Sets of little flowers

This part of the Tatted Garland is going to take some time!!!  That should keep me busy!

These little flowers look straightforward but they aren’t!!  I doubt if you can see but the stitch count varies in some places and some rings have vsp’s (very small picots) and some don’t!!!  

This is the first of three ‘sets’ of flowers so I’ll be keeping each set together with a safety pin AND labelling them as I go.  If I don’t then I’ll get into a dreadful muddle!!!!

Fandango on Jayne’s table

Here’s the table the mat was made for on Jayne’s table.  It looks pretty good to me - the table, I mean!!!

Fandango finished

Well here it is - finished.  You’ll see I put another row on to balance the centre and I think it works.  

Now to give it to Jayne and hope she likes it.  

Now to get on with other projects and try and stop myself starting anything else!!!!

Kay Lynn’s bookmark

This is a bookmark made from this pattern that Kay Lynn sent me.  She’s a regular in the TIAS and shows us her gorgeous dog - Aonghas.  

This is her message which came last week.

Finished my first bookmark.  Some little glitches with tension, but I'll improve on subsequent bookmarks.  I like the pattern, and think I like the back side better than the front.  ;-)  Thanks again for being generous with your designs and patterns as I so enjoy giving them as gifts (and credit your designs as yours when I do!).  Celtic designs are always ones I enjoy too as I love the intertwining threads. I've attached a couple photos of them for you to see.  It was also a good pattern for me to practice my lock chain ability.  Thankfully this past year's TIAS taught me that technique!

Monday moan

I have been told the following over the space of two days when I was banned from a Facebook group to which I never belonged.  See the previous two Monday moans.

The moderator of the group contacted me on Thursday to ask if I was referring to her group in my last Monday moan and I told her I was.  

She says she believes I've been offended for not being allowed in (to the group), sour and hurt.  She’s told me I’m not the sort of person she wants to fraternise with, and that she’s not particularly fond of people who carry a superiority complex.  Also that I have an archaic attitude, but she’s seeing that amongst ‘you older tatters’ a lot.  

She said we (us oldies) want respect but don't give it.  Finally she said “I am done, you’re a rude piece of work who is used to getting her own way. You couldn't get in so chucked a tantrum.”

Isn’t it nice to know who your friends aren’t?  

Thankfully the conversation appears to be over after 24 hours of abuse and other nonsense.  All because I know a lot of tatters in that part of the world and wanted to join the same group as them.  No worries - I've joined another group in that country who welcomed me with open arms.  I'm a happy bunny!!!

Marmelo - finishing the centre

The next part of this project was finishing the centre and this proved to be good practice for daisy making which will happen in the next row!!!  

Although this part was fiddly it was also no problem.  I love the little daisies.  For those in the UK who want the book - Roseground Supplies has stocks now.  The book is called Tatting Lace, Marmelo and the link should take you to the page where it’s listed.  

Another day - another round!

Now this round was straightforward too.  Round 2.  BUT the next round looks VERY challenging so I’ll be slowing down then. 

Before I even start on round 3 I have to make loads and loads of flowers!!!  I’ll be seeing daisy’s in my sleep!!!!

My new book

I mentioned this book back a few weeks ago and it’s only now that I’m able to start on the pattern that I bought it for.  

I’m not a fan of diagram patterns so this is going to be a ‘double challenge’.  When I started tatting back in 1956 all patterns were the fully written style and diagrams were non existent.  All you ‘got’ were a black and white picture!!!

The pattern is probably not the most sensible of all to make a start with but I’ve always been a bit ‘hot headed’ when it comes to challenges!!!!  I intend to work it front side/back side.  So here’s round 1.  Done and dusted!!

Another bracelet

No, not mine, though. I had this lovely note from Brenda on Sunday which I’m going to post here - with her permission. She said

‘Dear Jane,

Thank you for another great pattern. The method of attaching the clasps to the end of the bracelet was new to me and worked very well. 

Hoping for rain here.

Brenda

Ajax, Ont.’

Here are her photos 

Monday moan

Well further to my moan last week I’ve had a lot of support from people all round the world and they’re all keeping an eye on what’s going on on ‘that’ Facebook group for me.  Again you’re welcome to email me if you want to know which group it is.

It’s all very petty as one person (who has since left the group) said out that a link to one of my technique pages that she put on the group was deleted.  I hope I’m not going to be blamed for encouraging people to leave the group which I certainly don’t want.  

Apart from Tat Land ‘problems’ the weather here has been VERY hot so not a lot of things have happened but I think I’ve got enough to show you for a few days blogging!!!  

A picture of a local park area.

Knitted top progress

Well here's the knitting I'm still plodding along with!!!  

As you can see I'm down past the armholes now and just thoroughly enjoying it.  The yarn is working out beautifully as you can see although I think I'm going to have a lot leftover when it's finished.  

The pattern is a free one from Ravelry and can be found here.

Today's Friday so I'm off shortly to my knitting group and you can guess what I'm taking with me!!!!

Fandango near the end.

The end is nigh - as 'they' say!!!  Not sure who 'they' are but for me the 'end' is the end of the Fandango mat I'm doing for my neighbour and friend.

