Busy Lace Day

I actually had a pretty busy lace day. I started by catching up with the TIAS. Okay, this is clearly turning into a rabbit. Of course mine has some issues, namely the mismatched eyes, but that's not the point of the TIAS is it? The point for me is to not only make something I would not normally make, but also stretch my skills by translating the pattern instructions to needle. Normally that's a no brainer, but Jane's patterns always seem to have some element that makes me think outside the box a bit and that's a good thing.

Next up was remaking a tatted heart pendant for the shop. It doesn't take long to make this one at all. Of course it took longer than normal to find the right color of thread. My thread box is getting out of control again. No, not because I've ordered more or anything . In fact I can't remember that last time I got new thread. Since the shop so slow I haven't bought any supplies in forever. The thread box is just an unorganized mess.

After this I got an message on facebook requesting a medallion for a fascinator. There was a lot of back and forth on this one and frankly I was fairly certain I had frightened the customer away with my inability to do what was first requested. Eventually we came up with a solution that would work for her needs and I got to work. I still have a couple of rounds left to do and then it will need to be stiffened. This is the larger version of my woven star pattern and I did not write down the outer rounds. It's proven a little fiddly to copy the existing piece since it's sewn to a base currently and I can't turn it over to count. Yes, I know I wouldn't be in this mess if I would just write all of may patterns down. You know that's not going to happen though. Anyway, I should get this finished today and stiffened overnight so I can have it in the post tomorrow. So I should have a nice busy lace day today too.

Ummm...

We had the day off of schooling so we took a nice long morning walk and I managed to finish reading yet another novel all before lunch time. After lunch I took care of the most recent day of the TIAS. I have to tell you I am now utterly boggled as to what this is becoming. Seriously I've got no bloody clue right now. I've also been seriously fudging the bead sizes recommended because I don't have any the proper sizes. I hope they're close enough to work for whatever the heck this is.

After that I got the barefoot sandals finished and listed in the shop. The sun didn't want to cooperate, so I think the pictures are a tad inferior. I also didn't bother to paint my toenails and that's bothering me about them as well. I suppose I can always redo the pictures later if I feel so compelled. The important part is that they are now in the shop and I think they turned out pretty good. I think that also means I'm done with the Black Star motif for now. Maybe I'll have some inspiration today and start something in a new direction. More likely I'll read a lot more and relax a bit. Here's just hoping I have something remotely interesting to share on Monday.

Two

Well I managed two tatting tasks yesterday. I did the last 2 days of the TIAS, because apparently I was that far behind, and I made something new. I was so on top of the TIAS last time, but for some reason I keep missing the posts this year. It's my fault. I think it might be my incessant reading. I haven't read this continuously since I was childless and it is an effective distraction from the Internet. Anyway, I think I'm sticking with my frog guess now for this piece, though I am usually wrong.

So onto the new thing I made. Well it's still just the Black Star pattern, but now it's a bracelet. I kept looking at the choker version and being fundamentally disappointed in its structure. There were some salvageable elements though and I used them to make this cuff bracelet. It's meant to sit low on the hand since it flares a bit, but I don't think it comes down on the hand enough for a slave bracelet.

I should get this one into the shop today since we should have sun for the week. In fact making this bracelet gave me a fresh idea about a choker version that I might try out as well. That should give me some tatting to go along with my reading for a spell.

Weekend Recap

It was a fairly quiet weekend. The shop stayed silent, so I didn't have anything to tat. Well, that's not entirely true, I did do another day of the TIAS. It still feels frog-like even though I can't for the life of me figure out what the most recent rings are for. It will all make sense eventually, I suppose.

Other that this little bit, I spent some time reading and some time knitting a pair of socks, well just the one so far really, but the plan is a pair of course. We also had a lovely get together to say farewell to our moving friends. Honestly, I'm trying not to think about it too much, because I get weepy when I do. In fact I'm going to stop talking about that right now.

We have a short schooling week because it's the end of the semester.  They call them non-instructional days, but whatever they are it means that the school week is only 3 days long and I'm looking forward to a little mindlessness. Maybe a muse will have visited by them and I can fill those days with creativity. More likely I'll fill them with reading and hoping for said muse. Either ay I still have 3 days left before then.

