Surprise!!!

Surprise! Surprise! After being absent from posting to my blog for several months, this year is starting off with two posts in one month. In my last post I mentioned and showed some of my tatting thread exchanges. The next day the last exchange arrived and so I had to share that one also. This exchange of beautiful yellow ribbon, some blue tatted flowers in #80 thread and pink #80 thread, plus earring findings and crystal beads arrived from Nicaragua Chile and took two weeks from mailing date to arrival date. I love tatting earrings but have never used crystal beads in the process, so am looking forward to this new experience.


Aha! Two more bobbin lace bookmarks. I mentioned in my last post about making a bobbin lace bookworm using #20 crochet thread. This one is made of blue and red threads ..... just the colors one of my granddaughters requested. The other bookmark is basic Torchon ground lace worked in two shades of green #8 perle cotton. I have to tell you the first time I attempted the Torchon ground pattern I used two shades of #80 tatting thread and the pattern said to use "half stitch". I remembered my teacher said that half stitch is not a good stitch for the outside edges .... you need some twists to firm up the edges. Well, instead of "listening" to my teacher, I followed the directions in the book. Well, when I finished and removed the bookmark from the pillow I ended up with a mess of threads and into the trash it went. I tried again, this time using the #8 perle cotton and using "cloth stitch and twist" for my outside edges. I probably could have had good results using "cloth stitch" but I wanted to be sure this one worked. I was very pleased with the results the second time.


One of these days I'll learn how to add the coding for any of my groups I mention within my posts, because I'd like for my friends to visit and see what we are about. One of my groups StitchMAP has TEASER contests every couple of months. They are fun and educational. The silkies in the photo below are my prize for participating.


Yipee!!!!! A second WIP completed. I knitted these socks in December (2009) but left the toes to be grafted .... my least favorite part of knitting socks. Well, this afternoon I broke down and finished the toes as I want to wear these socks this next week. My next pair of socks will be done from the toes up and I really like that method whether I'm using two circular needles or one circular needle. It is soooo much easier knitting socks on circular needles rather than with five double-pointed ones although I'm a pretty fast sock knitter when I get started on the double-pointed needles.

Tomorrow I begin a new adventure at the senior center where I teach several times a week. For the next five weeks I will be teaching 7 girls ages 8 to 10 how to knit in an after school program. I've taught children before but this a first at the senior center and I'm really looking forward to this class. We will be doing simple garter stitch projects ..... a headband and a purse. If they catch on quickly we might even get to do a stockinette bracelet. Then there is always the garter stitch discloth done as a square instead of on the diagonal.

I think I have a couple of shots left in my camera and must remember to take some photos of the girls "at work". Back at ya in a couple of weeks ..... ta da!!!!!!!!