School...

I'm almost done with high school--this is essentially epic because I started high school allover again online when I was 16.

I'm sooo close, I can feel it already--so please forgive me for not having posted anything lately!  

I have worked on Daisy a little bit, and on the pattern for Evelyn's Doily.

(yes, there's gonna be a pattern O_O)

Aside from that, not much else has happened here on lace (making) adventures...

*sigh*... >_<

Ah... clothespins ^_^

For those of you who don't know yet, I live in Cancun--way way way way south of the border in the tropics. The seasons are a little different here, but one thing for sure is that come September (and by now practically October) things are still pretty hot and muggy--emphasis on the muggy thanks to Hurricane season. 

Though we never get really cold whether, a drawback (kinda serious if you have breathing problems and a textile oriented hobby like someone I know...) is a giant petri dish for various forms of mold and mildew. 

Thanks to Lysol, I can keep it at bay but there are times, like now, when drastic measures must be taken. 

My mom suggested this after I spent two days trying to air out that foul smelling piece of canvas. The blinds have a little chord that you pull to rotate them or pull them across the window, so I figured, what the hey? 

I think it's working. I gave it a test sniff earlier today and the smell has gone down considerably. 

And yes, those are hot wheels. 

^_^

Meet Daisy

Daisy here came to be while working on a certain other pattern. At first, I thought I'd add some more rounds to it and make it a more complicated repeatable--but then I thought, well heck, it's already like two inches across! 

Also, Duna's been hobbled.

Right now, there is a very strong chance that this is as far as it goes. The other rounds just didn't do it for me
-_-

But I like it better this way! 

^_^

New background ^_^

As you can see, I have a new background. Originally, though, it was in a different color (mostly different shades of orange/peach-ish on a light grey background) but I didn't really feel it so I went the less-is-more route and so far I like it waaay better. 

^_^

I reiterate: Oh, to be perfectly organized!

The good thing is that I finally seem to be waking up a little. Here in Cancun, we've been having a lot of rainstorms and heavy cloud cover vs. the bright scalding sunshine we normally have and I'm pretty sure that it's having at least a small effect on my energy levels. 

Anywho, the good thing was that over the weekend I took advantage of the fact that I had an excuse not to do anything else and actually did something! 

First of all, I did get a little bit of work done on Le Masterpiece.

At first, I was enjoying the relief that came from doing the wheels instead of constant corded brussels (this was before I got the magnifier ^_^), but now I can't wait to go one to the next step--muahahaha!

And then I went a little crazy on Doodleplex.

Now I'm seriously happy that I decided not to try to make it symmetrical in true doodle fashion...because I'd be blowing a gasket right now.

Here (hopefully) you can see what I was trying to go for. I used different colors for the french knots to see if I could get a sort of gradient affect...but I decided that it was approaching overkill (if not already there) and went on to the next thing--a questionable satin stitch archy thing. 

The thing is that... apparently... it's recommended to go about doing padded satin stitch a slightly different way... but then again, how boring would life be if you didn't do things the hard way and give yourself a migraine? 

My point is that last night, while waiting for some caffeine to wear off at a certain hour of the night, I watched Mary Corbet's video on how to do a padded satin stitch.

I'll admit that things might've gone a little better if I'd watched it before... >_>

Anywho, during the same bout of insomnia, I decided to take a shot at some interlocking rings and chains with my brand spanking new tatting needles. 

I must say, I think it went along swimmingly before I got completely frustrated and decided to try it again when it wasn't closer to sunrise than sunset.

^_^

Another Milestone!

Tonight, I checked my stats--and I've reached 4000 page views! 

Wooooo! 

(3 slideshows) So... I came up with my own needle tatting techniques... i think

I say I think because for all I know, they're already out there and I just haven't found them yet... and they probably are--but it'd be kinda cool to think otherwise, huh? ^_^

The first thing that kinda stumped me when it came to needle tatting was a way to do thrown off rings, or "floating rings". I remember seeing a video out there, but it had a result similar to mock rings with shuttles. 

I'm a little OCD sometimes, so... that kinda bugged me.

Therefore, I thought I might as well take a crack at figuring it out. 

Tada! Floating Rings (Thrown off rings) with with a smooth chain underneath!
(Click the little speech bubble button on the bottom left hand corner of the slideshow for the instructions in the comments)

As you may have noticed, making floating rings requires cutting the thread supply off from the ball... Now, in shuttle tatting, I don't have this problem because of the supply on the bobbin--so I hit the internet again. I found some good tutorials, but I still felt like seeing if there was a different way for variety's sake:

Adding thread to tatting with the magic thread trick!

And lastly, because it seriously bugged the biscuits out of me when I had a piece of thread left over on the needle afterwards, I give you: 

How to start tatting with a left over thread!

I have no idea if these techniques will work for you guys, but I sure hope they do!
All I know is I'm having fun over here.
^_^

Oh to be perfectly organized...

For lack of a better explanation, my time-management skills have, frankly, sucked massively for the past few days. 

Granted, it's been a little hectic down here. My dad left on a trip to and came back from Dallas in the space of about five days, rain storms have sapped me of energy, my dog got sick and I had to take him to the vet, more storms rolling in and we have to get prepped for them, had a midterm to turn in, yada yada yada...

Anywho, I have managed a little progress here and there.

First of all, I've finished the buttonholing on the inside of Le Masterpiece: 

I've also done a microscopic amount of work on Doodleplex (I'm talking like... three stitches, max).

No progress on trumpet -_- haven't exactly gotten around to trumpet for some reason. 

I think the most I've managed to do on any one project would have to be Evelyn's Doily. 

Oh! and I've been practicing my needle tatting. Unfortunately, though, I accidentally threw away most of the practices I'd made during a little cleaning incident =S but I do still have a couple!

I think I still need some practice.

^_^

Because: I'm nuts, and my dad and cousin are aweeesoommme!!!

First of all: look look look!!! 

You: Karla, is that what I think it is? 

Me: Yes, I dare say it is. 

TATTING NEEDLES AND A MAGNIFIER!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

First off, I'd like to give a shout out to my dad and my cousin, Sheriesse and say THANKS for schlepping out to Hobby Lobby during Labor Day weekend ^_^

Second: I can do needle lace without going blind now!!!!!! 

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

My dad brought these from Dallas (no tatting needles in cancun =( booo!) and I've even started practicing a little! 

^_^

***

And now... I'd like to announce... the LAST ROUND OF EVELYN'S DOILY!!!!

(Theme song from space odyssey 2001 plays in the background... lights dim)

 TA DA!!!

I've gotten a little farther since taking the picture, but this is basically proof that I'm absolutely nuts. Five bucks I"ll be moaning and groaning about it within a week or two.

But it's worth it.

^_^

Originally, though, it gave me a heart attack. The first side came out looking great, but when I got to the second side...

It turns out I had the stitch count wrong in about 3 places >_< 

But now that's all fixed and everything's looking great!

^_^