Tatting Tea Tuesday - At Last!

Finally, a day off from work on a Tuesday!  That's the only problem with working for a living - it seriously cuts into your free time!  I didn't think about Tatting Tea Tuesday until DH brought me a mug of hot tea this morning, and then my brain went into overdrive.

I am posting from my bed, with the laptop balanced on one knee and probably a dozen containers of various types and sizes stacked precariously around me.  All contain something to do with tatting - some have just thread, some have just tools, and some have a mixture of both.  This little one has a UFO in it.


I will tell you that DH makes a delicious cuppa - I had two already, and contemplated asking for a third - but he's gone out, so I'm on my own for a little while.  I believe it was the tea sold at Aldi Foods, very good but unflavored.  He did put some of their hazelnut creamer in it, and I enjoyed it very much!  I think we might have some Lady Grey in the kitchen - I've gotten to like it even better than Earl Grey, which I love.  There should be some English Breakfast as well and possibly some Green/White Fusion (which is even healthy for you, in addition to tasting good!).

As to tatting - what to do?  I could work on the UFO, if I remembered exactly what it was supposed to be - I may just "wing it" and see what happens.  I also was thinking about working on something for Spring; I'm a bit bored with white snowflakes!  I'm also bored with the soggy, dreary weather that passes for winter in the Deep South. 

At least the UFO is in Spring colors...and there are beads with it...maybe I could tat a bracelet?  And the rain has stopped...and the sun is playing hide-and-seek with the clouds...so I'm going to get busy!  Maybe I'll have a new bracelet to wear to work tomorrow!

Christmas Came Early This Year!

I was running a little late when I got home this evening - David greeted me at the door with, "You got a package in the mail today."  I found it on the bed when I went in to change clothes.  OH, BOY - IT'S FROM DIANE!!!

I eagerly opened the packet and spilled the contents onto the bed.  WOW - a ball of Lizbeth (my favorite thread!) in size 20 (my favorite size!), in a colorway I didn't already have (!!!)!  Two - count 'em - TWO of the new Starlit shuttles, all dressed up for Christmas!!  And to carry everything - one of Diane's handmade origami pouches in a Christmassy print!!!
It's been a hard couple of weeks at work and we're not out of the woods yet - got to get through the End-of-the-Year tasks first.  And before Year End - we have Christmas (let's see, ham is in the freezer...) and I'm NOT ready yet!!!

But if anything can put me in a Christmassy mood, it's Diane's wonderful gift!  I think I'll go hunt up the "Charlie Brown Christmas" DVD, make a hot cuppa, and settle in for some Christmas TATTING!!!

It has been a very busy couple of weeks at work - long days followed with exhaustion-induced sleep (think comatose), and very little time for anything else.  I tatted a bit at lunchtime, though!

I may have forgotten to mention - I did have an entry in this year's South Carolina State Fair, in Columbia, SC, in October.  I won a blue ribbon for my necklace, and - shock of my life - I also won one of the Palmetto Tatters Awards!

The ribbon is for Most Innovative Tatted Design, for my necklace.  Isn't the Palmetto award ribbon beautiful?  Pam Freck did the tatted snowflake and the lettering!

Monday, it's back to work; but for now, I can work on some tatting that's been percolating in the back of my mind for a couple of weeks!  Gonna go get my shuttles RIGHT NOW!!

The Tatter From Out of Town!

Everyone who reads Ladytat's blog knows that Jeanne planned a trip to Charleston, SC.  When she contacted me to inquire about the upcoming Palmetto Tatters meeting (which was yesterday), I was thrilled that she might come visit with us!

It is one of the very nicest things, to meet in person someone with whom you've corresponded online.  Jeanne is a wonderful, very down-to-earth person - and a terrific tatter!  She brought show-'n-tell items, including a pair of earrings that tried to play hide-and-seek.

The lesson was Riet Surtel-Smeulders' Lock-Chain Snowflake, which she taught at the 2011 Tat Days - Tatting in a Winter Wonderland's Night Owls session.  It's a cute pattern, and it's included on the Pattern CD - which you can order here.  I tied mine to my (current) tatting bag!

We had a wonderful time yesterday tatting and chatting, and finished up with supper at a local restaurant, Lizard's Thicket, which is just good home cookin'.  Yumm!!

