Welcome Spring

I picked my last bouquet of tiny dafodils from my old house, each bloom is only two inches across at the most. Aren't they sweet in the little one cup tea pot, just perfect for a beautiful spring day.

I will be gone next week on a well deserved trip with a couple of girl friends, off to Vegas, hehee. We plan on being very bad, but don't ask, because what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Next Round

Now that the round is finished, I think I would do this doily my way again, it really went easier than I expected. Note to myself, remember the next time that the chain really doesn't need to be as big as you think, pull it up a little, so it is snugger and lays straighter. Blocking should help with that problem. The lines radiating out from the center surprised me, not apparent in the picture from the book but a nice design element. The last round should take awhile as it is made of 20 motifs very similiar to the center, 8 blocks instead of 10 around. I need to slow the tatting down and break this arthritis flare before my trip to Las Vegas next week.

Hairy Mess

Not following the pattern can have it's own unconsidered results. The next round will either make or break it. I was suppose to do the next round free standing, unconnected to the center and then the round I just finished was suppose to put the center and the next round together. So all the hairs are marking joins in those chains for the following round. I hope it works out, it has to, everything else in my life has been a mess this week, I need this to work out, think positive. Oh, I did have to add more thread but there are still real no cut and ties, ha.

Motif 14

Look I'm actually tatting this week. The fingers are slightly swelling and I'm not too sore, but I should rest it a day or so before I continue farther with this doily. It's on the cover of Tatting from Burda book. Yep I've already cheated on the pattern, so far I've done no cuts and ties. The lengths I go to, it's silly, it really isn't that hard to hide an end, but yet, I just want to go as far as I can and not cut. The first row of blocks has one with only four chains, since I climbed out of the center. A split ring got me to the second round, which I combined the next row of blocks into, then climbed out of the next two rounds with split chains. I am ready for the next round but it will have to be cut after that, sigh. It's a challenge, or a mind game, like tatting sudoku.

Black Shawl

It has been a frustrating few weeks, attempting to close the house I moved out of last year with sellers and their incompetent realtor. Instead of coming to a closing, they went to see a lawyer, and now one week later they think they might want the house after all, if we release them of the previous contract, return their earnest money, they might write a new contract. It's so insulting! So I have done brainless knitting, a shawl, no pattern, cast on two sts., increase in first stitch every row and knit until the yarn almost runs out, bind off. Keeps the fingers busy and the brain from thinking too much, just what is needed when dealing with not so nice people. Oh, I won't release then from the previous broken contract until I have a new approved contract. I'm not stupid!