It's a....

Rabbit on a unicycle!!  What is? Did I hear someone ask??

Janes Tat it and see of course!! Lol

You can clearly see it!  Oh Yes You Can!!!!  The button is his face and the first 'tatty bits' are his ears!!!  So, I think Maureen in Oz has just given up faaar to early on her Wabbit!!! LOL

So, what else can I tell you... well, it's been chucking it down with rain and sleet here!!!  'Orrible weather it is!!!  Had to go shopping for food earlier, and what did we come back with?? A feather and down Winter Duvet!!!  Our duvet is over 30 years old and really just 'past it's best'!!  Considering going and curling up under it NOW and hibernating till this weather has disappeared!!! VBG  Well, I would, 'cept for one slight challenge... 1 cat on the fishtank... and the other 2??  On our bed!!!  It wouldn't be polite to chase them off so I can change the bed now would it??  I shall have to do it later!!  Hope it's not too much later.... otherwise it'll be waiting till tomorrow!!

Anyway, off to do food now.... I'se hungry I'se is.... think it's either the weather or the amount of energy that rabbit is expending on that unicycle!!!

Chat later

My Tatty bits.... or Why am I freezing??

Soooo... what have I got to share today... what snippets of wisdom??!!  Wisdom?? Me?? Rofl!!!

Hope my readers haven't had the same wevver as we've had!!  Bits of snow, thaw, frost, thaw, bit of snow, thaw, result?? ICE!!!  I hates Ice!!!  Sir tried to go out in My Mini this morning... it's got better road handling than his Hyundai.... and the drivers door wouldn't close!!!  What did he do??  Drove it round to where I was with the Hyundai holding the drivers door to... and swapped cars leaving me to have to get it home the same way!! Men!!!!   Locks thawed now, just need to squirt it with lubricant... Why can't men think of these things???  Usually it's just that the window refuses to 'drop' because of ice on the bottom of the window... think that system is peculiar to minis....  Not that today tho!!

I'm busy making some teardrop earwigs to go with the bracelet I made the other week, the Linnea one from Marilee Rockley over on Etsy!!  Same colour thread and beads!!  Not the same beads tho.... because the gold ones on the bracelet would be too big for earwigs!!  They'd weigh me liccle ears down so they would!! VBG  First one's nearly finished, will finish it later and probably 'share a pic' over the weekend!!

I'm also going to HAVE to make another Chicken Wing Whatsit!! (Thanks to that certain BC3 that keeps churning them out and blogging them!!!  And another mousy, and another bracelet, and.... I'se planning what to do while the wevver is 'orrible' over the weekend!!!  I have No Intention of wandering very far from home unless it's vital!!!  (Does food shopping count as vital me wonders??)

Oh, and here's my latest 'contribution' to that there TIAS...

So I did the tatting and then realised I'd joined to the wrong vsp on day 8!! It's corrected now and you can see umbrellas falling out of the elephants foot stand!!! Either that or its a front to back ? on legs instead of a dot!! Lol  The reason it's front to back is because this crackers tatter tats front to back!!  It's 'cos I'se left handed!!!

Onnyhow... chats later!!

Meet Al....

Well folks... he's finally arrived.... Did I just hear you ask who???  Simples!!  It's Al!!!!  Whaddya mean you've never heard me mention Al before??  Sure I have, haven't I??  Ok, ok, ok,  I'll introduce you properly!!!

Here you are:

That's Al.... Al the Albino Field Mouse!!! VBG  I think he's after the bread crumbs on the kitchen side!!  He's skinny because he's only a baby mouse!!!! Rofl

Field mouses are normally light brown with a cream belly and a short tail.... the grey or long tailed mice tend to be found in houses and other waste areas.... Unless they're cream and light brown and have furry tails - they're Dormice!!! Well, that's what we've found in our neck of the woods anyway.... Didn't know you were getting a biology lesson did you!!! LOL

Anyway, Al, as you can see, is Albino.... and he's the only mouse to LOVE snow!!!  (Well, unless you've read the Brambly Hedge books that is!!)  I first spotted him a few years ago when the UK was blanketed in the funny white stuff!!  Now he's back.... watching out for that funny white stuff so he can have a Snow Ball!!!  I'm hoping he doesn't invite too many of his furry 'friends' to the Ball.... otherwise all the snow they bring into our house will make it rather cold and damp!!! Rofl

The pattern for him came from the Baubles Bugs & Blossoms Randy & Gary Houtz...  book which I managed to get hold of as a Christmas Present!!!  First off I tested the pattern with this:

but I just HAD to make Al now didn't I???