I'm working on this year's give aways for the office; we'll see how they turn out. I'm using Altin Basak metallic, and it can be ..um.. challenging to tat without breaking the filament.  We'll see if I'm up to the challenge!  Time is creeping up on me - Christmas is right around the corner, as evidenced by the Greenwood Christmas tree, resplendent in lights on the square.  We were on our way home, and on a whim, I shot this through the truck window.  It was only about 8.30, although it looks like midnight!

Later, that same day... Almost forgot - here is a picture of the Lock Chain Snowflake I tatted in class.  I think it turned out well - looks like it fell through a rainbow!

On the Square!

It's been a horrendously busy week, but I still managed a little tatting time!  I love MK's Curds & Whey edging; it's a lovely straight piece that can be coaxed to a slight curve.  And this made me wonder: could it turn a corner?

Yes, it can!  And it's easy-peasy, too!  When you are very close to your corner, make sure your next repeat has the small rings on the outside.  Next repeat, make only 3 small rings inside.  Next repeat (the corner) has the small rings on the outside: make 5 of them.  Next repeat, make only 3 small rings inside.  Now, you're back to tatting the pattern as written.

You can even make a small square!

MK's Leaf Braid Variations!

Tatting with Visual Patterns is still under copyright, so I can't write up the pattern here.  However, I can tell you that it's on page 18 in the 2002 Lacis soft-cover edition, and it's easy-easy-easy!

The variations, though, are mine - and while I can't write out the exact pattern, I can describe how to tat the wreath and the zig-zag.  These have not been test tatted!

Wreath:  1 shuttle.  Size 20 will take at least 4 yards, and I'd load 5 yards to be on the safe side (why add thread later if you can avoid it?).  Size 20 Opera is a little thinner than size 20 Lizbeth, so 4 yards should do fine (but you know your own tatting style, so load what you are comfortable with.  If you want beads like my wreath has, string 27 before you begin - put one ring in the ring thread for every ring you tat, and let it stay at the base of each ring.

1st ring - tat only the 1st ring of the set.  Reverse the work and tat both rings of the set.  *Reverse the work and join the last picot of the 1st ring you tatted to the shuttle thread (yep, it's a shuttle join).  Now tat the 1st ring only again.  Reverse the work and tat both rings of the set.  Repeat from * around; when you see that you've got just about enough room for one more inner ring, tat it and be sure to join it to the 1st ring; then, when you reverse work to tat the last set of rings, remember to join to the first ring of the first set (it's tricky!). Hide the ends.  Sew or glue a bow in place where you like it.

Zig-zag:  A little trickier than the wreath, because you're tatting the first ring of the set on each side instead of just on one side.

1 shuttle.  Tat the 1st ring only of the set, and reverse the work.  Tat both rings of the set, and reverse the work.  Join the last picot of the 1st ring with a shuttle join and tat both rings of the set.  Reverse the work and tat the 1st ring only of the set, and reverse the work.  You should start to see a pattern of rings:  single ring, 2 sets, single ring, 2 sets; the other side should have set of rings, single ring, 2 sets, single ring.

Have fun!

MK's Leaf Braid Again!

I had another idea for Mary Konior's Leaf Braid -- could it be tatted as a zig-zag?

Yes, it can!

  

I also finished a wreath!  This one is tatted with Opera size 20; I think it's just a bit smaller than Lizbeth size 20.  The bow is plastic and came from Hobby Lobby; because it already had the hole in a convenient place, I joined to the ring thread with a lark's head knot.  I've got to tell you, though, it made tatting after joining into the bow a little fiddly -- the bow is rigid plastic and it's a bit cumbersome.  This wreath also came out with 10 points - so I'm going to tat another wreath in the same thread, but without joining into the bow (I'll attach it afterwards) and see how it does.

Accident Becomes Inspiration!

Are you a Mary Konior fan?  I am!  I'm the happy owner of her tatting books (Tatting, Tatting In Lace, Tatting Patterns, and Tatting With Visual Patterns) and would like to draw your attention to "Leaf Braid," found in Tatting With Visual Patterns (on page 18 in the 2002 softcover edition published by Lacis).  It's a one-shuttle lace; if you're not familiar with it, it's two rings, joined, reverse work, two rings, joined, reverse work, etc.  MK calls it "the easiest pattern in the book and probably the most useful."