Tired

Well, we had a bit of a weird weekend around here. Two of our best friends are moving away soon and since we couldn't stop them from leaving we seem to have decided to acquire those things that they can't or don't want to take with them. So on Saturday we collected all their plants and brought them home. On Sunday we rented a truck and acquired some pieces of their furniture and with the help of my nephews moved those to our house as well. Then we had those same nephews and their sisters and mother over for dinner to thank them. It was just a pretty busy couple of days with little time to sit down and do any tatting at all.

I did manage enough time last night to catch up with the TIAS. I was actually a day behind, so I had both day 4 and 5 to tackle. I have to tell you I was a bit confused by the day 5 instructions. Usually I immediately know how to change shuttle instructions to needle ones, but Jane's fancy diagrams threw me off for a few minutes. I was thinking that there must be some crazy technique here that I'll never figure out. Then I realized this is just one of those times when the needle is actually easier than the shuttles. Anyway I'm guessing that's it's a frog at this point, but since that seems the obvious way to go, it's probably something far different and this is just a red herring.

We have the day off off school and the husband is off work, so I should get some time to work on the star necklace piece that I haven't touched for days. Here's hoping.

This and That

I started out yesterday with day 3 of the TIAS. Nope, still don't know what it is and boy does Jane love split rings. I actually already ran out of thread and had to tie off and add more. This is one of the few needle tatting downsides I freely admit to. Doesn't mean I'm picking up a shuttle anytime soon though.

After that it was more reading and I got an order for a pendant, so I had something else that needed tatting up. This is my bleeding heart motif. I've made a smaller version as earrings and used it to create a choker necklace as well. I named it that because of the flower by the way, not an actual heart. The pendant version hangs from a short lock chain, another technique that's probably easier, or at least less time consuming with the shuttle. I like doing lock chains though, they add such an interesting texture to a piece.

I also made up a second black start motif yesterday, I'm toying with the idea of joining them together like quilt pieces, but I've no idea what I would do with the end result. More likely I'll find a way to turn it into a bracelet or necklace. That's usually what I go to first anyway. I guess we'll just see how the day goes and if the muses are about or not.

A Little Bit

Well I certainly wasn't busy over the weekend, but I did manage to get some tatting in. I finished up Friday with the split ring 'chain' of the necklace I was working on for the last couple of days. I also finished one more novel and started the next in the series. I picked up a kit to make little puffy paper starts when we were turning in the oldest child's work samples, so I spent a little too much time folding those while reading as well. They're completely useless, but addictive little things.

On Saturday the only tatting I needed to do was day 2 of the TIAS. Yeah, still not going to hazard a guess as to what it is Jane is having up make, but I do thank her for doing this project when I most need one to distract me from the creative black hole of January.

 On Sunday I finished the book I started on Friday and began the next in the series. This is the last one, but then there is another one that is apparently in the same world that I guess I suppose to read as well. I have no other tatting until day 3 of the TIAS which I believe isn't until tomorrow, so there will likely be more reading and folding of paper stars today as I hope for the muse.

That's Better

I definitely got more done yesterday than the previous one. After schooling I went ahead and headed over to the TIAS blog and got the first day of that made up. As per usual I have no idea what it is that we're making and I will likely continue in ignorance for the bulk of the project. That's okay though, I enjoy a surprise and especially one in nice uncomplicated bite size pieces.

Even though that did in fact put me in the mood to tat, I had nothing to make and no ideas bubbling up, so I went ahead and did some preliminary tax work instead. The shop was so slow all year that I didn't bother doing any of the books during the year assuming that it would be quick at the end. It was, and the totals for the year were incredibly pathetic. I've still more work to do, but since we can't file our taxes early as we wait for investment forms, I'm in no big rush.

After that it was reading until I got a wonderful order in the shop. It was for a bracelet that I have only made once before, so I needed to get straight to work remaking it before I shipped off the existing one. Yes, that's because I don't have a pattern written down and this one is a little hard to work from photographs as it's layered. This is just the central motif before I added the outer round and then there are two side motifs. I can't even remember when I designed this one, but I remember I thought the layering was clever. It sure is fiddly to work though.

