Entering the tatting blogosphere

I am a lonely tatter in Texas whose only tatting influence comes from other tatters' blogs, so I decided to join the conversation instead of just looking in from the outside.  I am a married mother of two children, ages 10 and 7.  I learned to tat from the book "Learn to Tat" by Janette Baker in 2010.  Before 2010 I had never heard of tatting.  I saw a woman at the park doing something strange with thread wrapped around her hand and asked her about it.  She told me about tatting, I went out and bought the "Learn to Tat"  book and have been hooked ever since.  I consider myself an intermediate tatter with numerous pattern books and patterns printed off the internet and an endless collection of threads, mostly size 20 and 40.  I really enjoy reading other tatting blogs and seeing the progress they are making on their projects. That has inspired me to challenge myself and improve my techniques.  Here are some projects I have recently completed:

This is called "Flowerpiece" from Mary Konior's Tatting with Visual Patterns.  It is done in Lizbeth size 20 Christmas Red and Leaf Green Dark.  I love how the dark green really sets off the red.  I plan on giving this as a Christmas present if I can bear to part with it.  It's my favorite project so far from my favorite pattern book.

Below is another pattern from Mary Konior's book:

This on is called "Glass Mat" and is done in LIzbeth #20 Cranberry Bush.  Although I love the pattern, it turned out smaller than I thought.  I could try it in size 10,  but I hate tatting in size 10.  You have to load your shuttle all the time.