Weekend Recap

On Friday I got a small custom order for a wonderful repeat customer. She uses my tatting in her own work. This time she needed a few hearts made in navy thread, so that was my afternoon. It was lovely to be tatting for someone else again, even if just for an hour or so. The order is of course already done and in the post.

The rest of the weekend was errands and binging Iron Fist on Netflix. My hands got incredibly restless without a project to keep them busy while watching, so I found something to do. Do you guys remember this? I almost didn't. I worked on it forever and then as the circumference grew and progress slowed to a nearly immeasurable crawl, I put it away. Well, it's out again now and it should be perfect to keep me busy when needed since it's likely to never actually be finished.

Listed

I almost forgot to write this morning. I had to get out of the house extra early to take the husband to the airport. Most of my day yesterday was spent either schooling the kids, reading, knitting and visiting with friends that are in town for a short while. I did get one of the Armenian lace pieces listed in my shop, but that's about it. I listed it in black and cream, but it can be custom made in any other color.

 I don't really have any solid making plans today either, but I'll probably spend most of my time knitting again. It's so much slower than tatting or knotting so I need to work longer to make sure that blanket is done in time. The day is already getting started, so I'm off to it then.

Two New

So, guess what? Yep, I actually made some things yesterday. They aren't groundbreaking or anything, but I like both pieces. As soon as I have them both made in a few colors, they'll be heading to my etsy shop. The first one I made was probably because of my tutorial videos. I guess I have fancy single side stitch stuck in my brain. This one it a bit different than the other Armenian lace pieces because I made the lace section shorter on purpose. I wanted it to be able to be worn looser than a choker if wanted.

Then of course that idea gave birth to another idea. That was to take the basic idea and take a step further to just a pendant section, but on the same type of cord. I don't know if I meant to make a triangle in the first place, but that's what I ended up with and I like the way it turned out. I've already made a second one of these in black. Of course I kind of made it for myself, so I'll likely make another so I can have it for the shop.

Because the lace sections are shorter on these, I can make them much faster as well. Much faster also means I can price them less and hopefully that will help them sell, because I really need to be selling more. Hopefully by early next week, these will be in my shop with some color choices.

Armenian Knotted Lace Video, The Second

Friday's plan worked out just fine and just in case you didn't see the video link on one of my other social media spots, here it is embedded for you. I did only the fancy single side stitch for this one, so it is nice and short. This week, when I get my quiet-home time, likely Friday, I'll do one on the square loop.


I also got an order in my shop yesterday for a large necklace, so I've got something that I really do want to remake this week. I started tatting on it last night while watching commercials, but it's going to take a few days I think, so a great start to the week.

Armenian Knotted Lace Video, The First

I actually managed to do the video yesterday. Yes, I am surprised at myself as well. The kids were off in the afternoon with grandma and so I got everything together and made what will be the first in a short series of tutorials for Armenian knotted lace. This one is just getting started and teaches the Armenian knot stitch in a simple loop. I'm not going to tell you how many takes it took to get the video done, nor am I going to say how many were spoiled by cat and how many by my own cursing over mistakes. I just want to make sure that you know that I will be spacing out the videos a bit to keep my frustration level down.

So here is the video. You can find the it on Instructables too if you prefer. I hope that you find it helpful and it makes sense. I'm not sure what the next one will be on, likely a different stitch, but not sure which. No, I did not mean to rhyme that and I'm sorry.

Just Starting

Okay, I admit it, I was super lazy yesterday. I didn't even read much. I just watched the current governmental chaos play out on my twitter feed and some DVR'd shows while I crocheted a few more small cords. Then later in the afternoon I got a bit more focused and started the step by step photos for the tutorial. Don't worry, I plan on making a video as well, but that requires more preparation, so I started with the photos. This is the example piece I started with to teach just the basic loop.

That's likely where I'll begin and I'm starting to think this might have to be a series of short tutorials to cover everything without overwhelming me. I should get some alone time this afternoon to try out a video, but that all depends on other people's plans, so we'll just have to wait and see I guess.I also plan on trying to actually read some more today, I'd hate to waste the school break too much.

This and That

Let's see, I finished making the custom order necklace late in the afternoon yesterday. Seriously, adding beads one at a time slows me down so very much. It is however the only way to add beads without having threads across them and that was the design I created, so that's what I did. The burgundy is actually a little more purple than it appears in the photo, but it is done now and I should have it out in the mail today.

I also got an order for a choker yesterday. When I went looking for it, it could not be found. Luckily, it's one I could make in my sleep, so I got right to work on that piece as well. I won't have it in the mail today, but that's why I say I ship in 1-3 days now. It gives me a little cushion to cover my own incompetence. I'm also fairly certain that once I finish the new one and get it out, I'll find the one I have on hand in the wrong box.

