Update

This is going to be a short, boring post, but I figure I owe it to anyone who is reading my blog.

The last few weeks have been a combination of "YAY!" and "OH CRAP!" since we announced our pregnancy to the world and have undertaken the opening of a brand new yarn store in our area, pretty much simultaneously. The store should open in 2-3 weeks, which means that I'm spending every waking moment making decisions on how to spend our hard-earned money on shelves, insurance, rent, and yarn.

I sincerely apologize that I won't be on here again for probably another month, but I can guarantee once things slow down a bit that I will have plenty of interesting updates, especially about the store. Well, probably about our baby once he's born in March, too.

Many blessings to you all!
Joy

Burgandy necklace

As promised, nothing original, just different colors. This is Lizbeth size 20 also, and the bead is Magnesite.

I have no new or interesting plans... just trying some of these ideas in different colors and with different stones.

My next will be a beige with lapis stones. Inverse of the blue necklaces I have been doing recently. Sorry this isn't too exciting, I'm just plugging away. Any suggestions or comments, I'd love to hear them!

Monday madness... 23, 24, & 25!

I had a very productive weekend, mostly because the hubby decided to watch a lot of football. Football for him equals tatting for me (while sitting next to him, of course!). So I have a few new "edging" necklaces to show. I think this will complete the first 25 motif challenge for me, which is super exciting. So without further ado,

 Here is the first. Of course, I stuck with the blue Lizbeth. Really? What else was I going to do. It's the best color I own right now, I think, in a size that I want. There were a lot of options for this edging... like, should I have maybe put a bead on the end instead of a picot? Should I have joined the drop motifs? Should I perhaps have even flipped the entire thing and done a bead on the ring side? Still not sure. I may mess around with that later. When I figure out earrings for any or all of these (suggestions?)

The second one is another VERY simple edging. I put beads on my shuttle and they became the "drop picot" (or whatever you call it) on the necklace. This was fun and relatively quick, but I was using pearls, so I wanted to keep it very understated. Hence, the long chain back. What do you think?

This last one is a deep variation of the edging I had, although I'm sure it's been done before. The only problem with this one is the slight turning at the bottom due, I think, to a slight difference in tension between the chain going to the bottom ring and returning from it. Probably has to do with the gap between rings and chains that I get consistently at some joins, not at others. At least I know where the problem lies, I think. I did agate stone beads with this one.

So, any earring ideas? Or things to try next? I might just switch to the deep red I have and try them all again... :)

Motif 21 and 22... another necklace/earring set

I thought the necklace I did yesterday was so much fun that I had to do another on similar to it, just with brown beads instead of silver. And OOOoooo. I'm so glad I did. I guess it's pretty easy to figure out my favorite colors by now....

So the Lizbeth thread is the same as the last necklace, the beads are the main difference. According to bigger bead size I had to adjust the stitch count slightly, but it was pretty easy since I had already figured out the basic gist of it from yesterday.

My husband took a picture of me wearing it, which doesn't really do it justice since it's not really well lit. And possibly quite blurry. Oh well.

On to a different edging pattern tomorrow. I'm thinking something with pearls... and I'm tempted to keep going on the same Lizbeth just to see if I like it. I can always replicate these in other colors.

May you be as inspired by me as I am by you wonderful people every day!

Motif 19 and 20!! Woot!

I suddenly feel very close to the end of my first 25 motif challenge, and it's so exciting! Today I made another set of necklace/ earrings adapted from another simple edging pattern... this one could be from any book. It's very common.

This is made with Lizbeth size 20. And I never remember the names or numbers. I should probably work on that since I'm posting about it... The beads are antiqued silver. The earrings are a simple ring, then 2 split rings (done with the beads on one shuttle and the other part tatted by hand so that I could thread the beads on in between rings).

After the last couple posts I decided it would probably be a better idea to have a photo where I am actually wearing the necklace, just to give a better idea if it's something you'd like to make or even look at... Let me know if there's any interest and I can post the pattern counts I used. They're generally pretty simple.

I should really put a shirt on that poor naked mannequin top. It's a little scandalous.

Oh, and of course I had to post this. This is where I keep most of the other necklaces I've already made and it's starting to look a little silly. But it's pretty, and I like the colors. So I'll probably keep adding on more as I make them!

And I have another collaboration beauty with my friend Candy. Check out how she made the tatting grace something useful! I love when it's useful. The only problem is I need to protect it with some kind of clear something.. I really have no idea. Ideas??

I'm thinking I could probably line the inside with felt or something and it'd be a very useful gift box for something. I just need to work on protecting the top...

Well, I think that's it for today. I'll be a busy bee tonight and see if I have more fun with necklaces so I can post something interesting tomorrow, too.

More motif progress

This first picture is inspired by the last post. I don't think I have the neck for chokers (many of us must think that since I rarely see people wearing them), but I decided to take a picture of myself wearing the lavender one I made. I have to say, it would look much better in a darker color on me. Or if I were actually capable of getting a tan.

Which leads me to the next motif. Numbers 17 and 18! This one comes from an old adapted edging in "New Things Happen to Tatting." I had a little time to tat while we drove through the Rockies. Well, when I wasn't taking pictures out the windows. So I guess not too much time...

 I thought I'd get a picture of this one on, too, although I haven't pressed it in any form, yet, and the self-portrait is rather blurry. I also tried a couple different versions of earrings and ended up with these. We'll see how they hold up. I should also spray and press these with something. Who knows what.

 This one is a little longer, and has an adjustable chain on the back for an added 2-3 inches, if desired. Fun!

Well, that's all for now. I have some time tonight, so we'll see if I have anything new to share for tomorrow!

Transitions

To all of you who comment on people's blogs, and mine, thank you. You make me feel like a wonderful person and give me the encouragement I need to keep blogging even when life is topsy turvy. I know I am slightly whiny, but I suppose that's normal for me when nothing in my life is certain. Okay, enough complaining. On to the to-do list.

Last week was pretty non-productive tatting wise. I have the next motif in my 25-motif challenge, number 16.

This is another of Lynn Morton's patterns, a lovely tatted choker. It has split rings down the center, which I always enjoy. It's a rather thick pattern, though, which I could make smaller by changing the thread size from 20 to 80... I was just trying to use up the lavender ONT. I keep trying to work my way through things so that I can actually buy myself some new thread. It doesn't seem like a good idea yet, since I still have 2 Rubbermaid wrapping containers full of tatting thread. Yes, it's a bit excessive. It'll take me years before I can buy new thread guilt-free, I think.

Meanwhile, I almost finished my apples. 130 quarts and counting. I'm almost out of jars for the season, however, because the grapes were so prolific and I still have salsa. Heh. I kind of like it. I'm thinking of using the free apples I get from a friend this year and simply asking if anyone has jars they want me to fill. Maybe charge a pittance like $1 or something a quart. Might make it worth my time, anyway.

Exciting afternoon (not really) of paperwork and maybe Bible study. More paperwork tonight! Yay. We'll see if there's room in there somewhere for tatting. :)