Disturbing Tatting Events

 

PAIN  
of the 
Deadly Hook!

The First Thing

Late last night I was stunned to see that I had impaled my palm,  IMPALED IT!  There was the hook, buried in my flesh - a 14 point crochet hook... Remembering someone else had posted about this, I realized I could not just pull it out (though I did give it a tug!) and knew I could not be cutting it out - it was too deep in there.

So, with thoughts of how I would get to the emergency room at the nearest hospital at one in the morning, I began to panic,  and absently started to shake my hand, upside down, with the hook hanging.  It begin to slip down, so I started twisting it, and... TA-DA... it was out!

By now, I was shaking, and ran for the alcohol, antiseptic salve and a bandage.  After it was summarily doctored, my hand was throbbing, but seemed all right.  Today it is better - I think.  I have NOT LOOKED at it under the bandage!  

What trauma! No one ever  tells you about the dangerous pitfalls of the gentle art! Must be a dirty little secret!

*~**~**~**~**~*

The Second Thing

  Did anyone else get this?
The email was sent - it would have you believe - from
Connie Mayes of "happytatter" @ gmail.

Hello,
How are you doing? I hope all is well with you. I know this might be a surprise to you but I'm writing this email to you in an hurry and in a confused state of mind. I want to say I'm really sorry that I didn't inform you about my traveling to Scotland for a Seminar. It was something urgent and i didn't even inform anyone about this traveling. But I just got myself in serious mess here. I got my wallet misplaced on my way to the hotel and all my money, phone, bank cards, diary, my return ticket and other vital documents are all in the wallet. I'm so confused right now as I have lost all contacts.

 I need to get out of this mess. Please I need $1,500 USD to sort myself out and to pay for the hotel bills but I will appreciate any amount you could afford. I will pay you back as soon as I get back home. Let me know if you will be able to help me with any amount and you can help me send the money with my details below at any western union money transfer office and i will get the money over here within an hour.

Name: Connie Mayes
Address:  14 Porteous pend, Edinburgh, EH1 2HP Scotland
Country: United Kingdom

Kindly help me to make the transfer as soon as you receive this email and you should get back to me with the 10 Digit Money Transfer Control Number, exact Amount sent with details used in sending it. I still have my passport to prove my identity at Western union here when receiving the money, and I will email you with the return flight details immediately I receive the money.
Your reply will be appreciated.
Thanks so much
Connie

Do not respond to this email!

Anon,

Weary Fox!

Why, oh why do I have to try?  Why can't I just DO!  This is getting to be a 'bloody bore', as my mom would say. - all the belly-aching and snivelling....  Good news is, I have finished the exercise - yes, finished it, but I'm afraid it is not worthy of being sent in. Grief!

I will visit a craft store today to get another ball of the thread that I am to use for this project;  I have used up almost a full one with all the 'trying'.  This new thread will be of a different colour and will only be used for 'doing'!  I am earnestly hoping the different colour will be in inspiration, as I am SICK of the old one!  I know you all know EXACTLY what I mean!  : ))

The only other thing I am working one - and that is a plus, being only one - is coming along just fine.

This is fun to tat and is great for listening to audio-books.  Anybody out there do this?

I am seriously addicted to this pastime.  Being a tremendous reader, tatting has come between me and the printed page.  So, a friend suggested the library on line, and I have been an audio-book fanatic for almost a year!

Just finished Aloft by Chang- rae Lee, and I found it to be absolutely wonderful - a masterpiece of the written word.

If anyone would like a list of the books I have listened to, drop me a line and we can swap titles.  I am always up for a recommendation.

Off to the craft store....

Anon,

T'is a Bonnie...?

I am having way more luck with this piece than the TAT exercise, for I am STILL lumping along with it.  I just cannot get it right and it has been over a week!

Usually, once I have the stitches and the pattern in my head, I can proceed after one or two trial runs and get the thing done.  This one really has me stumped.  

There is not a problem with type of stitches or the pattern, or even the direction of the tatting.  This is a problem of technique, of my clumbsiness at the task at hand - literally! It is frustrating in the extereme!  

