nuntium quadragesimum (40th post) a few firsts in one motif

School is in full swing, so tatting time is severely limited. I love school but I'm missing the tatting. I'm following the blogs during lunch (all 28 minutes of it!) and I saw a lovely little cross at Elizabeth's blog.  We met up with my grandparents and aunt and uncle on Sunday so I got to tat in the car.

This is not only motif #15 but it's also my first attempt at "front-side/backside" tatting.  I'm just not convinced the final result is worth it. I LOVE the cross though.

 The thread is some of Anika's hand-dyed and it's lovely to work with.  This is my first piece with HDT too.

On Saturday, I went to our state fair for a little bit.  We live only 6 blocks from the "Great Minnesota Get-Together" which means fireworks every night for us.  I went to the arts and crafts building and was sad to see very, very little tatting in it.  I won't comment on the quality because I'm not a judge and I don't know what they look for.  I was encouraged to enter something myself and I'm going to try to get Cindy to do the same.

Ah, what's that I hear?  The siren call of correcting? Yep- hopefully it won't be so long for the next post.

Latin for today:  lavistine vasa?  = Have you washed the dishes?  (I'm sorry there's no audio, Vocaroo is changing to be a fee-based service which is too costly for this budget.)

nuntiium undequadragesimum (39th post) Five rows!

Hmm, well a blog about tatting is interesting if there's something different going on, i.e. many motifs, projects or a big doily with different rows.  A repeated motif in one color can be dull to post about.

I'm not tired of it.  I finished the 5th row last night and I'm still pleased with it.  If you look at my progress bar, I'm at 22% of the project!

But school started last week and the students come on Wednesday.  So, I think my one motif a day pace may slow down.  Boo hoo.  : )

I love school and the excitement it brings.  Some students are brand new for me and others I've had for one or two years and it's fun to work with them again.  I'm a little "at sea" though because for the first time in 18 years, I won't have a homeroom.  (John (the Navy Seal) was in my first ever homeroom too.)

My brain is swirling with ideas and possibilities for school so tatting ideas will be on the back burner for a while.

Here's a photo of something pretty fun.  We went for brunch last week and somehow my daughter's order got goofed up.  The manager apologized and said he'd bring something special and then came out with this!

I don't think she's ever eaten a whole apple before. 

Then this morning I was looking online for the temp for cooking bacon in the oven- and this is a very slick and easy, no mess way to make bacon - and on the side bar was a video on how to make this same swan!

Latin for today:  hortus mihi pulcherrimus est.  = My garden is very lovely. Click here to listen:

nuntium duodequadragesimum (38th post) Sad tatting

This may be the saddest thing I've ever tatted.

motif #14

I decided to make a gold star for John's family.  I knew about the blue star flag that families hang inside the front window for a soldier away but I didn't know what happens when that soldier doesn't come home.  After a little research I found that one sews a gold star over the blue star to signify the service and sacrifice for the country.  I don't know if the family had a blue star but this is my little way of honoring John and will include it in the card for the family.

Then I was reading Teresa's blog yesterday and saw the Kiva link she has and decided that we would do this too for a young man who wanted to help others in need.  I think he would like that.

The star itself is from a book I've had for a long time- Tatting for Today, I think and the thread is from a suggestion from Kathy.  It's DMC embroidery floss on a spool.  It's okay to work with but you really have to pay attention so you don't get extra picots!  I do have one and there was no chance of opening that ring although I tried for about 45 minutes.

nuntium tricesimum septimum (37th post) What do you do with an expired driver's license?

I had this idea a while ago about making picot gauges after I met with Diane (Lace Lovin' Librarian).  She had the most beautiful wooden picot gauges and I thought individual gauges like that would be nice to have.  So I thought I would cut up a credit card like I've read here and there on various blogs.  That was an epic disaster, mangled, uneven and not worth the time.  The card was so stiff, I couldn't cut it well.

Then today, my renewed driver's license came in the mail  Sadly the face looks older, the pounds are more and the height is less!  On the other hand, my old driver's license is the same size as a credit card, plastic and not quite as hard.
So--after fiddling around with graph paper, carefully cutting, taping onto the license, cutting again, I got this!

I haven't tried them yet but I think they'll work.  I'm going to put them on their own ring so they move more easily.

