7 December 2011

Day 2 from Anastasija

Now the next subject we talked about (which I find VERY interesting) is the SSSR (single shuttle split ring).  Now when Anastasija sent me this conundrum I was deeply involved in the TIAS and I'm afraid I didn't look at it closely for a day or so.  When I did I just couldn't 'see' it.  Here's how she explained it.

"During designing I come to a question how to tat with one shuttle following the shape of SCMR? And tried to make half moon SSSR. I perform the 1st half of this ring as usual, then rotate already made knots upside down towards myself - so now they are looking down, and the other half perform also as usual. When tighting the half moon the knots have a tendency to make a ring, but they should be formed with fingers to the needed shape. Of course it's not ideal half moon, but you can see what was made. I have previousely noticed that if I tighten SSSR too hard, It's halves become unequal, so in half moon I did not make less knots in innere half. Only in the last one I made 1 knot less - and it looks like semicircle =)))
It is microfibra thread. I should try also with cotton."

It wasn't her explanation that was a problem - I think it was me just being plain thick!!!  Anyway, Anastasija then uploaded a youtube video which made it very, very clear.  Here's the link.

Please listen to her daughter talking in the background - I couldn't resist turning up the volume to hear her.  Here is a photo she sent me but there will be another tomorrow explaining it all.

6 December 2011

Let me introduce

Anastasija who lives in Russia.  

I had an email from Anastasija a week or more ago and she said (blush, blush) that she uses my tips and techniques section on the pattern pages a lot.  She wanted to ask permission to use them to teach other people in her town of St Petersburg.  Naturally I was very, very happy to say yes.  

Anastasija's English is excellent and she's a very pretty lady with a dear, dear little girl so talking to her is a lot of fun.  I am so impressed with how much she's learnt in the two and a half years she's been tatting.

This is what she's found out about pearl tatting in her own words:-

"2 days ago I looked through "Tips and techniques" on your site, noticed "Pearl tatting-the easy way" and thought, what it will look like if we make only half stitch with each shuttle? I also remember that something like this was in macrame technique, and found it in the book published in1986 (see photo1, the right side), it is called there "the double loop". I tatted a sample, it turned out to be more narrow in thickness than pearl tatting. I wanted immediately to design a pattern with this I do not know how to call it. It is very convenient to tat it holding shuttles like in pearl tatting. I hold the part that is already made firmely with thumb and 2nd finger, ball thread (in my pattern it is shuttle thread) is stretched, 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers stand together and do not move at all. Half stitches are performed round the stretched part of thread between 2nd and 3rd fingers. Sorry that thread is of the same colour - photo 2, 3 and 4.
So it is 3-shuttle edging, 2 shuttles are with white thread. 

Below is picture she sent.  More from Anastasija tomorrow.

5 December 2011

A busy weekend

My posts may dry up slightly for a while as I'm behind my self induced schedule for the TIAS (Tat It And See).  I'm also trying to keep up with bookmarks as they're slowly selling from both Etsy and Folksy.  In fact I've added two more here in Folksy over the weekend.

Oh, I have a very exciting introduction to make over the next few days.  A new delightful young lady and a technique of hers.  All will be revealed!


3 December 2011

Bells


Yesterday was birds - today it's bells!!!

I decided yesterday that I couldn't avoid Christmas any longer and had to get on with sorting it!!  So the grandkids presents got wrapped, cards and letters done and that meant I HAD to finish off the bells to put in the letters!!!  They just needed hangers but I needed to kick myself into doing them!  Now they're done, done, done.  Before I started 'hangering' them I tossed them on the scanner.  I did arrange them so that they were all facing the right way up, though.

Must say that I love this picture of them all - well those that managed to get onto the scanner!!!  I'm sure there are a few more somewhere in the muddle I call home!!

2 December 2011

Birds

Before I start - just a reminder that the book and leaflets here on Ebay are finishing tomorrow and that the WFM bookmarks are here!!!  I guess I should've mentioned that the Norma Benporath book is probably a 'collector's item'.  Still, that's what comes of having the brain of a nincompoop!!!  Sorry about the 'plug' on the bookmarks but I am SO excited about them!!!!!

Today I just HAD to show you these little birds that Sarah made from the robin pattern.  I couldn't resist them.  The top three pictures are how they came to me but I wanted to see what they'd look like all sitting in a line!!!
They remind me of birds sitting on the telephone lines here in the UK although we don't have many so beautifully coloured as these.  The red one even has a tuft on his head and looks just like a red cardinal.  I've always wanted to design one of those and now it looks as if I might've already done so!!!  Thanks, Sarah.

It always fascinates me when I go to the USA to see all the power lines overhead.  I always think that must be dangerous in high winds and/or freezing conditions.  Gives me the heeby jeebies just thinking about it.




Creative Commons Licence

Happy Beaks

Happy Beaks
I beg your pardon? I didn't quite catch what you said.