Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Pictures and fund

 At my aunt's funeral, I asked my cousins for old photos. One of my cousins mentioned how his mom was practically nonverbal, but on the phone with my mom she was a chatterbox. There was there was a memory connection though, and she was her old self. That gave me the idea to get old photos for mom.

There's one of mom, that's probably when she was a nursing student. 

 


There's also a few with Great-grandfather, great-grandmother, their son my grandfather, plus aunts, my mom, and a couple of my older cousins. This is one one aunt, her grandfather (my great-grandfather), her father (my granddaddy), my mom who is holding my oldest 1st cousin, and his sister.

old photo of 2 young women, old man, and older man, 1 woman is holding a child while another stands nearby

Tuesday, the Employee Forum had our team building at the Outdoor Education Center. Which is great, by the way. And this year, I went up and rode the zip line. It wasn't easy for me, outside my comfort zone, but I did it and it was fun. When I have pictures, I'll share them. I'm still waiting for the pictures.

I'm tatting triangles to make bookmarks.

Brown tatted lace triangle on corner of crossword book puzzle page

Multicolor tatted triangle, on a notepad, with print out of pattern under it. Half Square Triangle from Be-Stitched



It has been egregiously hot. We've had heat advisories more often than not.

Monday, July 08, 2024

More update, fewer pictures

 Some stuff that happened in the last month.

I started a linen edging, from some thread obtained in a destash. Size 20, 2 ply (20/2) in natural and realized the handkerchief I'd intended to attach it to didn't have the right color match or complement. So I ordered one and once it arrived, I got a better idea of how much thread I'd need. And realized I had a bit more than enough to do the 1st round, but not enough to do a 2nd or 3rd round. (picture of edging and hanky in last post)

No problem, I'll just order more. Wait, that vendor doesn't sell linen thread anymore. Oh well, guess I'll get it somewhere else. I contacted the thread and yarn stores I know and they didn't have it. I look online and I can find 8 yard hanks (for embroidery) and 1000+ yard cones for weaving. I need 40-100 yards.

I check the hand spinners, but the thread isn't quite right. Anitra suggests I contact a mutual friend who's a weaver. And I think to contact the vendor to see if they'll check for backstock.

Double success! Both the weaver and the vendor have the thread! As soon as they arrive, I'll compare colors to see which matches better or if I'm going to do a tone gradation.

Sad news, my mom's remaining sister passed. That leaves only mom of her sisters adn their husbands. It was a lovely service, the priest actually knew my aunt and the service reflected that (yes, I am still bitter over my granddaddy's service, I think granddaddy was mentioned more in my aunt's service than he was in his own). Plus, I saw cousins I hadn't seen in a decade.

One of my first cousins once removed shared some of my aunt's favorite recipes via email and we shared some stories about my aunt and her sisters. It was very sweet and funny.

I went to see my Dad before Father's Day and gave him a book I'd found. It's The Hero of Hacksaw Ridge, the abridged story of Pvt. Desmond Doss. The one they made the movie about. Dad enjoyed the movie and of course the book has details the movie didn't. He finished it in 2 weeks. Yes, it's not a big book, but still that's fast. Especially considering he was also reading another book as well.

I went to my local library recently and they have a copy of An Illustrated Dictionary of Tatting by Judith Connors. I want a copy of my own now and an ecopy to keep in my tablet (kind of like I wish I could save Jane Eborall's entire page of tatting techniques to my tablet).

I also picked up a book on weaving on a mini loom. It's not the same as a speedweve loom (what I used to mend the sweater in the pictures last post) or the mini frame loom I have, but some of the information will carry over. My 3rd selection is a book on embroidery. I'm doing more visible mending and a refresher on stitches will prove quite helpful.

I had one shirt I got from my mom that has big holes in one of the sleeves. But when I tried to mend it, the fabric is so thin the needle just made more holes. So I cut the sleeves to 3/4 length and now I decide whether hem them or do something else. It's a knit shirt so hemming is not 100% necessary.

On a cheerful note, June 17th, after work, I got a phone call from a dear friend. She had asked me to be her maid of honor (which I had happily accepted). The phone call was to tell me that they had decided to move up the wedding, from October to June 19th. Luckily, even with the late notice, my manager said they could spare me. I went to work in the morning and then we went to my friend's wedding. It was a somewhat casual (8 people total) affair and they plan a reception or something later. It was lovely and I was so honored she asked me to take part.


