The delicate art of tatting

This will be the first tatting project for the class. We will be starting after the first of the year and I hope there is enough interest to proceed. I want to try a tatted necklace with beads next, they are similar to the necklaces that are so popular right now so want to see how they turn out. I also want to make a tatted snowflake for following class project.

The knitting projects are doing quite nicely, I will have some lambs for my next posting. The Central Point Parks and Recreation knitting group is meeting here tonight. We can't meet Friday because several have conflicts. We are calling ourselves the "Twisted Stitchers" from a comment one of them made as I was explaining about twisting the stitches.

Obviously, I haven't been reading very much. Right now I am reading the Hippotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters but have barely started it.

Tatting or What goes around comes around

Several years ago my sister and I decided we would learn to tat. Tatting is an ancient needlework that has lost popularity in the past few years. Presently there are very few accomplished tatters and my sister and I wanted to learn this craft before it became a lost art. We both set out to collect several tatting shuttles, books on tatting and thread. Tatting thread comes in sizes that range from size 10 (the thickness of small string) to size 50 (the thickness of thin thread). After several months of comparing our minuscule projects, we both gradually lost interest.

Recently, however, two of my knitting students expressed an interest in tatting. I am going to teach them and hopefully will finish some of the projects I started. Tatting still holds a fascination for me as an art that is a little more difficult than knitting or crocheting. I will post any finishedprojects.

The pool in the park

 

Knitting and Crocheting Group

At our last CRAFT meeting, a member of another church group met with us. They have been much more active than us, in fact she had a very impressive list of items they had knitted and crocheted to donate to different charities. They knit/crochet prayer shawls, caps for kids and many other items for Doernbecher Hospital, their church group and even small blankets for the puppies at the Humane Society. Needless to say, our group was very impressed. We are going to be meeting with them and increase our output too. I have already knitted a cap for the kids.

They also have an impressive webpage and I hopce to learn more about building one from her. All in all, we were very impressed. This week we are going to be taking pictures for the website and bazaar.

Miss Daisy goes to the park

Today Jackson County had a dog day at the park. There were agility trials, contests and the pool, which had been drained to just a few inches of water at the deep end, was open to the dogs. Miss Daisy and I walked around and talked to different owners and dogs, watched the agility trials and contests. MD is more shy than I realized; she wanted to hide behind me or have me hold her most of the time. There were a couple of smaller dogs that she played with, but the larger dogs were too overwhelming. We did meet a calmer, older mixed breed that she layed down by. When it came to the pool, she wanted no part of it. She would wade in the water but did not want to play with it or the other dogs. I think it is time I started taking her to the park on a regular basis. Also, I think we may join either the agility trials or a dog obedience class this winter. I'm a little surprised she is so insecure around bigger dogs as she grew up with Rusty my cocker.

I took a couple of the dog sweaters, but it was too warm to put them on her.

Life intervenes

On Sunday, August 3, my mother had a car accident. She totalled her Honda but fortunately she will be okay. She is in the hospital and eventually will have to have surgery on her heel. We are all thankful that she will be fine. Needless to say, my projects including my blog have taken a backseat for the last few days. We have been blessed.

I have been working on my dog sweaters. I realized the bazaar is only 10 weeks away and once the countdown begins, time seems to fly by. I am going to start a log of everything I have knitted and track the sales. I just hope everything sells!

Jacksonville yarn shop

Saturday afternoon I drove out to Jacksonville to visit the yarn shop, Llamas and Llambs. Orginally, they had specialized in Amish quilts and llama products but after Mimi's closed they began carrying yarn. They have some very nice yarn, a lot of hand spun and hand dyed. I bought some Fibranatura called Mermaid that is a very pretty multi-shade sea green. I am going to make a shawlette with it. The pattern (Clementine Shawlette, Interweave Knits, spring 2007) says the finished product will be 57 1/2 inches by 10 1/4 inches. I think it will be nice as a shawl and, when it is really cold, I can wrap it around my neck several time as a scarf.

I think I mentioned in the post for the dog sweaters that the only one finished is the blue one. I wouldn't want you to think I am just going to leave holes for the legs on the striped sweaters! They will have leg bands the same color as the collar.