it is a hard pattern to tat, so you may have time to do it before this Sunday. There are a lot of repeats, so once you get going it shouldn’t be too hard. It has taken me much longer to write out the pattern that it takes to tat it! I haven’t test tatted the entire thing yet, but I wanted to get it out there. Let me know if a problem gets you. (I updated the pattern to correct issues 11/01/2024)

Framed Luther’s Rose

I framed the Rose and added Luther’s description of it. This is an 8×10 frame, the Rose is 4 5/8″ (12 cm) across. I had to make the words of the description in 10 pt instead of 12 pt so it would fit in the space left. As I’m not giving this one away I can change that part later if I want.

I don’t remember the size of the original Rose that I made back in 2017. I think the frame I put that one in was slightly bigger, maybe 11×13 inches, so comparing them in the pictures isn’t really much help. I do like how this looks in the frame. I’m curious which one you like better, this one or the original.

I’ve also been tatting for Christmas already. Shocker, right? I usually don’t get started until December! I’ve been using shuttles that my husband, Jack, has made for me. I’m loving them! They are light and soooo smooth! I carry them with me in a mint tin so they don’t get damaged in my purse.

Christmas tatting, with shuttles by Jack

All of these are my patterns. The snowflakes are simple ones, almost doodles. There are a lot of snowflake patterns out there that may be similar, but I was only doing ones that came to me as I tatted. The little angel is ‘Small Angel’, which is found on My Patterns page. The larger angel is the first pattern I ever designed myself way back in the late eighties. This represents only a few of what I already have done, but I need quite a few more. But, hey, it’s still October, I might have time!

From Critters to Snowflakes

I’ve had to move on from critters to snowflakes, at least for a while. My sister and I will be in a craft show in October and I need to work on items for that. Now, if I would repeat more than one piece at a time with the same pattern I’d be better set for that. I have a hard time making the same thing over and over at one time.

Pinwheel in white

I did make a few of my Pinwheel snowflakes in size 20 white. Of course, now I have to starch it. There is no way this will hold up as a tree ornament without starch.

Two-layered snowflake in white

I came up with this two-layered snowflake instead of using a pattern already available. I have a few others in this pattern in different colors, which are really cool looking. (I haven’t taken pictures of them yet). I like this. This one is made in size 10 thread.

8-point snowflake with cabone center

While at Tatting Corner‘s Tat Days in July I took several classes with cabone rings, and now I keep seeing places I could use them. This is a simple snowflake with a 1/2 inch cabone ring at the center, made with size 20 thread.

(I do not get any benefits for mentioning Tatting Corner)

Blue snowflake with cabone ring center

I like how this one came out. I used size 10 thread and a 1/2 inch cabone ring for this one. I even added beads!

I much prefer working in almost anything other than white. With white, any dirt on your fingers and hands is transferred to the thread. I swear, even if you clean your hands constantly, it ends up looking dirty. My sister pointed out that most of my sales have been ornaments in white, so I guess I need to keep making some. But those ones in color are so much fun!

Now what I really, really need to do is put the finishing touches on a bunch of pieces I’ve done. You know, sewing in the ends and cutting them off, starching if necessary, and blocking them. I’ll be excited about them when they are done and ready to go, but right now I’m in tatting mode!

Thanks to all of you that have been following along with my critter ideas on Facebook. I’ve had so much fun with them and seeing all the ideas about them from others. There will probably be more eventually. I still haven’t come up with a dog that I’m happy with.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer

Old snowflake in new thread

I found a tatted snowflake in a drawer recently, made from a pattern that I came up with a few years ago, maybe from 2010 or 2011. This is one that I never wrote down (it is soooo much more fun tatting than to write down patterns!). I recently bought several of the Lizbeth Metallic threads and was looking for something to make with them. This snowflake was a perfect pattern to try out the thread. The first one had seven arms instead of six – oops! But it looks great in metallic thread! See it in my last post.

So I made another one, this time with six arms. I also gave it a name, Snowflake – Adie.

Snowflake – Adie

This one is made in Lizbeth #328 Antique Gold (I think! It might be #300 Gold) and #316 Raspberry Pink. I love how it turned out!

