Odds and ends!

I've put a post on the TIAS blog today so please take a look over there.  

Look what Royal Fail brought me last week!!!  Yes one of the 'let's spoil Jane' friends has sent me more threads and beads too!!!  Thanks Sue Anna.  

I finished the hanky edging last evening and will sew it on later today, I hope!!!   Well it is raining so I've got an excuse to stay in!!  Then I'll photograph it and will put it on the page ready for the pattern site.  Shouldn't take too long to finish the page off - it's almost ready.

Yesterday I listed a penguin and a dolphin in my Etsy shop but they flew out half an hour later along with a seahorse!!!  Guess what I'll be working on later this evening - more critter bookmarks!!!  

OR I may start another hanky edging!!!!

Another on my 'to do' list is to make the chicken wing coaster, sorry, doily that Geraldine showed us.  Good excuse now I've got lots of lovely new threads to play with!!!  I'll add another page to the web site for that.  So many things to do that I'll never be able to find 'mischief' again!!!!!

STOP PRESS - 5 new pop a bobbin shuttles will be in the Etsy shop tomorrow (Saturday).  I'll post pictures in the morning on this blog and will 'launch' them at around our lunchtime!!!!

Chicken wings

Remember Norman and his family from last year's TIAS who was followed (thanks to some prompting) by the chicken wing coaster?  Well I had a message last week from Geraldine.  

Now what surprises me is that with all this prompting and help I've suddenly realised I must've designed my first ever doily!!!!!!   I think I've been put off doilies for several reasons - firstly because there was little else to tat when I was a kid and secondly because I live in a house where doilies would be pointless!!!  Why?  Because of our clutter!!!!  So, this is what Geraldine had to say and what she's made.

"Just thought I'd show you what I have done with your chicken wings pattern, I had a thought (husband says these thoughts give him a headache) I wanted to see if it would work as you see it did. The one on the left I used braiding thread and on the right Altin Basak 50. I took just the top of chicken leg and added one double stitch to each of the side rings other wise no changes."

 

I'm gobsmacked.  Personally and between you and me there's only one word for what she's done - stunning.

Introduction and practice piece for TIAS 2011

Good morning.  Here is the link to the introduction and practice piece for the TIAS 2011. 

All links will be at the top of the page (above the posts) as they are released.

Please do shout if you need any help with this.  I'll be around most of the day and for the duration of the game.

My thanks must go wholeheartedly to three special people for being 'there' and for the following reasons. Gina (tattinggoddess) who has tested the whole pattern (brave woman!), Riet (Bengelblog) who is gallantly translating the whole thing into Dutch for her tatting group and finally Ridgewoman who tested the practice piece out for me with even fewer pictures.  She always says she can't 'fathom' techniques very easily so this is why I asked her to try it ahead of the TIAS!!!  I'm pleased to report that she flew through it!!!

An new edging and a pattern is finished!

I finally got the panda sorted and he's now living here!!!!

Also updated on the pattern site is the snowflake which Sharren made out of one of my very early patterns.   It's a stonking great addition to this very simple snowflake - thanks, Sharren.

I also got an edging started too.  I wanted a fast and easy edging for hankies.  This is what I came up with!!  The thread is one of the new Lizbeth ones - called Rainbow Taffy.  I used a plain ecru/cream colour with it too.

Does anybody want this pattern?  If so I'll get it up on the pattern page sooooon.

Something to make me laugh!

There's one person I can always laugh at and that is - ME!!!

At the 'tender' age of 67 I also feel I'm allowed to do that!!!  So my references to being an OG (Old Git) and a daft old moo are actually true and make me laugh at the same time!!!  I also think I'm funny - not necessarily funny as in funny, funny but just odd funny!!!

So, on New Years Eve the following card arrived which made me nearly pee my aged pants laughing!!!  It was from Georgia.

I cannot go through life without a giggle - even during my 'four bad years' I had to laugh at myself.  The Queen had an annus horribilis - I had 'four bad years'.  Perhaps she should've sent for me to help her see the funny side of her bad year as my four were a LOT worse than hers!!!

Thank you Georgia and all those who laugh at me and along with me - without you I'd still be laughing but very sadly, alone.

Happy New TIAS to you all!!!!

And, of course, a Happy New Year.

I've come to a decision.  The Tat It And See is going to start on January 12th.  

BUT there will be a practice piece before then which I'll give you on January 5th first.  This will give me time to help anybody who MAY need it with this teeeeeny tinnnyyyy technique.  

