Can you be excited without feeling stressed?

 That’s what I’m exploring now. What I’m excited about?

Opportunities to demonstrate how an organ is put together…..literally! Our AGOchapter has access to an Orgelkids kit. I get to work with it next month. I’m already trying to convince people here in Monterey that their group would love to have an opportunity to build and play an organ. Gotta check out the video!

A break-through on my design project. I haven’t written much about it here as it was still in the “that’s a cool idea……is it possible?” stage.

Our “house upgrade” (Contractors try to make it less scary with less anxiety. They really do.) is progressing to the painting stage. That should be less banging and noise, but more smells.

Of course, when you get stressed, you get careless. I found I can tat with a blood blister on my left hand. As long as it isn’t on my index finger.

Still guessing

 My guess for stitch count was not correct. I haven’t taken much time to work out this sample. I’ve been busy helping with de-stashing, helping with hosting, helping with planning future organ events, and helping keep the household going in the midst of construction chaos. I love using the word midst. I draw comfort from it because it sounds so much like mist. Living in the middle of construction tends to obscure my ability to remain creative in a focused way. I find myself going off in tangents and not being able to see what is best to do. So, I feel a bit like I’m blindly heading off in a direction that may take me over a cliff or into a dead-end. Never fear, I will keep creating!

Still not quite right

 

I’m slowly working on the new hair bun holder. This is a sample I’m working up that will end up as another cover for an ornament ball. Because it will not be flat, the ruffling should work out. The next round needs to have enough room for the ornament to slip in, so I guessed at the stitch count. Since my tatting time is limited, it may take awhile to figure out how to proceed.

It's a New Year!

 Happy New Year to all!!

I enjoyed taking the last 2 weeks off. Really. Despite the whole affair being thrust upon me. My calendar will take awhile to recover. All will get back to normal by the end of the week. Well, except the roofing work, and the painting. Oh, and the new-to-me loom waiting to be set up in the study. And the organ to be tuned so practicing is a bit more enjoyable (cringe).

I haven’t made much progress tatting as it was a case of correct 1 mistake, tat a ring, make another mistake, sigh, then set it aside for the rest of the day. Rinse, repeat each day for 5 days (!) until I got this far: 

Then I set it aside for a week. I’m trying out different ideas on my sample that will cover an ornament ball. I think I will go with what I used on this piece .

Merry Christmas

I know I haven’t posted in a week. It’s been a week. The details will not support my main reason for this post:

I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

May you experience the Warmth and Joy that is this Season.

Due to the storms, the remodel, the extra music, the social schedule combined with the threat of contracting the illness that’s raging through my circle of friends and family, I may or may not be posting for another week…. or so. Know that I’m guarding my health, keeping as much focus as I can on what’s important, and creating as much as I can.

I wish you a Happy new Year also!! 

Ugh....wrong....sigh....

 

I made my decision on what “mistakes” to keep and what “corrections” to make. All was going fairly well. Not too much to change with round 2. However….

After cleaning up where the roof leaked (The crew building the gutters are here today!), I wasn’t careful enough…..

After the trees are decorated I’ll look at correcting that.

What do I see????

 

I’ve been working sporadically on my new hair bun holder. Overall, I think most of the choices I’ve made work. But…..

As I worked on this last round, the lace is ruffling badly. What did I do? Will it lay flat after I finish this round?

As I worked on this post, I spotted not 1 but 3 “mistakes” that I made. Now they’re mistakes only because I didn’t really plan to tat this piece that way. So, now I must decide, do I like the “variation” or should I start over?