Daughter in getting married...someday!

Nope, He is not my son, (mentioned on the 25Motif blog) it is my daughter marrying him. However, I will say he has been accepted as a son ever since they started dating! This pic is proof she belongs to me...don't we look alike"? The other gal in the gargyle is my older daughter and I have another in Arizona. My post now that I re-read, does not really say who is my kid though does it? Nope, thank goodness I had daughters. I would have sooooo messed up a boy baby! I don't get boys. A professor used to refer to them as testosterone poisoned! They would hve been gals except for that surge!! Hee hee.

They did it!!

They did it! My baby and her honey of 5 years are gonna get married! Oh Goodness, now what! I am hoping they are not gonna do it tooooo soon...My baby is too young (24) I think they should wait until she is older....like 40? Nah..he is a great guy and I wish them many years of happiness and good fortune. Now, I can give her that surprise you see below! Hope she is not reading this!! If so...Sammy!! Don't you peek now!! They got engaged at a place in Pittsburgh called Phipps Conservatory. A local landmark, and one of their fav spots. They are currently showing a Chuhuli glass exhibit. It is a remarkable display. The third pic is an example...all glass! Looks so real you would think glass actually did grow from the ground!!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!!

I can not believe I had not posted since October!! Trust me, I have been tatting!!I sent out all my packages to Mary...Her last exchange. I really have fun with these!! Especially the Christmas one. When I am busy shopping for every-one else, it is nice to get a little somethin, somethin to make the holiday fun for me too!!


My Christmas tree is VERY heavy after 30+ years of accumulated ornaments. It has never fallen over until....last night! 3am just as I actually went to bed...CRASH!! Only a few broke which was miraculous!! No real special ones...on a scale of 1=10. Every one have a nice day

Another Glow-in-the-Dark Ornament

Ok, so I am addicted to weird things!! Go figure!! This one is blue blending filament with the glowy thread. It has caused all manner of giggles in my office as we crowd in to the BR to look!! What ever gets us to smile!! How bout if I blend it with my sock yarn....oooooh good idea for a kid, huh?

I have been tagged by a naughty tagger

Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 3 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.


Golly, gotta figure this out....
1. I have a masters in nursing and practice as a nurse practitioner in family medicine in a family practice residency program. I love my job and teaching new docs
2. I am constantly singing or whistling in the halls and stairwells...great accoustics.
3. I have tatted for thirty years..hard to believe since I am only 20.
4. My toes are REALLY weird too...gripper toes we call them
5. One of my favorite phrases is..."let me just be the devil's advocate for a second."..
6. I have three kitties and would take them over the human's any day...they don't talk back and always want to snuggle! (just kidding)
7. I have a very bizaar and quirky sense of humor that some folks just don't get...and I married a guy just like me!! It makes for some really high times

I am going to "tag" (I just figured out how! Do I have to ask/tell first? Hope not cause I didn't!! (LOL)

Moni
Bev
Tami

Christmas ornaments and knitting

You might not be able to see this but the sock is actually nicely scalloped. It is Scallops Cuff Socks from Crystal Palace using Panda wool in red cinnamon colorway. I love that yarn!!

The ornament is from my fav ornament book (well dog-eared) from Ann Stearns. I used a blended hologram filament (Sulky) and a glow in the dark thread. We have had the giggles in my office as we took turns going in the dark bathroom to check it out!! I am going to do some of Mark Myer's angels in this and will post soon.

I am still thinking about podcasting and am going to make a trial post today or the 'morrow to see how it flies. I learn so much from the knitter's blogs that I think it begs to be done by us too!! If I can figure out Skype and if anyone is on skype we can tape interviews too! Cool!!

Tatting and a possible podcast

FINALLY, I finished Iris Niebach's Francesca. Heaven only knows why I struggled so. I made three tries...I just got so frustrated I had to quit! It is the one below here that is half done. But, I tried another color which I really love that was shown to me by my doily exchange buddy awhile back. I really love her patterns and am now starting on Lorella which is another really neat pattern. I will use DMC57 for that one too.

