Wednesday, December 15, 2010

And the Winner IS.......

Thank you to my wonderful listeners for the site hits and downloads! I seem to be growing.
My podcast incentive winners posted both on this (podbean) site and on the Blogger site. They can notify me at gjdiwpx@aol.com with title podcast winner and give me info regarding wether you like tatting or knitting things and what colors you love or hate!!

Winners are...Anne

                     StephieJo
More to come tomorrow after I edit my photos.  I will add them in as an edit!!
Thanks for listening!!
Arlene

Friday, December 10, 2010

Taping tomorrow...BUT....A winner has been drawn....drum rolls!! To be announced with the podcast going up this weekend!

Well!  I put most of my message in the title for heaven's sake..!!
I had my DD draw a name tonight and the winners are......not so fast!!!  You will have to wait until the podcast goes up!!  It looks like they might both be tatters but if not the deal is the same...I will post the winner's here and in the podcast...drop me an email at gjdiwpx@aol.com and I will ship your package.  You may choose either a tatting prize or a knitting one...your choice so if you do both you'll have to ponder!

On the shuttles are snowflakes, snowflakes and more snowflakes (pictured prev episode).  I have a new pair of scissors from Bagsmith.com..I bought for my birthday...Ok, so I love scissors!! Note the paw paw trying to get them while Lucky sits on the ironing board. A second later they you would have seen them on the floor!

On the needles:  Christmas presents I can't talk about but might podcast...Don't listen girls.  I gave a vanilla pair I am going to start tomorrow for grandson..his request was white with one blue stripe and one orange one.  Huh?

Spinning:  This is finally that darned Lady doing somethin or another with the damned stone...also known as
The Woman and the Stone from Crown Mountain Farms.  It is not as I thought it would be but I do like it.  I am doing a scarf...not sure I will continue with this pattern but I might.  Until later....Arlene!!



Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Birthday (to me!!), and a tale of 5 Kitties

This is episode 25 and I am so happy to be here. Today is my 55th Birthday and though I think it sucks eggs to be in menopause , I am happy to be here!


In this episode I have re-introduced listeners to my cats and the naughty things they have been doing. I also talk about my Thanksgiving dinner plans and I might put a picture in tomorrow as an edit!!

My stuffing is really good...if I must say so myself! I am also making a pumpkin cheesecake and a gravy-less turkey. All New recipes! I do that all the time....Living on the edge and all!!


Knitting is the same but I did buy some Cashmere5 yarn to make some mittens. I will edit the pictures in later as well...I am charging the battery in the camera. I am tatting like crazy on the ornaments and will put the pictures in for that as well...I just wanted to get this up since the podcast was later than I wanted. I am now in love with my Polwarth Lady and the Stone and am thinking of doing a hat and scarf with it.  I don't really wear hats but I can make exception.


Murray Lincoln's Tree as mentioned...very nice.  I love making golden (or silver) colored ornaments as well. This tree is very beautiful and gives me good ideas.
 
THE BIG NEWS....a contest!! In the next two weeks via a posted message on iTunes (prefered), here or on podbean will get the winner some yarn (I am buying it new...and probably some Lizbeth tatting thread for the tatter. So...let me hear from you! The drawing will be announced with the December podcast so it will run either 2-3 weeks.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Arlene

This was edited 12/10/10 to add the pictures!!

Monday, November 08, 2010



This is the promised video showing how differently my tatting looks.  Do you know anyone who does this as well?  It is from an EARLY book and I have been doing it this way for 30+ years!  Very fast as well.  The video is not the best but not bad.

Long weekend leads to tatting and knitting productivity!


 I had a long weekend for no reason and was able to tat, knit and today spin my way along.  These are the socks I finished last week or so ago...the Straight-laced socks from Knitty Winter 2002. 
On my trip to Sewickly, I bought these yarns to use in some Christmas knitting.
The yarn is from Yarns Unlimited...Tosh Sock, in Pheasant; Regia Design line Kaffe Fassett in Clay; Belgium sock from Around the World in knitted Socks in Classic Elita Yarns Silky Alpaca Lace;
 Frog Tree Alpaca in the Blue.
 

