Ruth Perry and I spent a wonderful day on Catalina Island yesterday. My lace guild, the Hedgehog Lacers, asked Ruth to come out to California to teach a celtic tatting class. The class went very well and we had a lot of fun trying to get that ----- knot tied. I finally did it after 3 tries. YAY!

During one of those times while everyone was happily tatting away and talking, it came up the Ruth would not be leaving till Tuesday. I volunteered my house to continue the class on Monday, but, well, real life got in the way of everyone's plans. We then talked about things to do in the area since Ruth had never visited California before. Catalina Island was mentioned (not by me even though I just love the island). Well a phone call later and I had reservations on the boat for Ruth and myself. I told some other guild members during lunch and they were ready to play hookie from their Monday classes and/or work and join us. (I won't mention that both our husbands protested that they couldn't join us either).

I picked Ruth up bright and early (ok foggy and early) Monday morning and we headed for the boat. The crossing to Catalina takes about an hour from Long Beach and we both tatted our way across the water. The ocean was smooth as glass, no problems at all. After a submersible boat tour and a tour of the interior of the island, Ruth and I settled on the beach to tat. The sun did break through the fog around 1:00. We couldn't have had a more beautiful day to enjoy the island.

Ruth showed me another method of getting a bead into the middle of a ring, a regular ring, not a split ring. After watching and doing a 2nd one to make sure I had the concept, Ruth held up the 2 rings and commented that they looked like cat eyes. I was thinking the same thing, so off we went doing freeform designing.

I must tell you that this doesn't come easy to me, I usually have to think about it, but something about being with Ruth, and perhaps the magical aspect of the island (the city is named Avalon after all) just got the creative juices in overdrive. My cat rapidly turned into an owl, but it is very cute just the same. Ruth named her creation "Lina, the Catalina Calico Cat" and she is saying MEOW!



Well there you have it, the owl and the pussy cat went to sea in a beautiful catamaran (better know as the Catalina Express). We did not tat on the way back to the mainland, I think we were tired.