The next one I made I switched up some of the stitch count. The chains between the arms are 7-7 instead of 6-6 and the ring inside the arms don’t have two of the picots. The threads are the same as the other one but reversed.

Snowflake Adie in Raspberry Pink

I was asked about the pattern so thought it was time to write it out. I tatted the second one of these with it so I’m hoping I caught all (most?) of the mistakes. There are a couple of stitch count options mentioned on the pattern.

I was going to put it on My Patterns page but I found out that a lot of people are not able to download the patterns. This is because I’m getting too much traffic for the server where they are stored. For the moment, until I can figure out what to do about it, if you are interested in trying the pattern email me at the address in the ‘Contact Me’ tab and I’ll email it back to you.

I’ve been very pleased with the Lizbeth Metallics thread. My biggest problem has been threading a needle to sew the ends in. I found an embroidery threader which works wonderfully! I have several other colors of this thread that I’m looking forward to trying out, I just have to decide what to make with it. Maybe hearts?

“We are like a snowflake all different in our own beautiful way.” simplethoughtsquotes

Dressing up for the neighbors

Well, dressing up a gift for the neighbors.

  

One of my neighbors had a birthday this last week.  I wanted to gift her with something but not something that would just sit around the house and need dusting.  Both she and her husband have health issues so I didn't want to make or bake something that would be hazardous to their health, either.  Not saying I'm a bad cook or anything like that but I couldn't remember what things they need to stay away from - sugar, salt, fat, dairy, red meat - you get the picture.  After thinking about it for a bit I hit on a gift idea - simmering potpourri.  I did a search on Pinterest looking for a recipe or ideas that used things I had on hand and came across one that called for orange rind, apple peel, cloves and cinnamon sticks.

I just happened to have cloves and cinnamon sticks in my cupboard.  I don't always have apples and oranges sitting around but we had just picked up our order of apples and oranges from a local member of FFA (Future Farmers of America) who was selling them as a fund raiser (this is done yearly).  How about that, everything I needed. 

Now to package everything up nicely.  I have a package of lunch-sized brown paper bags that I thought would work - okay, not the whole package of bags, just one.  I didn't want it to be naked, so I dressed it up with a bit with burlap, lace, and buttons, then added a sprig of evergreen (it was fake but it looked nice) and a bow.  I added one of my snowflakes to it but in such a way as it can be taken off and put on their tree.

Instead of sending just orange rind and apple peels I put in a whole orange and a whole apple; dropped in a palm-full of cloves and several sticks of cinnamon.  I printed out the directions and put it in the bag also. 

I thought it came out nicely.  It smelled good just sitting in the bag.

My neighbor really liked the gift and the bag it came it.  I know they'll like how it will make their house smell because I made some up for me, too.  Can I say I helped dress up their house for the holidays, too?

"Remember, the greatest gift is not found in the store but in the hearts of true friends."

Snowflakes

Let it snow!

I've been doing a lot of snowflakes lately.  I did quite a few that I knew I was taking to the craft show a couple of weeks ago, but now the show is over I've started making them for family and friends.  

A few of the snowflakes I made for the craft show

Some of these are patterns from previous years but seven (?) were made up this year, usually while
watching TV. Sometimes there was a plan when I started tatting, other times the shuttle went where it wanted.  Some started out going one way but took off on a tangent and ended up differently than planned (the one with four points, lower left corner, as an example). There are some that are not, strictly speaking, snowflakes, as they do not have six points, but done in white and hanging from a tree they give the impression of snowflakes.  Or at least look pretty.  

Every year I try to make one snowflake that will go in the Christmas cards.  This year there are a couple of versions of the same basic pattern.

The original version of this year's snowflake, Sydney

The second version, with a slightly different pattern and different center

It's amazing how small changes can make such a difference, isn't it?

I've added the pattern for Sydney on my patterns page.

Snowflakes sold well at the craft show; I had quite a few and they were displayed well on the tree.  I didn't put out any of my tatted earrings.  I didn't have very many made up even though most are pretty simple patterns.  As there weren't many and I was running out of setup time I didn't worry about putting them out.  But I did wear a pair.  One lady was at our booth early without buying anything but came back later to talk tatting and other things.  She had noticed my earrings and asked if I had any for sale so I pulled out what I had and she found a pair she liked.  It's not often I sell something I don't even have out at a show!