Tatting this week featured a snowflake mentioned by Ingred, Marty, and Jon. The snowflake is Quantiesque at Jon's site.

 
Mark Myers has been at it again doing some really phenom videos!! If you have not seen then for Pete's sake...why not. His site Tat-man Lists many opportunities to see, learn and oogle! A must see if you are a tatter!



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is the Tatted Tree from Be-Stitched.com.  I workrd up in Sulky Green Holoshimmer and 80g Lizbeth.  It was quick and easy and hopefully will look good on a package.  The shuttles are new from Shuttleshop.  Tulipwood Hearts.
Until next time...Take care.  Post a comment on itunes or here to be entered into drawing this month...Next podcast will be the details.  Stay tuned

Saturday, October 30, 2010

My Fall Trip to see the Leaves and How many bridges do we need to see?



Our fall trip to upper Pa and New York could not be complete without a trip to see one of the bridges Brad's company help design repair.  He is a Drafter (CAD) and the company makes bridge decks, rails and railroad rails.  These bridges go ever the Erie Canal in a couple of small towns in New York.  They were pretty neat lift bridges, actually.  This water fall is at Taughannock Falls.  It is a gorgeous cricular "cut out" made by the glaciers.  Very beautiful. This picture below depicts one of the Finger Lakes.  Look at the tree in the foreground.  Below is the spooky cemetery at Cornell University.  None of these stones appeared to be after late 1800's  though I thought I saw a few WWII markers.  Spooky but  beautiful.



Yarn spun from Lady in the Stone from Crown Mountain.  Also one of the snowflakes and awareness patches I have been making.  A very busy week.

Monday, October 11, 2010

A visit to see Alpaca Farm and Poor Meat stars in my Dreams

Highland Alpaca Farm, Grove City, PA  Oct2 was the open to the public day.  What fun we had looking at and patting the animals!!  Can I have one?  Please?  I promise to be good...No?  Well, ok never mind!

I bought some wonderful black alpaca from the farm and am tempted to buy more yarn..Very soft.  I will post pic of sock I made from Socks From The Toe Up...Diamond Gansy.  The guy in the lower pic used to play bass guitar with Bob Dylan.

Started another pair of socks from Nore Silk Garden Light (Col2018)     is    now a discontinued yarn for some reason...Kinda splitty according to some; I have not had problems.


Tatting on snowflakes with new thread from Fuji...glow in the dark of coarse.  Also bought three from Robison-Anton in white and pink also for glowing Christmas ornaments..Do you see a theme here.  All I can tell you is that acquiring larger numbers of these on your tree is really an amazing sight...after the lights go out!

 



Friday, October 01, 2010

These are a few of my favorite things!!


Welcome back again!  These are the pics I referred to in the podcast.  For those that don't listen (shame,shame) the top pictures are some of my older shuttles; the top one my first Lady Hoare type with an ugly yellow "string" on it...clockwise the huge plastic ones are the infamous Tatsy's great for large cords and throwing at the cats.  The snipet of tatting is prob 40 years old from an older book...a really nice it tedious edging.  And a few Susan Bates oldies!

To taunt one of my fav patients, I am making a yellow and blue (Gooooo PITT) lanyard from these threads found at The Lacemaker, Cortland Ohio  He likes Penn State (gasp).  The shuttles are from David Reed Smith.  The third photo is my last stash haul from The Lacemaker.  Some of the threads were "bump and scratch sale...were all balls that hit the ground at one point or the other....Love the book marks in that bookmark book!

