Up a mountain

Yesterday we went up Stone Mountain which is near Atlanta.  It is an amazing place.  A huge lump of granite rising out of the ground rather like Ayers Rock.

Very hot up at the top but spectacular views.  It was a bit hazy but you could just see Atlanta in the distance.  We did NOT walk to the top in case you were wondering!  We took the cable car up.

Later in the day we picked up Nine from the airport and she stayed with us at Sandra's overnight too.  We went to eat at the Flying Biscuit - one of my favourite places.  The biscuits are wonderful.

Today we're picking up Karey from the airport and are off to Toccoa where Tat Days fun begins.  Wifi there is pretty flakey and I'll be kept pretty busy so you may not hear much over the next few days.

Arrived

Pleased to announce that the suitcase arrived at Sandra's eight hours after it landed. 

We were beginning to wonder whether the contents were causing concern for customs but all is well!

The tatting bags, brooches and bracelets I've brought to sell at Tat Days are all fine too. I just hope I sell lots so I can afford to go home!!!!

We're off to Stone Mountain today and yesterday we went to the botanical gardens which were fanflippingtastic. Pictures below if I've inserted them properly!

Arrived safely

In Atlanta. That's the good news!

Now for the not so good news. An emergency trip had to be made to Walmart (thank you, Sandra) to buy the 'bare essentials'. Why? Well my luggage including all my tatting for Tat Days decided to stay in Frankfurt! Not a happy bunny.

Hope to be reunited with it later today. Walmart and Sandra are my saviours!  Least baggage claim knew where it was and we're now tracking it online.  This is the third time my luggage has gone AWOL over the years but before it's been on the way home!

Watch out

America here I come. 

Hopefully by the time you read this (if you bother!) I will be on the way. Leaving home at 'silly o'clock'.  When this post goes live I'll probably be dithering between flights in another country. Well, that's not true - it'll be more like dashing. 

I've got an hour and a half between the two flights and if it works out like last year it's a heck of a dash if I have to get to another hub. This may entail a train ride again too. That plus security!! 

I played the 'old git' card last year and the very, very kind people in the queue at security let me go ahead as they could see I would probably be slower than them and the information board was already flagging that my next flight was boarding.

Anyway - will try and blog a few times while I'm away but meanwhile enjoy the break from my ramblings.

Blue bracelet

Before I start - I have number 91 in the TIAS 2016.  Here's the link to see Kathleen's rabbit!

This blog maybe quiet for a couple of weeks. Who was that who said 'hooray'? I'll try to post while I'm away but it's unlikely1!!!

Of course, once the doodads had been 'sourced' from within the confines of the tatting cupboard it was easier to make another bracelet to go with the blue earrings than to put everything away again!! Tell me - why is it always so easy to get things out of a cupboard and always SO hard to make yourself put the remains away TIDILY?

So here is the blue bracelet. It's really, really simple - the rings are 2 - 1 join to the doodad and the chains are 3 vsp 3. You join the rings with a bead and continue to the outer round which is simply a lock chain joining to the previous 'normal' chain. Oh, the lock chain is 3, lock join, 3. It's not rocket science!!!

Anyway - because I thought people may not have doodads I did another version which replaced the metal part but was designed round a bead. Here's the link.

Green bracelet

Back a few years ago I went through a 'doodad' phase and every so often the urge to play with doodads returns!!! 

When I was packing to travel the other day I realised that I didn't have 'quite the right' bracelet to go with these pairs of earrings. So off I went into the tatting cupboard to find my doodads of which I seem to have many thanks to this wonderful gift, this one and this one too

Then it was time to play!!! More tomorrow, folks!!!!

Pattern now available

Things take time. I'll admit that I finished this a few weeks ago but then both forgot I'd done it and also kept running out of time. 

Also my problem is that I'm a little bit loath to part with a pattern until I've got something else started!!! I've absolutely no idea why - perhaps an all consuming fear that I'll run out of ideas. I also get spaces of time when all I want to do is play with mindless stuff!! Usually once I've started on something straightforward I then get bored and my mind starts to wander and other ideas pop into visit BC3!!! I suffer for my craft, you know!!!

So finally I got the butterfly doily checked out over the weekend - here it is.

Another and another!

This time I have another octopus (no worrying about the plural today!!!) and a seahorse. 

Ms Anonymous sent these in.  I've been asked not to say who as she's planning a surprise!!!  

The seahorse pattern is here if you should want it. Looking at it - it's a pattern that needs a re-write by the look of it. That's something which is now on my 'to do' list. 

On that list is the Christmas snowflake (which is started) and the next TIAS which isn't started!!!!

Two whatever you want to call them!

The subject was going to be 'Two Octopuses' but then I thought perhaps it should be 'Two Octopi' so off I went in search of what Mr Google said. I came back even more confused as you can see from this link!!

Anyway, these guys came from Tine who made them from the pattern you can find here.

Looking at the date on this pattern it makes me realise how time flies.

Butterflies again

Another butterfly doily finished - my excuse is that I wanted to check the stitch count again but in all honesty - I just enjoyed making it.

This one is made with a size 40 thread. 

I'm afraid blog posts maybe a bit scarce and spasmodic for a while. I really need to focus on making the trip over the pond or I'll end up in America with no clothes!!! 

All tatting supplies (for my lessons) plus the tatting bags, brooches and a few bracelets that are going in the vending room are in the suitcase, but I can't seem to get motivated to sort out clothes.

