Sewicked

I spent all day yesterday working on data entry stuff. Due to some changes in the spreadsheets, last month's was all screwed up for a couple of them. Trying to figure out what had gone wrong & then fix it, plus taking care of the usual preoccupied me all day.

It was cooler yesterday, about 10 degrees or so. When I left work, I honestly thought that it was going to rain any minute it was so overcast. Alas, I was wrong. Maybe we'll get something from the edges of Hurricane Humberto (which hit Texas this morning).

sight of the day: college-age girl with a dowager's hump. I don't know if it was a deformity, if so then my sympathies; if not, then for deity's sake girl straighten up!

books: I finished the last of The Viscount in Her Bedroom this morning, then read vol 4 of Ranma 1/2 on the way in to work & vol 1 of The Wallflower at lunch.

tatting: I finished the Fantasy Flower & I'm very unsatisfied. It's because I did a lousy job with the long picots. I really want to try it with beaded picots now. I think that will work much better, thanks to Jane's technique. I've decided to try & redo the bauble and I've retro-tatted to the 2nd ring. I also finished the wheel on Jane's wheelbarrow and started the body.

Palmetto Saturday Classes
I woke up at 5:30 am so I got up and went to the Early Bird Tatters session (Beaded Baubles with Bling, with Karey). As I left the room, I think I heard bats still flying around. Its late enough in the year that 6 am is full dark; no sign of the sun yet.

Unfortunately, the doors to the buildings were locked. Fortunately Karey had the supplies with her (kits, both preloaded with beads & without - proceeds to go to the ASPCA) and the pattern is simple enough that she didn't need to have it in hard copy. For at least 15 minutes, we were busy trying to tat by the exterior lights of the buildings.

Once they opened the buildings, we relocated inside. It was still comfortable, temperature wise but tatting really works best when you can see. At least, if you are doing an unfamiliar pattern that is true.

After a few false starts, some help from Carole (married to the leather crafter at the Village of Yesteryear) and lending a little advice to the tatter next to me, I finally got my bauble done. Alas, I tat a bit tighter than Karey and mine does not fit nearly as well as hers do. She has fantastic color sense though, all the kits thread & bead colors do so well. Although I did see one with bead colors like a coral snake (red on black, friend to Jack; red on yellow, kill a fellow') but Karey didn't know about that. I picked up an extra kit just because she did such a marvelous job with the colors.

I spent the rest of the time, before breakfast, working on the cards. Since they were due at 10:30 am on Saturday, I was a little worried that I wouldn't have them done in time.

I met Anitra & Stephanie in the dining hall and enjoyed a nice breakfast. I still didn't find the hot water for tea, to my disappointment. Happily, Palmettos provided pots of hot water & tea outside the vender's room.

We separated again for our first class. I took Sharren's mini-snowflake. It's a simple pattern, as I expected though, I learned something new. Sharren taught me a new lock join for the SCMR. I spent the rest of the class finishing the cards.

For my second morning class, it was off to see Mimi for the Cluny Flower Bookmark. I was late because there was a 5 minute difference between my watch & the classroom clock. I wish that I had had a chance to practice making my clunies beforehand. My lack of practice was obscenely obvious. Luckily, Mimi had included instructions and hers are just so clear and easy. I did not get very far but I really like the pattern. I want to try to start again and oh, I don't know, get it right this time.

Off to lunch, to eat quickly. I met Anitra & Stephanie again and then rushed off to load my shuttles for Jane's class. I tucked myself onto a couch facing the dealer's room and got to work. I used red thread with blue bugles (from Fire Mountain) & paler blue seed beads (from a dealer) for the toes. Anitra gave me two hematite-looking drops for the frog eyes. I actually used a poison dart frog coloring but it's soooo vivid.

Once I had that done, I finally got a look at the display, aka brag, room. There were some marvelous pieces & I took pictures.

Jane is absolutely marvelous and has a great sense of humor. She enjoys learning American; last time she came she collected the word 'lollygagging.' Her frog is quite interesting & looks harder than it is. I was one of three people to get theirs done during class & I took a picture of all three together. We chose such different colors of threads & beads.

Saturday evening gets its own entry.

clothes: black ~slippers & slacks, white polo (machine crochet chain edging), black tatted earrings & necklace, black glass bead bracelet, hematite ring, black stone band, clip watch & braided hair. I really need to shampoo but luckily it doesn't show in the braid.