More News I Wish I Hadn't Read

"Terry Pratchett says he has Alzheimer's"

Get BUSY, you brain-chemistry experts!

After that kick in the gut, we need something more cheerful.

Monday was the West Michigan Lace Group's winter potluck and ornament exchange, with 17 members participating in the exchange.

We use basically the same rule as the fiber arts group (if you bring one, you take one home), except that the ornament is also lace handmade by the member.

Many of us tatted ornaments this year, as you can see, but there was at least one crocheted snowflake and a bell in Romanian point lace up there, too.

This is the snowflake I tatted for the exchange using DMC silver embroidery thread and dark blue Venus tatting thread.

I had a Pelc two-bobbin tatting shuttle I had never used. I wound the two threads separately and tatted them together.

Both of these threads are quite thin, but tatted together were about the equivalent of a size 20 or 30. I'm not 100% pleased with how the dark thread looks more black than blue. I think if I combine threads again, I'll use a lighter blue with the silver, or maybe use the silver for the rings and another color for the chains on the outside.

This elegant little thing was my exchange ornament.

I'm not having good luck getting the true color of the dark green, but the tatting on this is about the green of the tatted ball I made for the fiber arts exchange.

Lucia said, "The tatted ball is beautiful. How do you make it round?"

Water balloon. So the balloon neck won't stretch out the space it goes through, I poke it through a piece of fountain-pen ink cartridge. I blow it up with a cheap balloon pump, which you can often find in with the balloons.

Pull the balloon neck through the cartridge with a crochet hook, poke it inside the ball, blow the balloon up and tie it, then stiffen it with whatever works best in your climate.

I used diluted tacky glue, then when I saw it was too strong, I sponged the outside with a damp paper towel until I no longer had glue in the picots and small spaces.

Let dry completely, then pop the balloon and pull it out. Voila!