Has it really been over a month??

I looked last night at my posts, & couldn't believe it'd been that long since I posted!! Yeah... Sorry for those of you who read me :) I'll try to be better I promise! It's been such beautiful weather here that I've been outside more than not, & I don't like to tat outside (unless I'm waiting at a race, which I've been doing again BTW)...
Speaking of - I finally went to my first race! Yep... And we placed! We got 2nd place in the 3rd division, which makes no sense when explained to anybody that hasn't ever run divisional barrel races.. NBHA is the big one I can think of. I know other Associations do it too, but that's the one that comes to mind. Anyway. Have been to 2 since then & didn't place, but he ran alright. Still working on speed... Apparently I'm not pushing him as hard as I thought I was. Have to work on that. I'm getting old & sceery is what my sister says :)
On to tatting. Not much to show I'm afraid. Still struggling with that stupid baby bonnet. Ugh. I'll be SO glad when it'd done, & unless I owe you BIG, no more will come off my shuttles. I'd buy them before I'd make another one! Bleh!

 Here's a picture of it in progress... Bleh.. I hope it's supposed to be cupping like it is or I'll never get it blocked & I refuse to start over.

 Side view, so you can see how much it's cupping...

 Made this cross as a diversion... I needed one. It's from Traditional Tatting Patterns, & it's some of the Cebelia Fox sent me :) It was apparently meant to be worked in smaller thread than #20 because it's supposed to be a bookmark, but it's HUGE. If I ever work it again, it'll be done in either smaller thread or with four "flowers" instead of six on the long arm. It hangs out the edge of an average sized Bible, so that tells you how large a bookmark it'd be. Maybe a wall hanging instead? I'm not sure of that either, because it's so plain... Hmmmm...

 I made *this* a while back, & have been meaning to show it, but haven't. It's Yarnplayer's "Arches" doily, done in some vintage Star varigated thread I got off Ebay a while back. I loved it so much I decided to fram it & keep it for myself... Despite several "I want its"... I adore this pattern & will be doing it again eventually. But this thread just makes it make me happy :)

 Next is something out of my normal area of conversation. These two (above & below) pictures are the phots on the front of two "Star Thread" giveaway pattern sheets I recently came across in a box of yarn a relative gave me. Now... I can crochet, but I'm by no means an expert, & I don't follow the patterns well. I'd rather tat, or make rag rugs, which is a new thing I've picked up, out of old bedsheets. Anyway. If you would like one or both of these patterns for yourself or someone else, I'd be happy to send you the original that I have. I don't have a scanner so I won't be making more than one copy. Anyway. It's first come, first serve, so leave me a comment with a way to contact you & I'll do my best to get it to you. I haven't yet posted them elsewhere, but if no one wants them here, I'll add them to the crochet chat thread over at Intatters. So there you go! Let me know something - I don't need them, but I can't make myself throw them away :)

Enjoy your day! :)

For once....

All my dishes are done, all the bills are paid for the week. My floors are mopped, & my bathroom is clean. All my laundry is even washed, folded, AND put away....Untatter is watching "Word World", so she doesn't have any interest in Mommy - unless I choose to bring out my tatting bag.

So I can't do that, despite having nothing else to keep my hands busy. So. I'm talking to you about the things I've been doing.

This is the beginnings of my new carry around tatting bag. It's not sewn together yet, just laid up there. It's scraps from a pair of jeans that finally gave up the ghost when I put my foot in the stirrup to get on my horse the other day... Yeah, my drawers were showing. Fortunately, I was at home & no one saw! The light part is where I made my pocket. I wanted the outside of the denim showing inside the pocket.