Anyway, that there weatherman on the TV said it's going to be 'orrible weather over here for the next few days... cold, windy and a strong possibility of the White Stuff and I don't mean milk!!!  So, up popped Al!!  Now I wonder where I put me brown.... make him a little friend!!!! Rofl

Chat later!!

Bauble Bobble.... etc...

Well it is!!!

I convinced meself that I 'Needed' to try the destructions BEFORE I have a go at making mousy!!  You know how it goes.... if at first you don't succeed.... you ain't a budgie!!! (Suck seed???)  Ok, ok, ok, I heard the groan all the way over here in East Yorkshire!!! LOL

Anyway, as I was waiting for the next instalment of the TIAS to come live.... This instalment: (well, the blog anyway....

SPOILER ALERT!!!!  Which I now think could well be.... a Kellywopter!!!  You don't know what a kellywopter is???  I'll tell you shall I???  (It's a thingummybob with a jigamatwist on it's undercarriage!!! Rofl)  Well you didn't think I REALLY knew did you???

I decided to do a tryout of the pattern for a bobble bauble...!!!

Here it is.... complete with it's mastikes.... (no of course I didn't make a mistake.... VBG)

If you could see it clearly enough you'd see that on the very last 'round' I got the ribs switched!!!  Didn't spot it till I tied off the shuttle threads!!!  How annoying is that??? Mind you, gives me an 'excuse' to make more!!! VBG  wondering if it's possible to make loads... fasten them all togevver and fasten them to me scissors!!!  Then with any luck me scissors won't go missing!!!  Whaddya reckon???  different colours maybe... wonder what it'd look like in variegated thread.... can I make earwigs??? Rofl

Right, off to play, after I've done some food shopping... forgot the milk etc!!  Then I may just give Mousy a run!!!

Chat later

You've been told!!!

That this blog is a laugh!!  Well, as you know this particular Pigmini is just a tad of a complete and utter nutcase!!  Proper Nut Job that's me!!!

Right, that there TIAS.... yesterday I gave various suggestions as to what it was... and in the comments Miss said I should stick to the EFUS!!  So.... That means it is.... An Elephants Foot Umbrella Stand!!! Rofl

The 'other whatsit' what I was busy with... yes you do know!!! Even if you don't want to admit that your rememberall is broken!!!  It's Marilee Rockley's Linnea Bracelet that I purchased over on Etsy!!  Well folks, it's.... Finished!!!  Want to see??  Yes??  OK. here you go!

Now the pattern calls for size 10 thread and over here in the UK the only size 10 thread I could find was in our local 'sells all shop'!!  The thread they sell is merely pastel shades in single colours!!  Didn't fancy making it in 'pastel'... so.... I changed the pattern!!!

Had 20 thread, and after I'd got to the '3rd' ring I measured it and worked out how much longer to make it!!  5 rings worked perfectly!!!  The thread is Lizbeth and the beads are from my stash!!  pink lined clear in the middle, then gold then silver lined royal blue!!

I'm quite pleased with the result!!  And before you all say it.... Yes I DO know it needs 'flattening a little'!!  However I'm rather pleased with the results!!  May just have to do another one in different colours now!!

So.... I wonder if this means I can try not following the destructions for that there mousy???  Not having any grey thread.... thinks I may just have to make a liccle white mousy with albino eyes.... Yes?? No??  think I'll make one with whichever eyes come to hand first... so... Watch this space folks!! Watch and learn how NOT to make a mousy!! LOL

Chat later!!

Day 7!!

And yet another bit of the puzzle done!!

Here's my contribution folks:

Right... so guesses.... bat ears?, bunny ears?, scissors? donkey ears?  dog with 2 tails??  a hare?? or is it still an Elephants Foot Umbrella Stand??  I really have no idea!!!

My bracelet is coming on apace, but I'll show you it finished now... so no pics until it is!  Doesn't look much with 20 safety pins over the picots!!  I'm on the final side of the final round so it shouldn't be too long!  Then... well, there's this 'ere mousy to come creeping out of his hole... and I may just have to invest in some of Marilee's books... and I've got beads and buttons so earwigs or anuvver bracelet maybe?  Then there's the 40 thread to be tatted into something ....  get the impression I'se going to be one busy tatty body?? LOL  Must finish bracelet first tho!!

We've had a funny ole week with the weather.... it snowed on Sunday night, not much, but enough to snarl up the traffic on Monday!  Freezing cold on Tuesday and Wednesday, but no frost overnight on Wednesday!  We were out for a meal on Tuesday with Li'l Miss and most of the rest of the family... (Mummy & Daddy, MIL, and of course Sir!!)  Went to a chinese restaurant and Li'l Miss decided she adores prawn crackers!!  On Wednesday we were at the Radio Club for a talk on Amateur Radio in the First World War.  Very interesting it was too!  Yesterday of course was my lace class...

