Today is the day!

 Today is the day I lead another Orgelkids session. I don’t have enough time to let the group build, play, and un-build the organ. I will do my best to engage them.

I have been asked to bring the Orgelkids Do-organ to Fresno, CA and present it to the Music Teachers in 50 minutes. A challenge! Just 50 minutes. I’m sure there will be pianists there. I think I’ll even have a couple of organists. That makes things easier as I can move more quickly through the concepts. The vocabulary won’t be so foreign. Questions should be more specific and easier to answer. I'm sure they will want to play a bit, so the time will move very fast!

I’m really looking forward to it!

Building Blocks

 While tatting a portion of the booties pattern, I got to thinking about blocks. The wood blocks I played with as a child, the Lego blocks we still have from my childhood, and all the variations I saw in the lab at the Architecture school. Creating lace with a shuttle is a lot like creating objects with blocks.

Each ring and chain I tat can be part of a larger item. As I was tatting a ring, I forgot to put in a picot to use while joining the next ring to my new ring. Ooops. That picot serves much the same purpose as those thin Lego 4X1 blocks. Each block can be a part of a larger item.

I’d like to say that I realized my mistake BEFORE the ring was closed. I didn’t. I ended up picking up the scissors, letting out a big sigh, and snipping away. Time to pick up the blocks and remake that item!

I'm Grateful.....

 For where I live.

This is the view from the top of a hill near me. You can see the bell tower of Carmel Mission Basilica with the Pacific Ocean in the background. We started our 4+ mile hike at the beach. A short walk along the water with a short walk up the hill and voila.

I got back to the shuttles after a quick lunch. Still working on finishing those gifts. I blew one pattern completely and needed to start over.

GIft giving season

 For me, Christmas time is not just a time to give gifts, but a time to share lots and lots of music. So, in October and November I usually practice a lot. So, I have no pictures to share of tatting. All the tatting time is taken with finishing up gifts. Kinda hard to photograph practice time. If you’re local, keep an eye out in the paper and your email for all the fun starting in a week or so.

It's time again

 It’s time again

It’s that time of year again. We’re planting new plants to take advantage of the rain that will fall. The days are getting shorter so we’re turning on the window lights. Christmas music is almost nailed down. Easter and Holy Week are next. Oh, and Christmas gifts are just about finished.
It’s also time for our semi-annual peep hole rainbow. Our front door faces (nominally) East, so as the sun rises, we enjoy a colorful circle moving around each day. Today, it fell off the post and hit the wall. I found it at the bottom of the framed print.

Where will it be tomorrow?

Adding beads

 I like tatting because you can put your own spin on the lace. A designer (perhaps you!) creates a pattern. Thread is dyed (in so many colors!), spun and plied. You can add bling or beads or jewelry findings. So many options!!

I love adding beads to my tatting. Sometimes I’ll add just a few. Sometimes a handful get scattered through the pattern. Sometimes I add hundreds to jazz it up. For my designs based on music, beads can help draw attention to instrumentation, melodic themes, dynamics, or rhythm. Beads can help add complexity while providing continuity.

Adding beads is a necessary skill for the tatter. Come join me on this adventure!!

Using eggs

 I’ve been trying, without much success, to keep organized in 2025. I have just a few more weeks to go. It’s not looking good for accomplishing my goal. No, I haven’t been trying to accomplish those tasks by using eggs. Although a good breakfast generally helps.

I have been working on how to store my tatting samples. That makes it easier to show people what tatting can be. One of the hardest types of samples to keep at hand is my tatting around eggs and ornament balls. They deserve to be seen. I have some windows that I can use. So far, so good. There’s the mantle in my creating room. The shelving has been taken over with books and supplies that don’t fit in the cupboards. I do enjoy this side of creating lace (displaying) and I really must do better (where is that display hook).

The other day I found myself looking at eggs with embroidery on them. This post started it all. They’re pretty. I see lots of potential. And also, I like the way lace can accent shape as it creates more shapes to see. I’ve several sketches to work on now! Perhaps by the time spring rolls around I will have some concrete ideas to work up.