Snowflakes and earrings: sometimes things unplanned turn out well ☺

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." Jimmy Dean

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A busy time of year

Busy with lots of things but very, very little tatting.  There have been family dinners, cleaning in preparation for those dinners, a Christmas play, unexpected events.... It's just been very, very busy!

I didn't get as many snowflakes done as I would have liked, but the important people each got one.  A couple of gifts I had wanted to make will have to wait for another occasion as I ran out of time this year.  A few projects I wanted to do will have to wait as I didn't have as much time off from work as they said we would have.

But it was a wonderful Christmas!  We baked and decorated cookies with the grandchildren.  We played games that included everyone, from the great-grandparents to the youngest child.  We had a variety of foods that weren't 'traditional' Christmas dinner fare but were easy to prepare so time could be spent doing other things.  We sat and talked, reconnecting with family we seem too busy to see much of the rest of the year. For all that there was a lot of time planning and preparing we didn't let ourselves be too stressed about all that, for stress takes out a lot of the fun, doesn't it?

We even had a white Christmas this year.  Here in Kansas there is only about an 11% chance of that happening, so it isn't something you expect.  Of course, because we don't expect it this early and it wasn't just snow but ice as well,  not everyone could get out and about like we planned, either.  But it all came together anyway.

One of the few things beside snowflakes I did get done was this headband.

This was tatted on a white button then a sparkly jewel was added in the middle. I stitched it on the headband then added a bit of glue to give a little more hold. It was actually a birthday gift not a Christmas gift to a little girl who just loves purple.  It was a nice break from the snowflakes.

Now it's on to other things.  Though maybe I should start on the snowflakes a little earlier this year - like, now?

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!

"Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas."

Peg Bracken

http://www.quotegarden.com/christmas.html

Flurry in a hurry

Yes, time is running out for Christmas snowflakes so I had to hurry to get some done if I wanted them to arrive before the big day. Which meant a smaller, easy snowflake that didn't take much time.

There are two here that have 'mistakes' or at least unintentional differences.  The top one, that's not really a snowflake, was the first.  I miscounted the chains, making it too tight to go around the doodad without cupping.  No problem, I just modified part of it and made it more like a bell than a snowflake.  The other one has picots on the short chains instead of Josephine knots - I started it without the 2nd shuttle.  Instead of doing the shoe-lace trick I just made picots instead.  It changed the look a bit, but still okay.

All are made with size 20 Lizbeth white.  The finished size is less than the length of a clover shuttle (a little less than two inches point-to-point.)  I really had planned on sending the modified Christmas Snowflake 2010 that I posted about last week, but these were faster.

For some reason I've had a hard time getting into the spirit of Christmas this year.  I haven't decorated at all, neither inside nor outside or even at work.  Except for the snowflakes I haven't put out anything Christmas related (and they're just layin' around because I'm working on them).  I have been listening to Christmas music and enjoying it a lot, so it's not that I'm feeling like a Scrooge or a Grinch, I just haven't found the energy to decorate.  None of the family gatherings will be at our house this season so I'm guessing the decorations will stay in their boxes for another year.  

Decorations out or not I am very ready for Christmas to be here.

A little difference

Christmas Snowflake 2010 © Wanda Salmans

I made a little change from the pattern on this snowflake, making the ends with three rings instead of a thrown ring, shortened the arm chains and left out most of the decorative picots.  I like the way it came out.  This is made in Lizbeth size 20, White #601.  The original pattern can be found on my Pattern tab.

December Star 2011 © Wanda Salmans

I made a little change in this pattern, too (can you tell? It's not a star!).  I only made two changes in this one - added beads and another arm to make it a snowflake.  I like the beads but it sure slows down the tatting!  The beads are a bright, shiny, reflective silver - and they made taking a good picture of this a real bear!  Let's just say I'm very frustrated with my camera right now :-(  This 'star' is made in Lizbeth size 20 Christmas Red #671.  The original pattern can be found on my Pattern tab.