Between those two projects I also got a little work done on the doily. I'm working on a nice simple spiral section that I didn't do one any of the other doilies. It'll take awhile before it's really an obvious element, so I'll just keep at it until it is. This weekend we have the holidays to remove from the house and then some early spring cleaning to do, though I'm sure I'll sneak in at least a little knotting time.

The Morning After

Happy morning-after all. I am right and truly exhausted. Even the cats let me sleep in a bit this morning. We actually have two extra cats in the house plus my two brothers and my sister-in-law is staying here part-time. The house is certainly full. Saturday was fairly quiet, as far as going out and about, but we had lots of laughs and time with family though. Yesterday was anything but quiet. I did quite a bit of cooking myself including attempting a friend's recipe for mac and cheese. The attempt was quite successful, but that along with other dishes made for a very busy day followed by extreme cleanup. The dinner was fun and we got some lovely gifts, actually there were a few wonderfully amazing ones from friends that I'm still a bit in shock over. Best of all though was that there were some nice reactions to my doily gifts. Not all of them of course, but I think the vast majority receiving them were pleased. So I'll end this post with pictures of them framed in color, finally.

On A Roll

Right after schooling, I made up just one more of the new bracelet before getting them photographed and listed. They are up in my etsy shop now and ready to ship. This is just two of them, the variegated purple and the ocean turquoise. The other ones are done in black and medium charcoal.

After I was done with that I started thinking what they would look like with beads added to them. Eventually I got a plan and started figuring out where exactly in the crochet process to add them. This bit was harder than I thought it would be, though in retrospect, I probably could have found a tutorial for it. Instead I worked it out on my own with good old trial and error and with pink thread. Yeah, I know, not exactly my style, but I had plenty of pink beads and thread and this was an experiment after all. It could have failed miserably.



Once the cord was done, I decided to knot along both sides of the
piece for a completely different look, from the other bracelets and necklaces I've recently done. I really like the result. It's dense and a bit ornate without being gaudy. It did take forever to make, at least compared with the simple version, though. I'm hoping to make this in a couple more configurations today and then I'll get them listed in my shop as well. They are really fun to make and with the tatted ring on the ends of the bracelet and the macrame slide clasp, they are made with four completely different thread arts. That's kind of neat, right? Well, I thought so, but I am easily amused.

Weekend Recap

Last gift doily is all done. I finished it up yesterday afternoon and then frame arrived a couple of hours later, so I got it pinned up in the frame and ready to give. I probably won't take anymore pictures of the lot of them until I get ready to wrap them, but many was that a lot of knotting.

That leaves me with a knitting project, that's not really anything too interesting, just something to keep my hands busy, and remaking a couple of pieces for my shop left over from my CyberMonday sale. There haven't been any new orders in the shop since then, so I'm still fighting the lack-of-motivation monster. I do feel pretty good about the weekend though. We managed to get almost all our holiday shopping finished. There are just a few odds and ends that need buying and a few more things that had to be ordered. I do wish we could give a little bigger, but you do the best with what you've got and I've got nearly a ghost town of a shop, so them's the breaks. Here's to a better week ahead.

Almost There

I think I got about an inch completed on the Armenian lace doily. I even went ahead and ordered a frame for it, so it can be a gift when I finish about another inch. On this one I simply alternated rounds of simple points with rounds of basket stitch. I think this next round is going to be another point section and when that's done the piece should be large enough.


I should get that done over the weekend barring more interesting or immediate tasks. Right now the weekend is unplanned, which is a relief after last weekend's holiday nonsense. I think I do need some recovery time and then next week it can be back to tatting and crossing my fingers that more orders roll in to undo the holiday shopping we still need to finish.

Not Much

I couldn't seem to get myself to work on the pieces that need remaking for the shop yesterday. Instead I managed to focus on knotting what is hopefully my last gift doily. It occurred to me that if I can actually get it done in time, it does have someplace to go, so it carries a higher level of motivation than the replacement pieces that will just sit in the shop. It's still got a good few inches to go, so I'm going to let it motivate me today as well. Then perhaps once the sun peeks out for a spell I'll be further motivated to get back to tatting.

What Next

Another day, another round on the doily. Also, there was more cleaning and a copious amount of laundry. The doily is around the 5 inch mark now and I'm planning to make this one a smaller one, so there's only a few more inches to go before it's done. Then I'll have to decide if it really is going to be a gift and if so, order the frame for it. 

Once Thanksgiving is over I'll pull out all the doily gifts and get them photographed, so I'll have pictures to share after Christmas. I really can't believe that I've made so many of them. Maybe I'll start a large tatted doily as a gift project to get me back to tatting in my spare time. I've been making these ones up as I go, but I'm not sure that's the way to go with a tatted one. I'm sure I'll find one already designed that I like, or I'll just wing it and hope. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

A Little More

There's not much to share this morning either. My etsy shop remains silent and I'm continuing to work on the doily which may or may not have a recipient. I guess one thing is certain, after all of these doilies, I will definitely have the technique down. Other than that though, I've not got anything to share.

