Mary's snowflakes and maple leaf.

I was delighted when Mary sent in this picture a couple of days ago (Thursday) with her 'take' on the new snowflake pattern. It's always a bit odd when you do a design and part with your 'baby' as you are never sure if anybody really can make it or even if they want to!!!! Thank you, Mary, for letting me know that there's somebody 'out there' who can make this pattern successfully. See what Mary said too as she's started playing with the idea. An 8 pointed snowflake and a maple leaf have already emerged. 

"Just wanted to say thank you for the snowflake pattern. Looked easy tatting wise its the beads that I find a challenge. I've spent a happy afternoon tatting, the first attempt more maple leaf, I got the idea on the second try. I'm on a roll now and can see a few of these on the Christmas tree this year. Is there an easy way to get the bugle beads to stay snugged up, I found that the hard bit.

Best wishes

Mary"

'

Now without bugles!!!

That's what I said - without bugles!!!

Several people have remarked on problems with bugle beads and them cutting the thread.  Since then I've learned to pull them onto picots/thread VERY carefully!!!  

So when I was rummaging around in my beads the other day I came across these beads (see the centres of the two snowflakes below) and decided to try them - they're ¼" too.

I was showing them to Ruth in Canada as we were discussing the technique and she said 'oh, those are rice beads'.  Well, I never knew they had a name!!  Thanks Ruth.  They work really, really well in this snowflake and if you have any ¼" rice beads you can use those instead of bugles.  RESULT!!!!!

Two more

First of all I have number 106 of the TIAS 2017 to show you.  Here's the link and thank you, Claire.

When I get going on something like the snowflake pattern I can always think of other things I can do with it.

I have been reading about people's problems with bugle beads and the fact that they do 'cut' the thread. Now this can, apparently, be down to the fact that cheap bugles aren't finished off as well as 'posh' (read - expensive) ones. I've rarely bought bugle beads so have no experience with the 'sorts' that are 'out there'. However I've only ever had one disaster with broken thread and that was on an occasion when I was trying to hurry things up and I wasn't taking enough care with adding the bead. 

I think, for me, that's how I manage to use them without breakage. I use a .4mm crochet hook to ease the bead onto the doubled thread. Sometimes I use  a needle (beading needle) and sewing thread but not often.

Today I'm showing you two snowflakes - one has a slightly larger bugle bead which I've given advice on at the end of the pattern and the other avoids bugles altogether and uses simply four beads.

Watch this space tomorrow for ANOTHER idea on how to avoid bugle beads!!!!

A new snowflake pattern ready

Well that didn't take long and simply because for once I've made myself sit down and get the whole thing sorted. I usually go wandering off on another idea which means that my broken 'remembering' cell nips in and does it's dastardly work!!

Anyway, here's the link to a very simple little snowflake with 'attitude'.

Oh, the thread is some of Karey Solomon's wonderful HDT.  

Back to my favourite colours

There's something about these two colours together that just make me feel good!!! I'd never have thought of putting them together if it hadn't have been for an 'accidental collision' in my thread sorting a while back!!!

Edit to this post - the colours are both Lizbeth and the numbers are 664 and 691.

Again I've done another Rosemarie Peel Rachel mat. So addicted to this pattern and every time I'm surprised by the star at the end. Little things please little minds!!!

A new snowflake

Well this has been brewing in the raddled old brain for a while. It's really a generic pattern that's been invented a million times before.  BUT not with the bugle beads added in this way!!! 

I have seen bugles added but having read the reports on how it's done I was concerned. The things I've read suggest that the bugles were put onto a measured picot. Now we all know that a 'measured' picot is very hard to do and to get exactly to the designer's measurements. 

So, BC3 got busy and started thinking about it. Surely there must be another way of doing it that doesn't rely on a measured picot. Also the fact that bugle beads do vary in length too - slightly.  There's got to be a 'safer' way of doing it!

So, as you'll remember, I did a technique page on this which is here. I'd added the bugles to a ring on this occasion but obviously they can also be added to a chain too. 

That 'excursion' led to this pattern.  Now all I've got to do is finish the new pattern - picture below.