Here comes the Fail Boat

Before my lovely little cookout arranged by my husband, I managed to make another earring, hoping for a mate to the one I had already made the day before. Unfortunately, I failed big time. My brain was elsewhere when I started as I thought 'this is simple and small, I don't have to weave it while I make it, or bother looking at the one I already made!'. So, as you can see, it is much smaller, and the tension is all wrong.

Time to try again, and actually think about what I am doing. I also think I am going to start using smaller thread. The thread I have been going through is mostly scrap thread left from doilies I crocheted a while back. It just doesn't feel right for some reason. I did try tatting with some very fine yarn last night as well, but I can't wind my shuttle with enough to make anything, and I can't find a needle big enough in the area yet. So I'm probably going to order one or two, but I want to decide what thread I want to use first so I can do it all at once.

As to the cookout, it went pretty well. All four kids played well together, though my 2 year old didn't feel very well. I marinated some steaks in Italian dressing overnight, and my husband cooked them without burning them! Win win! I love steak, it's just something no one else eats in my house, and I can never seem to make it myself, but the cast iron grill did a great job!

Busy, Busy

I had plans for my day last night, then my husband invited people over for supper tonight. It's not nearly as bad as it sounds, he is going to be doing the cooking, and it is just his family, but it threw my day for a loop. Instead of mowing the lawn like I had planned, I am cleaning and straightening the house. Not to say it didn't need it, but it was not high on my list of things to do. Oh well.

Yesterday I did manage to make a nice little earring yesterday with a Celtic Knot technique I am trying to learn. It's a very simple pattern, just 2o stitches followed by a picot and repeat, it's the weaving that is difficult. I used beads instead of picots since I have a whole bunch I got for free to practice with. I think the three stacked on top may be a little much, but just one looked silly. I started the second one, but was just too tired last night to finish it up. Hopefully this evening I'll have a little more energy.

Another thing to not have enough time for...

There never seems to be enough hours in the day, so I apparently have decided to add one more thing to the mix: blogging. I've recently started tatting, and it is quite different from any of the other hobbies that I have picked up. There are two ways to do it, and no one really ever seems to compare the two. Most people only use one, and I have been pursuing blogs and whatever else I can find to make my way through the very cool world of tatting. I've been attempting to make my own patterns, and follow others to learn new techniques. I thought it may be helpful for someone else who would like to learn to see the mistakes and successes that I am making now when I just begin.

As to the other things I do, I am getting ready to teach a class on thread crochet, something I am pretty good at, but have never tried to teach. And for the other classes at the store, I've been trying out new recipes for cookies and such, and just feel like sharing. It'll also be fun to go back and see what I've accomplished, all the different things I've made.

I'll be taking some pictures of what I've made recently and be posting them soon, along with the cookies I plan to bake with my son later today. Hopefully they will turn out well!

-Khena