In my previous post, I discussed working the Leaf Braid in size 40 Lizbeth "Grape Splash," and wondering how long a piece of lace 15 yards of thread would yield.  It's about 13" - but there's a *gotcha* - it's not a straight piece of lace!  It turns a corner!!


I'm bad about not paying strict attention to my tatting - I'll be tatting and chatting, or tatting and reading, or tatting while watching a movie (at home), which generally leads to frogging.  This was the case when I was working on the Leaf Braid the other night - I turned over my work to start a new set of rings, and found that I had only done the first of the two rings the last time I worked on that side of the braid.  The braid had a definite bend to it, due to the missing ring; this started me thinking - could this be the way to turn a corner on this edging?  I worked another single ring (the first of the set), then reversed to work the "outside" where I worked another set of two rings, joined.  I reversed it again - the bend was at a more noticeable angle.  I kept working.

Three single rings were needed to make a nice, square inside corner.  I turned just the one corner and kept going straight - so one side measures a bit over six inches, the other over seven inches.  I found I could get a nice, flat braid by leaving a bare thread space of about 1/8" when I reversed work; and a very small 1/16" bare thread space between the pair of joined rings.

I like to experiment in tatting - and what if  starts me off on a new adventure.  What if you tatted the Leaf Braid, with the corner variation, but just did all first rings of the set on one side?

Merry Christmas!!

Of course, I got all bead-happy - but it would look pretty with just the beads in the middle of the circles of rings.  I may make another, with just those - if I do, I'll post it so you can see it.  I used four yards of thread for this - didn't have to cut it from the shuttle, as I was finger-tatting the last ring!  Nine points works fine - it lays flat - but if you wanted ten, I think that would work as well.

More Mary K!

I ran across a Sew-Mate shuttle nearly full of lovely hand-painted thread; what to tat, what to tat?  I went back to my old standby, my go-to pattern:  Mary Konior's Curds-and-Whey edging, done with just one shuttle.  Before I knew it, I had run out - and the edging was not long enough to really use!

I switched to some of the Lizbeth I bought at Tat Days - some of the new colors, in size 40.  At the right is how "Blue River Glades" looks, tatted as Curds-and-Whey.  .

Fifteen yards of this thread yielded about a foot and a half length of edging, which made me wonder: if I switched patterns and tried, maybe, Leaf Braid, how long an edging would 15 yards of Lizbeth size 40 give me?  I'll let you know - in the meantime, here it is in progress (in "Grape Splash").

The world is a lot smaller than we think - thanks to the Internet!  Case in point:  I have a friend, Jeanette, who is an expert spinner.  For the last 25 years (at least), a couple of times (at least) each year, Jeanette has dressed in 18th century garb and carried her antique spinning wheel to our local historical site, Star Fort, for Living History Days, where she has demonstrated and discussed the art of spinning.

Imagine my surprise (and amusement) when I got an email from Jeanette the other day:  Isdihara recommended that I contact you to schedule a tatting lesson. I didn't know you taught. I tried to learn from VCR tapes and a DVD. I am having problems with tension. Please let me know if you can help me.  


Isdihara is a good buddy; I've known her online for a few years, and met her in person at Tat Days 2010.  Now we talk on the phone and email, as well as follow each other's blogs.  She also lives in Virginia, and I live in South Carolina.  Jeanette, on the other hand, lives about two miles away from me.  Small world indeed!


I called Jeanette and we set up a meet at a local chain coffee shop (I'll call it "Coffee-Bucks," but you and I both know what its actual name is).  We tatted and chatted for over two hours, and probably could have kept on, but we both had some other stuff to do, so we parted with promises to stay in touch and meet again to tat and chat.  

Our Day at the Fair!

We had a great time talking about tatting and demonstrating how easy it is to do!  Marie had a very nice young lady, Bree, who came into our booth and talked tatting for quite a while.  She had already learned how to tat and was interested in furthering her knowledge.  She sure asked the right person!

Pam also had a student who was very motivated to learn, and Pam had her flipping her stitch in no time!

See the beautiful gold bag? It has 10,000 beads!

Our "Tatting Hands" video played
for interested visitors.

In Shock!

Last week was busy...very, very busy.  I glanced at emails -- didn't open and read any, just glanced at them (that did a lot of good, didn't it?).  Didn't have much fun time on the computer at all.