Sunday, June 30, 2024

Sorry, I've been so erratic

Life has been a bit disrupted this past month.
Thin knit fabric with multiple holes, on a speedweve loom
Mending doesn't always work, fabric was so thin the needle just made more holes
Clover then chains with thrown off rings
Tatting without a pattern, in theory it will be a bookmark
billboard for grocery store Piggly Wiggly with the cartoon pig mascot and the words 'Got Collards?' with image of collard leaves
Sign you might be in the rural SE
Door with random graffiti
The women's room was out of order so I had to use the men's (gas station)
tatted edgin attached to thread card, labeled Ginnie Thompson Linen natural thread, with darker linen handkerchief
Tatted edging wip
Zipper of jeans with visible stitches mending hole
Visible mending project
Flatbed train cars with 2 storage containers stacked on each one
I didn't know they stacked them
spike of yellow flowers, with bushes and leaves surrounding area, and brick building in the background
mullein blossoms
tall plant topped with spike of yellow flowers, surrounding area, and brick building in the background
mullein plants are tall
textured sweater with speedweve loom, warped and weaving started
Starting mending project
woven patch, a little uneven, on textured sweater, with small hole to one side
visible mending patch done
2 woven patches in contrasting thread on textured sweater, small hole sewn up in matching thread
visible mending patches done
2 woven patches in contrasting thread on textured sweater; small hole is sewn closed. In same thread, a flower is embroidered on large patch and spiral on the smaller one.
visible mending done
Magnolia blossom just starting to open
I love magnolias

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Again, it's been more than 2 weeks

I hate summer colds. I just felt tired and my sinuses went awry (lots of drainage and coughing). I got sick the Sunday after the Matriarchs of Mordecai. Both Tri-Tatters and Sir Walter Lacers made an appearance. It was a lovely day and we all had fun making lace. Liz did both bobbin lace and needle lace.
This was my section of the display.
And this is what the cicadas around me sound like, plus some bird song. Doesn't it sound like a 1950s UFO hovering? My partner says it sounds like a over charged phaser about the blow. Yes, only grass is visible.
I found a couple dresses for mom for Mother's Day. Since I'm traveling to see her on the 18th (between Mother's Day and my birthday), it's good time to deliver them. I have earrings for my stepmom, and rose salve for both.
I mended my jeans. I have 2 more pairs still to fix.
I really love magnolia blossoms.
I'm sorry about the lack of alt text. Something changed and now instead of pictures, when I'm composing the post, all I see is a block of code.

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Fish and Lace (sorry it's been 2 weeks)

There is a boat lock in Utrecht (Netherlands) and it's on the fish migration route. So they put in a gate, to admit fish through, but of course they can't keep it open all the time. They noticed predators had gathered to take advantage of trapped fish. To expedite fish passage through the gate, they crowd sourced it. They put a camera on it and when viewers spot a fish, they click on the 'doorbell.' That photos the fish and someone at the dam opens the gate. The lowest watcher count I saw was in the 600s.
Last Thursday, I finally spotted some fish and managed to ring the 'bell.' But the pictures are not good enough for the weekly fish report.
I've been sub'ing in another part of the department. At first, I felt nigh onto useless. I spent a lot of time reading and tatting. This week makes up for it. Lots and lots of work, and I was on my feet most of the afternoon.
Last Saturday was the NCRL spring lace day. I donated a bracelet for a door prize (Marilee Rockley's Beaded Path) and I taught beginning tatting to 4 people.
These are most (but not mine) hedgehogs from the class last NCRL lace day. I gave mine away as a gift, so I didn't bring it.
And we had gaming on Sunday. It was surprisingly chilly and rainy. After Saturday's warmth, it was a real shock. We didn't quite finish Dragon's Demand. We need to level before the end. I didn't take a lot of pictures during the partial eclipse on April 8, but some.
I also found my scrap bag and added some to it.

Sunday, April 07, 2024

Fiber Arts and Food

The danger of visiting the craft store, twice. They had beads on sale, and buttons (2-hole, so I didn't get many of those). I've been working on Beaded Path by Marilee Rockley from her book Tatting with Beads Jewelry. Alas, I put the beads I'm using somewhere safe and now I can't find them.
the thread is crochet cotton, I think the color is called Pinstripe. It's a nice ombre black/grey. I'm using black beads (see sale I mentioned).
C made this for a friend's birthday grill party. DR has a house too small for everyone he wants to invite, so he rents a picnic shelter and we grill and talk. This is the dessert C made. He said it took 15 minutes; marscapone and creme fresh, berries, more marscapone and creme fresh, with a touch of honey, then muddle and heat berries with honey and lime to pour on top. I'm really hoping he's going to make it again.
Buttercups for spring
C asked me to mend his hoodie. It's his emergency 'need to grab something' jacket he keeps in the car. The sleeve seams and cuffs had holes to I did a quick mend with crochet cotton. Yes, it's very visible but he doesn't care and it was quick.
I finally finished the 2nd Fandango and sewed both of them on my scarf to cover the darning.
I have now done 2 weaving something on my mini weaing frame.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Tatting and Trips

I hit the thrift shop and while I was there I found a small (crib maybe) linen sheet and a polka dot cotton in matching color. I'm seeing a blouse, probably linen body and dotted sleeves/trim.
I finished Jane Eborall's Fandango Coaster in Lizbeth 20, Purple Iris Dark and Island Breeze. I got most of it done on the trip to see my parents.
I'm only up to March 8th on the 2024 TTAL (2024 Temperature Tat A Long).
It started out raining when I went to see my parents, I was glad to take the train. This is a view from the platform.
It was pouring rain this morning, plus there was lightning and thunder. Guess it's really spring, huh?