I think the changes in both patterns were successful.   The reason for the changes?  I'm running short on time for coming up with a totally new pattern for my 2013 Christmas snowflakes.  If I'm going to give anybody snowflakes I've got to get them done ASAP and starting with something I already have then making a few changes might be what I end up with.  Hmmm., will I stick with one of these - or find something else?

Time will tell.

"Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk."

William Arthur Ward

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Snowflakes and Pictures

I made my 'Crowned Wheel' (found on my Patterns tab) in white for the first time.  It's actually the first time I've made it in a solid color instead of a variegated thread.  It looks pretty good as a snowflake.

The small snowflakes are just my doodling around to make small 'flakes for the bags I've been decorating, but I'm pretty sure that some version of these (and more!) are in Patti Duff's 'Minitats' (which is currently sold out) and probably other places as well.  

I haven't gotten much tatting done in the last week due to having family doings for Thanksgiving.  We had three different dinners in three days.  I didn't have to cook for all three - one was catered and not at our house; one was at our house but made by my Son-In-Law; the other at our house where I did almost everything but the turkey which was smoked outside.  We're dining on leftovers still, and will be for several more days.  This is not a bad thing at all - little cooking but a variety of good food :-)

Have you ever had family get-togethers where you want to take pictures but not everyone is all that enthused about it?  As I take a lot of pictures my family knows it's coming and they will just have to suffer through it.  This year I tried to make it fun.  The weather was very mild so we took the set pictures outside.  I had purchased some holiday accessories - Christmas tree head bands, gnome/elf hats, funny glasses - and had everyone wear them for pictures.  I didn't hear nearly as much complaining as I usually do - everyone was laughing too hard. The kids thought it was great and even the guys had fun with it.

Our daughters framing us for the holidays.

It was great to have such a mild holiday weekend where we could spend a lot of time outside and didn't have to bundle up.  I heard that the weather on the east coast was pretty nasty with a lot of travel delays.  Our turn could be coming.  The temp here today was about 65º F, tomorrow the high is supposed to be about 23º.  

And "breezy" - meaning winds 10 to 25 mph.

And maybe snow.

Lovely.

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

Desmond Tutu

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Christmas gifts

Merry Christmas! (a little late) and Happy New Year! (a little early)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  We did, and still are.  We had lots of family get-togethers over the last week and still have one more to go this weekend.  For all that I thought I was ready for all of them, there still seemed to be a few things I didn't get to until the last minute.  How normal.

Every year I try to have one snowflake that is "the" snowflake of the year.  I posted about 2012's snowflake here. I didn't get as many of these done as I would have liked to, but that is how I feel every year.  I did get a few others done as well - mainly due to the fact that it's hard for me to do the same thing over and over.

The red and two blue are motifs/'flakes that I came up with this year.  The green one is 'Betsy Snowflake' by Betsy Evans.  I saw it on A Happy Bluebird a week or so ago and just had to give it try.  I added silver seed beads to it and left out a couple of non-joining picots.  I really like how it came out.  All of them are made in Lizbeth size 20 thread.  These were also given away as gifts. 

I gave away a few tatted gifts that I had made previous to this year.  I found these while looking through a few things and they made excellent additions to what I was already giving without me having to hurry up and make anything else. 

My Sunday school class consists of three girls. One girl is very fond of purple (the butterfly), one girl loves shades of orange (the flower), and one girl loves horses, no matter the color.  The crosses went to the pastor and his wife.  All are made in Lizbeth size 20 threads, though I can't name off the colors right now. The butterfly and flower are my patterns, the horse is a variation of Debbie Arnold's Sea Horse and the two cross patterns can be found on my pattern page. 

I still have in mind a lot of things I wanted to make for Christmas that didn't happen.  Maybe I'll stay motivated and start them now so they'll be ready for next Christmas.  It could happen. Maybe. 

"In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank.  People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'"

Dave Barry

Finally, Snowflakes!

Happy Tatting Tea Tuesday! Have you taken time out for tea and tatting today?