And then it was Saturday, October 15 - State Fair day!  The Palmetto Tatters go to the South Carolina State Fair in Columbia, SC every year (that counts as our October meeting) and demonstrate the art of making lace with string and air.  We had parked and were waiting for our ride into the fairgrounds, and Gloria walked over to wait with us - and congratulated me on my "big win."

"Oh!" I exclaimed.  "I did win a blue ribbon!"  (My work friends told me all along that I'd get a blue ribbon, and I had to bring back pictures so they could see it.)

Gloria said, "Well, yes, but I meant the big award - Most Innovative.  You won that!"

My chin still hurts.  That blacktopped parking lot is hard, and when my jaw dropped,...well, you get the idea. Once we were inside the Moore Home Arts Building, I found out where my necklace was displayed, and got this picture.  I'll make a better one, once I get it back, but that will be sometime next month.

I'm still in shock.  I've gotten blue ribbons before, but never one of the big awards.  This will keep me floating, up around Cloud 9, for quite some time!

Oh, and before I forget - Isdihara, this one's for you - we were on the phone and as I came around the corner of a building, I remarked on the beauty of the fading sunset behind the lights of the fairgrounds.  This picture doesn't really do it justice, but it at least gives you an idea of how really pretty the scene was.

New Threads!

...uh...as in thread, not clothes... Back in the day, we said "threads" when we were talking about clothing...ahem... anyway...

Has it really been just two Saturdays ago that we were in Toccoa for Tat Days??  Seems longer...way longer!  I'm getting over a sinus infection (so what else is new) and finally getting around to trying out some of the beautiful new threads I picked up.

First up - Pink Cocoa, a new Lizbeth colorway, suggested by Jane Eborall!  I actually started this motif at Tat Days - I usually prefer size 20 thread, but the new colors were just available in sizes 40 and 80 (yikes!), so I bought a ball of size 40.  I like the way it looks!  Good job, Jane!

Next up is Sea Island Citrus, another Lizbeth colorway, suggested by Carolyn Craig.  The picture on Handy Hands' site didn't  do this thread justice!  I really like the way the cool green and blue play up against the dabs of yellow.

Lastly, Altin-Basak color 343 (why don't they name theirs?  Anyone know?).  I received two full balls of this lovely turquoise blue, along with gobs of other goodies, in a Silent Auction item I bid on.  I haven't decided what to make yet, but I've loaded a shuttle - that's Step 1!


Between the antibiotics and the decongestant, I'm getting sleepy again.  I think a "nap" may be Step 2 right now instead of "choose a pattern!"

More Stuff from Tat Days!

A couple of stats before the pictures:

• I counted three countries represented - The Netherlands, Mexico, and the US. 
• Of the 70 listed attendees (in the souvenir program book), I counted 14 states represented: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

I'd love to have every state represented next year - it will be the 10th Annual Palmetto Tat Days!  I've already started working on patterns to submit with my teaching application for 2012!

Treasures from Tat Days:

Beads from my dear friend, Kathy
Hodge, plus "shuttle warmers"
from the banquet Friday night

Here's a Sew-Mate shuttle getting
cozy in the shuttle warmer!

Thread from Kathy.  Aren't the colors scrumptious!

Commemorative shuttles by The Shuttle Shop

The picture does NOT do justice to these lovely
threads!  The sun was playing hide-and-seek
when I took it, so the colors aren't as vibrant
as they truly are.

Commemorative shuttle by Georgia & Richard Seitz.
It's actually a deep, lustrous blue - like the sky at
midnight on a clear night.  Can't wait to use it!

Decorated shuttles by Hope Bates - aren't they pretty!

Same shuttles, they just "did the flip" to show off their
other sides.  I know I'll enjoy using them!

I won this wooden tote in the Silent Auction.  It was loaded
with lovely and useful items - such as several balls of
thread, glass "gems," and metal bangle bracelets!

 And these are just some of the goodies I brought home!  We had such a wonderful time - it's like a big family reunion (only everyone is speaking to everyone else).  More later...

Sharren in (Tatting) Wonderland!

There was a light mist on Lake Louise this morning, that became a light fog as we drove south on GA-17, heading for I-85.  Tat Days 2011 is over for another year.