The rest of the week is likely to continue in this vein, so I'll at least continue to get photos of the doily progress to try and liven up the nothing that I have to share. Still crossing my fingers for next week and a few shoppers though.

Another

In between the errand running and cleaning tasks of the weekend, I did start another doily. This one may or may not have a recipient at the holidays, but I think I needed the focusing power of a task like the doily. Without something to focus my creative energies, I end up doing inane things like playing on my phone for hours and that's just not healthy.

I wish I had some tatting idea to create, but I've been in a rut there for some time. I know that has a lot to do with the lack of sales in my etsy shop, but rather than continue to complain about that, I'll just focus on knotting and quietly wish for something to give.

This week should be full of distractions as I get ready for Thursday's hosting duties. I've got more cleaning to do and so far I've managed to do just a bit at a time to keep me from getting overwhelmed. Here's hoping the shoppers show up at my virtual shop door and I don't have time to complain come next week.

Center Sussed

Yesterday's schooling was a little more relaxed, but I still ended up with less time for thread than
usual. I did manage to suss out a new center for the tatted/knotted snowflake. Though it's admittingly, not looking too much like a snowflake since the beads connect the points quite densely.

I quite like the center like this, it holds the piece together better, but doesn't look too busy. The piece does need to be stiffened to see if that helps it from folding a bit when I hang it. It doesn't droop from the top, but does start to fold side to side if I mess with it.

Today, we're off to Sacramento for a train field trip and to the Crocker Art Museum. I probably won't bring anything to do on the train because that just means I have to carry it all around with me when we're there, or maybe something small. I don't know yet, but don't expect much.

Doily Progress

I'm making pretty good progress on the latest doily, but I do still have a couple more inches to go before it'll fit in the cute 8 by 8 shadow box that I got for these last two gifts. I'm hoping that I'll get this one finished by early next week and have all of them mounted and put away until the holidays. I might even wrap them early, but I promise I will get pictures before I do so that I can show all of them to you after they've been given.

Still quiet on the etsy shop front. I had that lovely burst of activity for about a week and then it's back to the new normal, which is a like a ghost town. Good thing I have knotting and crochet to keep me company in the meantime.

Not Quite

Trying to shift gears back after Halloween and the all the tasks leading up to it, is hard. It took me a bit to finally settle down and get back to, well not work, but working I guess. I got a few rounds done on the doily and I worked on my crochet project a bit. There was also a bit more consuming of Halloween chocolate than there probably ought to have been.

There have been no new orders in my shop for a few days now, so I'll just keep up the knotting and crochet until something changes. I do actually still have some tatting pieces in queue to be remade, but I guess I lost my groove working on them, so they'll be there when I need another break from gift making. I guess that's it for me today, here's to a more interesting day ahead.

Long Day

So the oldest child had one hell of a long and stressful school day yesterday. There was a media project due, that she knew about for a week, and stalled on until the day it was due. I wish I could say that this is a trait she did not get from me, but I likely contributed at least a little to the characteristic. At any rate, that kept me busy pushing her to get it done until way after our usual schooling end time.

Once she was finally done, I sat down to work on what should be the last gift doily, unless I think of someone else really soon. I'm not hiding the color because I don't think that I need to this time around. When I finish making and mounting them all, I'll get pictures to share after they've been given out. Until then, enjoy the red here and no, I have no plans at this time to turn these into ornaments. I feel like they would be far too delicate for that use, though maybe with size 10 thread and stiffened, it might work. I am not, however, making anything to do with that particular holiday, save for the gifts, until October is well and truly finished.

Weekend Recap

Well, it was quite a busy weekend, but it started with schooling frustrations. My oldest's new teacher has, in my opinion, communication problems. We were sent an email about something that implied that we knew about something previously and that this was just a clarification, which we did not and it was not. Luckily, I had someone else to ask for actual clarity, but it's still increasingly frustrating. I sent a message late Friday asking for more and clearer communication from the teacher going forward and have been stressed about the response I might receive today. The rest of the weekend was busy with family events and dinners. Those were nice and relaxing, mostly.

In other, more thread related news, I did work on the latest doily. I didn't have too much in the way of uninterrupted sitting time except when we were trying to catch up with the DVR. The pineapple round took forever and made me not want to do anymore of those on this piece. I'm sticking with the basket stitch for a bit and then I'll reevaluate after a few of those I think.

This week is wrought with assignment deadlines for the kids so I'm just hoping I survive it completely sane. Maybe the knotting can keep me focused or maybe this is the week I'll be discovered curled in a ball on the floor somewhere muttering to myself. It's really a toss up at this point.