Nearly back to normal

Whatever that is!!!

I've had a LOT of personal stuff to sort out since I got back. Both physical and mental (think BC3 is still on holiday, though) but hope that by the end of this coming week it'll all be 'done and dusted'.

I'm still struggling with unpacking the suitcase and I'm going to blog what's been in there over the next few days. Problem is - where do I start? I have no pictures of the lessons I taught as they were very busy. I spent most of the time trying to help people - just hope that helped.

The first thing I'm going to show you today is SOME (a very small some) of the goodies that were in the grand prize - which I thought they were kidding me about when it was announced I'd won!!! I promise you - this was only a very small part of what was in there. 

I love the little pouch on the left of the light. It's a squeeze one which you give a squeeze too and then it opens. Glittery too. More thread heaven too and lots of thread and beads. The foldaway LED lamp was in there too. Funny story about that. When I was at Gloria's house we got it out and put the batteries in. It instantly lit up. Problem was that we couldn't fathom how to turn it off!!! Three of us (Gloria, Joanie and I) thought, in the end, that we'd have to take the batteries out. Finally we worked it out!!! There isn't a 'switch' but a light touch pad to turn it off. Brilliant piece of equipment.

I'm BACK!!!

And my knickers too!!!! 

I arrived yesterday at 'silly o'clock' (half past six in the morning) on the red eye flight. The return journey wasn't without it's hiccups either. 

Joanie took me to Orlando airport in plenty of time and we took the 'ride and fly' bus to the terminal. A GREAT idea on her part. Once there I went to the checkin desk and the lady took my passport, scanned it and told me I was late for my flight. DOH. I was three hours EARLY. Then she said my flight was already delayed. She decided to do what she called 'some housework' and offered me the chance of an earlier flight which I took with great delight. It was leaving in an hour.

As you guys know - an hour isn't long to get from checkin to the gate via security and a train plus quite a walk and then boarding but I managed it. Must've been a funny sight - an old git wobbling in a running (sort of) manner through the departure lounge!!!

Good news is that the suitcase made it on the same plane too. Six (or more) hours in Newark listening to podcasts and tatting was reasonably pleasant. We hit speed bumps (some people call it turbulence) going through the jet stream but the journey was fine.

The photo is from the plane as we landed in Newark.

A walk in the park

Yesterday we went for a walk in the local park - Highlands Hammock State Park.  Sooooo beautiful.

Here are some pictures of the swamp area and a tortoise we met too!  Sadly we didn't meet an alligator but we did see a young deer which dashed across the track in front of us.  

There were lots of air plants and ferns with many cedar knees which were strange.  Many birds and butterflies were around too but they moved too quickly for an old git like me to take photos.  Maybe I should learn to fly or move faster?  

Another motif

I've had this blog post ready for a few days now and it's been sitting in my drafts waiting to be 'launched'.  I've been too busy enjoying myself to do much tatting but normality will shortly return when I get home on Thursday.  

Between the three of us who were together when I joined these two there was a lot of discussion on what the designer really meant.  It caused a lot of mumbling by BC3 and several re-tats too.  In the end I think I 'got it'.  

Only another five to do!  Unless I decide to do more, of course!

Something I forgot

Completely forgot to show you where Sandra and I went to the first day I was in Atlanta.  I've always told you that if I had a full set of brain cells I'd be dangerous!

We went to the Botanical Gardens in Atlanta where there's an exhibition of Chihuly art.  http://atlantabg.org/visit/events/chihuly  

I didn't really know what to expect but it was a big jaw dropping surprise.  Here are a few pictures which can't possibly do it justice.  An amazing exhibition in a wonderful setting.

St Simon's Island

On our way from South Carolina to Florida Joanie and I decided to spend a couple of days in Brunswick.  From there we visited St Simon's Island which is a beautiful spot. 

While there we saw people crab fishing and we ate at Gnat's Landing which was really yummy.  We visited the lighthouse too and 'shopped till we dropped'.  Lots of antique places and craft stores too.  Essential shopping for BC3!!!!!

Tree hugging

This takes the concept of hugging trees to a new level.  A tree hugging another tree.

Tatting in South Carolina

I'm staying (along with Joanie) with Gloria in the most beautiful setting on the side of Lake Murray. 

Yesterday (along with Bonnie) we decided to tackle one of the patterns in All New Knotless Tatting by Dora Young.  Can't tell you how much fun it is to tat the same thing LIVE with good friends.  Below is the first of seven motifs which will join together to make a truly pretty doily.

When Joanie showed me the doily she'd made I honestly didn't recognise it as tatting.  Seeing it inspired BC3 to have to make one too!

