Another necklace

I don't write many blog posts, well not as many as some people, mainly because I simply don't have time.  However, I do manage to keep a certain kind of momentum up by writing five a month.  It will be 1st May tomorrow so I had better hurry up!

This is another necklace taken from Marilee's book 

Nothing else to show you, I even forgot to take a picture of the pop-a-bobbin shuttles which left the house this morning and will be in Stratford-upon-Avon tomorrow.   

Yew to show You

One of our favourite woods is Yew, because it is so rich in colour and usually has an interesting grain.  We were given some yew wood that was already 5 years old, so well seasoned.  'Im in the Gargae' got his chain saw out and cut some pieces off.  It was as hard as iron!

But just look at what has been made from the wood so far.

The top left hand-side one looks a bit like a brain. 

And yes there will be some tatting shuttles made from the rest of the wood.

On a Mission!

Well really I have been on this mission for a very long time now.  My aim is to reduce the stock of variegated thread that I have, this does not include hand dyed thread, that is for special projects.  Strangely enough the variegated thread seems to be going on for ever and ever. These butterflies not only help to use the thread up they also reduce my 'bead soup', of which I have plenty gained from so many spillages!  My aim in all this is to just be surrounded with the the bare essentials -  although I know it will never happen!

And now a real butterfly

Today is the Queen's 89th  birthday and here are some facts you might not know about her 

Barn Owls

As Jane mentioned my name in her blog post today I am delighted to show you my five owls. There would have been six but I gave one to a friend this afternoon who kindly took me out for tea.  This is such a wonderful pattern and I really don't know how Jane can design something as quickly as she does.  

Very often when she starts a design she will scan the different stages and send them to me as she goes along, asking for my opinion.  A lot of pressure there!  One of these little chaps looked as though it was an alien from outer space at one point, a very strange creature. However, the next one that flew over by e.mail was almost the final version with just a little bit of tweaking it became this lovely barn owl.

The reason for wanting a barn owl was that someone who belongs to a golf club asked if I could tat one as a barn owl is the club's logo.   

 Also last week a barn owl box has been made and was  put up in a tree in the village graveyard.  

There is a letter box size opening at the top but I was unable to take a picture of that part of the nesting box.  We are waiting for some occupants now, other than tatted ones!

More shuttles

It has been a long time since my last blog post, just have been very busy.  I have been tatting though,  mainly pieces that Jane has designed, and  very pleased with them both, only I can't show you before she does!!  So here is a picture of the latest shuttles that have been made.

Please don't ask me what all the different woods are, just enjoy looking at them sitting in the sunshine!

As soon as our log store was put up a bird's nest appeared in it, unfortunately whoever made it decided that they did not want to use it.  Probably got fed up with us peering inside to see if they were there!

Hopefully I will have something more interesting to show you next time.