The first person we saw, the first person we always see when we pull up in the parking lot of our Tat Days venue, was Martha Ess.  She looked great, as always, and told us she'd brought copies of her newest book.  And - time got away from me, and I didn't get one!!  Oh, well, I can order one from her.  We hung out in Griffith Hotel, our "home away from home," greeting new arrivals - which included CrazyMom, IsDihara, and Nina Libin!  Wonderful to see all three of them!

Our teacher orientation session was informative and pleasant - thanks, Joanie!  She is so much fun and so pleasant - we're good friends and don't get to talk nearly often enough!  She passed out teacher gift bags, handmade by our own Gloria Grumman (who is a genius with a sewing machine), which contained all sorts of wonderful stuff - the motif on the front, Jane Eborall's Octo-Flake, was tatted by Joanie Culverhouse.  Don't know who made the fob, but doesn't it look right at home on my scissors!

Riet Surtel-Smeulders arrived, wearing - believe it or not - Sock Monkey Earrings!  Even more astounding, she told me they are hand-knit!  Here is a closeup of one; that's Marie Smith's hand holding it still.  Riet is such a bundle of energy, those tiny monkeys were really dancing as she moved, talking animatedly with old friends and new!

And here is our dear friend, Erin Holloway-Moseley - wearing a beautiful tatted necklace made from hand-dyed thread.  I didn't catch the name of the artist who dyed it, but the colors were perfect with her outfit and the pattern was lovely!

This weekend has been a blur, but as I get a moment, I'll be writing more about it.  So much fun, I'm ready to re-pack and hit the road again!

 "Three more weeks until Tat Days"...then, "Two more weeks until Tat Days"...then, "Seven days until Tat Days!  I'll never make it!"  Then, it was here...and now, in just a heartbeat, I'm back to "Fifty more weeks until Tat Days..."

Oh, yeah, honey, I am definitely a tatter!!!

Thursday - Bring It!

I am now officially ready for Tat Days - I have a new lanyard!  A shout-out of "THANKS" to Crazy Mom, who posted the basic pattern on her blog.  Can you see where I changed it to make it work for me?

The tough part was finding beads that would work with the thread and crochet hook - I had to go from size 20 thread to size 10 (it felt huge!); size 11 to size 6 beads; and size 13 to size 11 hook.  But I'm pleased with the results and will happily wear my new lanyard!

I Can't Wait for Thursday!!

...Because that's when we leave for Toccoa, Georgia, and TAT DAYS - Tatting in a Winter Wonderland!  I am really looking forward to seeing so many old friends again, connecting with friends I only know online, and meeting new friends!

Wonderful classes are being offered - many techniques are being covered - lots of new patterns!  A pattern CD, containing every pattern taught in each class, will be offered again; if you can't be with us at Tat Days, and would like one, please see our website at http://www.palmettotatters.org/  for ordering information.

Now I'm thinking about tatting a lanyard - I tatted one years ago, but whatever became of it, I don't have a clue. I doubt seriously that it became a cat toy (he preferred shuttles), so it may be around here - somewhere!  But it's not here when I want it, so I guess it's time for a new one.

Hmm...Crazy Mom has a wonderful, easy, quick pattern on her blog - maybe I can borrow her idea and take it for a spin??

Cateechee!

There are a number of shawl
dances(for ladies) - this one is a
butterfly dance. 

That's where we were this afternoon - Ninety Six, South Carolina, for the Cateechee Fest.  If you weren't there, you missed a good time!

Isn't she graceful! 

Her stamina was amazing!

Dancers and talkers from the reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina, demonstrated some of their dances, told stories, and stayed on their feet despite the broiling hot temperatures.  It was about 95F by mid-afternoon, and despite a pretty steady breeze, the humidity kept everyone from being comfortable.  I stayed in the shade as much as possible, but forgot to bring a camp chair, so I had to stand or find a spot on one of the picnic tables that dot the city park.

Lots of years between 1920 and 1940 were represented.

There was also an exhibit of antique automobiles, which still work - I watched some drive off towards the end of the day.  The local rescue farm brought a couple of horses and donkeys they've nursed back to health from malnourishment and ill-treatment, but I didn't get a picture of them (darn it).

There was a canopy with a table displaying some of the Cherokee beadwork, but the dancers were between it and me, so I didn't get a close look.

Wonderful reminders of bygone days!

When we got back to Greenwood, we stopped at a local place, Little Pigs, and got a sandwich (for me) and a hash plate (for David) and cooled off in the excellent air conditioning.

