TIAS Day 15 and a tiny motif #5

It's so sad, there is only one more day of Jane's TIAS...sniff.

Here is my progress through Day 15...

I guess it is pretty obvious what it is at this point...

Too cold to sail on Amur Bay!

Saturday night I opened up every one of the balls of size 80 thread I have, found an empty shuttle, and started tatting with each and every one of them. I mostly stuck to rings since that seems to be where I'm having trouble...the thread keeps snapping when I'm in the process of closing the ring for some reason or another.

Thank goodness, almost all of the thread tatted up as normally as possible. Hooray! Apparently I just started tatting with the few balls that weren't good first...awesome.

At any rate, I was finally able to get a start on that doily project, and here is the first round (and motif 5 of the 25 motif challenge):

Again, it is deceptively tiny...

Oh, so cute.

Actually, perfectionist that I am, I think I'll be doing this over before I continue with the rest of the doily...but it was SO NICE to finally get a finished motif in size 80! Hooray!!!

Annoyed. (Though, not about TIAS Days 13 and 14)

Gah.

I am so annoyed.

Why?

This is why:

Yes, that is what it looks like, about a quarter of a ball of size 80 thread...

 I was all ready to start on a new doily. I was really excited, it was going to be a challenge but something I wanted to do. It was going to be pretty.

So I got started...ring 1, fine. 2nd ring (no RW, no chain)...tat tat tat, start to close the ring...SNAP.

This happened FOUR TIMESSSSSSSS!!!!!!

So, I threw the ball, thread snapped rings, shuttle, everything across the room. (Literally--it made me feel much better, although it didn't solve the problem.)

Another ball of "bad" thread.

Based on the helpful comments people left me, I did a little bit of a strength test on a number of balls of size 80 thread I ordered in October... 3 (including two that I got on purpose to make this project I was going to start on) of the 8 that I tested were "bad." I have 8 other balls still in the package that I'm scared to open because they might be "bad" too.

UGH!!!!

In related news, my 10% off coupon came in the mail this week, so I want to order some new thread...thinking I'll be moving to size 40, it seems to break less often... :/

In much happier news, I'm still enjoying Jane's TIAS:

Day 13

Day 14

 I still have no clue--the idea of a sailboat still looks good, but I think Jane still has some tricks up her sleeves.

Finally, I leave you with a picture of something that made me smile a lot this week:

Happy Olympics!

Olympics

Did anyone notice that every third girl leading the parade of nations at the Olympics was wearing a tatting shuttle on her head?

:-D

Love it!

Go Olympics!!!!

TIAS Days 11 and 12, New Techniques and a Confession

Hello, my name is Kristen and I am a tatting book addict.

No really. I've ordered something like, oh, 15 new tatting books in the past 2 or so months.

Because, you know, I really needed that many more books. I clearly didn't have enough before (eyes rolling).

But I got some REALLY good titles, and some REALLY good deals! (Also I had a REALLY nice Amazon.com gift card from my in-laws this year, so most of the books were "free" to me...).

But seriously. It's ridiculous. (Awesomely ridiculous!!) :-D

So, since I admit I have a problem, the least I can do is to work using those books to learn something new:

Voilà!--Block tatting and that cool looking circley tatting that I've always wanted to know how to do but have never been able to figure out. Block tatting directions courtesy of "24 Snowflakes in Tatting," the circley thing from "The Craft of Tatting."

Two of only a few things I've tatted that my husband has said "That so cool!" about. Hoorah. :)

I also need to keep up with blogging my progress on Jane's TIAS:

Day 11

I still see Mary and Joseph...

 And then here's today's offering:

Day 12

 Of course, it hasn't been all tatting and buying books around here...I also made an amazingly delicious pizza (if you allow me a moment to brag):

Soooo good! Here's the recipe: http://cheese.food.com/recipe/deep-dish-spinach-and-mozzarella-pizza-171223. I promise, it's worth the work you have to put into it. (Also, add a tablespoon of sugar to the sauce recipe. It cuts the acidity by a lot!)

Besides the delicious pizza I've also been trying not to eat these:

 My mom sent me this bag this week and I'm doing my best to make these last as long as possible and not to eat the entire thing in one sitting.

I love love LOVE these and they are really hard for me to get, mostly becuase they are not a) sold in Russia (not surprisingly) or b) reasonably available online (quite surprisingly...Walmart.com says they are "out of stock online", Amazon.com wants to charge me $10 for a smallish bag, and Target.com blocks computers trying to log in from Russia. Bah.)

Also, I am really picky and I only like the Brach's kind...no SweetTarts or Necco for me, ick! :)

So, I'm making this delicious bag last as long as I can! Thanks awesome Mom! :)

Finally (really, this is a random post, isn't it?) here is something I found to be REALLY cool this week:

It's a pattern from a plastic tablecloth I found at work this week. Neat, right? It kind of looks like tatting...kind of...

Thanks for sticking with this rambling post. :)

Happy the Olympics start today!!! :)

TIAS Day 10 and Some Cute Little Clovers

So.

The thread is working a little better now...I've managed to make 13 "clovers" without breaking the size 80 thread (along with at least three more that didn't want to work out)...

6 more to go!

 I'm still not 100% sure what the heck is going on...I usually don't have such problems closing rings with Lizbeth thread...

 I might have to rethink my plans if these troubles continue once I start building on these clovers...maybe go back to size 40 :)

 Jane also posted Day 10 of her TIAS...

I'm back to the Nativity idea...Mary is on the left, Joseph is on the right...? :)