Plus, I  am not used to such a lot of failed attempts -  VERY humbling.

So, I take a lot of little breaks and work on the pink and white.  So far so good!  

Anon,

Noted

Sherry's instructions are impeccable, but I cannot do the directional thing very easily.  I don't know which way to turn and I also do front-side/back-side, which might confuse the issue.  

So, this took me a long time to complete.  I must admit, I was late for work!  "(Car trouble," I pleaded....  shameful little lie! LOL!)

Also, I do not understand the folded ring thing, even after I checked Martha Ess's .blog, as suggested.  This is just not my week.  Maybe I should take up stamp collecting, or paint by numbers...

On a more positive, hmmmm, note, I am pleased this brings my Motif Challenge number to 20!

Anon,

Sometimes You Just Have To Walk Away...

After five days of working on the TAT exercise, all that I have managed to accomplish is PILES of thread, that look just like this:

I am SOOOO  frustrated. I decided I'd take a break and do something fun....

I will do anything to keep from finishing this  TAT course.  I am SO close!  Only a very few left and I am drag-g-g-g-ing my feet, or rather, my shuttles.

In order to help me procrastinate to the fullest, I have begun a pattern that will surely take a chunk of time that should (get that  *should*  -  what is THAT about?) be spent elsewhere.

I began this:  You'll have to guess what it is....

Looks okay, right?  It was supposed to be fun, but NOOOOOO!  Not for the obsessed.  Compare with the new one just started:

 

I was going to relax and just have.. what is that 'f'' word?   Oh yes, FUN.  However, I looked at what I was happily tatting, and all of a sudden I saw the GLARING sloppiness!  

Had to begin again.  You really CAN see a difference.  There were mistakes and all over the place and bad stitching - and I am not ds'ing myself when I say that!  

Not only merely obsessed, I have redefined the word perfectionist.  Where will it end?

Anon

Broken Heart - Mended!

Getting better...

Thank you, Gina!

Anon,

Congratulations!

***RAYANNA***

Yup, you won the Milward!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Number 2 and Number 3 are: 

**Paula C** and **TypsTatting**!

I need you all to email me your addresses, and I will send the packages off to you on Friday morning.  They are packed up and ready to go!

Because we are all in different countries, the mail may be slow, so let me know, please, when your mail  has arrived.  : )

My email is on my profile page.

Thank you to all those in Tat-land who were willing to throw their hat into the ring and play my little game. Everyone who commented was included in the draw, whether they had a blog or not.  It was difficult to sit here with the number generator and know that there was only one little Milward and a lot of eager, hopeful tatters out there!  I know!  I've been there often!

Anon,

Broken Heart

 I just had a look at the most beautiful motif: Liyarra's, posted to-day.  It is wonderful.

Even though this heart, designed by Gina and on Georgia's site, should not even be mentioned anywhere near the above-mentioned beauty, I am posting it because I have learned that only by really looking at the boo-boo, and living with it do I get better!  (Seems to apply to real life as well!)

Here is the poor thing.  The Tatting Goddess used #20 and I used#40, so mine had too many stitches resulting in cupping and a misshapen centre. Also, the new Lisbeth I used seemed a bit twisty. I must add that I missed a join which really was the undoing, so to speak, of the entire misadventure!

 #18/25 Motif Challenge

I will re-do it tonight.  Maybe!

Anon,

Rescued by the Random Number Generator

 I had not thought about how I was going to perform the draw - until now!

Gads, there are too many names to begin cutting up little circles or squares, so I searched and found this:

This has been quite the little learning experience!

No tatting tonight to show, as the heart I was working on all night and actually completed is in rough shape. I left out a major join and I am so disappointed.  Ah well.

These are done, however.  The Boss will be pleased.

Socks keep me grounded. : )

Anon,

Am Having WAY Too Much Fun! Update!

 I can't seem to leave it alone!  I went on a thorough hunt - at work and at home for anything else that could be  included in tomorrow's draw.... Have your name in by tomorrow at 10 p.m. Eastern time.

: ))

Anon,