That brings me to this morning with all projects finished, so I'll be again crossing my fingers for an order or an idea as the day goes on. If nothing happens, I'm sure to read more and I guess that's not a bad way to spend the day.

Done

As I feared, I used far too much time yesterday morning to garden, and by garden what I really mean is, pull weeds. Gardening implies that I have the least idea how to properly prune or care for the plants in our yard. My rule is, if it lives without intervention from us, it was meant to be, if it dies it wasn't and we move on. The weed pulling however, I have down and it's left me quite sore this morning, but at least I can look outside and see that I accomplished something quite clearly.

After that though, I finished up the final day of the TIAS, the cat ears I needed to do, and wrapped up a few other odds and ends. I'm fairly certain that this would look more like a sailboat had I bothered to use a different color for the bottom and mast, but the lazy in me struck again and you just have to squint a bit to see it all correctly. I do enjoy these little projects to make things I never would otherwise.

After that there were some family errands and wanderings and in the late afternoon I got a custom order for a pair of tatted cuffs in dark purple. They're one of my largest cuff designs so even though I started shortly after receiving the order, I haven't even finished the first one yet. They should give me at least a day or two worth of work.

Today should be back to our regular schedule so hopefully I can get out of house guest/vacation mode quickly and get back to work. Sometimes routine is like a nice warm blanket on a cold day.

I'm Not Lazy...

I was going to open today by lamenting about how lazy I must be that I haven't yet gotten the choker finished and listed yet. Then I thought, sure, I've been a bit lazy with the tatting lately, particularly the finishing bits, but the amount of other stuff I've done should counteract that, right? I mean, we had house quests all weekend so other folks were also visiting to see them. I was constantly cleaning or visiting myself, not to mention all the food. Then yesterday I even helped with some lawn work that needed doing before Spring decides to take hold and my body is pretty annoyed at me for that decision.

I did tat over the weekend but save for the TIAS, it was mostly to undo things. The missing package to Latvia still hadn't arrived, so I had to deal with replacing that and playing with the shipping insurance stuff. Then there was a pair of kitty ears that didn't want to behave for their owner that I had to make a replacement for and I'm still not done with that yet.

Speaking of the TIAS though, since the last day was released this morning and I saw it in my blog reading list, the final design is spoiled for me even before I posted this next to last piece. I admit, until the two triangles were joined together I had no idea what it was, but I guess it's pretty clear here. So I'll get the last day done to post tomorrow and I'll just have to work harder to make lace I can post photos of once this 'go-to' project is done.

The husband and the kids all have today off, so again I'm likely to get little of consequence done. If the weather is nice again, there's a slight chance I might tackle the backyard, just to get it all over with, but I really would much rather get all my tatting tasks done and follow up with listing the choker and maybe even starting the matching bracelet that I've already got worked out in my head. The odds, however, are not in my favor.

Guests

Well, yesterday was a better day, if not a more productive one. The kid's schooling site behaved and we got through their classes in record speed. I suppose that was partly because I was expecting the site to still go down any second and I didn't want to waste a minute.

It wasn't long after schooling ended that our weekend guests arrived, my brother and sister-in-law. We haven't seen them in well over a year, so you can imagine that the afternoon was given over to catching up and other nonsense. It wasn't until late afternoon that they took a rest and I got a little tatting done.

Of course all I really got done was day 14 of the TIAS. With just two more bits left I should know what is that I'm making, but I still haven't a clue at all. It's better that way though, it keeps the mystery alive and confuses the family as well.

If you hadn't guessed, I did not get the choker finished nor listed yesterday and the odds are not in favor of getting that accomplished today either. I'm much more likely to finish schooling and spend the rest of the day just hanging out with the family and talking until my throat is sore. Maybe I'll manage to do so while my fingers fly over some thread. At the very least I'm hoping to have the new choker listed by the end of the weekend so I can at least emerge triumphant on Monday.

Hmmm

Unfortunately all I have to show you this morning is my recent progress on the TIAS. We're up to day 13 now and I still haven't a clue. The recent piece kind of reminds me of an opossum head, but I'm fairly certain I'm nowhere near the mark. This was all the tatting I managed during the day.