Lace??  Yes I did say lace!!  And I don't mean tatty lace... bobbin lace is what I mean!  I've had this 'ere piece of Bedfordshire lace on my pillow now for 3 years!!!  It's still only a third completed!  However, it's moving on... and the pillow is residing at my Crazy Dutch Friends house for the week!  Hopefully the Lace Fairies may just do a bit for me!!  Mind you, they can't do too much because the bobbins that need to go back in are residing in my bobbin case here!!

So, we will just have to see what happens there won't we??

Right, now to send the above pic to Miss for her TIAS blog!!  Then I'll get more of the bracelet done... then I can have a go at a mousy!!

Chat soon

Miss me yesterday??

Evenin' All.... so did you miss me yesterday???

Yesterday I was one very sad tatter.... a good family friend passed away on Tuesday.  Freda was one of life's lovely ladies, always ready for a laugh and always seemed to have food on the go in the kitchen!!!  So, for those of you who are reading this and pray.... please remember Freda and George & Leanne who are now missing their wife and mum.

Anyway, didn't feel much like posting.... so I decided to do it today instead!!

These 'ere batty ears....

I know they're batty ears because bats sleep downside up don't they??? VBG  Mind you, knowing Madam they could be scissors or bunny lugs or even her version of my Elephants Foot Umbrella Stand!!  (Wish I could remember which radio/tv show that was on.... one of those laugh and guess shows.... way back in the '60's I think!!)  Knowing my luck it was probably something like Just a Minute.... but I don't think it was....

We've had mixes of weather today.... snow's all gone for now... 'cept where the sun ain't shone at all... like in the garden opposite where I stand.... can still see grey white stuff under the bushes!!  Mind you, I'm quite happy.... snowdrops are out!!!!  I loves snowdrops!!  (just reminded me.... somebody did a snowdrop pattern.... must make snowdrops!!)

Wanders off muttering strange and incoherent things about computer files and finding patterns and who did them....

Chat soon!!

Happy Crazy Tatty Cat Lady!!!

That's me!!!

As you probably know we have 3 cats.... well, 1 3/4 cats and a permanent lodger!!  The permanent lodger is Luna the Loon.... and the 3/4 is Neo who had an argument with a train and lost a leg!

Anyway, on with my story.... but I'm going to make you wait to find out what happened for the title to appear!!!  Rotter aren't I??? LOL

First of all, the next instalment of the TIAS.... Day 5!!  Well, Day 6 is up tomorrow so I thought I'd share Day 5 with you.... here you go:

It now looks like Bat ears!!!  (Or maybe I'm just Batty.... comments to that on soft paper please!!! VBG)  Looking forward to the next instalment now!!

Right, back to the story of the catty lady....  Last year I actually managed to complete my very first hanky edging in a size 80.... Really proud of it I was!!  Fandango edge by Jane on a hankie that was still boxed 30+ years after I'd received it!!  Anyway, it's usually either in the wash basket or in my pocket or bag!!

So.... on Thursday night I know I had it in my jeans pocket!  I used it and put it back!!  At the weekend when I was putting the jeans in the wash.... no hankie!  Contacted friends, shops, the street, near where I stand, the car, under the bed... etc.... no sign of hankie!!  Even asked the cats what they'd done with it.... of course, they denied all knowledge of ever seeing it!!  VBG  You know how you don't mind too much losing some things?  well this was NOT one of them!!  I'm attached to the hankie!!  Here, I'll show you it:

The colours matched the embroidery and it was just my favourite pocket filler!!  I decided that it was gone and just hoped that its new owner cherished it as much as I did.

This morning, after bemoaning the fact to a friend in an email.... Luna the Loony moved the cushion on my chair.... what was underneath??  Yes you got it!!  The Hankie!!!

Pleased as I am to have found it.... I still think it was very wrong of Luna to have hidden it in the first place!!!  So, that's the reason I'm a Happy Crazy Tatty Cat Lady!!! LOL

Now back to beads on thread....

chat soon!!

And Again!!!

Eeh the postman has been busy!!!  Just 24 hours after The Book arrived I gotta nuvver package all the way from the US!!!!  Second part of yesterdays post....

This is what was in the package....

First up.... the tin!!  Now don't you just love the sentiment on it??  Brilliant!!