My tatting today was finishing off several snowflakes. Yes, I finally made a few! This pink one is my pattern for this years Christmas card snowflake.  It looks suspiciously like ones I've done before, though I'm not finding a picture of any exactly like it. The beads do give it a different look than it would have without them.  It measures just shy of two inches across when made with size 20 thread and a 1/2 inch center, so it's not very big.  This pink snowflake is for one of my daughters, who happens to like pink.  I'm not sure of the Lizbeth color number though it looks pretty close to the actual color, at least on my screen.

I've made several of these snowflakes so far, none in white.   I'm trying to be daring this year.  The first two I made I did a little differently than I made this one.  This one is done strictly with one shuttle and ball and no fancy techniques.  The 'rings' on the outside are chains that are joined in the same place they started.  On the first two I did I made them as self closing mock rings.  I had to work a little harder to have the SCMRs close prettily, and I didn't like the look of the back of the 'flake.  I had pictures I was going to post of the backs done both ways but I forgot to upload it and it's too late now (I don't have access to them at the moment.)

I have done a couple of other snowflakes, too.  This pattern is from several years ago (as seen here and here - it's hard to believe it's been that long!) but this time I added beads. It's a little hard to tell from the picture but the beads are a clear crystal. They really sparkle pretty on the Christmas tree.  I tried (and tried!) to get pictures of them on the tree, but none of those came out.  I had a hard time finding a good background that didn't make the red look washed out or orange.  

We're keeping Christmas simple this year, so other than getting several tatted things done I'm pretty much ready.  Okay, I haven't gotten out the Christmas cards yet.   There's still time, really!

"For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work."

Doug Larson

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A funny thing happened

On the way to the yarn shop.
Three things, actually.  They say that things happen in threes, and they did!

The owner of  Odd Balls Yarn Shop, a local store, asked if I would be interested in selling some of my tatting at the store on consignment.  I thought this could be fun.  For the last week or so, between doing a few other things, I've been getting ready earrings, stitch markers and wine glass charms to take over, as well as some way to display them.  Tracie Anderson, the owner, suggested the small Christmas tree I used at the craft show and she would have it on the counter by the register.  Great!

Yesterday I made a list of what I had, put it in a box with my tatting and left for work early so I could stop at the shop on the way.  A few miles down the road I realized I didn't have the tree and had to turn around and go back home to get it. (Funny #1)

I ran in the house for the tree, then on the way out I pulled the house door shut - and the door knob came off in my hand.  After some work I got it back on, kinda sorta, and left again. I called my husband to let him know that he had a little project when he got home from work. (Funny #2)

I live out in the country and take the Interstate to Wichita to work, passing through Newton on the way.  Odd Balls is in a mall just south of Newton. I drive this every day.  But yesterday, before I get to Newton, I hear and feel this "THUMP!" while I'm driving. No, it wasn't a deer.  It was a tumble weed, a big one, that tumbled out in front of me as I was driving 75 miles an hour.  I slow down but the thing just hangs on.  I have to pull over, put my flashers on and get out to pull it our of the front grill of the car.  A highway patrolman just happened to see the attack and stopped over to make sure I was okay, which I was.  (Funny #3)

I was just glad that was the last "funny" for the day.  I had been a bit worried that my entire day at work would follow suit, but it didn't. The evening passed quite uneventfully.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I had a cup of - Hot apple cider.  It's not that the weather is cold here, it just sounded good.  I found these cute mugs at Dillon's and have decided that I'm going to use them for everyday instead of just special occasions. I'm bad about saving nice or pretty things for "special occasions" and they sit in the cabinet and never get used.  Not this year!

I'm trying out some new thread that Odd Balls carries.  It's a rayon thread, which is very different than cotton, about a size 12.  It's a very pretty purple shade that feels very nice to work with.  The biggest problem is that it's soft and rayon.  If the stitches are tight rings do not close completely.  I've been working with it, practicing rings and I'm getting the hang of it.  I'm hoping it works out because I've seen some very pretty things made with this brand of thread.  Any body else tried it?

I haven't gotten any snowflakes done yet, I keep getting side-tracked!  Okay, okay, Wanda,  stop procrastinating and get on with it!!!

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake."
Francis Bacon, Sr.

