The end of a cardigan and the start of ....

Well I'm not quite sure yet!!!

The yarn was originally a cardigan that I made a year or two ago. For some strange reason I can't find any pictures of it when it'd been finished. This is weird as I'm pretty good at keeping track of things.

Well I didn't wear the garment more than once or twice. I'm not totally sure why but I know I didn't like it. Here's a picture of the pattern I used and you can see that I've used the same yarn as stated - etc, etc.

It fitted just fine but never felt comfortable so it simply 'had to go'.

Now it would've been easier to send it to a charity shop or recycle place but I'd paid good money for the yarn. It took me hours and hours and hours last week to unravel it all. As it's a fluffy yarn it kept sticking to itself.  Nightmare!!!

Here's the result below the pattern!!!!

Double bobbin shuttle

Not quite sure what to do with this shuttle!!!!

A friend has passed it on to me to sell or whatever. I don't want to keep it if somebody else can make use of it. It's hardly been used and just has a little thread on each bobbin. There are two bobbins in the shuttle and another spare.

So, if anybody would like to make me an offer I'll happily sell to them. Anna asked me to put the money to a charity and, if it sells and if she agrees, I'd like to give it to the Air Ambulance charity.

I've looked the value up online and they seem to be $14.00 from the only place I can find who sells them - Lacis. So really I think this would be an ideal offer for those in the UK. I'm happy to send it anywhere, though. 

Anybody who's interested please email me and the highest bidder by Saturday morning (9am GMT) will have it. Don't forget there will be postal charges on it.

Gloves adventure

I decided that I simply HAD to tidy up my yarn a couple of weeks ago!! I've got quite a lot of odds and ends of yarn which seem to be breeding in one corner of our back room. 

First was to sort it into thicknesses. I'm not a lover of chunky wool and much prefer four ply and double knitting too.

Sadly while I was going through the yarn I found three balls of four ply!!! Why sadly? Well it's the love of fiddling, I suppose. Me and fine thread of any sort have a fatal attraction!!!

One of the balls I found was a lovely ball of merino four ply so I simply HAD to make that into a pair of gloves - see below.

First problem was finding the 'right' pattern and that turned out (about halfway through) to be 'not so quite' right!!! Anyway with just three yards of yarn leftover when I'd finished I got the stinkers done!!!

Then I lost them!!!  Completely and utterly for several days.  It's not been cold enough to wear gloves really until yesterday.  After agonising about where they'd gone I finally found them in a bag!!!

A gold bell and two red ones!

I'm still slowly making bells and these are waiting to be slightly pulled into line and stiffened!

Again the top two are HWT - originally sewing weight threads but now wound double onto the shuttle.

The gold is some of the lovely Lizbeth metallic thread which I like but not enough to buy more balls than this one!!! Well, not yet. I still have a little of this left.

Off on another

Adventure, that is!!! 

I liked the look of the brown and cream mat that I finished here so decided to do another with different colours.

I'm wondering if I should add the mat idea to the pattern - or not. It's quite challenging to get the joins right but maybe a diagram only of 'how they happen' might be worth a shot.

Any thoughts? Would anybody want to make a large mat of these?

A bit of a diversion!

One of my lovely silver surfer students asked me for a snowflake last weekend. 

I've got a few for her to look at as you can imagine. That's a bit of a lie as I have boxes full of 'stuff' that could be given or sold but I always want to make something new!!! 

I decided to use this pattern but in one colour. 

Well this can now be worked without needing a SSSR when there's only one colour involved as this simply becomes a split ring instead. The only thing I found was that I didn't get the quantity of beads threaded onto the shuttles quite right but that just meant that next time I'll add a few more to each shuttle 'just in case' I run out method.

More bells!!!

Here are more of the bells that are part of my current addiction!!!

The one on the left is made of the Lizbeth variegated red/white thread. I'm not a great fan of this colour way as the colour changes are a bit sudden. BUT I do love Lizbeth threads!

The one on the right is another of the HWT threads from Sue. Love this one as the colours are so subtle. 

I've now finished working on the new version of this pattern and it can be found in it's usual place which is here.

The bobbly yarn - finished!

Well here's the bobbly yarn which I showed you here!!!

It only took a couple of afternoons to knit it up!! It's not the sort of scarf that you 'throw round your neck' as it's nowhere near long enough. BUT it's absolutely just what I've always wanted to put in the neck of my winter coat. It's SOOOOOO snug and warm that I can't wait for the really cold weather to arrive so I've got an excuse to wear it!!!