Inside.... were these:

3 different sized crochet hooks done special for tatting!!  Yes of course I have other sets.... but can someone explain to me why it is that you NEVER have the size you need with you??  for instance, I've got the Handy Hands set on the 'hanger'.... the tiniest one is with my hanky edge in a tub because it's a long term project.... I don't carry that all the time if I'm working on something else.  Then I have one that's probably around 100 years old.... german in origin and in a wooden handle with a wooden cover over it.  That doesn't travel with me because I don't want to lose it!!  So when I'm slotting beads over picots I end up resorting to  needle n thread.... Don't need to do that now!!! VBG

Then there was yet another tin....

Inside that? ....

My very own set of individual picot gauges!!!  Once again I've got the HH one and a wooden 'all in one' one, but I am always trying to make them work because I can make incredibly tiny picots by 'eye'.... but I am useless at measuring larger ones with them!!  Particularly when you have to make 'multiples' all the same within a few ds's!!!  Challenge solved!!

Oh well, that's that late pressie sorted.... now just to sort the Amazon vouchers I got!!  Some of Marilee's books from there maybe??  Off to play now!!

Ok.... I'se back!!!!  Somebody put up Day 4 of her TIAS and here's my interpretation of the destructions... I still think it's an EFUS but Young Sir's girlfriend thinks it may be a piece of jewellery... like a tatty Flying Owl!!  we will have to see who's right!!  Unless of course that certain OG took me up on my challenge last year of the Umber Ella!!! VBG

Right now I'se off to play!!!!


Chat later

Late Christmas!!!!

Look what I got in the post yesterday!!!!

It was a late Christmas pressie from Young Sir!!  He couldn't think of what to get me.... so offered to put some pennies in my Paypal account... this is the result!!! YEAY!!!!

Right, so, do I carry on with the TIAS, do I carry on with the bracelet or do I find some thread and play with baubles???? VBG  Just did some printing out of patterns too... and Young sir's girlfriend fell in love with a certain OG's Hummingbird!!  May just have to do that as well in Rainbow colours!!  This is the girlfriend that had a significant birthday last year and got Leif the Red Minor Norwegian Flying Dragon Bookmark.... of course you remember the one... full of puns it was.... Leif (Leaf), Red (read), and he had a long tail and no spikes, but if you leave him in one place too long he reduces your book to.... Tatters!!!

Nope, no good, I shall just HAVE to find some thread and some more spare shuttles!!!

Chat later!!

It Continues....

What do you mean... what does???  Are you not following the TIAS blog???? VBG

Here's my Day 3 contribution....

No they are NOT downside up.... I'se is a Left Handed Tatter I'se is!!  I holds me shuttles in me left hand to it comes out front to back!!! VBG  And... It's STILL an Elephant's Foot Umbrella Stand!!!! Rofl

Right, I've got other 'stuff' to show you as well!!  First off, Li'l Miss is now virtually walking, so Mummy bought her her first pair of growed up shoeses the other day!!  She shows everyone:

Proper 'big girl shoes'!!!

Remember I made a pair of earwigs in 40 a few days ago??  Well I thought I'd show you the difference in size between the 40 and the 20.... so, here it is!!

Not a vast, but a bit....

Also, I've been treating meself!!!  Marilee Rockley over on her etsy shop (yarnplayer), has this gorgeous Linnea Bracelet pattern.... I couldn't resist it!!  Only challenge is that I can't get any nice colours of variegated thread over here in the UK in size 10!!  So.... I've altered the pattern 'just a bit' and made it in 20!!  Or at least I'm in the process thereof!!

Here's 'round one' dunned!!

I worked out the length that I should need and made it fit!!!  Now I shall move onto round 2 in variegated thread!!  I've also been beading over Christmas and last week I treated meself (again)... VBG to a pair of earwigs of lace bobbins....  Being me, I weared them ALL day wiv the tag still on... so that me Saturday Best Name was.... Olive!!!  'Twas on me lug 'twas!!! Rofl

Onnyhow, can't think of anything else to share with you so...

Chat later!!

More tatting... But not a lot!!!

As some of you will know, I'm once again doing Jane E's TIAS (tat it and see).  We follow instructions and try and guess what we are tatting!

So... Here's my contribution so far... It's either an Elephants Foot Umbrella Stand or a frying pan!!!! Lol

I've been at a meeting all day and forgot me destructions so I couldn't do it while I was there!!!

Chat soon

What to do when....

You know the feeling.... you're taking part in the TIAS over on Jane E's blog.... what do you do when you're waiting for the next part??  We all have different ideas!!  Well.... back in December I went to Solihull and... as you do.... fell in love with some colour threads over on the Roseground stand!!  Picking colours up was easy... and it wasn't until I got in the car on the way home, showing off what I'd bought, that I realised I'd picked up size 40!!!  Not going to let that stop me!!!

