Let's Try This Again

Yes, the world's lousiest blogger is going to try again. There's been a lot of startitis recently and some finishes (mostly Sinkmates dishcloths because I am head over heels in love with knitting them).

And of course, there's been some of this ;)

Doodling Again

I'm back to my doodling and zentangles again. I came up with a doodle I really like. I won't dare to say it is original because ther are so many doodle patterns out there- it's hard not to be at least derivative. This is my first attempt at blogging using BlogPress do I'm hoping these pics will post properly.






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WEEKLY CHALLENGE #61

Doing the 3.5 X 3.5 inch tiles is killing my eyesight so I got out my 8.5 x 11 card stock to use for tangling and Oh, what a relief! Now I can enjoy tangling for longer periods of time-I was going cross-eyed on those little tiles.  Here's this week's challenge from iamthediva.blogspot.com.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE #60

I took a few liberties with this week's challenge. The duo-tangle challenge was to use Molly's Munchkin and Cinquital only.  I gave Cinquital a bit more symmetry because, well, because I like symmetry. Inside the circles I drew polygons (pentagons and hexagons to be exact) and then oriented the curved spikey thingies around them. I love the pen I used for these. I made a trip to the Hobby Lobby and bought a disgraceful number of pens to try out and spent an equally disgraceful amount of money. This particular pen was cheap though ($1.99) and it makes the finest line I've ever seen. It's manufactured by Kuretake and is called a ZIG Memory Systems Millenium MS-01. It's great for drawing the lines but I had to get out a broader pen for the solid black. I'd be coloring in the black til next year if I tried it with the Kuretake pen.

Weekly Challenge #59 Mardi Gras

I tried to include as many Mardi Gras elements as I could think of...there's the mask, a jester hat, a crown, piano keys and music, beads and a very poor representation of a fleur-de-lis...but I am generally pleased with this effort. The orignal string was a stylized "N" and "O" for New Orleans. This was so much fun!

Hartzenpozies

I made my first tangle pattern today!

MY FIRST ZENTANGLE :)

I'm so proud!

New Year's Notions

New Year's Notions (because notion describes them better than resolution would...lol):

1. Must knit garments. No more accessories or toys or bags or such until I have the two sweaters that are on my needles finished. I need clothes, not scarves or shawlettes for Petey's sake!

2. Conquer the procrastination proclivity

ok...this is just the start...there will be more notions to come but these two are preying on my mind right now and if I don't write them down I won't remember them in five minutes.

Thanks to PlanetJune http://www.planetjune.com/blog/beaded-poinsettia/ I've been inspired to try making one snowflake ornament every year using a different technique each time...of course, my first one will be tatted...now I'm off to find the perfect tatted snowflake pattern.

Exciting news: my LYS has asked if I will teach a tatting class...this will be great fun!!!

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Pennsylvania Guild Fine Crafts Fair

True confession time: I went to the Pennsylvania Guild show for only one reason-too see Elizabeth Zipay's gorgeous work in person. She was very gracious and kindly permitted me to photograph her Booth. Her work is just exquisite! See for yourself

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Latest Tatting Effort

Yes, it's another of yarnplayer's gorgeous designs...and her hand dyed "Luna" thread...now I'm off to make some matching earrings!

SPOILED!!!

As you can see I was quite spoiled by my shawlette swap partner-have you ever seen a more beautiful shade of blue? My photo doesn't begin to show you how beautiful the design is...hopefully, Corinna will be posting the pattern for sale on Ravelry soon. Yes, Corinna aka picnicknits was my partner and wow what a great partner!

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Don't Be Hatin'

Saturday was bonanza day for me. We went junking/ antiquing and I scored in a big way. We found several vintage guitar instruction and music books, but that's not the best part. I bought two balls of orange thread and two lace hankies for $4, a vintage tatting book for $3, four tatting edged doilies for $5, and here's the grand prize-four vintage tatting shuttles and a crochet hook for $6 and a beautiful treasure box for my tatting for $18!

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How I Came to Be a Tatter

Many tatters have been posting stories about how they became a tatter so I thought I would pitch in my two cents. Many years ago...I'm guessing between 25 and 30 years ago I had the opportunity to go to a needlework trade show in Baltimore, MD. We stumbled upon Adrianne B. Rice's booth where she was promoting her Dillie Delights tatting book. It hadn't been released yet but meeting and talking with her was enough to spark my interest in tatting. Later I did purchase both of her Dillie Delights books but have since sold them. I tried desperately to teach myself to tat...from that old Coats booklet with the green cover that teaches knitting, crocheting, tatting, huck weaving, etc...with no success. Fortunately, one of my coworkers knew how to tat and showed me the flip. Unfortunately, there wasn't much in the way of support for tatters back then so it slipped to the back burner. And then came cyberspace-and ever since I discovered tatting on the 'net back in 1997 I've been a tatting fool (in between bouts of knitting, crocheting, rug hooking, and quilting). I have bags and bags and bags of completed tatting now and really no concept of what to do with them. I just love trying new patterns and techniques but I rarely have a purpose in mind for the finished product.

Currently I am tatting with a purpose. I am tatting an edging for a little linen runner I want to place on the back of the toilet. My choice of thread is quite unusual though...it is a silk knitting yarn from Schaefer yarns called Andrea...and it tats beautifully. It's quite expensive, but is massive in yardage...1093 yards. I may even decide to tat an edging for the window top treatment. I'm using a pattern from Bessie Attenborough's book "Tatting". My adorable Manx kitty, Little Bit loves to help with the tatting...lol.

Tatting Fever

Yes...more earrings from yarnplayer's Quadrille pattern. I found a fabulous bead store less than two miles away and became inspired to tat jewelry once again.

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#4-mmmmmMalabrigo

Just Can't Stop Myself

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#3

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#2

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betcha can't knit just one

Cabled Keyhole Scarf! My new favorite go to quick and fun project-from knitspot. It's so quick and easy and a great way to become comfortable with cables. This one is knitted in Lion Brand Amazing and I have one on my needles now in Ella Rae Classic. Last night at Kitschy Stitch I bought two skeins of mmmmmmMalibrigo to make two more. It's.like potato chips-I"ll bet you can't eat/knit just one :)

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Still Alive & Breathing

Wow...I am surely not a faithful blogger :(.

I have not necessarily wasted the time I didn't spend blogging though...I have had a case of finishitis for a few months now. I've finished my Scruncheable Scarf, one of my Montego Bay Scarves, an Aestlight Shawl, a Gaenor shawlette, my DROPS capelet/wrap thingie and have made a bit more progress on my cardigan sweater.

I added a few more blocks to my grandmother's flower garden and to my baby blocks charm quilts.

And just this past weekend, I picked up my tatting shuttles again and made these Quadrille earrings from yarnplayer's lovely brilliant pattern. Silly phone camera just doesn't do those dagger beads justice-they are beautiful in person!