I do need another final round as I planned on a dark green for the last round to 'match' the centre and that will make it the measurement she gave me.  

When I started on this I was looking for something to do while out at craft groups.  Things I could do while chatting to others.  This proved a good idea although I did often make mistakes when the chatting took over the hands and BC3!!!

Another bookmark

This is another bookmark made by Mary Jane. I wish she hadn't sent it as I'm now VERY tempted to make another in the same colours as hers. It's always reassuring to see that the mad ideas I come up with are used by others. It's a bit like working in the dark when you give away your work for free. If I sold my patterns I'd get to know what works for others and what doesn't. 

Having said that - there's no way I'm going to start charging. I like tatting - not making money!!!!

In and Out Bracelet finished

You've all seen the In and Out Bookmark and the link to the pattern is in that post.  I did mention that I'd be working on a bracelet and that's now ready too.

As this has to be made in pairs to work properly it means it needs to be 18, 20, 22 etc split rings in length. My wrist is 6½" and 18 split rings down the first side works well for that.  

BUT I've used another way to enable the tatter to adjust the length by using separate self closing mock rings to add the clasps.  Just hope it works for you if you make the bracelet. 

Oh, there's also another slight variation at the ends of each row too so don't fall into the trap of thinking it's EXACTLY the same as the bookmark!!!

Here's the link.

Monday moan

I've been absent without permission for the last week and a bit. I'm sorry if you've missed me but I really didn't think I'd got a lot to say!!! Turns out that I did but then couldn't fit in blogging into my busy life. If I don't sit down on a Sunday morning and do the posts and schedule them then the blog would be 'dead in the water'!!!

So it's Sunday today and the moan is again about Facebook - I do enjoy a 'good moan' at least once a week!!! 

I belong to lots of tatting groups and all the posts go directly into my email inbox from where the majority are deleted. I do occasionally reply to a question straightaway but usually leave it a day or so by which time it's lost in the timeline. By doing this I avoid any arguments or heated discussions!!!!! Keeps me out of trouble!!!! 

One group I recently asked to join (a tatting group) not only didn't let me in but has also banned me from even seeing the group itself when I do a search.  This has really upset me as I've never done anything wrong to upset them. Well, how could I when I didn't even belong? 

This group has members from all round the world but as soon as I asked to join they 'changed the rules' to only allow people in from their own country. One of the moderators told me this after I found out who they are and asked why I wasn't being allowed to join. 

I know that one of the moderators holds a grudge against me as I tried to help her with test tatting a pattern - if you don't want honest help from an expert then don't ASK.  

I'm not saying which country but if you want to know please email me and I'll tell you which group too. This happened a month or two ago and to say I'm upset is to put it mildly. I wonder what they're trying to hide from me? Surely nothing but now I will never find out unless others in the group who know me drop me a line.

Celtic Ferris Wheel again

Just found this which I haven't shown you before.  I'm totally fed up with trying to make this design larger at the moment but I may well return to it sometime in the future!!

The pattern is here.

Fandango progress

I'm still plodding along with my neighbour's doily.  It's going to be about 17" by 12 or 13 - when it's done!!!  

I think it will need two more rows after the current one but we'll see.  On the final row I'll repeat the very dark green but haven't decided whether that will be on one shuttle or both!!!

Mary's bookmark

Mary sent me a picture of her bookmark.  Love the colours she's used.

I'm working (along with my test tatter) on the bracelet version and should have it up and running soon.  I'll let you know!!!

Monday moan - sort of

I rarely buy books - well, not tatting books as I now have so many and the earliest I have dates back to 1870.  I resist buying as long as I can BUT occasionally there's a pattern book that calls to me and the cover picture on one really did that BIG TIME.  So I bought it and am happily looking forward to making one or two of the doilies because they are just so pretty.

BUT the one thing that really put me off when I opened it is the the way it appears to allocate front side/back side tatting to the invention of Jan Stawasz who is given the accolade of coming up with the idea.  This is sadly not true (it's been around since before Mrs Beeton published her book.  Actually since 1865 - see this link and the instructions on making a reversed double stitch.  

The thing that Jan did actually (to an old timer like me) is complicate the whole issue of using this 'technique'.  Some years ago I did his monster doily but ignored his notation completely!  What I did was count the total of doubles on a ring or chain and divide it up where there were picots and popped them in where they belonged.  I tatted it doing rings as per usual and chains by making the second half of the stitch first followed by the first half - RODS (reverse order of double stitch).  Oh, I also added beads to give the finished piece some weight and it's kept it's shape better by doing that too.  Sorry, I digress.  

So when I tackle the book (which I will do when I've finished another big project) I will be totally doing it using RODS.  Again (I've said this before) I do NOT think it's necessary to do tatting that way but tend to do it with things that will be scanned or only seen from the 'right' side.  

Oh, I bet you want to know which book I bought!!!  Here it is.  I'm DELIGHTED with it.

Celtic In Out Bookmark

Well here it is at last - the In and Out Bookmark!!!  Well, what else would you call it?!

I’m now working on a bracelet version as that’s been a suggestion from one or two people.  That will need some altering (length being one of the ‘problems’ but others have occurred to BC3 too!!!

So, here’s the pattern - free as usual!