Day To Day

Yesterday after schooling was more reading, more knotting, and a little video game playing. Not much else occurred, I'm afraid. Oh wait, there was exciting loads of laundry as well. I think I've reached that waiting for inspiration to hit point. So I'm just waiting for a lightning bolt while I read and knot and take care of the day to day.

Hello Monday

Wow, I just cannot get back into a proper routine over here. There have been teacher meetings, vet appointments, and birthday parties conspiring to keep me off kilter. I should be getting back to even soon though. It's another month before the next family birthday and school testing when I should be thrown yet again. Until then though I will try to get my act together and at least blog like I'm suppose to.

As you might have guessed the weekend was busy and not really with any sort of creative endeavors. I have made a little more progress on the large Armenian lace piece. It's now officially 3 feet across. Of course that last inch took what, a week, longer. I don't even know. Here's hoping I can keep focused and get some work done this week or at least remember to write about the work I didn't get done.

Week Recap

Happy Monday back all! I clearly lost track of time on my trip and blogging fell away quickly. We had a wonderful time with wonderful friends. We got to experience a sand storm worthy of an emergency alert at the same time as a chocolate tasting. We visited a butterfly habitat and a pinball museum. There was hiking, sort of, and shopping, just a bit. It was a busy week of adventuring.

That brings me to an apology and a confession. I'm sorry I completely forgot about International Tatting Day this year. Yep clean forgot it even existed until yesterday when someone asked if they missed my pattern this year...oops. I was so focused on prepping for this trip and the youngest daughter's birthday, that I just let it slip my mind completely. Of course I must also confess that it's been increasingly less popular every year for me. Both the patterns and the sale pendant barely sold last year, so I fear it was only a very few that missed it this time around. Yeah, I'm not sure right now whether I'll try again next year or not. Maybe I'll get to work on something soon and just release it at a randomly selected time. I guess only time will tell.

Now before I go, here's the progress I made on the Armenian lace doily while I was away. I might have been vacationing, but I still love keeping my hand busy while I relax. It's at about 35 inches across now which I prefer to think of as almost 3 feet because it sounds bigger somehow. No, there is no end in sight.

Fun

Another day, another round of knots. Also, lots of reading, catching up with TV shows and video game playing. Oh, and a half an hour on the phone with the credit card company because of some fraudulent charges that needed to be reported and cleared up. That was super fun. There's not much else I'm afraid though. So I'll just leave you with this pile of lace picture and get on with what is likely a repeat of yesterday, hopefully without the phone call part.

Almost A Round

Again, I didn't even finish a whole new round on the Armenian lace piece. It's just too big around now. Well, it's that and my newfound Zelda distraction that is seriously hampering my ability to do anything else. I swear to you that if I had pieces that needed making, I would put down the game and get to work, but since I don't, I'm clearly not. I'm still managing to carve out some reading and knotting time though so I guess I haven't completely lost reality.

Tornado

We certainly had an interesting weather day for central California. We had a tornado warning followed by a short, but aggressive thunderstorm. That was in turn quickly followed by a clear sky as if none of it had ever happened. We could see the swirling clouds nearby just before the thunderstorm hit, but it never got close enough to us to cause any real concern. It was definitely different though.

When we weren't wondering how to hide from a tornado when no one has a basement around here, I was reading and knotting. I still haven't even finished this large loop round yet. I think I'm going to go with another section of basket stitch, or maybe points. The end is nowhere in sight, so probably both.

Lap of Lace

Let's see, there was schooling followed by an afternoon of not much. I had laundry to do then there was again hours of playing the Zelda game and hours of reading and knotting. That's really all of it in a nutshell. It is also likely all of today. I should lay the piece out and see how big across it is now. It likely hasn't grown much since I started again, but I don't remember how big I left it at either and it will give me a new starting point from which I can feel like I'm not making any progress.

Weekend Recap

On Friday I got a small custom order for a wonderful repeat customer. She uses my tatting in her own work. This time she needed a few hearts made in navy thread, so that was my afternoon. It was lovely to be tatting for someone else again, even if just for an hour or so. The order is of course already done and in the post.

The rest of the weekend was errands and binging Iron Fist on Netflix. My hands got incredibly restless without a project to keep them busy while watching, so I found something to do. Do you guys remember this? I almost didn't. I worked on it forever and then as the circumference grew and progress slowed to a nearly immeasurable crawl, I put it away. Well, it's out again now and it should be perfect to keep me busy when needed since it's likely to never actually be finished.