For newcomers it will also give you a hint of what is to come too.  Only a very, very small one, though!!!

Another bookmark!!!

Yet another of the magnetic bookmarks!!!!  I'm taking time off now for a while - well, until I can't resist the urge to make more!!!

I've stiffened this one so it keeps it's shape a bit better.  He's now floating around looking very handsome in my shop.

Oh, I think the Tat It And See is nearly ready to go 'live'.  I have a friend working her way through it at the moment so I think I can fix the date.  Probably by tomorrow I'll have sorted that part out and any glitches she may have found too.  There are always 'glitches'!!!!

Are you jealous?

Well as usual Royal Fail let me down before Christmas but has finally delivered the giveaway I won from Diane's blog.

The gift arrived (along with a flurry of Christmas cards some of which were posted locally on the 14th December) yesterday morning.  This is what I was expecting - the little pouch.  Just right for popping in a handbag or even inside a roly poly tat bag!!!

But this little pouch had a 'bulge' to it - rather like my body which bulges in places I'd rather not mention!!!

Inside was the following.  Some Sulky thread which is SO pretty, a ball of number 80 thread, a clippy thing (I use loads of those), an ezybob AND a shuttle.  I'm going to add pictures of 'just the shuttle' to show you how very, very pretty it is.  Thanks SO much, Diane, for running the giveaway and thank you to whoever the random generator or picker out of my name was too.  I'm a VERY happy OG.

Worms!

Now, today I want to talk about worms!

One of my secret passions is talking to worms but lately my worms haven't been very talkative.  In fact I've not seen a lot of them due to the extremely cold weather!!

It's true before anybody starts thinking I'm even more bonkers than you already thought.  I DO have worms and they live at the bottom of my garden.  See - you guys have fairies and I have WORMS.

They live in my compost maker and are very hard working little critters.

So now you're wondering why I'm telling you this.  Well, one lady who bought a bookmark off me wanted a 'hanging worm' rather than one that sits on top of the book.  So I re-did the stitch count on the original worm, added another split ring - oh, and some glittery thread and here is her worm. A glamorous, glittery worm and the total opposite of MY common or garden (actually compost) worms!!!!

Black and White

Now while I'd got the black and white thread out for penguins I decided to 'have a go' at making a panda!!!

Quite a challenge as you can see!!!  

Sadly there are a few cuts and ties in this pattern for which I apologise - I don't DO those unless forced to.  I like my work to be in one 'hit' from start to finish!!!  I'll add the pattern to my pattern page as soon as I get the abbreviations sorted which is my 'unfavouritist' thing to do!!!!

Anyway, here he is both solo and also as a bookmark which was is an order from somebody I shared with as I was working on him.

Total relaxation

This is what I do to relax!!!!  Make something I like making in colours I like too!!!!

I have slightly stiffened these so they keep their shape as the tails may straighten without.  Actually that's not true - I doubt very much that they would as I tat tightly and I've got several which have stayed 'as put' for years.  Anyway they are now listed so if you want a closer look you'll have to toddle off over here!!!! 

Update on Monday morning.  The green one has got the same built in secret wings that the penguins have!!! It's already flown out of the shop!!!!! 

An expensive penguin!!!

Why am I showing you yet another penguin?   Well this is probably THE most expensive penguin in our neck of the woods and beyond!!!

Why?  Well to make him look presentable I had to go out in the snow and buy a new iron!!!! 

I got totally fed up with having to scramble down the passageway between our two houses (us and next door) with a stepladder to re-set the trip switch on the socket circuit.  Every time I did any ironing it would 'trip'.  OK now I'll be honest  I don't 'do' a lot of ironing - well, not of clothes, but I do like to lightly press my tatting sometimes and as I usually do that on the way to bed (ready to blog) you can imagine the cussing that went on when I had to go and sort the trip out in the cold and dark (and snow!!!).

So yesterday I reserved a new iron online at Argos and then trudged up there in the snow.  Oh, that was after slithering down the town, visiting an 'oldie' at the other side of town and then going home.  Argos is is situated in yet another direction so off I went again.  Well I guess it keeps an OG fit!!!!  Boy, the backs of my legs ache today!!

Over the weekend I'll be adding some more to the shop - I've got it in my head to make a seahorse or two and a dolphin.  You never know what else may appear too!!!!

Oh, this little guy is now here.