I'll pop in a few Cateechee Fest pictures for your viewing pleasure, then I'm going to hit the shower!

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!

...in some places!  Here in the upstate of South Carolina, most of us noticed the tremors at about 2:00 this afternoon (EDT).  My chair, which is springy, bounced around with me in it - my monitor jiggled - and the ice cubes in my water glass danced!  It only lasted a few minutes, but it was such a strange sensation!

After I felt pretty certain the tremor was over, I ventured across the hall to ask our IT guy if he'd noticed anything - and he had!  We went down the hall to see if anyone else had noticed, and everyone in the office had noticed the shaking.  Most thought they might be imagining it and decided not to mention it (just in case they actually had imagined it, so nobody would think they were crazy).

We're all fine here, and I'm getting back to work on my entries for the SC State Fair.  The deadline is getting closer...and closer...yikes!

Sew, What's New!

Today I have learned something important: I still remember how to sew!  Enticed by two (count 'em, not one but two) tutorials online on How to Make A Dorset (or Origami) Bag, I went to the local chain sewing store (Hancock Fabrics, if you're interested) and purchased a small, portable sewing machine.  It's a Janome, which I'd never heard of before reading the sale ad that came in the paper a few days ago.  It was a nice sale, so with the money I saved, I invested in two remnants and some thread.

Observation:  I used to sew nearly every item of clothing I wore, and could save a lot of money.  What I just paid for remnants used to pay for fabric cut off the bolt!  And thread...well, let's just say a spool of thread no longer costs just a quarter.  You can still pay for it in quarters, but you'll need a bunch of 'em.

Frightening thought!

We brought it home, and I read the box.  Should I be alarmed at this note on the side?  I mean, are we talking literally GROWING with me?  Will this cute little portable one day be the size of a Volkswagen?  Does it have a serious doughnut habit or are cookies its "fattenator" of choice?  Or.... does "grow" refer to picking up my bad habits?  Will it begin to accumulate accessories to the point that it needs its own house to live in, and is eventually featured on Hoarders?

Moving on...here are the remnants and thread.  The berry print is just a fraction over 1/2 yard, and the yellow is about one yard.  Both tutorials stressed making sure the two fabrics were exactly square; I remember having to clip-and-tear back in high school, so I did.  Amazing!  It still works!  (d-u-u-u-h-h-h-h-h....)

Observation:  there are times when having a room in the house dedicated to sewing and crafts would be very helpful.  This is one of those times.  Lacking a flat surface on which to press the fabric (so it wouldn't have helped to locate the iron anyway), I finger-pressed the seams. 

I like this little machine!  I went through the manual so I'd know where everything is located and how to wind the bobbin and how to get the machine threaded, and practiced sewing straight and zig-zag stitches on an old shirt of David's.  I took my time when I started sewing the bag pieces, and I think it came out pretty well for a first try.  Please don't examine it too closely as I know it has multitudes of mistakes!  I need to get something for a drawstring (or make one, but that doesn't really hold any appeal for me) to say it's completely finished.

Let's see, what shall I sew next??

Captain Klutz Strikes Again!

Or...Gee, I'm So Glad I Mopped the Bathroom Floor Last Night!

At least when they go from
purple to technicolor,
they'll soon fade

Yep, one minute I was walking across the hall to the bathroom -- and the next, I was in free fall, heading for the ceramic tile floor!  I landed mostly on my left side and have the bruises to show that it was not a soft landing.  Nothing is broken, other than a small plastic organizer box that I demolished on my way down - why it was in the floor I don't know, but it did break my fall, so I'm just as glad it was there.  I'll take bruises instead of a broken hip any day of the week and twice on Sunday!!

The biggest bruise - not in a good
place (if there ever is a good place
for a bruise to form)

I'm still sore, but don't have to take pain meds now; I can drive again with no problems; and it's back to work tomorrow morning.  I've rested all weekend and I think it's really helped.  I'm ready to get back to my normal routine, though, including tatting!

Other than that, things have been pretty quiet.  It's too hot to do anything outdoors.

I can't believe this one just below
my knee is already greenish!

Oh, and about the pictures -- I didn't think you really wanted to look at my bruises!  The butterfly is one I tatted several years ago; the mini doily is, I believe, one of Karey Solomon's; and the two-color heart is one I designed and taught at Palmetto Tat Days for 2008.