Moaning Monday

Value for money.

We all like value for our money as it’s not easily earned.  So this is my ‘take’ on how to get value for your money.

Firstly I’d like to say how I price the items I have for sale in my Etsy shop.  Basically I charge according to the time it takes for me to make the item and NOT for the design itself.  I must admit I’m not out to make a living wage!!!  Nowadays, and with the items I have in the shop, I’m sticking to the things I have already on my pattern page and anything new is not going to be added to the pattern pages for some time - if ever!!!  That seems fair to me.  My BC3 so my ‘baby’!!!  I aim to ‘earn’ about £2.00 an hour - well below the living wage but it’s my hobby. I still have to pay tax on my earnings too but I’m doing it as a hobby and not to make a living.

I’ve researched Etsy sellers until I’ve nearly lost what little remains of my sanity and come to a few conclusions.  This is with regards to tatting - obviously!!!!

Items made and sold as physical items.  Now these can be designed by the seller or made from somebody else’s design.  There’s a vast difference.  If an item is made from a pattern that’s already been published then that item ought to be sold at just the time it takes to make with accreditation to the designer.  

If, however, the person selling the physical item has spent many hours designing it in the first place then it’s another area.  Perhaps that person should ask for a little more for their time and trouble.  

IF a person designs and then produces a PATTERN for sale that involves a LOT of work then that should attract a fair price.  There again there needs to be value in that pattern. By ‘value’ I mean it should be truly original, well presented and easy to follow. Many designers are now producing patterns that are many, many pages long and one I looked at recently was like that and was one which I could’ve published myself in two pages.  

A few years ago I was asked to test tat a pattern that was well over thirty pages long.  I’d be interested to hear how many people would be prepared to download and PRINT a pattern in colour that took so much ink and paper.  Please comment if you would.  I feel that we have a duty to save our planet by NOT encouraging waste of resources.

A bit of a change of direction

From time to time over the past week I've been making an elephant.  

My friend along the road had a kit given to her for Christmas and she doesn't crochet.  Shame really but that's life!!  So, she asked me if I'd make it up for her.  Now I do like a kit!!!  

Well I could only do it for a short time at a stretch as the yarn was like rope and the hook was a size 6.  I like tiny, I DO tiny so going to that size was NOT EASY.  

After an hour or so I had to stop as it was making my right arm ache.  I had to scan the instructions as the font was very small but I like working from digital patterns anyway.  Also the instructions left one needing a bit of guesswork too!!!

Anyway here it is in all it's glory.  I don't want to see another kit for a while although I may make him in a smaller size yarn or even thread!!!  

So DO pigs REALLY fly?

Well that is the question!!!  

This little chap (at the top) flew into my shop a few days ago and the following day he was joined by his pal!!! 

Now I've heard heated discussions between these two as they lie in my Etsy box waiting to fly onto their next home.  

Pig number one has white cotton thread wings and pig number two has silver glittery ones.  They're arguing about which wing is ergonomically better for speed of flight!!!!  I sometimes wonder what I let myself into when I'm tatting!!!!  

The pattern for the pig can be found on my pattern site.  There are two versions - one made with the onion ring technique and one using chains instead.  These are, however, new wings which I've given them.  

I call them perky!!!

Yes, that's right!!  

Perky Penguins.  I've got three together as a sale item because they're a social animal!!!  They're so tiny too - a mere ¾".  Nearly drove myself bonkers designing them too!!!  

Must show you the beer tankard as well!!!  That pattern is here on my pattern site.

Still having fun!!!

I'm thoroughly enjoying stocking up my Etsy shop again but I'm afraid (and I apologise in advance) that I'm going to bore you with more about it this week.  I've sold some items already which has really cheered me up and the money I've gained by doing that will help me add more stock too.  

Don't worry - I'll soon get bored with the whole project and will be off doing something else!!  Meantime here's a new hummingbird that I did.  

Rather like the dragonfly (another colourway below) the wing is made using the same 'trick'!!!  I'm selling two of these hummingbirds together as I didn't want them to get lonely!!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

Yesterday

I had my second Covid jab.  Nick had his on Saturday and now we both feel a lot safer.  Well I do as I'm the one who goes 'out and about'!!

I took a supply of 'dangles' to give out and now they've all gone.  I didn't think about how the staff would react but it was a real pleasure to see them get a very small reward for all the hard work they were doing.  They were delighted to get my Covid infection!!!!

My appointment was at 08:40 and that was (in real terms) 07:40 as the clocks had changed during the night to daylight saving!!!  I was really, really tired by bedtime!!!