The knitting is another sock on Cascade Palace needles 1 I think, using Panda wool a really nice 46% bamboo in the color Ultramarine. Don't look too closely however. I look as if one foot is seriously impaired!! I quit too soon and one is slightly too short. I have size 5.5 feet though so it did not make much difference. I really love this yarn. I am now attempting the Magic Loop with size #1 32inch Addi's. (See, I am talking knitting!!) My daughter who helped me refresh my skills finally "allowed" me to try the loop after I seemed to "get" the concept of sock construction. I have found that the knitting gives the elbow tendinitis a break...Tatting kills my medial elbow!! I also have purschased Bamboozle yarn 2301 Rosewater to do the summer dream socks (all found at http://www.straw.com/index.html) Take a look at my kid's knitting at http://knitspurlscurls.blogspot.com/. She has some awsome knitting there and is pretty funny.

This brings me to podcasting...I am seriously thinking of creating a podcast for tatting. There are soooo many great ones for knitting that I listen to. I think WE NEED one too!! So, I am looking in to what I need to put on the 'puter to make this happen. Any thoughts?

Doing socks again

My third pair EVER!! I love this pattern..Cascading leaves pattern (can't remember what site). Yarn is Colinette Jitterbug ($20.50 cripes!) in Florentine. My daughter re-taught me and I am getting addicted. Even listened to a podcast!! Hey Tatters...(Mark..Sharon...Iris...Eva...whoever..) How about some inspirational tatting podcasts to keep us entertained! Now I have to resort to George Tenet's book on the CIA. At the Center of the Storm.a great read actually, and Evanovich's, Mean Lean Thirteen which is hilarious.

Continued Iris's Doilies

This is Franscesca (on the shuttles) and the other is a completed Milena (not blocked) My shuttles are DavidReedSmith's (before I killed some of them and the rest went in to hiding! This thread DMC80 in 57 is a gorgeous varigate that my doily exchange partner used in her rendition of Milena. It is amazing how different hers is from mine. I tat very tightly but hers is VERY tight and the size of the end result is remarkable. Or....the difference in lots seems to make a difference sometimes I think.

Going to a concert in Pgh tonight...Tim McGraw and Faith Hill...whoooeeee!! No tatting there

Broken shuttle fiasco!!

GASP!!! Can you believe it! I was devastated!! They are David Reed Smith shuttles and I think he can fix them...have a desparate call out! If not I will mend with wood glue as I have all the pieces and they do fit well together! I bid on this sev years ago and won it!! They (to me) represent my family and me. kids, hubby, me (I am the BIG one..ha ha)

Rebuilding my blog

Decided it needed a new look so opted to update...then lost some of my stuff. So, I will be working to spiffy it up. In the meantime, I continue to work on Iris' doilies, but with all the talk about the nativity scene and the town (Ineke's Books) I now think I better but those books!! Goos thing I have two jobs!!

Oh what a delightfully addicting past-time!!

Working on another doily from Iris Niebach's book

I love this book! It is killing me but I love it! Having some problems with this one but it is working out. Sometimes I just have trouble deciphering. BUT...They are so interesting! I keep doing more for my 25. Frankly I think we are at 26-27 by now. I have started and can't quit! Might just do a second 25 all in doilies?!!

I also love these shuttles from the Shuttleshoppe. They are from the Southern Belle's, and Frivolite(k)ring, from the Netherlands. Very light and easy to use and always get nice comments!

I just bought a new computer and now, at 4am I am still up playing. My Gateway was tired after about ten years so , it took forever to put it all back together. Thank goodness for cables to tranfer data. Then however, I had to update some drivers that were not compatable. EEKs.

Am really loving the continued projects on the 25 Motif page. What a good idea that has been!!

Seriously, I think I am done!

