Working

The order I'm expecting still isn't finalized, but I do have a list of the pieces they want. So rather than sit on my hands and wait, I thought I'd just get to work on them especially since a few of them are some of my more complicated bracelets. As you're aware I rarely write out my patterns so when I remake sold ones I rely on my somewhat spotty memory and photographs which can be troublesome. When I actually have the pieces on hand it's much easier. So along with making the ones needed for the order, I'm going to try and make an additional piece of the hard to make ones before they leave me. Of course that means that I feel the need to work faster so yesterday was just the first of many, nose to the grindstone days.

I felt like I got a lot accomplished, but I think in the end it was only three bracelets. In my defense they were large and more difficult than most of the ones I've designed. Add that to the general frustration I was feeling over the unrelated problem of bloody all day email issues and it was kind of an exhausting day.

I did wake up to my email miraculously righting itself so perhaps it's going to be a great day even though it's basically the same plan for today. I'm just going to continue to make and make and make some more, likely for quite a few more days. It really is a good thing though, isn't it? When I'm busy I feel productive and generally satisfied with myself, so I'll happily get back to work now.

More Things Finished

Well I was half right about about I'd get up to yesterday. I did get the choker completed and listed, though only after stalling for a spell in the morning. It takes me longer to get around to listing things that require I show my face in the photos. I mean when I think of the sheer number of photos of myself I've managed to put online in the last six or so years it turns me all shades of red. Don't even get me started on what I discovered after uploading feet pictures for barefoot sandals...it's disturbing.

So anyway, after that was done I stalled some more. Then I finally got an order in the shop so I remade the sold piece. It was one of my interwoven three color bracelets that are a bit of a pain to make. The pattern itself is pure simplicity, it's the often strange joins I have to make to make it work that cause the difficulty, not to mention making sure I join on the right side. Since they are different colors, if I make a mistake I get those annoying color blips at the joins. At least it gave something to do that I hadn't done in a while.

It wasn't until late in the evening that I heard back from my large order. This one is to the same museum store that my last really big one was to that had the Steampunk show. It still hasn't been finalized, but I expect that some time today. So I'll just get a jump on those pieces. They've ordered multiples of several pieces so I have plenty that will need making in the next week. Of course that also means I will likely be quite boring in the coming days.

That's reminds me that I failed to remind you of something. Quite some time ago I was approached about adding a piece to a textile exhibit at the Denver Museum of Art. The exhibit opened yesterday called, Spun: Adventures in Textiles. I, of course will never get around to see it, but if that's your neck of the woods, I have a pair of barefoot sandals on display with their section on tatting that you can visit for me. I hope to get some picture from them soon and if I do I'll share. That's interesting right?

Finished

Guess what? I stayed on task yesterday. That's right, I did exactly what I said I would do. I tatted until I had both the new bracelet and the matching choker made up and then I read some Sherlock Holmes. I never did get around to any video game playing though.Just not enough hours in the day.

Right after schooling I worked up the final version of the pattern as a bracelet. I made a few changes from the prototype. I increased the stitch count on the upper chains and I added small joining picots for the bottom points. It may not look much different, but it's a bit longer and much sturdier. Since almost everything I make is meant to be worn, it's important that the design not only look good, but also that it can withstand that stretching and pulling well. The way those bottom points were before was fine for decoration, but the would have twisted around when worn without the added stability.

I stopped tatting just long enough to get the bracelet pressed and listed. Luckily this pattern repeats at just the right lengths that I was able to list it as being available in lengths of 6,7, and 8 inches. Right after I got this up I started on the choker version. I completed the tatting on that one as well, but I didn't bother putting the clasp on yet because I knew it wasn't going to get all the way to listed yesterday. I shall leave that task for today.

So today I'll finish up the choker and hopefully get it listed. The shop is going through another, hopefully short, dry spell, so getting new pieces in there is helpful to keep it looking fresh. Then I'm hoping to hear back from a potential order I got word from yesterday. If that happens I'll have more than plenty to do, otherwise I think I'll muck about in the vintage pattern books for inspiration again. Not that the shop 'needs' to be any fuller, but it either that or the video games. At least with the tatting I have something so show for the wasted time.

Lazy Days

What a wandering sort of day I had yesterday. With nothing that 'needed' doing, I did a little bit of everything in a state of near lounging that can only be attributed to the heat. Once schooling was wrapped for the day I lazed about while accomplishing a little here and a little there, never focusing for too long on any one thing.

First I decided that I must get some tatting in, so I looked though the vintage Finnish book that has inspired me in the past and found an edging that I felt I could twist to my will. I made up a bracelet prototype, adding onto the design as I went. Once it was done, I posted it about for feedback and since it was generally positive I began on the final piece which I had already determined would need a few more adjustments. Of course about five rings in I realized that I had been miscounting picots and tossed the whole thing to the side to mess with later. Clearly the weather stopped me from a proper level of concentration, at least that's the story I'm sticking to.

I spent the rest of the day oscillating between the puzzle video game I received for Mother's Day and reading more Sherlock Holmes. I really have become quite determined to complete the cannon, sooner rather than later. I'm trying to read them in order and most recently I knocked out the novel, The Hound of The Baskervilles. So far it's the only one that hasn't been chronologically contained within the larger Holmes universe and the only one I was previously familiar with having watched the movie in school...the book is better.

So I'm hoping for a bit more focused of a day today. I will get the final bracelet piece made up and I mean to follow it with a matching choker since the measurements lend themselves well to it. If and only if I manage to stay on task and complete those two things, then I'll allow myself a bit more reading or game playing. Of course the weather promises to stay unseasonably hot so I may still be derailed by that. I will try my level best to stay the course and hopefully I'll have more tatting to show you tomorrow, at least that's the plan.

Weekend Recap

Once again, a long weekend full of things there were not tatting. Though Friday did begin with me finishing my tatted demi gloves. I wasn't actually tatting then either, I was embroidering, so really no tatting at all then. When I got done with all my other Friday business, I cleaned some and then I decided to finish the crochet tank top I had started in black alpaca yarn. So now my break time projects are all done as well.

Saturday was a Lowe's project with the kids in the morning and lots of errands so we wouldn't have to go out much on Sunday. Lot's of shopping and when we were home, lots of cleaning. Seriously, there are too many floors in this place and too many cats to befoul them. The amount of fur around here is utterly ridiculous. It's really too bad there is no way I could ever be comfortable with having a house cleaner because there would certainly be plenty of things I'd be okay not doing anymore. Never going to happen though, it's just too odd and uncomfortable.

Sunday was a lovely Mother's Day around here. The kids and the husband did well picking out gifts and we had both our Mothers and the rest of the family over for a nice BBQ lunch. Even though it was ridiculously hot for this time of year, I think it hit 100º, it was quite pleasant. For once I didn't feel too overwhelmed cleaning up afterward either. I played some new video games, my gifts, and even managed to get some more reading in though still no tatting.

The coming week is pleasantly packed with no extra events, just normal schooling. There are no big tatting projects in queue, in fact there are no, any kind of tatting projects in queue. That's means I need to either figure out what I want to accomplish this week, or ignore it all and just play more video games. I'm leaning toward the later, but you know I can only go so long without tatting, so I guess only time will tell.