Weekend Recap

No sales over the weekend to keep me busy, so I focused on other things. Last weekend I got a fitbit hr for Mother's Day. I call it my new electronic overlord and I've been trying to please it with movement since I first put it on my wrist. It's funny because you'd think something as simple as tracking steps, stairs climbed, heart rate, and a few other things couldn't possible have any bearing on how active you are, but that little wristband is pretty useful. Since I stay at home and my hobbies and job pretty much have me sitting all day, this reminder to get up and move is great.

I spent much of the weekend adjusting some of my more sedentary behaviors to comply with the overlord. For instance, while I spent time reading and knotting on the Armenian lace doily, I did so while perched on an exercise ball instead of cozy on the couch. I've also started the habit of just going up and down the stairs when I have the time and taking longer walks when we have the time to go out. I've got a ways to go before I feel like I'm actually healthy, but if I can tat, read, and knot while balancing on an exercise ball instead of passive on the couch, I think I'll stick with it.

Lap

I opted to not do any tatting yesterday and instead focused some energy on reading and the Armenian lace. I haven't measured it in a while, but that's okay since I'm fairly certain it hasn't grown in any real measurable way. It is definitely a lap full of lace though.

I've gotten no new orders in the shop since last weekend, so I really don't have anything left that needs making. I also don't have any plans for the weekend with the family, which I'm actually looking forward to. It's been awhile since there was nothing planned and I do love a good spot of nothing occasionally. Maybe something will interrupt the nothing and then I'll at least have something to share on Monday.

Knotting

Lots of reading and lots of knotting yesterday. I've gotten about 30.5 inches across done which is 78 centimeters, and that sounds better. While it looks pretty laying out in a flat circle, I thought maybe I'd show you what it looks like as I work on it. It lays across my legs, all the way to my ankles while I'm knotting. It just seems bigger to me somehow when you see something else in the photo to give it a sense of scale.

Today is likely to be a repeat of yesterday unless the shop gets roused by a sale or something. I've started to think about designing something new, but I feel like I've made so very many different bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and pendants. It feels a little like, oh, another one, how not original of me. I fear I don't actually have anymore 'original' left in me. Here's hoping that I'm wrong and something will come to me eventually.

Next Ball Of Thread

I sent off that tatted hair piece first thing yesterday and that means I have no tasks to deal with until the customer receives it and makes a decision. That means more knotting. I actually finished up yet another ball of thread yesterday on it. I didn't measure it again though because it's growing so slowly it's probably mere millimeters bigger than the last time I did so. I think I'm going to keep working on the same stitch for quite a few more rounds. I feel like it needs to be at least as wide as the patterned section in the middle of the picture.

Unfortunately this is all I'm working on again as the shop has once again gone quiet. Here's hoping for a little lace making excitement sooner rather than later.

Knotting

I did exactly what I thought I'd do yesterday. I obsessively checked for an email that didn't come and knotted thread. I did manage to also read two novellas and start reading another novel. I did do all that while not completely ignoring the children and their schooling needs.

The Armenian lace has reached about 30 inches across and I cannot get around the piece with fewer than two lengths of thread. I actually measured and I use about 14.5 feet of thread every time I cut a new piece. It's a bit unwieldy at first, but I think I've gotten used to it. The last couple of rounds have been an experiment. I mean I've been trying out a knot combination that I didn't actually learn from anywhere and making it up myself. It's similar to others, so hopefully it looks good as I keep going.

It certainly likely that today will be a twin of yesterday. Hopefully I hear back one way or another from the potential customer so I can have some closure there. I dislike just wondering what happened. So, here's so a weekend with some answers and hopefully some tatting too.

Weekend Recap

Let's see, what did we do this weekend? Well, there was the normal running about on errands. There was a bit of housework, but mostly there was sitting about and watching movies together. Since I was sitting I did get what passes for a lot of work, done on the Armenian lace. Of course all that work and I'm still making so very little progress. I even popped by the store and bought another ball of thread because I see the end of this second one coming up soon. I also bought a mini perler bead kit and took some time to play with tiny beads.

I still don't know what sale I might be doing tomorrow to celebrate 10 years on etsy, but I've only got today to figure it out and it would be a shame to let this kind of milestone go by without some sort of acknowledgment, right? I'll think of something and hopefully it will be good.

Not Much

I'm afraid I don't have much to share today either. I received no opinions on next weeks celebration sale either, so I'm going to have to wait until my brain is again fully functional to figure it all out myself. I am feeling better this morning, so I have high hopes that that should be soon.

Yesterday was again mostly knotting and reading. I finally started in on small loops, only to switch it up immediately for slightly larger ones. I think I just need a sense that the piece is growing a wee bit faster than it has been. I still have to be careful to keep everything tight to continue the reduction of the ripple, but at least with the larger loops I might get the sense of accomplishing something in a day. I'm really crossing my fingers for a sale so I can do some purposeful tatting soon.