Oh, the pattern for this little dangle is here.  I make the button version as I find that much easier.  

A new dragonfly

Also in my shop is a new design of a dragonfly.  

The body is worked in a size 20 cotton thread and the wings in some of my favourite silver metallic.  

All worked in one 'hit' with no ends to sew in.  Question is - how did I do that?!?!?!?

The pattern may become available at some point but I do have to spend some time explaining how I did it!!!!  Firstly to myself!!!!  

A few more bits and bobs!!!

Don't get bored, please!!!  I'm very much into stocking up the shop but I do want to share some of the things with you.  

Here are some more of the tinies that I've listed.  

Poncho reveal!!!

Now I did a sneak preview on my other Facebook page two days ago but it takes time for the old brain to get round to blogging it!!!  

I was asked a few questions about this long term Covid lockdown project so here are the facts!!!

This started off as a 'I want to make something but I'm not sure what' project.  I tend to work like that!!!  If I set a goal of a coaster, then expand that to a placemat and then onwards to a small cloth then it doesn't feel like a huge deal and that's what I've found works for me over the years.  Last September saw the start of this (whatever it was going to be) and the first post is here.

By the end of November I was thinking about it becoming a poncho but obviously still dithering if you look at this post!!!

By February it looked almost finished BUT then came another 'problem'!!!  The neckline!!!  It didn't fit and slipped off the shoulders.  I sort of knew that would happen so it was back to the 'drawing board' again and the bottom edging and several rows of neck edging!!!  

So finally after tatting 352 squares which each took an hour and a half (not including choosing threads and combinations and the row that I had to cut out - 8 squares!) and several weeks of edgings it's finally done.  

I used sewing weight threads throughout.  Usually two wound together onto a shuttle but sometimes three if they were very fine threads.  Have I run out of sewing threads?  No!!!  I've still a healthy supply but they're mainly the colours that I didn't particularly like.  Will I do another?  Hmmmmm, I'll take a rain check on that!!!!  

Well I did it!!!!

Yesterday I launched my Etsy shop again!!  It's been dormant for a few years mainly because Sally took over the selling of the shuttles.  I left it open (the shop, that is) because it did generate a few sales for her.  

After the poncho life got a little boring so I had to find something to do!!!  

As I know I'll be having to pay for the pattern pages site later this year I thought I'd try and earn some pocket money towards that.  I also needed a project to do while we're still in lockdown!!!   

This time I decided to make things for the card makers, quilters and dolls house people so that's what I'm working on.  

Here are two more of the items which are now in the shop which you can find here.

I'll be adding more items including (I hope) a new hummingbird!!!  Well I say that but the idea is still firmly ensconced in BC3's house!!!!

Etsy

Here are a couple more additions that I’ve made for the Etsy shop which I’ll reactivate sometime at the weekend.  It’s actually nice to have another project on the go and one that I’ve got lots of choice on what I make next!!!

Yvonne also sent in two more foxes which you can find here.

Life after the poncho

I am lost.  I realise that I can't cope without a long term project so I've set off on another self imposed challenge!!!  

This time I've decided to re-start my Etsy shop again.

I’m not earning enough from the advertisements on this blog to cover the cost of the pattern site and it’s a self imposed challenge to cover that by earning from my craft.  I don’t ‘need’ to but it sort of makes sense to my weird BC3!!!  

This time I’m doing tiddly little things aiming at card makers, scrapbookers, quilters etc.  Here’s a start!!!

Finally

I’m now happy with the poncho.  BUT, Houston, I have a problem!!!

I think you may want to see the whole thing in all it’s ‘glory’ but that’s where my problem lies.  I would happily model it but I need a photographer.  As we’re still in lockdown and my able assistant commonly known as ‘im indoors (not to be confused with ‘im in the garage who belongs to Sally) can’t take a photo due to health problems then I’m stuck until I can find a neighbour who’s willing on a sunny but not windy day when we can do it outside.  

So, when all the stars are aligned I’ll ask somebody to help but meanwhile here’s the final neck row.  

Look at this!

Another day another foxy bookmark.  

Check the link above to see how many now!!

The outer edge - row 2

This is the second and last round for the outer edge.  

Having done the first row I thought it may be enough but then felt it needed a second one to bring it all together.  Here it is.  Finished it a few days ago.  Many hours spent again on this poncho!!!

The outer edge - row 1

Now I started this a week or more ago. Maybe even two weeks ago. 

This is the outer edge of the poncho and it’s a LOOOOOONG way round!!!! 

