ANKARS Lesson 1 - Finally

Well, I finally finished the tatting for ANKARS Lesson 1.  I found working with the metallic thread and size 20 cotton to be very challenging, at least until I decided to use two shuttles! I is that cheating.  A double bobbin shuttle would work better, but I taped Clover shuttles together with a loop of packing tape.  Two metal shuttles held together with a strong flat magnet would work well also.  Now for pictures
I still have to finish the piece obviously.  I am thinking sapphire blue or emerald green beads, but I am not sure I have sizes that would work.  I do have several shades of turquoise with the right sizes of beads. 
I really like the affect of the very tight tatting, and the metallic thread is effective in this piece.   While I will use the tight tatting a lot, the metakic thread will be saved for special pieces. In this piece, the very large rings combined with the the very tight tatting were qutie bothersome.
You cannot really see the magnet holding the metal shuttles together, so I set another one besides them.  I cut the magnets out of a worn out purse I was throwing away several months ago.  They are much stronger that you might think.
I will add finished pictures when I can get to that.
I would really appreciate prayers right now.  I am not normally up at 2:00 AM tatting and posting blogs.  I am a severe asthmatic with a bad cedar pollen allergy.  Cedar pollen (alone) has had the tree pollen count up in the allergy alert category here in the last few weeks. I work in a ranch house that has been converted into offices (working cattle ranch) in the country with literally millions of cedar trees in the area, so the pollen count is much higher there than the count reports which are taken downtown about 20 miles away.  Consequently, my asthma is really acting up.  I also have a serious sinus infection which is affecting my vision.  Thanks