Still Here

    Yes, I am still alive. Have not felt good lately, and when I did, 12 hour days at work. Not a lot of tatting.
     I am not good at baubles. They are fiddly and my big hands make it a bit hard to work them sometimes. Don't know why I get along with size 80 thread, but I do. Anyway, I have the Butterflies book by Iris Niebach. I made one, simple enough. Now I am tackling the first one in the book. It's coming along, but there is probably a better way I am not aware of. I have Randy and Gary Houtz's book on baubles and I read through it. I think I am doing it right.
    This butterfly, like most in the book, uses a bauble body. At least it has a straw in it to help hold the shape. While tatting it, I kept a steel crochet hook in the body. That helped a bit keeping it where I could see what I am doing and where I am. I should have this one done in a day or so. Yes, I know it would only take a few hours, but I am at work now and will be until 5.

    What I had intended to bring up was really not the butterfly so much as the shuttles. Since I got my Pop-A-Bobbin shuttles, I have been giving them a workout. Well, as much as I can with my schedule. You know how it is. I also bought a few Aerlit so I didn't have to change out so much. Now I remember one of my major problems with the "Aero" style. When I make a ring, I have to pull out thread. When I then need a chain, I have to rewind the thread. I usually do this by rolling the bobbin along my thumb. On the Pop-A-Bobbin shuttles, not a problem at all. On the Aerlit, I keep dislodging the bobbin. Not worth the trouble. I think I will drill them and insert small bolts to hold the bobbin in place. Or just order more Pop-A-Bobbin shuttles!