Pretty in...Purple

Wow, I feel as if I've been going non-stop for about two weeks now. School has started up and I'm LOVING my classes. Plant Propagation is probably my favorite so far. We're growing Hostas from tissue culture; basically you cut off a piece of leaf, place it in a 'jello-like' medium in a glass test tube and in a month or two a hosta will grow from that little piece! God's creation just gets more and more incredible as I study Horticulture. All that being said, I've still been able to get quite a few little projects going. I'm nearing the last side of my hankie edging. I'm working one a bookmark with two shuttles that is one of my favorite patterns in my favorite color.

But the project that has been the most fun is a purple doily I'm now finishing. It's from Tatting: Patterns and Designs by Blomqvist and Persson. It's been a patience tester! The reason I started it was because I liked the last two rows a lot; the pattern was really cool looking and I'm partial to rounds worked in reverse rings. So I finish the third row and thought for sure that I had messed up. You know how a doily will start to 'cup' when last round you made is tighter then the beginning ones? That happened to this one. I was thinking I'd have to cut it off and start all over, but, to my surprise, it blocked up just fine and I'm going to finished the last row today.  It's been nice to still be able to tat during all the hurried and frenzied time of school. Our family will watch movies after dinner or TV (ever seen Wipeout on ABC? absolutely hilarious! Check out the WEBSITE) and that is my 'no homework zone!'

Have a great weekend! It's been below zero all morning so we are snug inside reading, doing homework, and me...tatting :) Life is good on the farm in Illinois!

Blessings!

Allison

THERE'S A CELLO IN THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!

THERE'S A CELLO IN THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!
 My mom, sister, and I are all pitching in and renting a cello for a couple months. We wanted to try it out before we bought one that we've been looking at for a while. Turns out we'll be buying one for sure! So, if I may digress from tatting updates and share a new-found joy with you all.... :)

Here my sister and I are playing around with a cello/piano duet by Jon Schmidt called 'Love story Meets Viva la Vida. Check out the YouTube video HERE!! We've also been practicing two other duets - I'll post videos soon!

Our family has a love of music. My parents both play musical instruments and have passed on that gift to us. I've been playing the piano for 10 years. I had 5 years of lessons with our pastor's wife and after I stopped taking lessons, I just kept on playing. My sister Lea has been playing the piano for around a year and now we are both playing the cello! Lots of exercises and scales, which have turned from squeaks to solid, reverberating (I think that is the best word that describes a cello) beautiful notes. Lea and I love to listen to soundtracks. That's why my iPod is so full! It's all soundtracks! Classical peices are our preferred choice around here so naturally there have been a lot of Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings, and Master and Commander songs on the cello. So needless to say, there is sheet music everywhere. At least the kitties don't mind :)

 

Happy Tatting everyone! Have a blessed week!

Allison

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I hope you all had a safe and happy Holiday season. Our family went to see Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader for New Years in 3D which was amazing! My sister and I love C.S. Lewis' and his Chronicles series are as wonderful as they are amazing.
It's been so nice to be on break! I've started reading J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit because they are going to be making that movie soon. I'm enjoying that and have come to find that Tolkien and Lewis have very similar writing styles!
Mostly I've been tatting up tid-bits to empty my shuttles; a general New Year's clean up, sort-to-speak. Still going on the hankie edging, too (I'm half-way done with the second round!) My Grandma came out to spend a couple days with us and she was interesting in my tatting, so it was fun to talk about that with her. I came to find out that my Great-Aunt Ivy used to tat!!! How awesome it that! Grandma said that she has a hankie that my Aunt Ivy tatted in her ceder chest, so I hope to take a look at it next time we visit. That was one of the highlights of winter break: I HAVE A RELATIVE THAT USED TO TAT! Too cool.
As I write this Douglas is on the train headed here for a visit. I cannon wait! :) just being in the same timezone, let alone the same state, is such a treat. 
So here is to a blessed New Year! Hurray for 2011!!
Blessings!
Allison