I won!

The star prize.

At the very end of the weekend there was a draw.  To enter you had to put in an anonymous feedback form about what you thought about the weekend.  Obviously everyone wanted to win the prize but I wasn't really bothered as it was so HUGE and wouldn't fit in my suitcase anyway.  As so many people attended Tat Days there was no chance of winning but I popped my tear off slip from the bottom of the sheet and placed it in the box anyway.  It would be ungrateful not to take part.

There were several announcements before the the draw started and I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention as nearby there's a good wifi hotspot and I was leaning against the wall checking my iPad for emails.  Suddenly my name was called and I thought they were teasing me.  I get teased a lot at Tat Days which is part of the reason I love going.  When I realised that they really were calling my name I was beyond shocked to find out that I'd won the monster prize.  Do you want to know what was in there?  Well, a short, very short list is - thread, beads, a wonderful folding lamp, photo albums (for tatting), chocolate, thread, beads, more thread, postcards, magnetic tins, photo frames (for tatting), thread and many other treasures.

Now to work out how to get it home - minus the chocolate, of course!

Sadly it's all over

That's Tat Days but not the trip, thankfully.

The weekend went far too quickly (along with money!).  You would think that BC3 would've learned to listen to instructions by now.  I mean, isn't it clear to everybody that 'no more thread' actually means 'no more thread' at ALL!  Ah well I'll have to find a job when I get home!  Vending was just too easily accessible!  

I reckon the Palmetto Tatters interfere with time itself on their weekend as it seems that time flies.  Maybe next year they should employ Dr Who to help with the 'time flying ' problem.  Sadly I got very very few pictures again this time but I did get two 'general' ones.

Guess what else happened?  I won the big prize at the very end.  WHOOOPPPEEEEE.  A HUGE bag of goodies including a portable desk top LED lamp which is going to be so useful.  I found chocolate in the bag too but I'm not telling anybody about that!  Don't you dare tell either.  There was more thread in the bag too!

More to come as and when I get time or, more truthfully, when the brain (including 'you know who') thinks of things.  

Up a mountain

Yesterday we went up Stone Mountain which is near Atlanta.  It is an amazing place.  A huge lump of granite rising out of the ground rather like Ayers Rock.

Very hot up at the top but spectacular views.  It was a bit hazy but you could just see Atlanta in the distance.  We did NOT walk to the top in case you were wondering!  We took the cable car up.

Later in the day we picked up Nine from the airport and she stayed with us at Sandra's overnight too.  We went to eat at the Flying Biscuit - one of my favourite places.  The biscuits are wonderful.

Today we're picking up Karey from the airport and are off to Toccoa where Tat Days fun begins.  Wifi there is pretty flakey and I'll be kept pretty busy so you may not hear much over the next few days.

Arrived

Pleased to announce that the suitcase arrived at Sandra's eight hours after it landed. 

We were beginning to wonder whether the contents were causing concern for customs but all is well!

The tatting bags, brooches and bracelets I've brought to sell at Tat Days are all fine too. I just hope I sell lots so I can afford to go home!!!!

We're off to Stone Mountain today and yesterday we went to the botanical gardens which were fanflippingtastic. Pictures below if I've inserted them properly!

Arrived safely

In Atlanta. That's the good news!

Now for the not so good news. An emergency trip had to be made to Walmart (thank you, Sandra) to buy the 'bare essentials'. Why? Well my luggage including all my tatting for Tat Days decided to stay in Frankfurt! Not a happy bunny.

Hope to be reunited with it later today. Walmart and Sandra are my saviours!  Least baggage claim knew where it was and we're now tracking it online.  This is the third time my luggage has gone AWOL over the years but before it's been on the way home!

Watch out

America here I come. 

Hopefully by the time you read this (if you bother!) I will be on the way. Leaving home at 'silly o'clock'.  When this post goes live I'll probably be dithering between flights in another country. Well, that's not true - it'll be more like dashing. 

I've got an hour and a half between the two flights and if it works out like last year it's a heck of a dash if I have to get to another hub. This may entail a train ride again too. That plus security!! 

I played the 'old git' card last year and the very, very kind people in the queue at security let me go ahead as they could see I would probably be slower than them and the information board was already flagging that my next flight was boarding.

Anyway - will try and blog a few times while I'm away but meanwhile enjoy the break from my ramblings.

Blue bracelet

Before I start - I have number 91 in the TIAS 2016.  Here's the link to see Kathleen's rabbit!

This blog maybe quiet for a couple of weeks. Who was that who said 'hooray'? I'll try to post while I'm away but it's unlikely1!!!