I tried to get some schooling done in the morning, but the kid's online school site was down. Then the day got hard to manage. The kids went off with their grandparents for a spell while I attended the first of two doctor's appointments for the husband. Then the kids came back, but not for long enough for me to settle and get anything done before we were all off again. They with their grandma again and me to the second appointment.

Most of the day was spent waiting in places other than home meaning nothing of consequence could get done. So today it's back to regular schooling and I'm hoping to get some cleaning done before our weekend guests arrive. I generally let the house fall into a state of functional clutter when the holidays are over and I'm not expecting to host any more dinners or get togethers. This means the house really needs a good cleaning.

Still no new sales in the shop, but I did get a rather unexpected phone call regarding ordering some pieces. I say unexpected because my phone number is not attached to my business at all and it is a bit uncomfortable to be tracked down in that way. I'm honestly uncertain how to respond as the request was to buy away from Etsy and I generally do not do that save for very occasionally, locally partly because of all the protections Etsy affords me regarding payment and shopping. Plus I really prefer interacting with strangers through email, me and the phone are not really friends. Yeah, the whole thing just has me very uncomfortable and I have no idea what I'm going to do about it.

So to recap, today will be schooling and cleaning and if I'm very lucky I'll sit down and tat something that will relax me. I really do need to unwind now.

What I Really Wanted To Do

So, as I thought, schooling again took up the entire morning, so I didn't even get to worry about what I was going to tat until well after lunch. I had started the kids on the task of writing a letter to some cousins and drawing some pictures for them. While they were at it, I kept feeling compelled to make something new. So I tried and I tried again and I failed repeatedly to come up with something interesting enough to keep working at it.

So I sat down my black thread and picked up the white and worked on the TIAS. At least then I would be focused on making something, if just for a few minutes anyway. Yep, still no clue what these are pieces of. Unfortunately, it really did only take a few minutes to get day 11 made up and then I was right back to this strange, undeniable urge to create something.

It took me a while to realize that it was the kids drawing that was compelling me. What I really wanted to do was draw something. I can't tell you how long it's been since I took the time to do that. So I buzzed around the house looking for my drawing pad and good eraser. Then I drew for a while. I drew long enough to get the piece inked before I headed up to watch television with the family. It felt good, though it's not great art or anything, it felt nice to create something from scratch...in a different way than usual.

I'll likely finish adding ink to the piece today. I don't want to stop until I've finished it, but after that I've got cat ears to tat up again. In fact I think it might be time to finally order more headbands. I'm always terrified that the ones I use won't exist anymore and they work so perfectly for sewing the lace on. Most headbands are covered using satin ribbon and they just don't lend themselves to the process as well. So here's to finishing art, finding supplies and maybe an order or two for the day as well. Yep, that sounds like a fine plan for the day.

Busy Day

The oldest child just started working on the next grade level language arts courses yesterday. The plan is to try and finish a year's worth of those classes in the half a year we have left. So as you can imagine schooling is taking a bit longer and is slightly more draining. We also don't have all the books yet, so we're reading The Hounds of Baskerville together as a fill in since we know she is suppose to read it later in the course. I guess the point is, lots of schooling yesterday and that is likely the new normal.

I did get the new necklace finally listed yesterday. I'm not overly fond of the photos I settled on but I just did not have the energy to go all out for them. At least I got it done though. I also finished up the barefoot sandal order I had started on Sunday. Sometimes I forget how long those things can take to make. There are just so many steps involved.

It was nearly evening before I remembered that I had yet to do day 10 of the TIAS, so I got that made up quickly. Still no clue as to what is forming. Luckily day 11 is today, so no waiting to continue to not know what is is I'm making.

I finished the day with a custom length bracelet which I thought would be a walk in the park to adjust. I was a little wrong there and it took some time to work out how to properly reduce the size. Once I had that worked out though, it was simple enough to get made. So I start today without anymore orders in queue save for the never-ending mother-in-law list. Honestly, I'm kind of grateful for that list of things to make. It means never getting bored because I haven't anything to do. Of course I will still get bored with what I have to do, because that's just how it is, but that's still better than having nothing to do. Here's hoping for another packed day with lots to tat.