 This is the crochet "outside" of my bag. I'm not a good sewer, or a great crocheter, but I can muddle my way through a few basic stitches, one being the double crochet. That's what this is done in. I had this yarn laying around the house. Found it under the bed a month or so ago when I was looking for something else & have been pondering what to do with it. I honestly thought I'd either used up or given away all my yarn, but I have a bag of this stuff - it amounts to about 4 skeins! Eek! I like it though... It's a nice, soft, denimy color of blue & white, & it seems pretty strong. Survived the Untatter tug of war last night.... When I get the last piece made to cover up the inside pocket, I have a swatch made that I'm going to sew to the back outside to put maybe a pattern in. I'm thinking it needs a pretty button or something on the outside, aren't you?? :)

 This is my tatting project in the works.  Yep, it's blue too. I'm alot like Lace Lovin Librarian in that I love blue. I always have. Can't control myself, sometimes it just shows up. I'm not sure if this will be a table cloths, a runner, or just a big square doily.

 It works up in individual motifs, & since I don't know split rings or chains, I have to cut & tie them each. But I don't mind. I actually kind of enjoy finishing each one & checking it out before I move on to the next. It was meant to be worked as four of the motifs, & be around 5"x5".... But I did the four & decided I wanted to do more. The plan originally was to work until I got tired of it or until I finished that ball of thread, then decide what I wanted to do with it. It's Lizbeth, so I figure I'll be able to get more. It was a break from the Rose Garden doily, & from the snowflakes & angels. I get bored easily nowdays. I think it's this time of year - I'd rather be outside, but sometimes it's just too hot to have Untatter outside for long periods of time.

This is the pattern. It's by Cherie Wheeler, if your screen won't show that up. I've had it for ages & never even tried it. I'm glad I finally looked at it & thought "oh this will be easy enough for me" :) If anybody wants it, I can send you a link. The web address shows up on my printout. It was a free pattern. Thank goodness for those generous people who design & post!!
I've also been riding every chance I get. I'm hoping by January (when the new NBHA season starts) I'll be ready enough to join again & start racing. I've missed it so much! It's been almost 5 years since I turned a can in competition & I never really realized how much a part of me it was until I got on another good horse. I've had horses in that time - one mare I'll have until she goes to heaven; I just can't really ride her anymore, & a less than great one I'm glad is gone... Even if I did lose money when I sold her, it was worth it - but none that truly touched my heart like Chico has done. No, I didn't name him. It's a part of the registered name he had when Daddy decided we matched. My father has this way of doing things so you don't realize it until it's already done... He asked me to ride this horse as a favor to him.  A month later, the papers were transfered & he was mine - or I was his, depending on who you ask! I'd have never taken a horse from him for nothing. Haven't done that since Melody (I've had her 15 years), the mare I'll always keep.  Much less one of the quality... Well now I'm bragging. Let's just leave it at I don't deserve it, but I have a wonderful father that still looks after me even though I'm almost 26 & have a small family of my own. He is truly a blessing that I thank God for every single day. Enough mushy stuff.
I've also been searching thread online. They've discontinued my favorite (Flora), and so I've been kind of searching here & there for something else nice. I use Lizbeth, but it's kind of hit or miss in the quality I've been able to find. Even when I order from Handy Hands, some of it is just.... not right. It could very well be just my taste in thread, but I just don't care for it. I love the colors, but I just don't care for the thread. So now, I'm asking if any of you have any suggestions. What kind of thread do you favor??? :)
Enjoy your day!

Totally Tatting Unrelated

But I had to share it anyway! Last night, I took the Horse to a practice jackpot barrel race... Nothing major, not a big prize or alot of people there. But he did FANTASTIC!! I didn't enter the jackpot, I just practiced beforehand... He isn't quite speedy enough for the whole "fast" thing yet, but he does have another gear under there.... Right now I'd say we're in about... Ohhhh 4th... Now 5th will be a whole nother level that I don't think I'm quite up to yet. But ohhhh it was wonderful... People complimenting his style of turning, how easy he went through, his tempermant, & (I swear he understood because his head got bigger & he was all perky) yes, his looks. I've always thought he was gorgeous, but everybody else says he's just plain... Which is true of his color, he's bay all over (brown for you unhorsey people). One little tiny white strip around his hoof on the right front.  That's it. But ohhh I'm so happy!! They have this jackpot on 1st & 3rd Friday nights around here, & next time we go, I'm pretty sure he'll have all his gears ready to go... Woohoo!!