So... yesterday I decided to wind some thread onto shuttles... well you have to try thread out to see what it looks like when it's tatted don't you??  YES YOU DO!!!!  Don't tell small white whatsits to Pigmini.... she doesn't believe you!!! Rofl

I also had located some dagger beads and some size 11 beads....  not happy with just tatting 'bits'... (if you read this missive regularly you'll know that I have a 'thing' for earwigs!!!)  my 'bits' for trying threads out are earwigs!!  Not just any earwigs either.... just one pattern in particular!!!!  Dread to think how many times I've done that pattern...  OK, ok, ok.... it's this one!!  Yes dears, I know it's a motif... but it makes into brilliant earwigs with the addition of beads on ALL the outside picots!! (I keep threatening to add them to all picots... but don't fancy trying to add them to a false picot.... VBG)

Onnyway.... the Easter Egg colours for spring appealed... with the addition of either lilac or gunmetal 11 beads... the dagger beads... and Voila!!

The 'downstairs' pair came about because I miscalculated the amount of thread required (around 2 yards per shuttle in 40)... and ended up with a spare yard on each shuttle... so it was Winsome Earwigs with the Gunmetal beads and some tiny hearts that I found...!!

2 pairs of earwigs in one evening!!! Look totally different though... I think it's purely because you can see the colours of the thread in the diamond ones and not in the downstairs ones!!

Right... now I also have those heart beads with 'a shiny side'.... think I shall just HAVE to play with them!!!  I feel some other earwigs coming on!!  Maybe a variation of Winsome??  Watch this space!!

Chat later!!

TIAS 2015

Starts Today!!!  I'm sure that everyone already had their shuttles and button ready (and I'm not going to admit that the button came off an old pair of Young Sir's boxer shorts!!!) VBG

Here's the link for it!

Anyway, those of you that have taken part before should know that my 'guesses' on what it might just be are usually waaay out!!  Doesn't stop me though!! LOL

Today's bit gives no clues whatsoever....

But... my early guess is.... Elephant's Foot Umbrella Stand!!!! Rotflmao!!  But... if it is.... then maybe I've picked the wrong colours.... (Lizbeth Royal Wave)... because Elephants feet aren't blue & white... with grey bottoms!!  Oh well.... it's an EFUS that fell in blue paint and then tried to get rid of it with bleach!!!

Right, now you're all absolutely convinced that I'm crackers....

Chat later!!

Dunned!!

My first finished tatty of this year!! It's taken me all year to do it!! Lol. Truth be known I started it just before New Year!! 20 lizbeth mountain breeze and another lizbeth varied!!

Now to finish ends and 'repair missing link' then, decide what's next.... Vbg I'se spoilt for choice!!  Waiting now for the bobble book to come from the Houtz brothers in the USA!!  Got enough big projects on for now... but I need something for my bag!!!

That's after the tree etc has gone for the year and I've seen Li'l Miss who's crawling around nodding and saying 'Anma'!!!

Busy day!!

Chat soon

Happy New Merry!!!

Morning Folks!!  Yet another New Year Dawns!!!  Our cats let it in last night.... and possibly out again when they disappeared into the field on a mouse hunt!! LOL  So A Happy New Whatsit to all my dear readers!!! (if there are any that is!!) VBG

Right, so what have you all been doing over Silly Season??  I finished off yet another pair of earwigs and put them somewhere.... when I find them again I'll share a pic!!!  I also got out me thread stash and discovered a couple of 'earth tone' variegateds that I decided should go together.... this is the result so far....

Now have you spotted this years deliberate error????  Must rectify that 'line' at some point!!  LOL  I've been at this pattern since last year!!!! (AGES!!!!) (Well, in reality, since Tuesday evening.....)!Rofl  The pattern is the Chicken Wing Doily over on Jane E's site.  I'm not posting a link until she finished revamping her site.... just in case!!!

Oh, and here's a pic of they there deer that were eating the hedge.... but not on this pic!!!  Early morning gold light on frost with long shadows doesn't give high definition.... but I say THANKS to Sir for sharing them!!

Li'l Miss was all ready for Silly Season in the following pics too.... supplied by Mummy of course!!  She loved the idea of ripping paper off pressies.... VBG

The stool she's sitting on in the first pic was a present from us.... child size stool/small occasional table, which ever you prefer.... hand made with a HUGE sun carved and painted into the top!!!  Brilliant!!  She loves sitting on it, like the chair in the second pic.... where Sock Monkey is residing!!

Anyway, back to me coffee n 'stuff'.... (tatty 'stuff' that is!!! LOL)

Chat soon!!