Distracted

It was a bit of a distracting weekend and the sad part is, I can't even think of a good reason why. I know on Friday the husband unexpectedly took the afternoon off and we went out to lunch. That was my excuse for not listing the new choker. Saturday was pretty normal, but I had a pair of barefoot sandals to make as well as more things for my mother-in-law. It seems that the bits I've been making her to give as gifts have gone over well and now she has more ideas as to occasions for them. I think it might be because everyone she knows has already received every knit or crochet thing she makes and this is something entirely different. Either way, that was Saturday.

Sunday morning was more of the same. I had finished the sandals I was making as well as many of the bits for my mother-in-law, when I got an order in for another pair of barefoot sandals. This time in white, so they would need to be made as well. The family headed out to said mother-in-laws house in the afternoon to watch the great commercial fest and eat copious amounts of food I didn't have to prepare. While there, I worked on my order, but didn't quite finish it.

I did manage to get day 9 of the TIAS made over the weekend, but I didn't even remember to download day 10's instructions yesterday. So I guess this morning I'll get to that as well as finish the last order. After that I really must get the new necklace listed in the shop. At this point I really need one of those big orders from a gift shop or a hefty commission to dig out from the holiday deficit. I'm only putting that out there so the Universe hears it. I think things might be picking up, but it's really, glacially slow, so I thought a lament was in order. That being done, I suppose it's time to start the week.

So Much Done

Well I had a pretty productive day yesterday, tatting wise. I finished up all the snowflakes for my mother-in-law. She even popped by in the evening and fetched them, so there is no more pink thread for me to stare at. They were requested as a memorial gift for the daughters of one of her friends that just passed. His favorite color was pink. I personally didn't know him, but it did seem like a nice idea for a keepsake.

Then I got day 8 of the TIAS made up. I have to tell you how funny it is that my oldest daughter has gotten sucked into the 'what is it?' game. She saw me working on it some days back, so I explained the process. Now when she sees the white thread come out she asks if I know what it is yet. I don't and I think it's driving her a little crazy. I think she'll be more relieved that I when the shape becomes obvious.

I even had a little time left in the evening to work on the choker prototype. I got it all the way to it's proposed length and with an adjustable clasp it should be just right to fit anyone. There are a few other things I want to play with on the prototype before I bust out the black thread for the real one, but I'm liking it so far.

I'm not sure what I'll manage to get to today though. We have a field trip right after lunch so I might not get anything at all done. Maybe that's a good thing after yesterday's progress. I could use a bit of a break, but just a tiny one.

Monday Again

Another weekend, another Monday. Oh, so many snowflakes were tatted over the weekend. In fact, that is pretty much all I did besides the normal errand running and adventuring with family. Of course you've seen the snowflakes over and over again, so I didn't bother taking any photos. In fact the only thing I did take a picture of was day 7 of the TIAS. I almost didn't even get around to that either which is why the photo is so dark.

I actually still have two more snowflakes left to make and I'm actually suffering a little soreness in my arms from getting to them so quickly. Though honestly, it's good practice to speed tat every once in a while. You know, just in case I need to again any time soon. Yes, that was wishful thinking.

Other than those snowflakes I have no orders to worry about. So there's a good change I'll get back to the new choker prototype and get that finished up before I forget the neat things I wanted to try out with it. I've no idea if any of them will be 'good' neat things, but I have to try them to find out. So here's to a nice, creative day ahead and a week of, let's go with wonderful. Aim high, right?

Finally

We didn't get the youngest child's new school books until early evening, but it was still a pretty normal school day and that means it was long. We are attempting to get though an entire year worth of curriculum in one semester. It's not going to be all that hard, just a little more time consuming. Also with the warmer than usual weather the kids wanted to go out on a walk in the afternoon. Normally I might protest. given that I have things to do for the shop, but it still hasn't recovered from the holidays yet, I was up for a little exercise. Sales are few and far between and so are my ideas, so perhaps ignoring it a little won't hurt.

