Eclipse

I would like to give a hearty thanks to Yarnplayer, Gina and Jane Eborall for their wonderful advice on my earlier post about tatting frustrations. One other reason that I couldn't tat for beans that night is because I was coming down with the flu and I think it all started in my brain! Anyway.....Their advice was to use a solid colored thread along with the variegated and the two medallions pictured are the result. I used the variegated as chains on the one to show the colors, but must say that I like the one on the far left the best. The dark purple gives almost an outlined effect. They are the centers of Yarnplayers 'Arches' and they remind me of Eclipses; one a lunar eclipse and the other a solar eclipse. Have you seen either? I watched a lunar eclipse with my dad about 10 years ago in our old house. We lived in a wooded subdivision so we had to walk to the end of our lane where there was an open field. I remember it was snowy and quite, no wind, and it was a lovely time with my dad. I always ask him a ton of questions on those kinds of outings and I'm so glad that he was the patience to answer them. I've seen a lunar eclipse since then and am always amazed at how the colors change from a red to a maroon as the planets arrange themselves. I have yet to see a solar eclipse, but I can't wait until I do!

So thanks again to the lovely ladies that I've mentioned at the top. Be sure to check out their websites and blogs for more adventure.

Until we meet again!

Allison

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I hope everyone had a blessed holiday ~ ours was one to remember for sure. We had quite a large winter storm with ice, snow, sleet, we had it all! To boot we lost power for quite a bit, but mustered up the woods stove and got through the night. It's like opening a present, in a different way, when you wake up and look outside after and ice storm. What amuses me the most is when you look at a tree and can clearly tell which way the wind was out of. Our northern row of White Pines had needles that were iced over horizontally!

As you can see from the picture our Corkscrew Willow took a beating and thank goodness I took an Tree/Arboriculture class this past semester, so now I know how to repair them!

One thing that made this Christmas memorable is that this year the four of us all got each other movies! We all wrote down out top three and from there we decided who would give whom which movie.....ok, don't know if you follow, but in any case we have many new movies to enjoy. I tell you, since it's snowed or rained every day since Christmas, we have gotten to watch quite a few. There is quite an array of genres to be seen ~ from action to Jane Austen, yes our family is AWESOME!!

Thread Frustrations!

Have you ever bought a ball of thread that looked amazing and beautiful on the ball, then started working it in a pattern and begin to dislike it more and more? That's what's going on today. I bought a variegated purple Lizbeth and can't seem to be able to do anything with it. I tried the Spinning Wheel and the 'Black magic' bookmark out of the Visual Patterns book and can't seem to have my work come out just right. So, is it the pattern, the thread, or me? O_o I don't know....Weather here is ICEY! We're shut in and reading, watching movies, and I'm trying to tat! Grrr! I've never had this happen before! Needless to say that there are tatting 'remnats' that I've cut off scattered all around my desk and chair. The colors are pretty, but I just can't seem to do anything with it! I HAVE been wanted to re-do a doily that I made when I first started out in my tatting adventures, so it looks as if I'm headed back to the basics. Maybe that will clear my sanity!
Stay warm!
Allison

Countdown to Christmas

Ahh, the 2009 Christmas countdown begins! The Henze house looks specatular this year and as Christmas Day draws near the baking has begun! We had some great friends over for cookies and cards on Saturday and so far my mom, sister, and I have made four different kinds of cookies. Needless to say that the house smells incredible! We've also had snow flurries on and off so we've been juggling bringing the horses in and then turning them out again. In spite of all that, I have had quite a bit of time to devote to my lace. My necklace got picked up today and she LOVED it! There is something exciting in the feeling of knowing that your work means something to someone enough for them to purchase some of my lace.

Today is Monday and once again I've got a million different projects going. How about a photo tour? here we go!

Size 40 cross that keeps breaking! I've repaired it, tried to hide ends and now it's personal! LOL, just kidding, but I think I'll put that project aside and try the pattern in a bigger thread and maybe come back to 40. The picture doesn't give the color justice. It's a much darker color - actually it's the 'Lizbeth 40 'Boysenberry'. I'm wild about the color which brings me to our next photo:

This is a pattern out of the 'Visual Patterns' book by Mary Konior called Netting. How unique is that! This will be a fun adventure. I've never seen anything like it, so I'll be sure to keep you updated!

Next on the photo tour is a golden square doily for my Grandmother for Christmas. Each corner is a separate doily to create a kind of patchwork. I hope she likes it!

Another doily in the works. This is the one that I work on while we're watching a movie or something because the outermost ring is easy. Four rosettes down, about eight to go! This is the Easter doily that I mentioned earlier.

And just for grins, my Amaryllis is about to bloom! We started these bulbs in my Greenhouse I class and once it's done blooming I'm going to continue to force it in the fridge and have it bloom again in the summer. It will be a deep Christmas red, perfect for adding color to our living room as we celebrate our Savior's birth!

Hope you enjoyed the show! Tune in next week....ah, never mind!

Blessing from chilly Illinois!

Allison

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!