Bell

A bell at last.  One that I like!!

There are two more underneath this one.  What a struggle this was to get it how I like it.  I now have something I'm happy to give to friends around Christmas time.  BUT I still have to finish off the pattern which will be a while as I've been 'torn away' to play with something else - a new adventure for me in tat land!!!  More another day about that!

Oh, the two at the bottom are made with the same two threads but t'other way round!!!  I suppose you could call those the Outside In Bell - Inside Out!!!  More sick jokes from the computer of 'yours truly'!!!!

PS the blue one on the right looks drunk - I'll have to pull and press that into shape sometime!!!!

Thanks

Thanks to everybody who sent me birthday wishes yesterday.  

It was pure coincidence that the birthday thread was named that by Natalie and that it arrived with me the day before I became 68!!!!

The day passed quickly (partly due to a plumbing crisis which needed dealing with as an emergency!) and was ended with a rather large glass of the 'red stuff' which meant that not a lot of tatting was done!!!!

My birthday thread arrived!

On Monday I ordered some thread from Natalie from her Etsy store.  I chose the one called 'birthday' because I just couldn't resist the colours in it!!!  

It arrived around lunchtime on Tuesday by Royal Mail (please note that on this occasion I'm NOT calling it Royal Fail).  That was fast!  So I got out an ez bob, wound it onto that and then grabbed two shuttles.  I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it!!!

Yes, it's one of the Outside In bells (note to self - MUST get the pattern finished!). 

Doesn't that just BEG you to tat?

Natalie says (by the way, we've only recently met online) that she's going to list more threads today so all you tatters - let's go shop!!!!  Let's face it - we've got to keep those dyers busy, haven't we?  Can't have them sitting twiddling their thumbs or boredom might set in!!!


Later Sally asked me how far the thread would go and it occurred to me that I'd never ever worked that out!!!  Yarnplayer's and most sellers do the size 20 (which is what I usually use) in 50 yard skeins.  The bell below took 6 yards but usually I would make them with a plain thread too which would cut that down to 3 yards.  So how many bells with a contrast thread could you make from one skein?  Roughly 16.  Now I reckon that's REALLY good value.

Well, it wasn't a PROMISE!!

I didn't actually PROMISE I wasn't going to post every day - it was just a sort of 'suggestion' to myself and you guys!!!  So as it wasn't a 'promise' I can break it, can't I?

I do have a very, very good reason to break my 'promise'.  

After a discussion with Natalie at the Yarnyard (here in the UK) and via another lass I met online, she kindly sent me some silk HDT thread to tat with.  This was silk she'd hand dyed herself (she's an expert at this - been doing it for years) for the embroidery and knitting 'market'.  I loved the colours which were grey to black but it was just a bit 'fuzzy' for me and I suggested that probably a good six core thread may be better for tatters.  You can see a picture of my tryout down below - just a quick 8 ring motif that I did to try something for somebody else!!!  I didn't start the two shuttles tied together so that's why it looks a bit 'odd' after the SR!!!  Anyway, off Natalie trundled and got some Lizbeth to try.  

Meanwhile she opened up an Etsy shop for the silk threads and by yesterday had some HDT Lizbeth for sale.  Well, you know me - I was like a 'rat up a drainpipe' and was in that shop at the drop of a hat!!!!  Good job too as the one called 'birthday' quickly sold out - I got a skein of that!!

Natalie is learning to tat too and her blog is here.  Fancy learning to tat with HDT (OK, she says this one didn't pass her quality control but it would've passed mine!).  When I learned all we had available was white Coats.  If you scroll down her blog you'll see all the colours she's doing in threads and I'm sure she'd help if there's anything you want.

Just can't WAIT

Well it was Saturday morning and another hot (yes I did say hot) day in my corner of tat land.  Not a lot had been planned for the day.

As soon as I'm awake each morning I have to check on what's happening in the rest of tat land so I grope for my specs, grab my iPad and go straight to emails.  Bearing in mind that except for a quick visit to the bathroom this is barely five minutes after my eyes open and I'm back in bed!  Next on my list is to read blog updates.  Goody, a post from Martha Ess.  

EVEN better is what I've been waiting for for weeks - the announcement that we can now order her new book.  Here's the link.  

Now if you've never bought any of Martha's books I suggest you think about it very, very seriously.  Hers are absolutely delightful (like Martha herself).  The critter books are my mainstay for making birthday cards - small motifs which are so different.  I LOVE her teapot book and when I got that I just had to make the tiny, tiny 3D set - 'just because' it was there.  There's a heart book too.  All her books are neatly presented and with clear diagrams and (VERY important to me) clear fonts.  

All I ask is for you NOT to buy yours until I'm sure mine is on it's way!!!!  Actually, don't worry as I got in there very early on Saturday morning to order mine!!!  Of course I had to tell Sally it was out too and she's ordered hers as well.  Thanks, Martha - can't wait to make things from the book.

Before I finish - do visit this link too as Martha has some free patterns here.  My favourite is the mermaid and the warning when you click on the link!!!!  I've made her several times and I think I'm going to do her again with some of my HDT.