I'm glad I've done it and had the experience of knitting with this sort of yarn but I don't think I'll do it again!!!!  Well I may do if I find another bargain ball in a charity shop!!!

The new whirly motif

You probably remember me doing this single whirl a while ago.

Well you know what BC3 is like - he HAD to find out what it would look like when done in multiples!!

This was a bit of a challenge actually because the whirls kept putting me on a wrong foot with the joins. A few sessions of backtracking (undoing!) occurred but I'm pretty pleased with the result. I have even memorised the pattern so I can take it 'out and about' with me as I'm making another mat in the same way!!! How's that for progress!!

I wasn't happy with the first scan so put a green background on the second time. 

There's a very funny story about the green background. 

I have some sheets of card by the scanner for white pieces of tatting so I chose a very bright fluorescent piece out of the stash. I scanned the mat a couple of times and it came out with a cream background. I was really puzzled about this and went off to ask Mr Google why this was happening. Then after a search which came up with no answers I decided to call it a day and picked the card off the scanner to put away. Well, imagine how stupid I felt when I realised that the green fluorescent was only on the ONE side of the card!!!! 

Now why did I tell you all that story when it just goes to prove what a dozy old moo I am?

Bells galore!

I'm still working on the bells!!! I'm afraid I've got rather hooked on these!! 

I had a hunt through my threads and decided that the ones I'd got from Sue Hanson a while ago needed another 'airing' so these are made with some of those. No idea what thread it is but she'd wound them onto little card thingies as 3 strands of HWT. Naturally I decided to be awkward and 'reassign' them to two threads wound HWT!!! 

The thread is lovely to use (and re-wind too!) and not a single inch was lost in the process!! Amazing really. 

You can see that the one on the left has a 'dip' at the top which was an experiment but one which I'm not going to follow up on. 

Well, actually it was a mistake, to be honest!!! It was an evening when I was really tired and I missed the split ring coming out of the centre!!! 

Another revamp!!

I'm wondering if anybody out there in Tat Land has ever made this pattern up?

I decided that it might be another good class project so I'm currently redoing it. The pictures on the site are pretty darn awful but they were done around fourteen years ago. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!!

I'm still playing with it and the first thing I did (if you look at the picture below) is remove the central ring. I'm looking for a cleaner look to the whole bell. 

The stitch count needs a bit more tweaking too!!! All I need is time (and inclination!) to get it done!!!  I think that if I get it sorted this week then I'll make lots of them and use them as my giveaways this Silly Season.  

A charity shop purchase

A month or more ago I was out in Alcester looking round the charity shops as usual when I came across this yarn.

Now there's a lady who goes to Crafternoon called Irene (lovely lady) who knits lots and lots of baby blankets using this sort of yarn and it's always fascinated me!!!! So I bought from the charity shop. 

Irene always has HUGE balls of this yarn and I knew that I didn't want that sort of commitment so this looked 'just right' to me!!! Three balls of 50 grams each. Just right - but what for?

So, I actually remembered to take my yarn and some knitting needles to Crafternoon last Friday and dear Irene gave me a lesson on knitting with it. 

It's not easy to work with but I'll show you progress next week - IF I've made any. Oh, we decided there was probably enough for a scarf but we'll see!!!!

Crochet finished

Well as I said back here - winter is coming!!

I'd just started this waistcoat back then and meant to take some work in progress pictures but, as you can see, I forgot!!!

This was an easy straightforward piece of crochet once I'd worked out how many chains to start with. If you look back at the link you can see that the bottom of the original is quite different to the top yoke part. I didn't like the look of the lacy bit but the stitch count was different (and the hook size) between the two patterns.

BC3 had to work out how many stitches he/she needed. All went well until it came to the finishing off. I was appalled to find there was no guidance whatsoever on how many double crochets to make round the armhole or down the front/neck. Still I did it and I must say I'm pretty darn pleased with it too. I've EVEN worn it!!!!

August snowflake - progress

Well as you know I've been playing around with the August snowflake on and off for a while. If you look at this link you'll see that I was wondering whether to continue - or not!!! 

Well if you look at this picture you'll see that I decided that I'd carry on!!!

This is an easy pattern for me to remember when I'm sitting in a craft group and talking to people. It's also easy to undo when I make mistake after mistake!!! Funnily enough nobody seems to have noticed the difference between 'doing' and 'undoing' which always tickles me.

Over the years I've found that it never ever worries me to take work apart. It's just part of being me, I guess!!! Mistakes happen in life and the only thing a person can do is either walk away or put them right. I'm a 'putterrighter'!!!!