Sore hands, finished project

So I haven't posted since... last... Thursday?? Sorry, but I didn't have anything to show so I thought I'd hold off until I finished the sold necklace & earring set. That & my cousin was here from California (he lives there, isn't from there) so we of course spent part of the weekend together.
Have been walking & have GAINED 4lbs back! Boo! :( But I'm going to keep it up.... Can't hurt me can it?!
Got to ride every day since Friday so far. Shortened my rains ALOT & guess what?? Oh so much better pattern. I have more control with less movement, which helps us both out. He gets what I'm asking & I ask without slinging my arms around so much, if that makes sense.... Now. If I can just get my nerves together & get him moving *faster* - that's what barrel racing is all about, right? :)
Oh - here's my picture for the day.

It's just like the black & silver one I did for sister, except it's all brown. You can't really tell from the picture, but when the light catches the glass beads it's really quite nice. I kind of hate to say that about my own design, but I mean the beads show more color than just plain old brown. I couldn't get a good picture of it showing the colors without putting it on & since it's for someone else I didn't want to put on the earrings.
Something else I've been working through whether to post about or not... But I need to think about it & writing it out will help me not be so sad. Yesterday (22May,2011) marked five months since I lost my friend Blake. It's hard to think about, but I just can't help it. I should have gone to visit his grave, but I just couldn't make myself go; which is odd because I usually go every other week or so. Probably because I spent the day with my private thoughts of him, & didn't want anything to interrupt that. Whenever I go, I get angry. It's been five months & his family (mother & 2 brothers) still haven't even purchased a head stone for him. It isn't a financial issue, as I know he had a very large life insurance policy, for just such an occasion. Instead his mother bought herself & his younger brother a new car, they moved, sold all of his belongings (even the 32 year old horse he'd had since he was 10), & opened a new hair salon (mother & older brother are hair stylists). Basically his whole memory is dead to them & it breaks my heart because the reason he was doing the job he had when he died is so he could pay the rent for the 3 of them & keep himself afloat as well. I know I shouldn't be angry, but I can't help it when I see how they abused him in life & forgot him in death. His older brother is actually still using Blake's cell phone because he has run up & refused to pay bills with every carrier around here.
I know he's in a better place, & I know God does everything for a reason. It's just hard for me to let things go when I see such huge injustices for such a good person. Why don't I pay for the stone? You may be asking right now... I wish I could..... I would in a heartbeat if I could afford it. I *am* trying to save back a little every week, & I've asked some of his other friends to do the same. Hopefully we'll be able to get one soon.
Anyway. I have dishes to do & I desperately need to think about something else or my whole day will be blown away. My thoughts & prayers are with those in Joplin, Missourri...

I have pictures today!

As promised, I have pictures today.... It's rainy & gross outside so I don't feel like doing much that doesn't involve spending time with Untatter on the couch :)

First things first, this is the corner of the first round of the hankie edging. It's Flora #20, but I can't remember the name of the color. It's variagated blues & whites, & it's my favorite thread EVER!

This is a folded picture. Can you see where I sewed in my ends?? ;) That's the plan. One down one round to go!

This is the redone part of the 2nd round of Mom's Pink Doily. There's a link to it on one of my other posts. And yep, that's still the metal Boye shuttle! It's done in Cebelia #20 white that CarolIvy from Intatters sent me because I'd never used any. She's a sweetheart & has her own blog store. You should run over to Intatters & find her photo albums - she's done some lovely jewelry & other things.

And this, just because it makes me smile to see him, is a picture of my sweet Chico while he was eating his breakfast the other day. It's not a good picture, & he's not doing anything special, I just love him & I thought if he makes me smile, he might make you smile, too. So there you go! :) He's still a little scraggley with winter hair here & there. He's like a dog when it comes to shedding off the winter coat - it takes him twice as long as the others. Next time I remember to take a camera to the barn I'll take a better one. He's really a nice looking horse when he doesn't have his face stuffed into a feedpan & I'm not taking crappy pictures. Believe it or not!



Enjoy your day!