Proof of Alien Life

A short while back, my sister attempted to convince my nine-year old nephew that I am, in fact, adopted. This is not true, but sometimes we like to mess with the minds of our children. As proof of her argument, she pointed out a few glaring differences between my three sibling and myself. I am fair haired where the other three are dark (when the boys had hair). I am altitudinally-challenged (spellcheck hates that word) and they are tall. The fact that my name starts with a C while my siblings all start with J is most telling.

It is at this point that my nephew recalled an incident that forced him to move beyond the question of  adoption and decide that I am, in fact, a space alien. I realize this must come as a shock to some of you who know me, but he's pretty certain.

Back in the day, when a kid had chicken pox, the siblings were all snuggled in together in order to pass it on. The idea was that by having the contagion spread controlled, a family could get it all over at once instead of having to piecemeal their way through the wave of infection as it traveled around school. I realize this sounds horrible, but it worked for us. Well, sort of.

You see, when the pox first came to our house, the four of us were already inseparable. I do not recall how old I was, but I was young, probably under the age of six.  Anyway, we snuggled in and got through it all. So, imagine my surprise when I came down with the chicken pox right before my thirteenth birthday! I was dumbfounded! I had already had it and everyone knows that you only get it once.

That's when my parents confessed that I had not contracted chicken pox with the other three.  When the other three had it as children, I did not, despite being put to sleep four in a bed with them.  Somehow I had been spared. However, for convenience and to avoid my isolation, they claim to have marked my skin with pen and kept me home for treatment along with the rest.

We don't know how I contracted chicken pox for what I contend was the second time, but there it is.

This little pair of incidents was the damning evidence of my space alien nature as far as my nephew was concerned.

What does this little narrative have to do with anything? Well...

I was, of course, unaware of the line of inquiry until long after the fact. My sister was out on a boat with my two brothers and the kids when she decided to share her findings. During a quiet moment, my nephew laid out the arguments for the adoption/space alien scenario. After all was said and done, they had a good laugh and decided to drive on.  As they sped across the water, my sister heard my youngest brother mutter, into the wind, and to no one at all, "Plus, she tats."

If you need me, I'll be winding shuttles by Alpha Centauri.

A day late and a picot short...

I was just about to start the clover rings for the center of the cross when I realized...I'm a picot short!! The horror!

I thought about trying to join all four center rings to the first picot, but it's not big enough. Ah well...Looks like I'll cut and run on this one and start anew. Not that I mind, mind you, I was just enjoying this one so much. 

On another note, I just realized I have lost the ring I made for my friend in Indianapolis. That makes me sad. Not so much the loss of the work but that it was for someone I care about. She deserves better from me and she will get it. On this next ring, I'll use the magic thread trick to eliminate loose ends, get it really right and put it in the mail quickly.

I still have to send off the heart I made for my cousin. It's the delay in sending that causes the loss. Mustn't let things sit around.

In the meantime, I find that I am more interested in tatting-related things than pretty much anything else. If I'm not careful, I can spend far too much time on the computer reading blogs and pages on Facebook. My insomnia episodes are made more pleasant with EBay searches for shuttles and books and thread. I would tat on those nights but for the clicking. I find it restful, others not so much.

Fancy Princess Hair

My daughter was invited to a dress-up party for her little friend's birthday. The invitation referenced pretty little girls in dresses and pearls. So, what's a mother to do? In addition to her costume pearl necklace, I grabbed a bit of tatting and went to town. A ponytail reversed was wrapped with an earlier piece (the "bracelet" that became a "crown"), add some pearl drop bridesmaid earrings, and that little flower pin from the art fair to cover up the earring backs. And, voila! She had her little pretty princess hair!

I love tatting, but I believe beautifully made things must also be useful. This little bit of fancy made me very happy.

Waiting on a Contractor...

I love my sister. I truly adore her. She is a wonderful human being. And I am usually a rather patient person. That said, I do not adore two and a half hours of waiting for the cable guy to show up at her house while she works. I am not enamored of him going to the wrong address and accusing me of not answering the door. The ensuing four hours of installation were no picnic either. Did I mention that my six year old was with me? Yeah, it was a treat.

How did I keep from blowing my top? I tatted. I tatted like a fiend. When I wasn't blocking doors open or introducing myself to the new neighbor or challenging my daughter to a mini pinball championship or trying to tune out the incessant huffing and puffing and sighing every time the guy had to get down on the floor or up from the floor, I was tatting. Run-on sentence there, accurately conveys the vibe of the day. At the end of the six hours, I had managed to get something accomplished.

I tatted the first half of Marilee Rockley's Ripple Necklace (in the correct gauge this time).

I used the rest of the shuttle thread to make a little butterfly and flower.

What am I going to do with it? Who knows! The little hair pin I had for the art fair has become one with the sunhat I bought for my daughter.

I continued to work on my Edging.

That was Tuesday.

That evening, I drove out to see my parents and stayed the holiday with them. We had a wonderful time visiting and playing with cousins. In my downtime, I tatted the other half of the necklace. I just need my sister and her jewelry-crafting skills to finish it for me. I was so excited about it that I showed it to mom (the intended recipient). She loves it so far and agrees that I should just go ahead and make another one for her twin. It is done in size 10 Black and Mexicana.

I even had a chance to start the cross for pastor! It is in size 10 Victory Red.

Now back home again. I do not know when I'll have unrestricted tatting time again, but I look forward to it!