New whirly motif

In my quest to find ideas for teaching I've been looking once again at this Catherine Wheel Motif pattern. I showed you the original test one I worked last week on Friday.

This is a new version of the same idea. Now I prefer this one as it doesn't have two rounds!!! I know - I'm lazy!!! 

All I need to do now is to re-write the pattern and do the new drawings. As the centre is roughly the same then it shouldn't be too big a project.

BUT - this is a BIG BUT - BC3 now wants to know what would happen if I joined these together!! I guess that means I'm heading out on another adventure!!! I'll be back!!!

Spooky or what!

Last Sunday Nick was watching Dr Who on the telly and there were ENORMOUS spiders on that episode. 

Just as a huge one emerged from a bath these two arrived in my inbox!!! They're from Katie who said.

"Hi, Jane, thanks so much for the spider pattern. Fun to tat! Decided not to stiffen them; only steamed them a bit. Hope the legs don't get too wonky!

Made earrings for my daughter and for my daughter in law--just in time!"

Thanks for the giggle at the coincidence, Katie.

Another commission piece

One of the people who took my details from the library popped into our new craft group in the local Stratford library last Thursday to confirm an order for a purple bracelet.

She'd seen the button bracelets that I'd got on sale (I had a brown and a red one) and she wanted a purple one. So that's what I settled down to do over the weekend.

Now this lady also wants to learn to tat. As I hadn't got my teaching 'kit' with me we arranged for her to return next Thursday for her first lesson. 

I've got the kit packed and ready to go with me in my 'take it and go' bag. I hope she likes it and gets the hang of tatting too. 

By the way it's properly packaged now too.

Found in a charity shop

I'm trying to rationalise my wardrobe. This is NOT easy as you all know.

I have clothes in there that must be 20 or more years old and it's NOT a big wardrobe either. So a few clothes were taken out last Thursday and I toddled off down the town and took them to my favourite charity shop - the air ambulance one.

Of course I had to have a smooch round to see what was there and I found a pile of 3 Coats thread boxes. Number one (when I opened it) was a total disappointment with just a pile of grotty threads. Number two was slightly better but still didn't appeal. 

Number THREE was, at first glance much like number 2 but I did rummage my fingers through it and noticed a shuttle. I bit more rummaging and I found two. I decided they needed to be re-homed and I paid for the box and left. 

When I got home two hours later and got the threads out I found the bone shuttle hiding in there too. The metal one has no markings on it so I haven't a clue what it is. Do I need more shuttles like this in my collection? Of course not but my theory is that they might have been thrown away if I'd left them there!!!! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it - even under torture.

More experimenting!

Now this is one of the Catherine wheel motifs that you can find here.

Again I'm looking for something interesting that I could take to a class that has block tatting (the lazy way) as it's a technique that I'd like to encourage. So, I pulled out this pattern and made the one below.

Well it's fine as it is but it involves two rounds which never appeals to me. I like any tatting to work in one 'hit' without ANY cutting tying etc until the whole thing is completed. 

This idea hasn't 'quite' been consigned to the 'not a good idea' folder but I won't be using it as it is. 

Then along came BC3 and suggested that perhaps the general idea was OK and that me (his boss - I think) should think about it a little longer and see what I could do to change the basic idea to make it work. So, that's what I'm doing!!!

Scary spiders with beaded bendy legs!!!

Well here it is. The link that you've both (Sue Duckles and probably one other somewhere in the world) have been waiting for - scary spider earrings or  pendants or whatever you like to use them for!

I'm exhausted now - that was quite a rush getting the pattern done in time for Halloween but I did cheat!!!  I not only used the Terry Nimmer pattern but also used the Tatbead family idea for the legs.  Here's the link to that idea.

Here in the UK Halloween was not heard of until it became an 'American import'. We used to celebrate Guy Fawkes day on November 5th but that's become quite secondary nowadays to the 31st of October!!!

Here's my pair and I'm wearing them today - well, that's when I get dressed, of course!!!

Another commission

I was sitting at the new Thursday group last week and a friend asked if I could make a pair of spider earrings for her daughter!!!

When I got home I decided to look and see if I'd done spiders before and lo and behold there was one that Terry and I had worked on 8 years ago. Here's the link.

Well I decided that that one wasn't going to be an easy tat and I wanted something a bit more 'blingy' so BC3 was brought out of the cupboard and we came up with this - see below.

Now this has been a bit of a challenge even though it's a lot easier to work than the other one. Why? Well somebody told me that it's Halloween next week and I thought somebody somewhere may like to play with it before then and time is running out!!!

