Advent decorations

They’re up. No pictures as they only look nice in the dark and, well, my photography skills fail there also. But, they’re up. That gives me time to get on to the Christmas list.

First up: 

Tree by Monica Hahn

This is a pattern by Monica Hahn. There’s a typo in the book. Not the error you see of the bottom right chain, but of the final chain. I corrected the one, but didn’t see the other. 

My idea:

Tat in para-cord with beads.

That means I need to find my stash of pony beads. I had really stashed this lot. After the GS troop finished with them, I tidied up. I didn’t find them until unpacking after the move…..almost 10 years later. Oops. I’ve been trying to find someone to use them. Guess I’ll use a few for this door decoration! More later….and pictures. I promise. 

It has been busy!

Nothing much to see here. You’d have to be tagging along on all the shopping trips. I’m learning much more about styles of architecture, styles of decorating, and choosing paints. We’re taking on a tenant at the end of the year. So, those rooms that we’ve ignored and just stored stuff in? They need to be emptied, repainted, and generally prepared. I won’t be doing it alone, so I’ll still have tatting time and organ time. I’m hoping to finish the purple square study on Thanksgiving. We’ll see. I’m not hosting, but I will be visiting for part of the day and there be lots of people to catch up with.

Oh! Before I forget, San Carlos Cathedral is working towards fixing up their organ. It’s a gem! The first pipe Wurlitzer I’ve heard in a church. The sound was a bit anemic as the leather needs replacing, but it filled the church nicely. True Classic American. Please keep the Parish in your thoughts and prayers.

For those celebrating Thanksgiving, please enjoy the Holiday!

4 reasons for a break

I had planned to post a picture of the square study in purple. That is until I realized I’d

1. Joined the front side of the 2^nd motif to the back side of the 1^st motif.

2. Forgot a bead on a bead join picot.

3. Used the wrong color bead on another bead join picot.

4. Forgot I had adjusted the stitch count on the outer ring of the onion ring on a corner.

Now, when I’m sitting at the organ and I make that many mistakes, I know it’s time for a break. Some food, maybe some tea, and maybe even a walk outside or finishing a looming chore.

So, I took a break and thus didn’t finish the tatting before I needed to head to bead. The next morning was going to be the start of a busy day and I wanted to get enough sleep. If I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep, I’d work on it then. I slept like a log. So, no purple square study.

More next week on that busy day. There’s the teaser: Project Management, Artist in Residence, Hymn Studies, Classic American Organ Registration, Theater Organ Registration, Doublewide Doubleweave, Journalism, Color Theory in Lace Design, and oh yeah….planning for what house remodel will get done during the Holiday Shutdown.

I had a great time!

We hosted a wonderful organist last weekend. Angela Kraft Cross was in town to play a concert at St. Dunstan’s. The series is wrapping up. There will be more next year. I can’t wait. I enjoyed the concert so much. Lots of ideas for the future are running around in my head now; both tatting and organ ideas. It’ll take quite a while to “get them sorted” as a friend says.

There’s another concert Friday. This one is at San CarlosCathedral. It’s a fundraiser for monies to refurbish their organ. Since the organ is a bit under the weather, we’ll be listening to choral music more than organ music. They’ll be honoring St. Cecilia singing as they pray for peace.

I wonder how the Schoenstein organ is settling in. They had their annual choir concert Sunday also. I must go by and take a look and maybe listen. Tomorrow. Today, I want to finish the square study in purple.

in purple

Well, here’s a picture of the square set I’m working on new. It’s the same pattern as this square.

 I just made things more complicated by using size 80 in 4 different colors AND beads. (Thanks Eliz for sending me down that lane with your comment. I rather like the effect.) The idea came to me due to a common structure of hymns: the first, second and last line similar melody and harmony; the third line a complimentary, but different melody with similar harmony. See where my mind went with this?

If you do, tell it to come back quick….before I lose my keys or something!

Needle tatting workshop

It was my pleasure to spend last Saturday at Lacis in Berkeley. The Museum and store are always a treat to visit! This time, I soaked up all things Needle Tatting. Barb Foster led a wonderful workshop. We also got a chance to tour the tatting display with Jules Kliot. It was so fun and I learned so much! It meant a 14 hour day what with driving up and back, but well worth it. I’m afraid I was doing so much note taking and experimenting I don’t have much tatting to show. I did buy a new book and some thread. I’ll have a picture of something for the next post. Promise!

Another New organ

Well, “new” is relative. The organ as an instrument has been around a long, long time. New organs usually incorporate recent technology, reflect current taste, and have components fabricated just for them. They usually incorporate building methods developed centuries ago, tonal framework used for centuries, and reflect the heritage of the building or community.

This week, it has been my great pleasure to explore an organ recently installed in Carmel, CA. The Presbyterian Church will be enjoying a fabulous Galanti. There’s a clip recorded there in the video on this page. It starts about the 4’ mark. I had so much fun! Thank you for letting me take a romp through the instrument! The possibilities for playing wonderful music are endless.

It’s been hard to settle down and work on the next square pattern. I did manage a couple of samples; more next week. Also a report on the workshop I’ll be attending Saturday.

Rain!

We have had rain. Not a huge amount by some standards, but welcome. The plants look much healthier now. Of course, the oxalis is taking off big time. I know I should be attacking it while the ground is moist, but there is so much else to do!

Like tat and play new organs!

First, the newest square study, then on Thursday, the newest organ.

Workbasket pattern in pastel and white

I wanted to play with variegated thread in hopes that it would make the solid thread areas pop. I don’t think it worked for this pattern. I do like how the faux center turned out where the corners meet. I would like to stick with variegated as there are so many music compositions that use theme and variation structure. If I can learn what works best for tatting design structure to vary a basic motif, perhaps that will be a good method to represent music compositions that take a simple melody and expand it with variations. Just a thought.