Of course, once the doodads had been 'sourced' from within the confines of the tatting cupboard it was easier to make another bracelet to go with the blue earrings than to put everything away again!! Tell me - why is it always so easy to get things out of a cupboard and always SO hard to make yourself put the remains away TIDILY?

So here is the blue bracelet. It's really, really simple - the rings are 2 - 1 join to the doodad and the chains are 3 vsp 3. You join the rings with a bead and continue to the outer round which is simply a lock chain joining to the previous 'normal' chain. Oh, the lock chain is 3, lock join, 3. It's not rocket science!!!

Anyway - because I thought people may not have doodads I did another version which replaced the metal part but was designed round a bead. Here's the link.

Green bracelet

Back a few years ago I went through a 'doodad' phase and every so often the urge to play with doodads returns!!! 

When I was packing to travel the other day I realised that I didn't have 'quite the right' bracelet to go with these pairs of earrings. So off I went into the tatting cupboard to find my doodads of which I seem to have many thanks to this wonderful gift, this one and this one too

Then it was time to play!!! More tomorrow, folks!!!!

Pattern now available

Things take time. I'll admit that I finished this a few weeks ago but then both forgot I'd done it and also kept running out of time. 

Also my problem is that I'm a little bit loath to part with a pattern until I've got something else started!!! I've absolutely no idea why - perhaps an all consuming fear that I'll run out of ideas. I also get spaces of time when all I want to do is play with mindless stuff!! Usually once I've started on something straightforward I then get bored and my mind starts to wander and other ideas pop into visit BC3!!! I suffer for my craft, you know!!!

So finally I got the butterfly doily checked out over the weekend - here it is.

Another and another!

This time I have another octopus (no worrying about the plural today!!!) and a seahorse. 

Ms Anonymous sent these in.  I've been asked not to say who as she's planning a surprise!!!  

The seahorse pattern is here if you should want it. Looking at it - it's a pattern that needs a re-write by the look of it. That's something which is now on my 'to do' list. 

On that list is the Christmas snowflake (which is started) and the next TIAS which isn't started!!!!

Two whatever you want to call them!

The subject was going to be 'Two Octopuses' but then I thought perhaps it should be 'Two Octopi' so off I went in search of what Mr Google said. I came back even more confused as you can see from this link!!

Anyway, these guys came from Tine who made them from the pattern you can find here.

Looking at the date on this pattern it makes me realise how time flies.

Butterflies again

Another butterfly doily finished - my excuse is that I wanted to check the stitch count again but in all honesty - I just enjoyed making it.

This one is made with a size 40 thread. 

I'm afraid blog posts maybe a bit scarce and spasmodic for a while. I really need to focus on making the trip over the pond or I'll end up in America with no clothes!!! 

All tatting supplies (for my lessons) plus the tatting bags, brooches and a few bracelets that are going in the vending room are in the suitcase, but I can't seem to get motivated to sort out clothes.

Fandango square again

Finally got this Fandango Doily finished and it will be going with me to America. In fact it's already sitting in my suitcase with Georgia's name on it as it's going into the auction.  Actually I know a secret - a BIG secret about the auction but I'M NOT GOING TO TELL.  It's something that's being auctioned but I'M NOT GOING TO TELL.  Did you hear that?  I'm not going to tell so it's no use you asking!!!!!  

This doily is done in a size 40 thread and actually looks a lot better in 'real life' than it does here. That's not unusual, though, is it?

I think I've now got all the tatting stuff packed - I leave in about ten days time but next week is going to be MANIC for me as I deal with some ongoing personal 'stuff'. Nothing serious, I assure you, but stuff that can only be dealt with by me with some quite odd decisions to be made. Considering that I'm a real ditherer this will be hard to accomplish!!!  I can dither for England, I'll have you know!!!

Something I've been thinking about.

Back when I started tatting in 1956 the only patterns I could get hold of were the old Coats (well, of course, they were new then!) and Penelope leaflets. 

The patterns in there were what I assumed tatting was all about and they kept me quiet for many years. Occasionally I would do a large project and the amount of thread needed was always stated as 'one ball' or 'two balls' of thread.

Sixty years on and people now want the exact amount of thread needed given in the pattern. This is soooooo annoying to me as it does take considerable effort (poor old BC3) to work out how much is needed and then to remember that people's tensions may vary and they may need more or less.   Even more frustrating as thread now costs much the same as it did 'back then' but was to me very expensive when I had to save up pocket money for it.

I struggle to add this to my patterns as I honestly don't see the point of this unless there is only a small amount of thread left on a shuttle or ball. 