It will be available tomorrow when I've done a final test tat.  I do need a pair for myself now!!!

More seahorses!!!

Well after talking to lots of people in the library sale I had several ask for special commissions. 

I'd made some small handouts which I encouraged people to pick up so they'd got my details. I only put on my website and email address - no phone number as I try to remain pretty private if I can.

The first of the commission orders came from a lovely lady who must live locally as once they were done we met up at the end of her lunch break outside Shakespeare's Birthplace!!! That's one of the MANY good things about living in this town - you can arrange to meet people in easy to find places!!! These were for a friend of hers. 

Problem is - I'm now tempted to make another pair for ME with this super thread!!!

Now don't ask me why

The question is 'why did you make this little elephant'?

The answer would be 'I don't really know why'!!!!! 

I was experimenting with making it to offer as a class lesson should I apply to teach somewhere next year. 

Making a pattern for my own enjoyment (or, should that be torture!) is a totally different thing to making (or should that word be designing?) one for a class. 

Why? Well a class has a limited time slot and lots of people expect to finish a project within that class. Now this is almost impossible to design for as every student comes with different skill levels, different speeds of tatting etc so it's a bit of a guessing game for the teacher to get the pattern 'right'. My objective, too, is to get any new design element within the first half hour of the students arriving so they can get maximum benefit from the class. 

The elephant failed my test!!! Well, for now he has and will be put aside.  

While I was working HIM I thought of other ideas and, actually, while I'm typing this I've thought of another one!!!!

Another 'thing' out of the way

Weeeeeellllll, nearly!!!

I finished this while I was sitting in the library last week.  What a relief although I must admit I've enjoyed playing with the possibilities of HWT (hand wound thread) and I'm sure I'll do another project like this sometime in the future.

The photo is of it pressed and laid on a piece of black fabric which I will sew it to.  Why?  Well I've found it's easier to store like that.  

Yes, another candidate for the boxes of tatting that I already have!!!!  

Now, what shall I do next?!?!?

Winter is coming!!

Yes it's on the way and instead of getting colder it's (so far) been getting warmer!!

I don't feel the cold. Not nowadays. Probably because I'm getting too much weight around my middle - must do something about that!!! 

Because I don't feel the cold I don't need bulky clothes especially on my arms. I can 'manage' with long sleeved t-shirts (or tops) for most of the time but it's nice to have something extra to put on when I go out in the cold wind. So I decided I really 'needed' a sleeveless waistcoat (vest for those who don't speak English English!!!!). 

I have the pattern in the picture way below and I made it up as a cardigan a few years ago. I'll admit - I've not worn it above two or three times but I thought the sleeveless version might be better for me. I've started it but instead of the 'fancy' pattern below the bust I'm going for the plainer pattern at the top - treble crochet with 'holes'!!!! 

It's taken some brain power from BC3 to work out how many chains to start off with but I think I'm on track. Time will tell!!!!  Wish I had Jane McLellan's talents with crochet and knitting projects.

Kay's earrings

Wooopppeeee.  Problem now solved!!!  I got BC3 in the right frame of mind yesterday afternoon and a little more research (which yielded nothing!) made him come out of the woodwork.  I downloaded another browser (I've already got two 'on the go') and now it works and I can follow and comment on blogs again.  I was using Safari but now have Opera so now I'm singing my little heart out!!!!

Now this is a pattern I make time and time again. I love making it - tat's all!!!! 

In fact it was a good seller in the library too and I wish I'd made more in more colours!!! Next time, perhaps (if there is one) !!!

This is from Kay who also has given the pattern a 'whirl'. She told me the following:

"Just wanted to let you know I've tried your earrings with buttons pattern....for the first. These aren't perfect, but I will try another color combination and try to make them a bit better. I was going for Christmas colors that could be worn at other times too. :-)"

A day later Kay sent in the blue, yellow and green pair.  Yummy.

Just in case you want to make a pair - the free pattern is here. 

I've been a BAD 'girl'

Well that's what I feel like. I feel like I'm being punished and badly too. I'm not sure how to rebel against all this either.

Let me explain. I'm having blogger problems. I can no longer comment on SOME blogs. I'm sure this is a vendetta against me and I don't know what to do about it.

I've been writing to Jane who's one of the bloggers I like to comment on but have been unable to do so now for weeks. After some research we both realised that it might be something to do with Google + so we've both unlinked our accounts from Google +. It's being phased out anyway and it's something I've never used so 'out with the old'!!!  This is from blogger itself.

