7 January 2010

Only 1, so far!!

This is the first of a set of 3 small crosses which will go in my Etsy store later (or tomorrow).

I'm really enjoying doing these but need soon to get back to designing!!  I've got a brilliant idea (with a nudge from a friend) for another ............


6 January 2010

It snowed so I Etsy'd!!!!

Yesterday it snowed here.  Why do I mention it? Simply because it's a rare occurence here in this town.  Even 10 miles away people can be badly affected by snow but not here!!!


So, that's got the boring bit out of the way so now to tell you what I got up to while it snowed!!!!


First of all I launched the Tat It And See and all went quiet.  VERY quiet!!  Is that good or is it bad!!!!!


I decided to list some crosses that I made over the Christmas period on Etsy.  You can find a link on the sidebar to the shop.   I am VERY pleased with these.   There's one with a flowery centre, a Celtic one and an Iona cross design.  I'm not going to put these on my site for a while as I may offer them to other places first.  We'll see!!!!  I used some of Lyn Morton at Tatting and Design's threads - two sorts wound on the page together.  It required care to tat them but well worth it.

5 January 2010

TIAS - Link to Day 1

OK, here you go!!!!!  I'm putting this link on both blogs just so that I 'catch' you all!!!!  

I will publish all comments and work in progress on the other TIAS blog which can be found HERE!!!

Here's the link you've been waiting for.  Happy tats to all!!!!

4 January 2010

All about shuttles


Yesterday I rambled on at length about not needing shuttles to tat with and how tatting is basically manipulating the thread 'as is'.  But when making a larger item it can be useful to own the odd shuttle or 100!!!

Well, today I'm going to ramble about something dear to my heart - shuttles!!!  I started off in tat land using the Milward shuttle as that was all my gran and I could get our mucky mitts on!!!  I loved the 'dip' in it but not the separate hook which usually found it's way down the side of the chair never to be seen again!!!  I then 'progressed' onto the Aero - which I still use and also the Silent Tatter which again I like loads.  BUT I now have another shuttle.

This one is the prototype that Sally's husband is making in their garage.  I haven't told you before because it was sort of TOP SECRET but now I'm going to share my opinions of this shuttle.

Well, it's light, it's wood and it feels great.  During the design progress several improvements have been made and the latest design (which I saw and held yesterday) are really lovely to hold and use.  Nick (Sally's husband) is even making the hooks to fit in the ends!!!!  There's a lovely 'finger dip' in them too.

We've been discussing marketing them and are thinking about doing that through my Etsy shop.  When that will happen will depend totally on the temperature in the 'factory' - AKA Sally's garage!!!  You can't lock a guy in a freezing garage!!!

More to follow on this subject!!!!

3 January 2010

Hmmmm



TattingChic and I were having a 'natter' via email a couple of days ago after a remark at her Lace Guild about something and this got both of us thinking and talking!!!  I've had the same thing said to me many years ago when I abandoned the lace bobbins to return to the shuttle.


'They' say that tatting is NOT lace.  DUH!!!!  So off went dear old brain cell 3 into the unknown territory of the internet (without his safety gear too!!).  


First of all IS it lace or not?  The first link I found was this!  This defines for the clothing industry that tatting IS lace.  Then onto Wikipedia for this link.  Very interesting as it certainly does define tatting as lace.  


Another thing that number 3 learnt whilst on his outing was that the definition of TATTED lace was that it was made with a shuttle!  No mention of the needle at ALL!!!!  Personally I always call it a knotted lace made using a shuttle too.


This is really not at all surprising as the current way of needle tatting is a relatively recent idea - certainly within my lifetime.  In the 'dim and distant past' a needle was sometimes used instead of the shuttle to make the transferred knot.  The way the thread is manipulated using a needle nowadays is entirely different to the shuttle method.  I like the name of 'faux tatting' to define the difference between the two ways of achieving ALMOST the same thing.  I tried needle tatting in the past (actually as soon as I saw it advertised back in the 70's).


At first the needle appealed to me as a 'teaching tool'.  One that may help to show people and get them comfortable with the way the knot should look.  I realised that there were WAAAAYYYY too many ends to sew in and the resulting piece didn't 'do' it for me as it wasn't firm and was a a lot bulkier than that which I could achieve with the shuttle.  So tat was the end of tat and a rapid return to the traditional shuttle ensued!!!  


Nowadays there seems to be a 'zone' where shuttle tatting is being 'needled out' (get the pun?!?!?!) by the needlers.  Actually as you don't need either 'tool' I wonder what I'm talking about!!!  


Hang on, what did I just say?  


Actually that's right - you don't need a tool to tat - you can just manipulate the thread without.  Nowadays it's called 'finger tatting'.  VERY useful for many reasons.


BUT you can't 'do' needle tatting without a needle - you can't 'finger tat' it!!!  Tatting IS the formation of the stitch by reversing the thread as a reverse-hitch stitch onto it's own thread. The needle needs something for the thread to wrap round - without which it's a 'lost cause'.  AH, perhaps it could be called 'wrapped tat lace'!!!!  Somebody could then write a rap for the wrapped tat lace'!!!!  


BOY, all that thinking was hard work for number 3 to work out!!!


Hey, ho, this is all heavy going for only the third day of the New Year!!!!  

2 January 2010

Announcing the start


It's all ready to go!!!



TIAS 2010 (well, hopefully the first of many this year).  


Here's the link to the introduction and the start date will be 


TAH DE DAH - hmmmm, hang on a minute let me think.  


What have I got to do next week?


Which day shall we make it?


Ah, here we go - Tuesday 5th January. 

Ah, before you go may I just say thanks to all those people who left comments yesterday.  I honestly didn't think I'd said much that was worth commenting on!!!  I made the leaves during the evening, scanned them on the new 'toy' and then did that 'off the cuff' post!!!  Maybe I shouldn't think before posting in future as I normally do?!?!?!?

1 January 2010

On second thoughts.


On second thoughts and after thinking hard (well for about ten seconds) about the rigmarolle of making New Years resolutions I decided that (as usual) I wouldn't bother.  No point really as I never get past the first day!!


So instead I decided to turn over a new leaf.  Here's one of them!!!!


DARN.  Now I have more decisions - which one do I turn over and what WILL I find underneath!!

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Happy Beaks

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