I find, personally, that I get more leftovers that are too small to use by using stated amounts and would far rather not have the hassle of feeling I need to give quantities on a pattern. Having said that - I will do my best to continue to provide this - unless it's a doily!!!!

This is, I suppose a contradictory post but that's how discussions between myself (the semi rational part) and BC3 go!!!!  Happy Tuesday, folks!!!!

Fandango butterfly doily sorted!!!

Well I think it's sorted!!! I like the finishing round which is simple but holds the whole thing together.

Now I really, really 'need' to get the pattern done and uploaded. That, as you know, takes a lot of doing - not that it's hard - it's just fiddly remembering to put in all the links and to put the images in the right place!!!! 

Instead of talking about it - perhaps I ought to just 'do' it!!!

Another bauble!!

This time (and with the same thread) I've added beads to the ribs. In this case there are only six ribs and I've finished it off with beads too. 

This is a slower process - adding beads to the ribs but I do like it. Maybe I'll try a bell with ribs on the beads (I mean, beads on the ribs) next time. 

Now for a bauble!

Still using up the odds and ends and now playing with one of my favourite techniques. The lovely bauble which was originally 'invented' by the late Bobbie Demmer and taken to new heights by the Houtz brothers as most of you will all know. Am I teaching you to suck eggs like you do to grandmother?!?!?

This is a ten rib bauble and at the moment I'm undecided over how to finish it off. I'm 'thinking' beads on the ribs which is, I must admit my favourite way to finish these off!!!

A heart and a motif

More using up of the threads on the EZ-Bobs and I just LOVE the top one although I've no idea who's HDT it is!!!! It's a lovely colour way to work with too.

The bottom one is back to the last of the snowflake HDT from Yarnplayer. 

The patterns are the recently updated hearts (3 of them) which can be found here and this little motif which is here.

Back to the Fandango butterfly

I wanted to see the Fandango butterfly as a mini doily so I started back on the 'butterfly adventure'!!!

First of all the design needed a flower for the butterflies to sit on. So, here is the mini doily - so far!!!!  

Naturally, and being me,I'm not happy with it one bit. OK, the stitch count works but it looks sort of 'bare' round the outside. I've got an idea for that 'on the shuttles' at the moment. Just hope it works out!

Updated hearts pattern

While I've been playing with 'odds and ends' of threads I also thought it maybe a good opportunity to check another of my 'old' patterns out. 

This is the one I've now sorted into my more 'modern' method of annotation. I've now added the instructions for those who like front side tatting too and actually changed everything except the stitch count which would've been dangerous as the design worked well as it was.

Anyway, this is the pattern I'm talking about.

A bauble

As I mentioned yesterday I found another EZ-Bob with Yarnplayer's HDT on so that had to be used!!!! I decided that if I used a plain thread for the ribs then I'd probably have enough for a bauble. 

When I got halfway through this one I decided to make rings using the chain thread.  The rings give the design a sort of 'skirt'.  It's very hard to take photos of these baubles so I apologise for the pictures. 

Anyway, the adventure didn't stop there as I ran out of thread on the chain shuttle but still had plenty left on the shuttle shuttle (core thread). I wound some off that and onto the chain shuttle and, using a knotless join, continued on my merry way. I'm really pleased with this little guy and it would've made a lovely earring - IF I'd written down the stitch counts!!!!

Oh, I still had enough left to make another SCMR butterfly.

Leftovers

Actually there are three butterflies (one escaped the scanner) but then I discovered another EZ-Bob with some more Snowflake HDT on it!!! So, I have another project underway which I will show you soon.

These little butterflies (along with any others that may happen) will go to a very worthy cause. What's that? I hear you ask. 

Well I know that the Palmetto Tatters take a pitch at the South Carolina State Fair in October. They collect butterflies and other small tatted items to share with the thousands of fair goers. There can never be enough to give away so these will help out a bit. If you've got any little tatty bits then they'd be glad to have them. Contact details can be found here.

More 'bits and pieces'.

Well after just three of the Fandango hearts I got bored so started in on the Tiny Star pattern.

As you can see below - that top one is the original but I got fed up with that and decided to play with stitch counts. The next one down just didn't work - too cramped so that little star is going nowhere except the bin!!!

The other two are much better and the last one is, I think, the best of all. Now I've got just over a yard of thread on each shuttle so you'll have to see what I make with that tomorrow - I do NOT waste thread!!!!

Oh I do know what this thread is called too - it's 'Snowflake' from Yarnplayer.  Least that's what it says on the EZ-Bob it's come off so I hope it's right!!!