It's been a weird time

 I am still recovering from the past 2 years. I hope you've gotten through at least more or less intact. My iPad died and now I have an Android tablet. This means I also lost my tablet keyboard. I have an older iPad and according to Apple it couldn't handle the latest iOS and so nothing would update. It's a matter of time before it's a brick, I guess.

I also got a new phone. My previous provider's support was a crapshoot & I got tired of that. Alas, it also didn't permit me to keep my phone number. For literally the 1st time in my life, I have a new area code. It's a silly thing to bother me, but it does. 

I did finally finish my 2019 temperature scarf last year. Of course, I entered it in the State Fair (clothing accessory - other) & happy me, I won first place. Although it was funny when I was dropping it off, a volunteer tentatively asked, 'does this need a swatch?' as crochet and knitted scarves do need swatches. 

There was a scandal (I'm not sure where) about people buying a crochet or knit scarf, cutting the tag off, and entering it into competition. If you also provide a swatch, it means you made it. And the swatch is the reason I didn't enter my first hand spun (on electric wheel) yarn knitted into a scarf. I had about 6" of yarn left, aka no swatch.

Before I was done, I wrote an article for IOLA about my process and the picture was on the back cover!

I also entered a pair earrings designed by Phyllis Schmidt (fantail earrings)

My other entries scrap bag (designed by Karey Solomon from Bring on the Buttons) 

snowflake ornament (from the same book) - using vintage shank button & metallic thread

and framed Beginner's Doily by Shade Tree Designer did not win.

I've started a 2022 scarf (thanks Twisted Picot, formerly Black Sheep Fiber Emporium) & I also got those 2 lovely edging keepers from them.

My job is the same old same old. Although my office did have a leak in early November. I'm still trying to get my office back into shape.  

 

And if you're a gamer who enjoys D&D, do you have feelings about WotC recent actions?

 

Long week was long

Okay, really it was normal length, but after last week's short work week, it felt long.

I had my monthly date with Autumn Breeze on Tuesday. I'm so glad we started doing that. It keeps us in contact the way phone calls, letters, and emails don't.

Oh, here's an interesting band (links to YouTube videos) a friend recommended, Veronica Veronico. Makes me wish I wasn't so close to monolingual.

Saturday is back to the mines, as we resume our Wardens of Reborn Forge game. Or actually, we're leaving the mines as we seek the source of the mystery.

I made another bracelet; shades of purple with dark green beads. I don't have a picture of it yet. I may use it as a gift. Or, I'll make another one, same thread with those silvery gold beads. Chrissie loved the bead petal earrings with matching bookmark. They turned out really nicely, but the photos I have are not good. She promised to take a better photo for me. The heart is adapted by one from Be-Stitched newsletter. I used fewer picots on the clovers and added beads to the chain picots.

both ends of the bookmark, used lockchain for the middle

bead petal earring (pattern by Karey Solomon

in process (using a drill at this point)

Tuesday evening as I was leaving work, I saw this. They were doing a menorah lighting ceremony. They were making the menorah.

ice menorah, in progress

Alas, it rained overnight, blurring the details

What light pollution? (fog reflecting lights)

fog amidst the trees

 Sunday was the Tri-Tatters' meeting. It was the only day in November we could get the meeting room. We had someone relearning to needletat. Thank goodness, our most skilled needletatter was there to help her. Somethingunderthebed brought her latest find; 100 year old women's magazines. She's working hard at scanning them to add to her page.

fun with colored lights (I took a whole series)

Update: one last photo, new tablet game: Monument Valley

Palmetto Tat Days, less than a month

It's less than a month until Palmetto Tat Days. I haven't started fretting about my prep yet. I have gotten emails about homework, though. And packing will be...interesting this year.

Thanks to Anitra's car being a yutz, we'll be taking my car. Another local tatter will be coming with us (we'll call her V). My car is Honda Civic. I think I'll be packing smaller to get all of us into it. We have a bag of tins from CK, plus the ones Mom and I have collected to take. Plus there's the infamous poncho and its decoy, neither of which qualify as particularly small. Figure at least 2 bags for each of us on the way down, and 3 bags when we return (we will be making purchases after all). It's going to be a squeeze. Added, we're picking up a 4th tatter on the way. I have ordered a TripTik from AAA.

I'll be Georgia Seitz's assistant in her class on weird joins. Such a thrill. Georgia Seitz is such a sweet lady. I've been working on that project instead of the gold/silver bead bracelet and necklace.

homework for Georgia's class

Had the monthly date with CC last week. She's applying for a project at work. Her video interview was Friday. I need to find out how that went.

I am terrified of dentists. I wasn't always, but the older I get the more anxious I get about them. It's not a phobia because it's not an irrational fear. I have a small mouth, soft tooth enamel, and a sensitive gag reflex; both of these contribute to a potentially lousy visit. Add in some past experiences, and well, let's just say it adds up.

However, I had a toothache, and it got bad enough I couldn't sleep. It wasn't a constant pain either, it would come and go in waves. After a couple days, I worked up the nerve and found a dentist in my insurance network, and who was close to my home. They saw me quickly, at least for an initial problem-solving and we've scheduled a follow-up to take care of some other issues. The dentist and staff were all very nice and understanding about my anxiety. The dentist even asked what incidents contributed to my anxiety so as to avoid doing those things, or at least be aware of possible triggers.

I finished the tatting on the bracelet to match the earrings. Now I need to make a necklace. Karey suggested using a large bead and threading the beaded tassel/tatting through that, although the bookmark has me toying with making a lariat necklace.

A friend of mine (not a close friend but we have a huge overlap in social circles) has been going through a big change in her life. It's been a kind of a scary change for her so I plan to make a bracelet for her. Of course, I have a necklace, a star/snowflake, and State Fair jewelry project to make. Of course, I could overlap the State Fair project and her bracelet. I am taking a bracelet class at Palmetto Tat Days, I think.

C made chocolate chess pie. It is yum.

These are some things from Kickstarter projects that arrived last week. The artist did a really good job with the illustrations and the cards. I have friends who want to buy the deck and I'm trying to find out how they can do that.

I got the PDF of the gamebook, too

Watery fun

Went to see Mom this weekend. We went to Mayberry's again. They have such good hot dogs and such good ice cream.

As I was getting out of my car, I fumbled and dropped my iPad. The screen cracked so badly there were a couple glass fragments caught in the case cover. I had to replace. Considering the 90-day warranty on a replacement or getting a 2-year warranty on a brand new one...I bought an iPad Air. It's lighter, which is nice. But none of my cases fit. And I'm going through set up pains again. Thank goodness for restore from backup.

Our hot water heater's gone out. I've been taking cold showers, quickly. Cold showers are nice in the summer, but not first thing in the morning. I definitely don't like to wash my hair in cold water. I was going to work late today, so I could be here for the replacement. But we've been stashing stuff in the basement and there wasn't room to wheel a new hot water heater into place. C and I spent most of the day going through stuff. It's something I've been meaning to do so for some time, but not all at once.

Tomorrow the guy arrives to take away the old one and install the new one. And I will go take a hot shower and wash my hair. Thank goodness my boss understands and I had nothing urgent to do at work.

These are the earrings I made at the demo at Mordecai House. The spheres are serpentine beads. I can't remember the thread name.

My parents' wedding photo from 1960. They separated in c. 1974.