Snowflake Time!

It's that time of year again -- yes, it's cold, but we don't get much snow here in South Carolina.  But it is time for snowflakes -- of the tatted variety!

I like to give my department co-workers a little tatted remembrance of the season; last year, I tatted and gave out about a dozen of Marilee Rockley's Joyful Bell.  This year, I've been thinking about what to tat, and time is running out - so I need something that will work up quickly!  I looked back through some tatted samples I did several years ago and decided on this star -- needs beads, and since I can't find where I wrote down the pattern, it's back to the drawing board (hmm...why does that sound so familiar???)

Hiding ends is not fun for me - I sew through the caps of the double stitches, and that's time that I could be tatting!  I will re-engineer the star so I can exit through the top of the center trefoil on one of the points, and use the ends to tie a self-hanger so it's tree-ready right out of the baggie!  And...since it's a star, I don't have to use white (they come in all colors!).

I also give a larger, beaded ornament to my boss each Christmas -- this year he's getting a snowflake.  I used this pattern of Jane Eborall's - but adapted it slightly as I didn't have any rings for the center and I couldn't find my really tiny hook that will go through beads.  I showed it to Jane and asked if she minded me posting it and talking about it -- it is, after all, her pattern and not mine -- and Jane, gracious as always, gave permission and asked if I'd send her the pattern for the adaptation!  She plans to put it on her pattern page, which I consider an honor!

I'm tired of winter already and ready for spring, which could last at least 6-7 months; spring and fall are my favorite times of year nowadays because there usually aren't temperature extremes.  Winter's too cold and summer's too hot -- can't tat if fingers are too cold or too hot!  Once all my little tatting chores are out of the way, I need to start thinking of springtime -- and dream up a pattern!