Fuzzy

I have a bit of the sick brain right now. You know, that kinda fuzzy, nothing is quite in focus brain. I mean it's just a cold, but it is definitely interfering with my ability to function correctly. I did still manage to school the children, but I haven't bothered reading any books that last few days. I'm pretty sure my comprehension skills are on the fritz as well. Luckily knotting thread does not use too many brain cells. Also, it's a really good thing that spell check exists or this would be a nightmare to read right now.

I'm still working on rounds of basket stitch. The ripple is starting to finally work itself out, but it's definitely still there. I'm thinking about switching to small loops after the last round, but I'm not entirely certain. I hope my brain clears up a bit today and I can make an intelligent decision. Of course I'm also hoping that my sinuses clear and I can breath properly again. There are a lot of hopes and wishes going on in my head right now. I'm crossing my fingers that a few of them come true soon.

So Slow

Yep, it was just knotting and reading yesterday. I got a couple more rounds done on the tablecloth, but it's growing so very slowly now. I fear I need to get another project going to give myself a sense of accomplishment. The Armenian lace was doing that just fine when it grew at least an inch a day. Now it's got to be like a quarter of an inch and that doesn't give me a sense that I did anything at all. It's like the lace is just teasing me now.

Let's see, what else? Oh, we caught the mourning doves changing places on their nest, so I snapped a picture of the eggs in the the nest. We're just a few days away from them hatching. So that's interesting. We also had a bee get in the house and buzz against the windows in our living room. The windows that are about 15 feet up and impossible to reach without an extending pole. We eventually got it out after injuring it with said pole with a fluffy dust attachment on it. Yes, it was as fun as it sounds.

It's still quiet on the shop front and we've got no huge plans for the weekend, so perhaps I'll come up with something new to make, or maybe I'll just read and knot some more. At this point I'm really just hoping something interesting happens and surprises me with new work over the weekend. I mean, that may not be likely, but it's possible.

Around

I don't have much to share this morning. Yesterday went as expected. After schooling, I went outside to work on repairing our drip system and got all muddy. This was followed by sitting down with my Kindle and the Armenian lace. That was pretty much the whole of the day. No, seriously. I mean, sure I stopped to make meals and the occasional kid-related drama and there was laundry, but most of the day was reading and knotting. I even managed to finish not one, but two rounds on the tablecloth. I'm now on the third round of basket stitch. I'm not sure how many rounds of this I plan on doing. I think I'll just know when it's time to move on.

Today's plan has even less on it than yesterday. No sales in my shop, no cleaning that needs doing, so it's reading and knotting again. I know, my life is super thrilling.

Flying Stars

Man, those pendant kept me busy most of yesterday. I mean it was a good handful of them, but I didn't think it would actually take me days to get them all made. Apparently I'm out of practice or something. I suppose that's possible given that I've spent so much time knotting lately to make up for the slow shop.This is the stack of stars yesterday afternoon as I started in on the outer rounds of them. I did finish them toward the end of the day and went back to knotting to unwind.

I'm on the second round of basket stitch and progress is slow. I'm at about 27" across and that makes for rounds that are over 7 feet of knotting each. It's taking me three lengths of thread to get around once and I use, oh about 13 feet or so at a time. I still haven't gotten it back to flat yet either. I fear it will be quite some time before I get it flat enough for a picture of the whole thing again.

I do have one more piece that was ordered over the weekend that I need to get tatted up for the shop, so I'll get to that this afternoon and some more knotting I imagine. These stars will go out in the post this morning, so if you're expecting some, they're on their way and I hope you love them.

Almost Time

I'm almost ready. I got the pattern completed and ready for listing tomorrow morning. I got a few more pendants made and ready to be photographed. I'll have that part done just after schooling today. Then I'll get that ready to list in the shop as well. So tomorrow morning as soon as I get up in the morning I'll have both my International Tatting Day offerings available in the shop. Just a reminder that both the pattern and the pendant will be offered for a one day only discount, so the price goes up on the 2nd. I'm a little embarrassed that I don't have a free pattern to offer as well. I guess there's a minuscule chance that I'll come up with something today, but it's unlikely. Of course I am also celebrating my 10th anniversary on Etsy in a couple of weeks, so perhaps something free for that event. Time will tell.

In Armenian lace tablecloth news, another day, another round. I'm only making it a third of the way around with any one length of thread, well, except on this last round since it was just the larger loops. I'm also attempting to pull them in tight to get rid of the ripple. I think that it's working, but I really won't know until I get much further along. The waiting while working under the assumption that it will turn out, is the hardest part.

So, today I have a few things to finish for tomorrow. Then I might tackle some house cleaning for this weekend. All other free time will be given, as usual, to knotting.