Tatting, Tatting, tatting....

Wow! I have three projects going at the moment - mainly because it's been pretty cold and snowy here lately. I know, it's what?, December 4th and we have snow??? Ok, perhaps it's just a dusting but snow, none-the-less. My new Lizbeth threads and shuttles have sure been hard at work! Here's a run down on my latest projects still in the works and then one's that I've finished - hot off my smokin' shuttles!

• I LOVE size Lizbeth 40! I'm playing around with a semi-celtic cross, but I can't wait to try a bigger doily with it! I bought a deep maroon that is lovely. Quite possibly my favorite thread that I own.
• From my new 'Visual Patterns' book, I'm working on a doily that has a connected, repeating motif in the center, then something crazy...10 rounds of chains, upon chains, upon chains! Variegated thread's being used so I think that will turn out nice. It goes from a soft green into a light, then deep pink. Perfect for Easter! I'll shoot for that deadline; gotta get-er-done by Easter.
• I think I'm most excited about some of the ornaments that I've started! Over the years I've bought glass balls on sale at Hobby Lobby or at garage sales. Now I've finally started doing something with them. The tops are a simple ring and chain circle and I plan to attach Christmas motifs in the middle. I'm totally making it up as I go so they'll all be one of a kind.

We bought a newer camera about a month ago that ummmm....got eaten by my sister's horse. He chewed the lens off! So there won't be any pictures for a while, which I was pretty bummed about because I love posting pictures. Ah, well, I'll just have to describe my tattings to you!

One piece that I've finished is a custom necklace for a friend. It's two lines of black, 20 thread split chains with purple iridescent beads. And it is very pretty, if I do say so myself.

So, I just watched the nightly News with my mom and the weather team is calling for over a foot of snow accumulation starting on Sunday! WHOOHOO! Our family just purchased a new, heavy-duty snow blower and my dad is very happy about the chance to use it soon! That's fine by me because we didn't have one at all last year and that was harsh. My pony blew an abscess in his foot so we had to dig out the driveway constantly for the vet to be able to get in and out. Snow storms around here are welcomed, whatever the circumstance. We all put in a movie with our wood stove cookin' away or we'll read -or tat- all day long. I just love it. We decorated the inside of the house today and I have to say that our house always looks it's best with all the holiday decor up. We are definitely in the Christmas spirit this year!

Blessings to all!

New threads and a doily to share...

FINISHED! I can see the headlines now 'Local girl shot down mysterious variegated UFO last week.' Ok, it's not a real UFO - that's tatting code for UnFinished Object. But I finally finished my round robin doily! I have to admit that this was one of the hardest doilies to finish. I started it way back in August or so and never had the drive to get it done. All those chains really made it hard to press out and to complete in general. The last round though has got to be one of my favorites - weird huh? I love and hate this doily all at the same time!



Something else exciting....I got a knock on the door and a package on the front step on Wednesday! I was a happy girl! With no school until Monday, I've already started on a doily from my new book.
I also splurged (no idea how to spell that) and thought I'd try my hand at 'Lizbeth size 40. Boysenberry is the color. Snowflakes are the plan. It's cold and rainy here, so I know that I'll be working on them and will keep ya posted!


So I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! We spent today chillin' on the farm, taking care of horses, baking and cooking, and had a super yummy dinner. My dad had our wood stove going all day and it kept the house toasty - we even had the furnace turned off. Needless to say that my room upstairs is a little chilly, but what are electric blankets for???
May you all have a blessed weekend! Much love from the Midwest,
Allison

Order Up!

About two weekends ago we ran into an old friend at a concert in Dekalb. My mom and I used to do Girl Scouts with her and her daughter ages ago! Now both of us are in college! What a blast from the past! She had seen my cross bookmarks and said that she would like three of them for a mission-sponsored family in KY for Christmas and two for her own daughters as well.

So here they are! A real order for a long time friend. I'm very pleased with them and am working on the final cross; that will be a purple and white varigated mix.

