Sometimes

Sometimes I don't post because I'm busy, sometimes because I share my computer with my six-year-old (! -- yeah, I know!), sometimes because I have nothing to say, and sometimes because I have so much to say I can't figure out how to say it all.

This weekend it was because both my husband and our son had colds. *sigh*

Anyway, today they went to work and school, and I did my catching up.

So, let's see. One of the things I meant to post about was the great New Year's Eve drum circle I went to. The drumming circle I attend is held on the new moon, which happened to be December 31st this year. We had a small circle, but great energy. I was amazed to find it was 10pm, and I wasn't tired. I could have drummed the New Year in, but I had said I'd only stay until 10, so I went home. It was a terrific way to start the year.

I love drums. Last February I saw the Kodo drummers with my brother and my husband, but this winter they aren't touring the US. So I'll have to make do with my Kodo CDs, Ibuki and Live at the Acropolis. In May last year I also went to the Alma Highland Festival with my brother. (My husband doesn't like bagpipes, go figure.) And the year before that my brother and I went to the Drum Corps International Central Division championships in Kalamazoo.

Complete topic U-turn

Last night was our West Michigan Lace Group meeting. I was trying another version of the lace-knitted heart, swatching for a future bookmark. I saw some knitting going on, looked at some Romanian point lace (a type of needle lace), and examined a piece of the Chinese-made tatting with crocheting into the picots.

That was an interesting piece. The center and first round, with the crocheting, seemed to have been made by one tatter, then the outer round was made by a different tatter. The difference in tension and technique was very distinct between the two outer rounds.

I came home and finally found the tatting pattern I was looking for. It was on the shelf with some other tatting-related papers that I swear I looked in before! I started a bookmark for the March exchange, using the Coats Machine Quilting thread. This time I'm using the bright primaries. This thread is so fine, five repeats come out only 2-1/2 inches long. Five down, eleven to go. I would love to post a picture, but that camera! Argh. Won't do good close-ups.

Then I want to knit a bookmark, too. So I have plenty to keep me busy.