BUT!!!! I can't stop!! Maybe I should start over? Do 25 DOILIES!! ??? Thanks to my exchange partner...she knows who she is...I am addicted to Iris Niebach's patterns. (this one is Cornelia) I thhink it is a break from Teiko Fujito..no offense to those gorgeous pattens.

I need to meet this gal, (Iris) I think she might need meds!! (medical humour) The patterns are so unique in their approach it it truly addicting. Such a mind to engineer these one pass designs! I might need meds next as I find them both fascinating and annoying to figure out! Who thinks this way! I think these wonderful designers are simply in a breed all to themselves! I love to create but am totally without design "genes". Bless those who are!!

Thanks for the Thank You Carnation

I think I might have one or two Motifs left...I think I am done but I can't find one so....I think I will make another couple doily patterns...thanks to my exchange partner Marty, I have purchased Iris Niebach's Tatted Doilies. Such wonderfully unique pattens... in ONE pass!! Wow! Thanks for the inspiration Marty!

This Rose was made with the intent of putting it on my Mom's Mother's Day gift. alas, I did not getit done so...sorry ma!! I made it with 15g beads, to simulate dew? as suggested...don't like it as much with the beads. I think it was just too many. I can see the possibilities if I add fewer? add to different areas as if truly scattered? who knows. I am going to try it in all white with beads next because I think it might look better with the beads in the white . I love the pattern. It is very full and was very easy to do though I did somehow manage to get a twist in it! grrr! . I am going to make Koniors rose next. This one can be found at http://www.georgeitz.com/rodgers/carnation.html

We are going to the Prom again!!

I can NOT get over how talented my honey is! This year he helped the kids again at our high school. My last DD graduated 6 years ago and they still won't let him quit! This year it was Super Mario Brother's. The kids pick a theme and he aids in the design. Take a look at Mario's origens. He starts as a huge block of green floral foam...small blocks all glued together then carved, paper mache's and dressed. He is not on the scale of Mark Myers but I can tell you the man can do anything out of paper mache, styrofoam, and floral block!! I swear he is a bit touched in the brain! We get to go back and look it over tonight, they usually invite us to eat dinner with them.

Take a look at the post from last year May 6th to see the floral block carved elephant!

Have fun!

Association of Amalgamated Doily Maker's!!

This is what my honey calls us!!Just jealous I think!! So, I think according to my count my 25 Motif challenge is done I gotta count them all out and will post the collection on Flicker. I Finished and am mailing my doilies for the exchange. These photos are not the ones though so as not to give it out.. But...I can never just do one I keep going until pooped out!!

Am sooo amazed by the lovely things being done by our VERY talented friends. I am so humbled and so challenged by their works, beginner and expert alike. I just find tatting to be THE most relaxing activity of my day. I do it every day! Saves me thousands of bucks of therapy.

I am now doing some socks again. I had one done then started the other and totally messed up. I had to tear it all out and start again. My daughter taught me...she makes hundreds of socks!!(I might be exaggerating.

St Patrick's Day tatting

This is Jenny Seymour's "Top Of the Morning Shamrock" from Tat All Tales. I have made about 25 for work so far including my "Orange" Irish one. I am not Catholic, but I have a distant relative who was from Ireland, we think.

Have been cruising the tatting pages and sites this weekend. Goodness there is talent out there!! Not such a "Dying art" is it!! The German eye candy coming through Here-Be-Tatters was amazing.

The 25 Motif site has been so inspiring...I have been inspired to do some-one else's patterns though!! I have not done any designing...not too creative at my own designs. Better at working them up!!

March is finally here; think butterflies and shamrocks

Well, I have been working on butterflies for my exchanges. I love the book from Adelheid Dangela. I have a pile of them now waiting to fly away. I had not posted for a looong time. Have just been lazy and busy at work which makes me stare into space when I get home!!

I also have been working on shamrocks to take to work. I will scan them later and put them up. I think I am about done with all my 25 motifs but I have lost count. I need to sit down and count them up. I made hearts, snowflakes, butterflies, and angels so far. Love all the great work everyone has been doing!!