TIAS day 8

Jane Eborall posted Day 8 of her 2012 TIAS today.  I'm thinking it's looking like a goat, though with Jane you never know until the end!  Saturday when day 7 came up I had no guesses - until I was over on Miranda's blog and saw her day 7.  Looking at hers it suddenly looked like a goat, or at least the back end of one.  

(from http://www.supercoloring.com)

Then with Day 8 I'm seeing horns!

I've gotten a little bit of tatting done recently, some I'm not quite ready to share,  but here are the ones that I'm ready to.  

 I made this cute little bell from a free pattern that yarnplayer has available.  It really isn't hard and turns out very nice. Mine bowed just a little from the size of my picots I think, but it's a bell, and hanging on a Christmas tree it wouldn't be out of place and not nearly as noticeable as it is laying flat. 

I was given "Tatted Snowflakes Collection" by Jon Yusoff for Christmas. I just recently took the time to make one.  I first spent some time looking through the patterns, enjoying Jon's lovely work. The one I decided to try first was 'The Twirly', #14.  I did make a mistake on one chain, adding one extra repeat of picot and doublestitches - oops.  Much as I like this colorway, I don't think that Lizbeth "Caribbean" does this pattern justice. Blogger has done a twisty on the picture - originally the words were on the bottom!

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I enjoyed a cup of Teavana tea, 'Weight to Go & Sakura Allure'.  I was fortunate to have Tabatha gift me a sampling of several teas recently.  A couple of days ago I had 'My Morning Mate'.  Both have been very good.  I have several more to try - yum!

"Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side." 

Yiddish proverb

TIAS Day 3

Jane's TIAS has started.  This is mine up to day 3.  It actually looked better but it curled a little and I tried to flatten it out which deformed the SCMR a little bit.  I can live with it. I have no guesses as to what it might be.  Last year she had us flying in an airplane and the year before crowing with a rooster, so this could be anything! If you haven't started the TIAS it's never to late to start.  She is going to post day four tomorrow (January 19).

If you don't want to participate you might still go over and check out all the different shuttles people are using on this.  A lot of participants have taken this opportunity to show off some pretty nice looking shuttles. I haven't shown mine - I chose to do this in Lizbeth Victorian Red #670 in size 20 using Clover shuttles in green and orange.  The green doesn't look too bad but the orange clashes badly. Hey, they were the two shuttles that I found that didn't have any thread on them. Most of my other shuttles either have projects on them or little bits of thread that I would have to do something with before I could start. None I found had enough for this project - Jane said you will need two shuttles filled with thread.

Anyone remember this post? Trayna asked for that pattern awhile back and posted about it on her blog recently.  As I have been working on updated and sharing some of my older patterns I thought this one would be the next one up.  My previous post showed it with the arms joined at the picots and with beads but the pattern doesn't reflect that.  I don't think it will be hard to figure out how that was done, but if you have questions please feel free to contact me. My contact information is on my profile page.  The pattern is up on the sidebar.

Has anyone noticed that I missed Tatting Tea Tuesday?  I've been working some different and very long hours this last week so was just too pooped to post.  But it's only late by a day - not too bad. Back to normal today, so I have a bit more enthusiasm.

"Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity." Bo Bennent

January is National Hot Tea Month

Did you know that January is National Hot Tea Month? This article is from 2009 but the link is still posted on the front page of TEAUSA.com.  It has a few things that are nice to know, especially if you like tea :)

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm drinking a cup of Strawberry Misaki from Teavana, a gift from Tabatha.  It's a blooming tea, which means it comes in a ball that when steeped in hot water blooms into a flower. Pretty cool!  I was going to take a picture of my bloom (I've heard of this before and always wanted to know what the bloom looked like) but I forgot and drank the tea before I got the camera out.  Mmmm, strawberry tea.  It's a very light flavored tea, but I like it.

Have you read Trayna's blog post from Sunday?  She was so nice as to tat one of my snowflakes :) She had seen it in one of my posts and asked me for the pattern.  She did a lovely job on it, too.  It's part of her 100 snowflake challenge - to make 100 snowflakes in a year(!).  Knowing she was making snowflakes I sent her the pattern of another snowflake, which she was so sweet as to test tat for me (good thing that she did!). It is the snowflake I had decided would be my Christmas snowflake one year, which I posted about in December 2010.