Fandango square again

Finally got this Fandango Doily finished and it will be going with me to America. In fact it's already sitting in my suitcase with Georgia's name on it as it's going into the auction.  Actually I know a secret - a BIG secret about the auction but I'M NOT GOING TO TELL.  It's something that's being auctioned but I'M NOT GOING TO TELL.  Did you hear that?  I'm not going to tell so it's no use you asking!!!!!  

This doily is done in a size 40 thread and actually looks a lot better in 'real life' than it does here. That's not unusual, though, is it?

I think I've now got all the tatting stuff packed - I leave in about ten days time but next week is going to be MANIC for me as I deal with some ongoing personal 'stuff'. Nothing serious, I assure you, but stuff that can only be dealt with by me with some quite odd decisions to be made. Considering that I'm a real ditherer this will be hard to accomplish!!!  I can dither for England, I'll have you know!!!

Something I've been thinking about.

Back when I started tatting in 1956 the only patterns I could get hold of were the old Coats (well, of course, they were new then!) and Penelope leaflets. 

The patterns in there were what I assumed tatting was all about and they kept me quiet for many years. Occasionally I would do a large project and the amount of thread needed was always stated as 'one ball' or 'two balls' of thread.

Sixty years on and people now want the exact amount of thread needed given in the pattern. This is soooooo annoying to me as it does take considerable effort (poor old BC3) to work out how much is needed and then to remember that people's tensions may vary and they may need more or less.   Even more frustrating as thread now costs much the same as it did 'back then' but was to me very expensive when I had to save up pocket money for it.

I struggle to add this to my patterns as I honestly don't see the point of this unless there is only a small amount of thread left on a shuttle or ball. 

I find, personally, that I get more leftovers that are too small to use by using stated amounts and would far rather not have the hassle of feeling I need to give quantities on a pattern. Having said that - I will do my best to continue to provide this - unless it's a doily!!!!

This is, I suppose a contradictory post but that's how discussions between myself (the semi rational part) and BC3 go!!!!  Happy Tuesday, folks!!!!

Fandango butterfly doily sorted!!!

Well I think it's sorted!!! I like the finishing round which is simple but holds the whole thing together.

Now I really, really 'need' to get the pattern done and uploaded. That, as you know, takes a lot of doing - not that it's hard - it's just fiddly remembering to put in all the links and to put the images in the right place!!!! 

Instead of talking about it - perhaps I ought to just 'do' it!!!

Another bauble!!

This time (and with the same thread) I've added beads to the ribs. In this case there are only six ribs and I've finished it off with beads too. 

This is a slower process - adding beads to the ribs but I do like it. Maybe I'll try a bell with ribs on the beads (I mean, beads on the ribs) next time. 

Now for a bauble!

Still using up the odds and ends and now playing with one of my favourite techniques. The lovely bauble which was originally 'invented' by the late Bobbie Demmer and taken to new heights by the Houtz brothers as most of you will all know. Am I teaching you to suck eggs like you do to grandmother?!?!?

This is a ten rib bauble and at the moment I'm undecided over how to finish it off. I'm 'thinking' beads on the ribs which is, I must admit my favourite way to finish these off!!!

A heart and a motif

More using up of the threads on the EZ-Bobs and I just LOVE the top one although I've no idea who's HDT it is!!!! It's a lovely colour way to work with too.

The bottom one is back to the last of the snowflake HDT from Yarnplayer. 

The patterns are the recently updated hearts (3 of them) which can be found here and this little motif which is here.

Back to the Fandango butterfly

I wanted to see the Fandango butterfly as a mini doily so I started back on the 'butterfly adventure'!!!

First of all the design needed a flower for the butterflies to sit on. So, here is the mini doily - so far!!!!  

Naturally, and being me,I'm not happy with it one bit. OK, the stitch count works but it looks sort of 'bare' round the outside. I've got an idea for that 'on the shuttles' at the moment. Just hope it works out!

Updated hearts pattern

While I've been playing with 'odds and ends' of threads I also thought it maybe a good opportunity to check another of my 'old' patterns out. 

This is the one I've now sorted into my more 'modern' method of annotation. I've now added the instructions for those who like front side tatting too and actually changed everything except the stitch count which would've been dangerous as the design worked well as it was.

Anyway, this is the pattern I'm talking about.

A bauble

As I mentioned yesterday I found another EZ-Bob with Yarnplayer's HDT on so that had to be used!!!! I decided that if I used a plain thread for the ribs then I'd probably have enough for a bauble. 

When I got halfway through this one I decided to make rings using the chain thread.  The rings give the design a sort of 'skirt'.  It's very hard to take photos of these baubles so I apologise for the pictures. 

Anyway, the adventure didn't stop there as I ran out of thread on the chain shuttle but still had plenty left on the shuttle shuttle (core thread). I wound some off that and onto the chain shuttle and, using a knotless join, continued on my merry way. I'm really pleased with this little guy and it would've made a lovely earring - IF I'd written down the stitch counts!!!!

Oh, I still had enough left to make another SCMR butterfly.

Leftovers

Actually there are three butterflies (one escaped the scanner) but then I discovered another EZ-Bob with some more Snowflake HDT on it!!! So, I have another project underway which I will show you soon.

These little butterflies (along with any others that may happen) will go to a very worthy cause. What's that? I hear you ask. 

Well I know that the Palmetto Tatters take a pitch at the South Carolina State Fair in October. They collect butterflies and other small tatted items to share with the thousands of fair goers. There can never be enough to give away so these will help out a bit. If you've got any little tatty bits then they'd be glad to have them. Contact details can be found here.