I thought I'd cracked it by doing that but it's not changed a thing. I have my own comments on moderation and have lately been receiving quite a few spam comments but those are easily dealt with and I don't think they're related to the problem. 

I'm showing you my settings in the picture below and also what I see under a blog post (2nd picture) although this doesn't apply to ALL the blogs I visit.  When I click on 'google account' it does nothing as the alternative ('select profile') is greyed out.  As I'm already signed into Google it doesn't make sense. I can write a comment and 'publish' it but it doesn't arrive where it's meant to.  In fact it disappears into cyberspace.  

If anybody can come up with a solution I'd be VERY, VERY grateful or if anybody is having similar problems please let me know.  Also check your comments moderation too - I may have got through and you may have missed it.  OR there again perhaps my comments ain't worth publishing!!!!

Four days in the

Library!!!

That's what I did last week. I spent four days (well, almost four as we had to finish early on Saturday) upstairs in our library.

Stratford library is old. Old beams inside and outside. Here's a link to read all about it although you'll have to scroll down a little way.

The reason for this was because a group of seven of us got together to hold a sale. This was mainly spinning and weaving and related offshoots of that. I was invited along too so my table was a little different to the others although, having said that, I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity of items we had for sale.

As far as I was concerned I had a successful four days. I sold quite a lot although waaaaay too cheaply (as I was told time and again) but for me it was a matter of making room for me to make more things!!! Mission accomplished.

The pictures below show some of the tables, the handouts and the very lovely 'Spinning Jane'.

Finished

Well I really got on well with this piece of fabric. I was just in the right mood to get it done. Also as it's my sixth (and FINAL) top I'm putting the sewing machine away for now. Well, that's my intent.

Problem is - I'm off to Birmingham again on Monday and we're taking another neighbour to introduce her to the delights of the fabric stores. IF I was a betting woman I'd take bets on whether I come home with more fabric or not. BUT I'm not so it'll be down to my strong will to avoid any more purchases!!!!  Don't hold your breath!!!

Here's the finished top.

Just a little snail

Now I really wanted to get this pattern updated for the web site. It's here.

I'm not sure why but I was never really happy with this guy. Probably the colours? Who knows.

Anyway I'm currently working on an update to 'modernise' him/her. I mean, who would ever think of modernising a snail? Well, that's what I'm up to!!! 

The top picture is the original design but I'm wondering if it isn't also rather 'overloaded' with beads.

The bottom picture is the snail 'semi beaded'!!! I've taken the beads off the joins and it certainly seems a bit clearer to me!!! 

I'm also going to try and improve the feelers and move the eye beads onto those. The way the original pattern is written makes it a bit 'messy' so I'm hoping to solve that too.  I'll get it sorted over the weekend, I hope!!!

Forever surprised

Going to be a busy few days as I'm taking part in a sale in the local library.  Hoping to sell a few of my tatty bits and other things too - wish me luck, please.  The details are in the bottom picture.

Now you know I like using HWT (hand wound threads) but it always surprises me how threads I'm not sure I would ever use can turn into something I really DO like.

For instance - the two reels of thread you see below are from a batch I bought off Sue Hanson. They were a bargain but these were two reels I honestly didn't like when I saw them.

But a year or so later and into my diamond project I thought I'd give them a whirl. I was gobsmacked when they turned out to look FABULOUS. You can see the results in the second picture. That's the outside and final row of the diamond project and these two unlikely threads turned out to be 'just what the doctor ordered'. 

The moral of the story is always try combinations that you don't think will work when using HWT. Nine times out of ten you'll be very pleasantly surprised!!

A new technique page

The new page, in my Tips and Techniques section on my pattern site, is about how to deal with the ends when you finish a piece of tatting and which leaves just one end to sew in.  

I've NEVER managed the magic thread trick and in fact it's only ever led to frustration and temper tantrums!!!  Also I often end up in a different place to where I start. Anyway there's no need to hide the beginning ends with a magic thread as they can just be tatted over.  I digress - but what's new, eh?

I don't suppose this idea is new.  I have searched for it but found no mention although I think I did see some photos somewhere but couldn't make head or tail of them so decided that I'd better do a page as a reminder to myself (and BC3)!!!

What I like about this is that there are no knots to be tied (in fact it's impossible to do that) and only ONE end to sew in too.  I'm using it all the time now and for most techniques as well.

Let's see - 62 years of tatting and I've only just discovered this. How BAD is that? 

I've just uploaded this page to my tips and techniques section.