This one.

 
If you like it and would like to give it a try, I'm adding the pattern to the sidebar.  I'm touching up the pattern for the one that Trayna made and hope to add that pattern soon as well.

Don't forget, Jane's TIAS starts today!

"May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart may desire."

Irish blessing 

Getting ready for Christmas

I've been busy trying to get things made for Christmas. I found coasters - at JoAnn's I think - that had Aida cloth and a cross-stitch pattern in them that I thought would look good with tatting instead. It came out well I think. The snowflake is one of mine, seen in this post from January 2009 and is made in size 40 Lizbeth Blue Ice #163. It was a gift but she has it already so it's okay to share.

I bought these little composition books at the Dollar Tree, three for a dollar. They are about three inches tall, one green, one black and one blue. I had a thought that they would be cute with scrapbooking paper on them - and I was right. The paper went on smoothly and they actually came out looking better than I expected, yea! I'm definitely going to have to do this again. They make a great little gift, along with a cute pen. Quick, easy, cute and inexpensive - can't hardly beat that.

I'm doing an Advent exchange with Tabatha at Crafting with Tabatha. We did this last year through Ravelry and had such fun we decided we do it again this year. She does a great job on decorating the packages and coming up with neat gifts! One of the things she sent me this year was some Fray Check which I've never used (I have used similar things) but am glad to have. And she made two of these cute crocheted tree ornaments. Up until this last Sunday they were the only Christmas decorations I had up.

Tabatha also sent me this wonderful case of interchangeable head crochet hooks. I've never seen anything like this before. Isn't it great? I won't have to search for just the right size hook when I change thread size and need help with joining (or whatever). As I said, she comes up with some great gifts :-).

I was able to visit with my daughter last week and do a little crafting. She had been given some exotic bird feathers and we played around with them: this is what we ended up with. We didn't know what we were doing when we started but had a lot of fun doing it. We are calling this an angel : )

Hoping you are all looking forward to a marvelous Christmas.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s Strength and Consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear Desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,

Born a child and yet a King,

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all sufficient merit,

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Words: Charles Wesley

Music: Roland H. Prichard

Snowflakes and Dinosaurs

I'm still making a few of my old snowflake patterns, and still trying them out with beads. This one I changed a lot from my original pattern besides the beads for several reasons. One: I had done this one with only five points and I want it to have six. Two: I had done it with lots of picots so it looked very frilly. I have been adding beads in place of picots and this snowflake had lots of picots. But I don't really want to add that many beads, so the extraneous picots had to go. Three: using the original stitch count made it a little bit bigger than what I wanted right now so I reduced the stitches by a few everywhere.

It's somewhat hard to see the clear beads on the snowflakes, but in person the beads catch the light, making them well worth the effort to add.

I've done other tatting this week but nothing that's ready to share. I keep changing my mind on what I want and keep switching from one project to another. Hopefully I'll have finished one thing or another by next week. And maybe even post on Tuesday. I had tea and tatted on Tuesday, I just ran out of time to post!

This last weekend we went up to visit our daughter and family. We had a great time, going to an air show on Saturday and the Omaha Children's Museum on Sunday. I had never been to a children's museum, though I knew that the exhibits were meant to be touched and be interactive with children. They currently have an exhibit of dinosaurs there, something our grandson likes right now.

We found something interesting to see right away when we arrived, before we even went in.

This praying mantis was on our parking meter. We had to stop and check it out before we went any farther. You can see she was quite large. She only moved a little bit the whole time we stood to watch her, which didn't impress my two-year-old grandson.

We decided to go to the dinosaur exhibit first, to make sure we had plenty of time there. For all that he likes dinosaurs, my grandson was a little intimidated by the robotic dinosaurs that moved and made noises.
The dinosaurs are not full-sized but quite realistic looking (how does anyone really know?)
My grandson didn't take too long to get over being scared. There is so much there for them to do.

This is a robot skeleton that the children can push buttons to move, up down, side to side. It was very popular with the kids.

They can also uncover fossils in a sand box.

