Good news - and bad (ish) news.

First of all here is the link for day 1 AND the first few pieces in (see bottom of this post!).

That's the good news.  Now for the bad news - the first guess came in yesterday!!!  Yes, believe it or not before we've even started the first guess is in!!!

This is the first inkling that I had of what it's going to be and it came from Jenni in Australia:-

"Your new TIAS has been the topic of our discussions tonight on chat between us Aussies so we had something other than the floods to talk about.  Maureen has suggested that regardless of what it is - it will become a rabbit under her guidance........

I agree.....

So there you go.

Regardless of the outcome - it will be a bunny to us!!!"

Then within five minutes I heard from Maureen herself and this was what she had to say:-

"Hello Jane - sitting here watching the floodwaters rise around me - absolutely terrifying - I suddenly had an inspiring thought about the TIAS. So I am emailing you to give you my guess before it begins.......it's a RABBIT!! - for the Year of the Rabbit. And because since the Big Wet started here, there are many examples of what my friend Jenni calls underground mutton hopping around the neighbourhood.

 So - I am determined to make a bunny out of it - starting tomorrow, that's if the power is still on!

 from Maureen in the most incredible disaster zone here in Brisbane."

The only problem that I have with this early guess is that they didn't send pictures of their rabbits!!!!!  

I'm hoping both of them keep us up to date on how they're faring in 'soggy Oz'.


First in (as you regulars will have already guessed) is Isa from SWEDEN.  This is her comment:-
"Hi Jane:  Here it's my TIAS day 1.
I have waiting since early this morning :). I enjoy very much.
Thanks for all the fun you give us with your TIAS 2011.
My best wishes in this snowing day in the south of Sweden.  10.11 AM."
Good to see that the rest of your family are looking well, Isa!!!

Next in is from Omar in AUSTRALIA and this is what she says:-

"My first guess is a dragon fly!! I’m thinking this because of where 6 of the beads appear to be going to be attached.  It looks like a tail... I reserve the right to change my mind many times if I so choose.

Omar

PS Did Isa get in by the time you got out of the shower??"

The answer is NO - I beat her out of the shower but this is only the first day!!!!   Here's Omar's practice piece and day 1.

Next in this dreary Wednesday (raining and NO sun at all) is Katie from AMERICA (NC).  She says:-

"OOOh, too much fun this!!  I think it's a window valence.  My husband says I'm all wrong as he's looking at your diagram.  It's a view of the snow falling over Stratford on Avon.  The rings are the red clouds--hell, he says--dropping snow.  The chains are heaven where everyone knows it never snows and the grass is always green, but shorter than 3 inches so it doesn't need mowing.  Who knew that his world view was encompassed in your first day of TIAS 2011?

On to the adventure!!"

She's a silly moo but we'll forgive her, eh?

Next is Isabel from Spain.  We've been talking together using translators for the past few days and I must tell you that Isabel is full of fun.  She tried to change houses with me yesterday and leave me to look after her family.  She is a joker!!!

Siguiente es Isabel de España. Hemos estado hablando con traductores para los últimos días y debo decirte que Isabel se llena de diversión. Ella trató de cambiar las casas conmigo ayer y me dejan a cuidar de su familia. Ella es un bromista!

This is what she said:-

"Here I send you my first day ... which is a rabbit? as you have guessed? if I still do not know what !!!!...!!!!... An animal, sure, because much do you like animals or people on tatting .......... I'd say it's a parrot ....."

Next in (just before half past five in the evening GMT) is from Barbara P  from AMERICA (NY) who says:-

"I have day one completed and here it is !! I can only say my guess would be... a somethingorother..yep! I am sure that is what it is, asomethingorother!!! ;) Having so much fun already!"

Now here comes Brenda from here in the UK.  She says:-

"Last year when I did the TIAS I was a complete beginner to tatting.  I am still a beginner really but know a little bit more than last year.   Last year I did a lot of cutting off and sent you all the scans of how many times I had tried.  I didn’t give up and got there in the end.  I am not going to attempt to guess what it is instead I am going to concentrate on getting it right without too many cut offs."

Next in on this Wednesday evening is from Ridgewoman in the USA (NM) who said this:-

"Decided to go with retro popular colors of the 50’s.  Peach and Black Lisbeth, size 20.

I love TIAS because they can be done in such a short amount of time daily.  Something really to look forward to each day.  Even though my day begins after yours!  LOL  

I’m using two new shuttles:  Christmas 2010 shuttle and one of the new pearlized clovers (pastels)."

On my way to bed now and this is the last of today's Day 1's!!!  This is from picotsnkeys who says:-

"I dove right in today to the TIAS. I don't have a guess, yet.....

 I used this to practice starting a piece without any knots. It worked beautifully!

 I will try to wait patiently for Day 2.  picotsnkeys"