I also wanted to make a little motif for a necklace pendant so I thought I would try Anne Bruvold's microdragon.  I like him and he's motif #13.

motif #13

On a very different note, I want to do a small tribute to an American hero.  This amazing young man was my student many years ago (7th and 8th grade).  He was sweet, gentle, kind, amazingly smart, caring and wonderful.  And my heart is breaking today. 

Take a look if you have a moment.  http://www.startribune.com/local/127499598.html

in memoriam, dear John,

nuntium tricesimum sextum (36th post) motif #12 and goodies

Well, now here we are on August 8th.  Next week, we teachers go back to school. This is extra early and a little hard to face.  : )

We spent an extra day in North Dakota and then came home last week on Thursday night. We had a great time and I was able to finish one pair of the Mary Konior booties during the trip.  Then I had surgery on Friday morning and have been able to tat pretty much since then so I got the second pair done! Woo hoo!  I forgot to mention this last time but this is actually motif #12! (4 times)

motif #12 (x 4)

While in ND, we got to see many wonderful things and people including my grandparents.  We call them Oma and Opa and I got them 26 years ago when my mom married my wonderful step-father.  Oma crochets beautiful things and knows how much I love hand-crafted works.  She showed me a lovely quilt that her mother started and then her sister-in-law finished and then returned to Oma and Opa.  Can you imagine?  They did put a dent in my tatting time because we had to play pinochle which is always so fun with them.

And then I spotted this doily which Oma made, isn't it glorious?  (Actually I've admired it for many years but I wanted to spotlight it.)

My parents took us all to Hobby Lobby and said, "Get what you want!"  I hope someday we can do that for our children and their families but certainly not now!  We had so much fun and I really overdid it on the Lizbeth.  There are so many colors available right in the store!  I also got some interesting findings and the bobby pins that Randa uses.  It was truly Christmas in July (August).

And then on the way home, my wonderful husband said we could stop at Nordic Needle in Fargo- that was fantastic too.  They had EasyBobs- yay! and the book Tatting from Burda which has been on my wish list forever and the loveliest Brazilian thread.  It says it's embroidery floss but I couldn't resist so my younger daughter (color consultant) helped me choose to my heart's content. 

I don't know how it will tat up but it was so pretty and shiny and soft, I'm determined to make it work.  I think this had better be my birthday present, don't you?

North Dakota is so beautiful.  We went to Fort Lincoln state park to the fort blockhouses which are rebuilt. This is one of the loveliest views of the surrounding area and the Missouri.

This year the Missouri River is deadly dangerous.  There's too much water upstream so the two dams above Bimarck are releasing extra water.  Consequently the houses in the river bottoms are in danger. If you look closely at the picture, you will see these homes surrounded by sandbags.  The city has put up dikes but even so the danger looms. The problem has lasted since late May and will continue until winter.  What will happen when the river freezes?

I'm feeling very blessed and lucky to be here, safe in Minnesota with both of us with jobs and good health.

nuntium tricesimum quintum (35th post) something different - MK bootie

We're visiting my parents in ND which is so beautiful.  We had a huge storm last night, hope my house will be okay when the storm gets there today.

My wonderful husband loves to drive which means I get to tat.  We listen to audiobooks (the latest Kane Chronicle- The Throne Room), the scenery is glorious and 8 hours of tatting!  My elder daughter was working on the second dragon wing from Anne Bruvold's mini-dragon and the younger doing calligraphy.  Everyone happy!

You'd think I'd have more to show for 8 hours but I have a hard time reading in the car (plus I was over sure about what I was doing - real problem) so I did the rosette FOUR times before I got it right.  Now, I'm very pleased.  I gave up on the other bootie pattern. This is Mary Konior's Goodie Two Shoes which is lovely and involves no "fudging".  I may work on the other one again but for now, I want to finish.

Isn't it fun?  I'll put a ribbon on it and maybe a little sock in it?  Hmm, I don't know what do other people do?  I want the booties to be worn, not just admired.

In other news, I was able to teach a wonderful, young woman to tat last week.  We only had one day in common because of travels but she reported in that she's successfully making rings.  Next onto chains and then she's set.  She's currently working on the little fish which is all rings and is looking for advice about closing small rings.  If you have suggestions, please comment and I'll pass it along.

I can't wait to finish the other bootie but there's serious pinochle around here and that doesn't mix with holding a shuttle.  : )

Latin for today:  hodie mane phasianum medio in horto vidi = I saw a pheasant in the yard this morning. Click here

et nunc leporem magnum video = and now I see a huge hare!