 

5"

Despite the ongoing 5" of snow and little traffic making it down our road, the threads that Sally and I ordered from Zig-Zag Corner arrived yesterday with 'Mr Misery' driving the Parcel Force van.  What can I say about them?  Well they are the Lizbeth threads and the new variagated colours too.  They are stupendous.  

I was given some thread called Autumn Spice and I found I kept on going back to the Ezbob which it was on to use it.  I was convinced it was one of the HDT range that I'd been sent so was totally gobsmacked when I looked it up to buy more and found it was Lizbeth.  The new colours seem to be much better to me as they  sort of 'bleed' into each other without any sudden changes.  At my age sudden changes aren't good for you or your health and temper!!!!

Also via a regular 'on the hoof' postie came my magnets and the beads I won on Ebay (see below).  The beads are Impex embroidery beads and are drop dead gorgeous.  Thank you, Sally, for pointing out this seller on Ebay.  

So here in a snowy UK there sits an OG with a BIG smile on her face.  There'll be no more talk of Royal Fail (I actually gave the postman a BIG hug - poor man looked terrified) until they let me down again!!!  Probably next week as the system doesn't appear to be working yet.

One final question though - how and why DO they manage to deliver bills like the huge one from the Inland Revenue and the house insurance company?  Is there a wicked plot going on?   If so then can somebody out there put a stop to it, please?

Hmmmm

Blogger problems sorted themselves out yesterday eventually and I put the 'tease' picture for the TIAS on there.  No need or reason to complain about a very, very good free service and one that keeps me out of mischief (that's blogger I'm talking about although it could also be said about the TIAS)!!!

Having now been blogging for a while (since May 2006, for crying out loud!!) I wonder what I'd do if I didn't blog?   It's become a part of my life like my morning bowl of porridge!!!  Through blogging I am stimulated by others blogs and by comments that are made on this one.  So much so that a chance remark about penguins set me off on another daft idea.  I'll show you once I'm totally happy with it - which I'm not yet!!!

So to my other daily grumble - Royal Fail!!!  Letters turned up yesterday finally.  A customs 'demand' for threads I've bought from America.  This is interesting as the invoice was raised on the 15th of December.  Even that's taken five days to get to me.  Other post is slowly drifting in but my three small packets (beads and more magnets) are still not here.  Do hope that Father Christmas isn't an employee of Royal Fail!!  I feel I'm due for my weekly trip to the local sorting office for a grumble although the five inches of snow may save them this week.  I don't 'do' grumbling or arguing very well as I can always see the other person's point of view even better than my own. 

Some really, really nice folks work at the sorting office and I can't speak to them because they are so good - I always 'demand' to speak to a manager.  Doesn't get me very far but at least I feel better for trying!!!!

HOTP - or Hot Off The Phone!!!

http://tatitandsee.blogspot.com/This post is a little late this morning because I've been on the phone.  Bad news - I'll not be able to meet Jon Yusoff this morning because (very sensibly) they're skipping and missing our small town to go straight down towards Gatwick!!

Bummer as I was really looking forward to meeting her for a grand 'tatting natter'.  The snow here is still 4" deep and the roads are a bit scary from what I've seen from a careful 'stagger and slip' down the town yesterday.  Jon says the M1 is fine from the weather reports.  Next time you come to the UK, Jon, PLEASE don't come in the winter when it may snow!!  Please bring some of your local sunshine and a postman too - if you can find one!!!!
 
I'm going to share another diddly bit of the TIAS.  It's all done and dusted and floating about up on url's.  Not telling you anymore than that, though!!!!  Keep an eye on the TIAS blog for more news.

I'll be tormenting you more with this over the next few days/week!!!

So, ya, boo sucks to those who were guessing it was something to do with 'blue'!!!!  I changed colours on you!!!

Well, penguins CAN fly!

Bet you all didn't know that!!!  It's a fact and I can prove it!!! 

I never ever list anything in the Etsy shop unless it's made and in my box ready to go but I decided that, as the penguin I showed you on Saturday's blog post got snapped up before it had even got into the shop that I'd make another!!!  

As the eejit that I am I decided to use the photos I'd taken of number one penguin and list those in the store.  Then I toddled off downstairs to make a replacement 'just in case'!!! 

I'd only just got the centre done and whooops and yipppeeeee the little beggar got snapped up before birth - in the womb, in fact.  That kept me busy.  SO that proves that penguins can fly - out of my shop!!!! 

Also gave me another idea so I worked on that yesterday evening.  Hope to show you sometime soon.