I did get some tatting in though. I managed to get day 6 of the TIAS done, though I almost forgot again. Boy, she sure does love the split rings in this design. It's a good thing I guessed that for this second section and started with a ridiculously long tail, just in case.

I also managed to finally get the hearts and clover motif listed as a pendant. I went back and forth about listing the colors separately, but then I opted for a 'choose your color' listing. I figure that way at least I save the 20¢ for listing the other colors. That may not help much, but thinking more frugally is becoming more necessary by the week.

Aside from schooling with actual books today, I don't have any real tasks in queue. There are always a few more pieces I could remake for the shop. I mean, there are still things left unmade from November, but nothing that I really feel 'needs' to be made. I should start letting some creative thoughts flow again, but that's not exactly something that can be controlled. So I guess, I have no idea what I will get up to today, but here's hoping something good and interesting happens.

Weekend Recap

Friday morning I got very aggressive after schooling, getting all those things done that I had planned on. I got all the new bracelets pressed and finished, ready for photographing when I was called to run an errand for my Mother. Unable to come up with any legitimate excuse to not run to the pharmacy, I was off. leaving all my progress behind. It took a few more hours once I was back, but I did manage to list the red and black bracelets.

It was a good thing that I got them done when I did because it was about then that I got a custom order pair of barefoot sandals. Of course with today being a holiday I had an extra day to make them anyway, but you know I don't like to wait. Of course in this case that proved to be a bit of a mistake. You see I only looked at the order on my phone and didn't look closely enough. I assumed they were to be made in white and about three fourths of the way through the second one, I looked and saw they were to be made in Ivory. I sure am glad I had an extra day now. 

The family did a lot of adventuring over the weekend. It may be the middle of January, but it's warm outside and we went on several walks and ran errands. Yesterday morning I was commissioned by my mother-in-law to make a couple more crochet hats as well, so that's what I worked on yesterday evening when all the adventuring was done. Well that and I did manage to remember to do day 5 of the TIAS.

As I mentioned, today is a holiday, so there's no schooling and the husband is home for the day. I do have a couple of pieces I should get remade for the shop and I have one more hat to crochet. Whenever I'm allowed to sit, I'll work on all that. I know I still need to list the single clover motifs as pendants, but I kind of doubt that will come about today. Sometime this week though, I hope. I still haven't completely shaken off that vacation feeling and today is not likely to help at all. Oh well, nothing for it. Off to start the day.

Clover Bracelets

I got a little determined yesterday to stay on task and get things done. After our last day of reduced schooling, I got the new woven and beaded bracelet listed. Then I started to contemplate how I was going to turn that little clover into a bracelet. It seemed easy enough, but it took more prototypes than I'm willing to admit to get all the joins just right. The other thing about this sort of design that uses motifs to create, is that it can only work up to certain sizes with very little wiggle room. I have to at least make the first one to fit me as I'm my own model, but I might make one another motif longer before I list it, so there's an option. I made it green after all the St. Patrick's Day talk, but I might do a pink one as well with Valentine's Day in mind.

I didn't stop there though. I thought maybe I could join them in alternating positions for a completely different look. This one I did in black to see if both the color and the position would diminish the holiday clover feel.  This one doesn't have it's hardware yet and I added rings at the ends so I could keep it with an odd number of motifs for the pattern. I think it worked the way I wanted it to, but you tell me. Does it still look tied to a holiday?

All this mucking about with clovers took up much of the day that I didn't give over to much needed house cleaning. With 6 cats the dust bunnies appears quickly and gain weight immediately. This of course conflicts with my desire to not to clean unless company is coming over because I also do not was not live in all that ick. I did get the day 4 TIAS made up though. Still not a clue as to what I just made, but I made it and I will see it through to the end.

We're back to real school today and I'm sure I'll use the rest of my time to play with clovers. I'm hoping to at least get the green bracelet and maybe a pendant or two listed. I am toying with the idea of sharing the pattern, but I use such hard to describe techniques, particularly the twisted picot, that I'm not sure how to express it clearly enough. It's not difficult to do of course, I'm just not sure I could properly explain it without video and I do not want to do that. I guess it probably won't be available anytime soon at least. Well, I guess that's it then, back to a nice normal routine.