The fourth pic is a sample of the designs that were previously associated with the Maus's Tatted Round Robin (doilies) site now no longer functioning Tatted Round Robin 19.  I have saved many of those pages from the early years and thank goodness printed many of them out .  The can still be found on the archives Tatting Round robins  I am not sure if the site goes down this October, I don't remember seeing that warning before. Sooooo.  Many of out most well known tatters and designers participated through the years for our collective benefit.

Sites for purchasing tatting goodies...don't be mad if your site is not listed..let me know and I will list it.  Others are already listed on the right of page.

                                                        Lacis
                                                        Snowgoose

On the knitting front.  I am happy this darn sweater is coming along as well as it is!  Boy that took a long time to do correctly.  Fortunately, I am stubborn as well as beautiful and persevered!  I could not be happier with it now.  Also on the knitting from new needles from KnitPicks and DYAK.  Love the Rosewood Darn Pretty needles in a 6inch DPN for the sweater Nicole from Ewe & I Originals.  It is a baby sweater for no one special.  I intended to knit for new Grandbaby Myah...now almost three...ah well, the thought counts, right?
Enough for today...Off to up-load this weeks episode!  Until later...knit and tat happy!

Arlene

Monday, September 13, 2010

Re-introducing myself to podcast listeners and I promise to reform?


My Pittsburgh Penquins colorway from Draygone Yarnes. Next to my beautiful city of Pittsburgh. We saw a ball game last week...we lost but there was a great fireworks display afterwards and a concert with Luke Bryan (I think thats the name)
Back to podcasting tonight. A catch-up session to reintroduce myself and an intro to any newbies out there. I redesigned the site at podbean cause it really looked crappy...I think they altered it somehow but it looks better now. Stay tuned.. Pics of my finished socks soon and tatting . I am still on to the projects listed last week...Love that Lizbeth 80!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Whats on the needles and shuttles?


First off, Iris Niebach's newest book, Fantasia 3, is one of my favorites!!! To the left is Rose worked with David Reed-Smith shuttles using Lizbeth 40g in the same colorway as the previous doily. It is a pink varigated.

The one to the left is Clara worked in the NEW Lizbeth 80g Light Lemon (614). I LOVE this 80 gauge so far. It is crisp and holds its shape, no fray. The shuttles are both from the Shuttle Shop The one is Palmetto 2007 Flower garden and the newest is Fall into Tatting 2010 Palmetto shuttle. Sadly, I have never been able to go but I swear I will someday!!

This shuttle is very unique as you can see the cutwork is completely different and the laser engraving very intricate. Great job for them!

Back From Vacation...work is for the birds


Lucky knew something was amiss...the other's, experienced in being left tried to console him but he was not buying it. This is him staring down the steps at us leaving. The cats pace all over..While on Vac they also discovered how easy it was to pop out the screen (granma upstairs never suspected) and probably went in and out for four or more days.

We had a great time swam, ate, and swam some more. I have a broken foot but I stood in that water JUST FINE!

This is me at Dewey Beach. We went to Virginia Beach Dewey, and saw the horses at Chincoteague on Assateague Island. They are so amazing.

Good to be home, though I could still use another vacation soooon!












Friday, July 16, 2010

Help!! Dont delete me from 25Motif!








SEEEE! I won't be bad. Seriously, it's ok if you remove me for low activity but funny thing is I have now got my tatting mojo back!! I have been focusing on knitting mostly socks and had had a bit of tatting wrist going on.


These are my first projects out of my gate again...Of course I always go to Iris for inspiration. This is another rendition of Iri's Lorella in pink varigated Lizbeth. The multi Spinwheel from Mary Konior is also in Lizbeth. I really do like this thread though I am anxious to try the 80g.


I have also been trying to needle tat. I refuse to give up though I don't really like it as much. I think it is a break for my hands though so worth the continued effort. I always laugh when people don't like shuttle tatting because to me, it is second nature. I am humbled totally but my lack of needle finesse! So, I get it. Bookmmarks will be my challenge next maybe another twenty-five??


keep you posted!!

Arlene