As for Royal Fail - you've not heard me grizzle about them for ages.  They are still failing us dismally and we've not had any post since Thursday now.  It's very, very localised from what I can gather having had another 'I want to see the manager' stint at the local sorting office.  Still awaiting magnets and some beads I won in Ebay and those were sent via first class mail well over a week ago!!!  OK, so Royal Fail are putting the cost of a first class stamp up soon but you won't catch this OG buying one - I'll stick to second class, thanks!!!! 

Last two for now!!!

I'm going to have to tear myself away from these magnets - they're magnetising me into making more and more!!!  Today I MUST get back to the TIAS again.  

When working on a big project I have to put it aside from time to time because 

a)  I fall out with it!!!

b)  I need to 'forget' it for a week or so before going back to it fresh.

and

c)  The OG gets distracted by things such as magnets!!!

These two will go into my shop later today.  I'm finding they  disappear pretty quickly and also I've got more ideas brewing too!!! 

Heart and butterfly

Once I get a bee in my bonnet I can't get rid of it!!  Anybody got a shotgun?!?!?  Can't stand that buzzzzzzing!

Seriously I'm delighted with the interest shown in this magnet idea as I know it works so well.  It's the first time I've ever had a bookmark that really does it's job - even when I drop the book!!!

So yesterday I got settled in tat corner really early and managed to finish off an orange butterfly that I started on Wednesday, before making the heart (also below).  The heart pattern is one of my own which I 'doctored'!!!!  This morning I saw a comment on yesterday's blog from Ridgewoman which made me smile as I seem to have got to be one jump ahead of her!!!  Here's her comment!

"You LOVE making these; so why not each holiday, have a theme? Heart for Feb. Leprechaun or clover for St. Patrick's, firecracker or shooting star for July 4 (here across the pond) and so forth…How bout Initials? Then, they'd really be personalized."

Also when I woke up this morning I wondered what a penguin bookmark would look like!!  Anybody think that's a good idea or has brain cell 3 'lost the plot'?

Yet another pheewwww day!!!

A busy day AGAIN yesterday with Silver Surfers in the morning followed by the volunteer's Christmas 'get together'.  

I was asked by our gallant leader to take some of my Winsome Drop earrings and the magnetic bookmarks to show her - which I did!!!  I came home with a few less!!

Why am I telling you?  Well amongst the things she bought were the larger magnetic butterfly bookmarks so I came home with just one to list!! So towards the end of the afternoon I managed to get the 'remains' listed here!!!  Then I woke up this morning to find that 2 had already flown the 'nest'.  No, that's wrong - butterflies don't 'live' in nests but  you know what I mean!!!

I did finish off another of the larger ones last night (see below) and will put it in the shop either later today or tomorrow.  They are slightly more expensive because they do take a lot more time.  I'm also going to do a few along this line but with hearts dangling - more suggestions always welcome!!  If you ever see anything you want in the store but want it in another colour then do drop me a line.  There is a 'conversation' facility there or you could just send a message to the 'mad old bat in the UK'.

A bit of news about the TIAS.  It's still progressing but slowly!!!

Phewwww, what a day!!!

I'm talking about yesterday!!!  Instead of bragging about what I've got listed in the Etsy shop I'm going to tell you about what I haven't got!!!  What do they call that?  Hmmmm, negative thinking?  No, that's not it.   Ah, probably being awkward - as usual!!!!  Actually there is just one poor, lonely, hookless Pop a Bobbin still left needing a new home!

The shuttles just flew out.  I hardly had time for my lunch.  It's quite a task when things happen that quickly - well, it is for an OG.  Needs concentration getting the right things in the right packets etc and then I have to fill in a spreadsheet to keep a track of Etsy and Paypal charges'.  When I've finally got that sorted I send Sally and 'im in the garage the money to go towards more wood etc!!!

Interestingly I sold both of the last magnetic bookmarks which were in the shop too.  I do have several more (5 or 6) but haven't listed those yet as I'm taking them to show the lass who organises us volunteers for Silver Surfers.  We're having our Christmas lunch today after the teaching session at the library.  I'll list any that don't sell in the shop on Thursday.  

Oh, for those who don't know (and I bet you dooooo) there is now an option to list your items in other currencies.  I nearly changed mine to GBP but decided I now work better in USD!!!!  Strange woman that I am!!!!  Another change I noticed was that when you go to Etsy without being signed in you're given the option to view in another currency.  Clever lot those guys and gals who run that online store.