Camera isn't cooperating....

I was *going* to do a post today about tatting tools. It always interests me to see the tools other people use in their crafts, especially tatting tools. I think I have a relatively small stash & number of tools, but I find that asking, alot of times, shows me something I either need or don't need. But. Since I can't get a picture of my tool bag to take in a way that you can tell it isn't just a yellow blob of stuff I won't. But feel free to show & tell what you keep in your bag. I have a few things in mine all the time, & a few I put in for special occasions. How bout you?
I *do* have a picture or two from my last couple of days' worth of tatting.

 This is a snowflake from my Vida Sunderman (hope I spelt that right!) book. It's always interesting to me to see what a simple change of color can do to an item. This is called "Trefoil Snowflake" but with black thread & pink beads it doesn't look very "snowy" does it? I made a few pairs of earrings from the leftover black thread, but haven't go pictures of them & the light isn't very good here right now. Maybe later :)

I've never added beads at my joins before, but looking at all Fox's pretty beads made me want to try it. Unfortunately, this is what happened. It's not a very clear picture, but you can see the bend can't you? That's the only #14 crochet hook I happen to have in my possession at the moment. Grr.. But I did get it straightened out a little. Enough to make do until I need enough new supplies to justify the shipping it would cost to get a new one sent to me. My hobby lobby doesn't carry them that small that don't come in a kit & I certainly won't spend $14 for one crochet hook that I only use when I'm using beads or small thread (not that often)!! So I guess I'll just have to be super careful, right?
There are a few other small things in my bag right now, but I don't have pictures of them & likely won't until they're finished. Also in my purse I've got a small star pattern that I'm working on. It's pretty much a memorized thing, & I'm making it until I empty 2 full shuttles & I'll probably move on to something else. They're a gold color I'm no particularly fond of, but I think they'd make good Christmas decorations or crazy quilt add ons. They'll definitely hit my Etsy listings when I get a suitable number. At least they're good enough to keep me busy in the truck back & forth between shows.... Ahh the horse shows....
 I think when I get bored with snowflakes & angels again I might just pick up one of my "resting" WIP's.... Maybe the blue one or the rose garden thing... Well it would have to be one of them because they're the only ones I have that aren't finished.
Back to horse shows.... I'm pretty sure I've never done as poorly as I did at the last one. I actually almost fell off & stopped in the middle of my pattern. Two things I've NEVER done in my life. Back to the drawing board before another show. Seems I've neglected to teach Horse that he can't just sling around a barrel at full speed like a lunatic - he actually runs faster around a barrel than he does between; this causes him to drop his shoulder & slam both of us into them. Yep, that hurts the shins considerably. To look at me you'd think someone beats me with a broom handle from lower knees to upper ankle. I'd forgotten how bad a metal drum feels agains the leg. Fortunately, there aren't any shows until mid Novermber so I have time to work on it. Checking up at the barrels is a must for this little pony apparently... For the sake of my mobility!! I'm also working on picking up some speed. It's not him, it's purely my nerves that make us go so slow. Does anybody have any suggestions to help with anxiety? It's never been this bad & it keeps getting worse. It isn't the horse, it's the people standing around the fence. Though I'd never tell him, it's alot to do with the fact that my Daddy is standing there watching.... He's not critical or hateful.... I guess it's just an exageration of when I was a kid & I always did a little better when he was standing there at the fence... Made me push harder I guess lol Am I a weanie? Why yes, Yes I am! But if ya'll know of any (non-medicinal) helpers with the crazy nerves, I'd appreciate it greatly!
Enjoy your day!

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! :)

Excited! And Feeling Guilty....

First thing - I'm excited because Untatter went to the bathroom in the BIG GIRL POTTY!!! That's right, we just crossed our first potty training milestone!! Woohoo!! Okay... Enough about that... =-D
Now - what am I feeling guilty about?? All this stuff I got in the mail from Fox.... And I only sent her 5 bobbins of thread or so... Look what she sent me!!