There were more activities in the display and many more throughout the museum. We were there for several hours and didn't even get close to seeing everything. If any of you with children or grandchildren are in the Omaha area and are looking for something fun to do I recommend this. They do have places for the parents to sit and watch while the children explore :)
(I am not being paid for this endorsement, it was just so much fun to watch the children there I wanted to share with it everyone else.)

"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death"
Albert Einstein

Where were you when the earth moved?

Did you feel the earth move under your feet today?

If you were anywhere on the east coast today you might have. Most of you have probably already heard about the Virginia (USA) earthquake that happened today. IsDihara lives in Virginia, and she says she's okay. If you'd like to read her experience today check out her blog here. I hope that everyone else out in tat-land are okay and not too shook up.

Did you know there was one in Colorado (USA) late last night as well? I don't know anyone personally that felt it, but on the news tonight they spoke to a woman in Hutchinson, Kansas, that said she felt it. That's an earthquake over 400 miles away. I guess she noticed because she was awake at 1:15 AM local time, and was on the fifth floor of an apartment building. As there aren't many buildings that tall around here, she was one of the few people that had the right conditions to notice. I personally slept right through it :)

This Tatting Tea Tuesday evening I had a wonderful glass of iced tea, which really hit the spot. We had record-breaking temperatures today, 109 deg. F. I can do without breaking anymore records like that! I'm really looking forward to fall weather. I didn't get any tatting done, though *sigh* I had to do some work around the house instead. We ran out clean plates (and glasses and cups and....)

I did get a little tatting done over the last week, a few more snowflakes. And I think I'm getting carried away with those beads.


"We learn geology the morning after the earthquake"
Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's Never Too Early

For making snowflakes for Christmas anyway. In fact, I might not have gotten started early enough. And this year I'm doing - or at least starting with - something different. Or you could say the same... I make snowflakes to go into Christmas cards every year and usually try to come up with at least one new one every year. That may happen yet, but I've started this year with some old patterns but am adding beads to them.
I'm using clear glass beads, trying for a crystalline look, or at least a hint of it. This picture really doesn't do the snowflake justice; it looks better in person.

I worked on these two Saturday while we drove (I did not tat and drive, I let my husband do the driving) to and from a family reunion a few hours away from our home. Beads and all! I usually don't try to work with beads in the car due to the trouble of not loosing the beads, but thought I'd give it a shot this time. Amazingly, I only lost a few beads and had very little trouble.

I did a little TIPping (Tatting In Public) this week as well. On my way to my office a few days ago I stopped to talk to a friend of mine and show her my current project. As it was in process the shuttles were still attached. A person standing close by saw them and started asking some questions; then another person. So I demonstrated a split ring for them, as that was the next element of the piece. They were quite interested in it as they had never seen tatting before; had never even heard of it. It was a nice start to my day, sharing tatting with new people.

I didn't have tea today for Tatting Tea Tuesday (I had coffee) but I did have chocolate and did get some tatting in - working on another snowflake. Christmas is only a bit over four months away you know. Lots to do and not much time to do it in.

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. " Buddha

Trying to find a heart

A few weeks ago in February, I posted a picture of a heart I was working on. Even on my 'Trial and Error' bookmark I have a nice start of one. Then our homework for the Design-Tat class was to make one. I worked on it but then realized I had done the homework incorrectly. My work was not a complete loss as I got a lot of practice with diagramming what I was playing with, but now I have to start over on that. The hearts I came up with aren't all that heart-shaped so maybe it's good that I have to start over. But I thought I would share what I did as it's almost all of the tatting I got done all week.

(I missed the picture the first time, lets try again)

Start with this...

Try #1

Try #2

Try #3

Anyone who's taken Sharon's course will know what I've been trying to do. Okay, doing wrong. I know what I need to do, now, and will get back on course.

I say I'll get back to it but it might be a few days. I have three other tatting projects I need to get done as they are for other people. Ryan is done but not mounted yet. I've started my sister's doily/runner but have a long way to go. And I have a piece I want to do for my daughter's baby shower. I don't usually have this many active projects going on at a time. I need to quit playing around and get on with them! (pep talk to myself). Maybe I'll have more to show next week.

"Many fine things can be done in a day if you don't always make that day tomorrow"