Flakes on a Plane!!!!! (Motifs 17-20)

Just back from a weeklong trip to the Seattle area to see family and, wow, did we have some fun. We saw mountains, the sea, flying fish (okay, people throwing fish), more mountains. It was lovely. I even found some time to do a bit of tatting while we drove and flew.

I was concerned about taking my shuttles on a plane for the first time. I didn't want to lose any of them to TSA but also didn't want to sit and stare for four hours. I know I could have read but I'm not really invested in any books at the moment (hard to believe). So, I wound some of the thread holders from my recent haul...okay I wound all of them to maximum capacity with size 5 white for snowflakes and size 10 victory red.  I also wound one with size 30 ivory for magic thread use.  My other clovers were already wound with size 10 for the bonnet.  I CTM wound two shuttles full of victory red size 10 for pastor's cross and gave the bonnet with accompanying shuttle and ball the Ziploc treatment.  All went into my travel tat bag with patterns.  I have never been so organized as I was for that flight (tatting-wise anyway).

I had packed my scissors in my luggage so we made it through security without a problem. I was able to tat a snowflake from the Lael Morgan pamphlet I recently purchased. But without my scissors, I had no way to detach it from the shuttle to start a new one. Bummer! I switched to the bonnet and made some progress there.

I took the chance in the return flight and brought my scissors with me. Of course, no problems at security; I could have brought them through the first time. That meant I could get a bit more done.  In total, I was able to tat four snowflakes, part of the bonnet and get a good running start on pastor's cross. Below are two snowflake number 2 and on the left are two snowflake number 3 from Lael Morgan Pattern No. & Splendid Snowflakes. I have tatted them in white size 5.  I plan on making more of these for use as Christmas ornaments.

Simple Cross by Crazy Mom in Size 10 Victory Red. I am hoping to have it done for the first day of school next week. Fingers crossed and, most likely, entangled.

Watching this bonnet take shape, I am seeing more and more proof that I tat tightly. At this point, a bonnet that should fit a softball might fit on a baseball.  It may be that I adjust the pattern even more than I thought and keep this one for my daughter's dolls. I would consider going with larger thread but I'm having a heck of a time working on the size 5 snowflakes. This is my Merry Higby NIN Bonnet. I'm getting close to tatting the medallion on this one and then we'll really see how tiny it gets. It is a lovely pattern, please do not let my execution of it give you any wrong ideas.

So, now I know what I'll be working on during future flights...no one hears the clickety-click as I tat along!

Happy Birthday, Twins!

Relaxing after a day of prep for my mom and her sister's birthday party tomorrow. But I am happy in the knowledge that I have finished my portion of their gift (aside from tying and hiding ends).

These are matching Ripple necklaces by Marilee Rockley done in Aunt Lidia's size 10 black and Mexicana. I was pretty proud of myself for getting the colors to line up as well as I did. My sister will be here tomorrow with her jewelry making skills to put the finish to them. I have shown mom hers a while back but think she will still be impressed with the final product. I can't wait!

What a couple of weeks!

This was meant to be posted earlier this week. Sheesh I've been busy!


It has been a while since I wrote, but fear not, fellow tatters, it has not been time wasted. My daughter was in summer camp for the last two weeks, one here and then one by my parents. During the first one, I was able to meet with some quilters at the Irish American Heritage Center here in Chicago. Such a sweet group of ladies. They are the Nimble Thimble club that meets twice a week to work on a raffle quilt. They also do other fiber arts in addition to the quilting and I may be contributing some lace to them. They make little outfits that fit American Girl dolls and have some lovely examples of Irish crochet and other laces in the museum. I might work up some trim and a few other pieces for them. I already have some patterns in mind!

In between the camp weeks, I was able to spend some time up in Wisconsin near Waupaca, resting and relaxing with friends. The wife is pregnant so I started working on Merry Higby's NIN lace bonnet.

Merry has since informed me that this particular pattern is for a preemie so when I make the one for my girlfriend, I will have to enlarge it. I may be calling on you all for advice on doing that (although I will stubbornly try to figure it out myself first).  This first one will be sent to Newborns in Need as requested by Merry. In looking at their website, I was particularly struck by the idea of a bereavement package. We had received something similar upon the death of my grandmother at age 98 and every time I see it at my mom's house, I think of her. I realize how comforting these packages can be and the thought that my work might bring comfort to someone else makes me happy. It's quite selfish really. So, with it's purpose in mind, I tat in loving and peaceful thoughts.

I was able to get a bit of it done last week at my parents' house. I was one of two women watching five energetic children between the ages of three and a half and nine. One afternoon (while they were at camp) I took myself out to visit some antique stores in search of shuttles and peace and quiet. The time flew by and at the last place I visited, she produced a loaded Tatsy and three Workbasket issues from the 70s. She promised that she had more at home and would bring them back the next day. As we talked, thread came up and she mentioned that she had some balls of thread at home that sounded like what I was describing. With a promise to return the following day, I rushed to get the kids, thrilled to have found a new shuttle and patterns.

Upon my return, she greeted me with a big grin and said she had found everything! She produced an unmarked empty bobbin shuttle, the aforementioned Tatsy, five Workbasket issues, a Lael Morgan shuttle with three snowflake pattern instructions, and ten balls of size 70 Coats tatting thread in various colors!

We discussed the price of the Tatsy (she had asked for $5 the day before) and the fact that it was full of size 5 (maybe?). She admitted she had done some homework the night before. I did a little quick math and settled on what I was willing to pay. I asked her to name a price. She smiled, knowing where things were headed, and I grinned when she came out with exactly what I was willing to pay. Now, I can haggle with the best of them. but I was just so happy.  We settled quickly and I took a stroll around her place as she bagged everything.

As stressed as I was by the end of Friday, I was content in the knowledge that I had increased my thread stash, shuttle collection, and pattern collection in one swell foop. By the time the other parents arrived to oversee their children, I was pretty done in and my sister could see it. God bless her! She took my child in hand when necessary and gave me a rest.  I sat with a glass of wine and tatted amid the chaos.

Tatting toward sanity in these three days before the next round of chaos!

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!