 The tin is absolutely adoreable, but I don't know that she'd appreciate her address being posted on my blog so you only get the inside, as her card is on the outside :) Then there's 10 spools of Cebelia, & those cute little beads... So I feel guilty... Hope she'll forgive me! :)
The other thing is the fact that I've been sorely neglecting & under estimating the value of both Clover & SewMate shuttles. Now I'm not going back on how much I love my Boye metal shuttles - I'll always have a soft spot for them. But since I only have 3 made in USA & 1 old one that's huge, I recently decided to put my sew mates in my purse bag. That way if I lost them, it wouldn't just break my heart. Well, I've had some time to work on the edging that's in there a couple of times, & for some reason this particular time I've used them, I just love them. So much that when I got home yesterday, I wound up the clovers I had in my stash. In the past this would have made me miserable. But yesterday, it was like something just clicked. I love them both! Now I do like the sew mates better, because the size is more comfortable for me. But I actually took all the Boyes & bobbins out of my project bag & put my 2 clovers in the bag. I only have 2 clovers & 2 sew mates for now, but still. I don't think ya'll realize what a huge shift this is for me! I do plan on buying a few more sew mates, but probably will stick with just the 2 clovers... For now...

 This is the progress on MPD. I'm not sure why but my computer is showing up that the thread is a little pink. But it's not. It's white Cebelia. Hmm... At any rate, it's coming out alot better this time around. I tried it one time several years ago - actually it was my first real project & didn't get past these medallions. I'd only been tatting around a month & apparently it didn't dawn on me that because I tat left handed, things go counter clockwise. Which means I have to consider that when making joins to the other medallions & go the other way around from normal. But I've got it this time I think. It's amazing what time & education will do isn't it?

This is what I came up with for my friend's press I was supposed to fill. Well I didn't come up with it - I remade if from one I already have. She says she likes it in pink & brown. What do you think? I just realized the date on my camera is off by about 3 years & a few days & I don't know how to fix it.... Have to call my sister on that one......
And now I'm about to take Untatter for our walk. Haven't gotten to the last few days because of rain. Now if my stroller will just dry out.... wish I hadn't left it on the porch......
Enjoy your day

It's Saturday Night People!!

And guess where I am?? On my couch watching a western DVD & checking up on the things online I haven't been paging attention to.... SSSSoooo exciting! *not* :)
Weighed yesterday - I've lost TWELVE (that would be 12, yes 12) pounds!!!! I'm so super excited! That just leaves 48lbs & a bazillion clothes to go!! Feel free to be shocked that I need to lose 48lbs still. I gained 60 when I was pregnant with my daughter & it's hard to get motivated when you hit that "no more losing" stage. To be at at healthy weight, I need to weigh around 110 - 130 lbs.... You can do the math there. I'll be happy if I can get back down to 137. That's where I was when I got married. I'm 4ft10inches tall so you can imagine how I look weighing almost 200. *sigh* Like the Pillsbury Doughboy with hair!!! hehe Might as well learn to enjoy the fluff before it's gone, right?? =)
No tatting still... Boo. I swear I'm going to tat either tonight or in the morning. I hate it when I go this long. I've decided (I think) that I'm going to leave the hankie I'm doing with the one row of edging I already have on there. It's very simple - just chains - & the more I look at it the more I like it. Plus to be honest I'm kind of bored with it. Unless I come up with something I like better before I need to use it, it'll be just chains with one flower sewn to one side. A tatted one of course. Probably in the same thread.
Still working on MPD (mom's pink doily).... I'm halfway through the 3rd round & can't seem to get time to finish it. I kind of dread the next round, as it's around a million of the same motif. Okay maybe not a million, but it's one motif over & over again around the whole thing. I have a hard time with doing that, kind of like my problem with a bazillion clover leaves in the last mat I did.
I also bought some cabone rings at WalMart the other night. Am dying to try them, but I have 2 projects in my at home bag & an edging in my purse. I need to leave off on the UFO's... I know I do! So it's next. Or something... What was I going to do when I finished this?? I'll have to go back & look at what I typed up....
Fox is sending me some new colors of Cebelia & I'm super excited to get it here... If only had some kind of transport machine so I didn't have to wait for the mail to get here from Canada! I was supposed to send her some too, & I had three of the plastic bobbins wound full of the Flora she wanted, but somehow I managed to get all the way to the post office & get them in without realizing I'd only loaded ONE bobbin into the envelope! :-< So it's another trip to town for me on Monday. Mail won't run Sunday anyway...
Once again I'm touched by the kindness of Tatters. It seems like every time I mention something, someone runs to the rescue to offer it up if they have it. Sometimes if they don't they go to the store & get it for me. Wouldn't the world be wonderful if everyone behaved the way the tight - knit but so far spread out community of tatters does??
Enjoy your day