I've also seen that Handy Hands has the 'Lizbeth thread has new colors in both size 20 and 40! I hope to try my hand at size 40 sometime soon. Fall semester is wrapping up and my winter break is for a whole month! There will be a lot of tatting! yay!

Bye for now,

Allison

Currently tatting...

Once again I was taken captive by an antique pattern found online. What I like most about it is that it's SQUARE! I've seen my fair share of rounds and ovals, but never squares. I am trying to think of a way to attach all of them and make a 'quilt' of sorts. We'll see. The pink and white was my first go round that I did in a size 10. I make myself laugh because I always try a new pattern in a large size and gradually get smaller. The other square is in a size 20 and that's the size that the rest of 'em will be in. I'm going to make all of the squares in white and all the 'Lizbeth colors that I have. I especially can't wait to see how some of the variegateds come out.

I just have to share that on Saturday our family is going to a Micheal W. Smith concert in Dekalb IL!!! My Dad's bank has a suite at the NIU Convocation Center and we got it for the night! This will be Micheal W. Smiths kick-off for his world tour and we are so blessed to be going. It's going to be a fantastic evening!

I have been tatting! I promise!

OH MY! how I fell short of updating ya'll on here! So sorry! It's funny though, I was looking at my Blog Archive and it's sad how once school started, the number of posts have dwindled. However! I got to tat today!! I had started an antique, square pattern a while ago in a size 20 and never finished. Now, I pulled out some size 10 and went to town. It's in a pretty white and pink thread and I'll have pictures up soon. We got a new digital camera, so I'll have to see if I can do something pretty with it.

We were scheduled to have our monthly tatting get-together today but it was the first day in about a week or more that it wasn't raining! So I opted to stay home and help out the family divide a horse-paddock for our boys. The weather was absolutly beautiful! Here are some pictures for you:

Dad and I placing the T-Posts

Me and my beloved sister, Lea

Mommie and me

Harvest time!

October - harvest time. Truly one of my favorite times of the year. It's crisp outside. The trees are starting to break out into colors of oranges and golds. And best of all...the farmers are starting to bring in the crops. Everywhere there is a distant hum of a combine and tractor working together to bring in the bounty.




Our pumpkin stand had it's grand opening last weekend (yes, it's been that long since I've posted any news, my apologies) and I am proud to say that we made a profit! Small, but a profit none-the-less. We are hoping that the weather warms up, and CLEARS up for this weekend, as we will be open as well.


So this is a tatting blog, right? and you are thinking "why does she keep putting pictures of pumpkins on her blog?!" Well, now I shall combine the two in a way that will make you smile:

TA~DA!!! I saw this pattern online and HAD to tat up a pumpkin! It adorns the empty space near our new 'puter, as we kindly call our new computer. It's so cute that I just might have to tat up a whole patch of 'em! :) My dad's birthday, is *ah-hem* 50th birthday, is coming up this weekend and we are gonna celebrate this weekend!

I have so many projects that I've started over this week that I've been off of school! So there are like 4 UFO's (Un-Finished Objects) floating around my desk. AAHH! I still have the weekend...I do have a pendent pattern in the works with a color combination that I'm not quite sure about, but we shall see. The pattern is Yarnplayer's Dream and I haven't done it in a while so doing it in the car was fun! LOL! I had a very special day with my Mom though! I just have to share! It was rainy, chilly and windy so my Mom and I headed to Countryside Gardens! We walked around the outside Quonsets and it was so fun to look at what systems they are using. I got to tell my mom a little bit about what we are doing in my Horticulture classes. A good friend gave me a gift card ages ago so I used it today - I bought 5 cactus/succulent plants and the soil to make my own desert! So even though it was miserable outside my mom and I sipped coffee and had an awesome afternoon together. Gosh I LOVE MY FAMILY! :D

Soon that note, my friends I bid thee well. Have a great weekend and I'll talk to you later!Much love from the Midwest tatter,

Allison