House keeping and more

The housekeeping refers to the blogs that I follow.  I spent ages yesterday afternoon sorting them out. 

Why? Well, I went to add another one and got my wrists slapped by blogger who told me I was already following 300 which is the limit they allow!!! Naughty, naughty Jane!!!

So I went on a journey and checked each blog and deleted all those that hadn't been updated for over a year.  It was a sentimental trip as I deleted old friends who's blogs I'd been following.  BUT I couldn't delete Gina Brummett's blog - not yet.  There was one blog left there that I thought I'd deleted ages ago as when I visited it and clicked on a picture it took me to some very suspect places.  It's gone now too.  Frightening as who knows what nasties are on that person's computer.

I've got the list down to 204 now.  Next job is to go and remove from the front of the blog (that's the bit you see on the right side of the posts) those who don't blog regularly and add those that do!!!!  Well, that's the plan but I need another stretch of time to do it in!!!  I just hope that people will let me know of (or that I'll find) new tatting blogs to add.  I'd hate to miss anything to do with tatting!

Just for a change I made a Fandango coaster - and then I didn't like it!!!!  It just wasn't quite right for some reasons - just the colours, I mean.

Another!

I have had one of 'those' weeks when the sort of problems that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy have assailed this poor old git. They're ongoing at the moment and soooo complicated I couldn't possibly explain it all and anyway, I wouldn't want you to fall asleep either.

So, between dashing around yesterday I did manage to finish off the second bracelet and have listed it in the Etsy shop too. 

Well, I say 'too' but the other bracelet I put in yesterday has already sold. How COOL is that? That'll help pay for the web site when the payment is due later this year.  Thank you my lovely purchaser.

Bracelet Snowflake

Just remembered that I've made two bracelets quite recently but they managed to lose themselves!!!  I found them yesterday and got this one packed up and listed before I got interrupted by life yet again!

This one is made with Yarnplayer's Snowflake HDT and is soooo pretty. 

As you know I have an addiction to making these bracelets but there are only so many I could possibly wear so I've now listed this one in the Etsy shop here. Hope to get the other one packed up and ready tomorrow. I'll let you know!

Prevarification!

What IS it about my brain? Why do I start something then dither? Have I got a touch of the 'ditherifications' in my old age or have I always been like this? I can answer that one - I've always been like this.

So, I started the diamonds as a 'big project' as I'm just not in designer mode at the moment!!!! I'll get back to that mode in due course, but I do enjoy just tatting for play and without having to think too much.

Most of my life I've used size 20 thread as that was the only size that was readily available when I was a kid. Lately (and with poorer eyesight) I've decided to partly switch to size 40 as well - as 'they' say in America - go figure!!! So I have a smallish collection of 40 threads and want to play with those. 

The centre of this project is made with Lizbeth threads - rainbow taffy (which I always think of as the smiley thread - because it always makes me smile) and 'a green'. Now the pink centre is again a Lizbeth thread for the centre (something spring, I think) and then (and this is where the problem MAY lie) an Olympus plain pink. To me the pink looks like it's a thicker thread. OR is it the colour that's making it look that way? Well, only one way to find out is to fold the motif so that a green one sits on top of the pink. Guess what? The difference is SOOOOO tiny that a blind man would be very glad to see it.

So, onwards and upwards!!  OR does the ditherfication set in again and lead me to something else.  Time will tell!!!

Making new friends

One of the reasons I love living in this town is because people come here! 

Katte and Darla are in England at the moment taking in as many of the sights as they can fit in during a two week stay.  Fortunately they came through town yesterday and we had a lovely day walking around the sights.  Shame they brought a really cold wind with them but at least they left the rain down in Portsmouth!!!

So, when we got to the theatre and had a cuppa and a bite to eat it was then time to talk tatting.  We highjacked a table and got our goodies out.  Well, they did but I left home in such a rush I'd got nothing with me except what is always in my handbag.

I must say I was very impressed with Katte's tools that she's invented and shared and will tell and show you those another day. Meantime I've managed to scan two shuttles they gave me. The one is made of leather and the other is hand painted bone. It's SOOOO delicate that the lady who does them has to use a magnifying glass.  

You can see the two tourists doing 'touristy things' and taking photos of the Birthplace.  Bless their cotton socks.  OR in Darla's case - hand knitted socks!!!

Great day and thank you both for 'popping in' to my town and getting in touch.

A busy day

That was yesterday. I spent a good part of the day sorting out the beading section of my tips and techniques pages.

Before I give you the appropriate links I must say that it amazes me that the idea (which I know had never been thought of before) that I had for adding beads without loading them to the shuttle or chain thread some years ago was seemingly ignored for many years!!!!

It sort of amused me as I was using it but nobody else seemed to want to. Nowadays I'm tickled to see it being used all the time but what I find extraordinary is that it's also being used when only one bead is involved. Each to their own and I've found myself doing that too lately!!!!  I'm talking about the long beaded picot.  Now I've simplified that page here and amended the similar (BUT THEY'RE NOT THE SAME!!!) page which is here.

I've also added this page with additions too.  Part of it used to be on the long beaded picot page but I've now made it into a 'floating beads' page.

Not sure if you've seen this before but it's talking about how and where beads can be used in rings and chains.

So, that's what you call a busy day!!!  What else happened?  It rained and rained and rained!!!