Very.... well.... plain...

 I actually *have* been tatting this whole time; See?

I had a sorted out version of all that, but I'm not sure where it went.There are five pieces of lace in that pile..... The four that are the same are YarnPlayer's Arches doily.. I love that pattern, but the 4th time in a row, even the best pattern gets a little boring. This is all tatting for my brother's wedding. His fiance is adoreable, & we both at different times found the idea on pinterest. She decided the 5th one, a pattern from a Handy Hands newsletter from... 2004? would be the right one for the idea she had.

This jar is a test run of what it'll look like. We haven't decided whether she wants candles or flowers in them, & there will be raffeta & a wire hanger.... I wish I could remember how to rotate & realign pictures. It has been too long since I've posted pictures, hasn't it?

And this is what I mean by plain. This is knooking... It looks like knitting, but it can be done with a crochet hook & cord. It's alot easier for me. What I meant when I said plain, was yep, another shade of ecru/tan/VANILLA!! lol This is an up close picture of the tan square on a blanket I was working on between tats to keep my hands from locking up on me. There are also chocolate colored squares, & they're about 12"x12". The colors are DH's request. Apparently he needs a blanket to go on his (brown) chair...

Next post I'll show you a picture of the shuttle my brother made me from a deer antler. Maybe some things with slightly more color to them! :)

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! :)

See? I *can* still tat :)

Since blogger won't let me read about half my follow list this morning, I'm forced to post! OH, what a terrible fate!! :) So, I thought I'd post some pictures of what I've been working on while I've been lurking around here in the computer world.

 I got this pattern from Ellen Lai (I believe that would be SingTatter, but I can't get a link to work!) a couple of months ago, but haven't tried it until the other night. It only took around 20 minutes for ME to tat, so that tells you how easy it was. It's almost exclusively chains, but it's suprisingly easy & enjoyable. I think I'll keep this one for me :)

 This is the center of MPD, already sewn to the purse I had to mutilate to get it on there. I'm having an issue with teal colored fuzz coming through into the thread as I sew it on, so I'm not sure if I want to continue with this project. It's laying on my counter "marinating" until I decide.

 The whole thing, not sewn on yet, just looking sad....

 THIS I am proud of. More proud of than just about anything I've done lately. It's YarnPlayer's "Arches" doily. It's so far pretty simple, but what I'm proud of is the size. I'm working it in some vintage #80 Star varigated thread. I love the purples. I have NO idea where I came up with all this thread. Probably Ebay when I bought something else. It usually comes with shuttles, so I imagine it came with my antique metal Boye...I have 2 1/2 balls of this color, some pink, & a whole ball of blue varigated that I can't come up with anything to use for. But I LOVE how it's working up! I've never been successful with DMC #80; maybe it's the thread, but most likely, it's that my tatting skills have improved since my last attempt at smallish thread.... It's been a couple of years so....

 Oh, how I'm going to miss this when its gone.... I love this thread, but it's Flora #20 so it won't be around forever :( This is a bobby pin flower. But I'm kinda burnt out.. So Hmm...

Do you think this looks like a pentagram?? I don't. But sometimes my eyes don't pic up shapes the way other people's do. My sister does. It's supposed to be a snowflake, but even I don't really see that. But I do like it. It's what Ive got going in my purse right now. I'll probably make earrings or something out of it, if I can figure out how to get that top ring to sit right :) It's Lizbeth #20. I think when I empty the shuttle I'll try it in some of my #80... oooo I'm feeling brave!
Ya'll have to understand I've had about 8 colors of DMC 80 ever since I figured out how to flip my stitches right. I always wanted to use it, but it #1 wouldn't tat well for me. I'm sure it was my technique. & #2, I would either break it trying to pull a ring closed, or break it trying to retro tat. I haven't tried to open a ring with it lately, but we shall see :) I truly hope my "skills" have just improved enough to let me use smaller threads.... I do love how truly "lacey" they look.
Enjoy your day!