I suppose I should measure it.  Right - here’s the answer.  It’s 77” all the way round.  How many hanky edgings is that?  Not sure but it’s a few, I guess!!!!

Onwards with the poncho!

I should've warned you that this was going to get boring!!!  This is the third row of the neck which is now looking (and feeling) so much better when I try it on.  

Another row started!

Before I start I want to update you on the TIAS progress.  We’ve now got 102 bookmarks finished and on the blog here.

Yes this row is much faster (although it's not 'that' fast) than doing more Fandango squares!!!  

I'm now nearing the end of the second row of the neckline and it's looking good.  I'm pretty sure it'll need a third row and maybe even a fourth but I'll just carry on as I am at the moment.  

Here's row two almost completed.  

Well, how do you like it?

Wonder if any of you have noticed the new header on my blog? 

I got bored with the old one and decided - out with the old and in with the new!!! 

It's really not that hard to do but just takes time - two hours yesterday morning. With the 'new look' pattern pages and the 'new look' blog' I'm beginning to feel like it must be a new year too. 

Oh, just noticed that it's not - it's March already!!!  Doesn't time fly in lockdown?

The poncho - again

Quick edit to let you know I'm 100 today!!!  Here's the link.

I have a bit of a problem with the poncho as I found out when I got to this stage and which I showed you last week. 

The problem is that I could've probably done with another row of 28 motifs in the neck to bring it up further onto the shoulders. I honestly felt that I couldn't face another session of probably a week or more on just doing the same old, same old. Also I felt the neckline (and the bottom too) need 'finishing off'.

Obviously (like the whole project) there isn't a pattern for this. Edgings don't come with a built in 'shaping' of a neckline!!! Pity really. So I'm having to 'wing it' as the saying goes. Courage in both hands (and shuttles) and trust in years of experience and a reasonably well behaved BC3!!!!

Here's the first neck row which I did over the weekend. More to come later - I hope!!!

As those beady eyed tatters will see if you look closely - I've taken the photo showing the back of the piece.  The whole thing is tatted front side/back side and this time I messed up with the photo.  Send me to the naughty step!!!

Frustration then sorted

Yesterday I decided to split up a web page and make it (hopefully) easier for people to find things.  

I had a page which included snowflakes, motifs and doilies but decided to split it into three.  Not too much of a task if an oldie like me decides to do it in the morning while the brain is ‘fresh’!!!  

All went well until I had to sort out the ‘home’ or ‘index’ page.  Then things went sort of ‘pear shaped’.  

Suddenly I’ll lost all the connections to the images and links on that front page.  Panic set in (well, marginally) while I tried to work out how to fix it.  It wasn’t that hard but was a bit time consuming.  

An hour or so later it was all fixed but it wasn’t a task I wish to repeat for a while!!!  

Here’s the new home page in all it’s ‘glory’!!!

Moaning Monday

Before I start moaning I must mention that we’ve now got 99 foxes on the TIAS blog.  Wonder if it’ll make 100?

Now this is one Monday moan I'm allowed to do!!! Mainly it's aimed at ME, I think.

It wasn't until I exchanged comments with my lovely friend Diane (who I had the pleasure of meeting some years ago at a tatting convention) that I realised I'd have to do something about my problem!!!

Let me explain - although I think some of you have probably read this before. I run ads on my blog via adsense. I don't really understand it that well but what I do know is that when people click on the ads a wee bit of money goes into my account. This builds up until I get around £60 every 9 months or so. This I use solely towards funding the pattern pages here. That's the only reason I run the ads and although the web providers I use are called 'freeservers' they're certainly not free!!!! The adsense payments go a good way towards keeping the pattern pages 'up there'. 

Anyway, it's annoyed me a LOT that the ads seemed to be occurring more and more in the middle of a post. I spent Friday morning (or it could've been Saturday!) looking into this and hopefully putting it right. Poor Diane hadn't read the whole of one post because the ad had got in the way. So, now you know why I'm moaning - not about the ads but about their positioning. I'd even tried removing them from the blog but that didn't work either. 

While I was playing with that problem I decided to give the blog a slightly different 'look'. One piece of advice if you decide to do that is please download a copy which you can find in 'Theme' on your dashboard. See the little downward arrow next to 'customise'? Drop that down and you'll find out how to download. Well worth doing in case you really mess up and need to restore or even move to another provider. 

Another housekeeping task

This was just a 'quickie'.

A dear friend pointed out to me that I hadn't got a drawing for the second version of this snowflake.  

I apologise to my sister, Sally, for not doing it sooner.  I must say I much prefer her version to mine.  

I have also managed to move the TIAS files into a folder on my server.  This takes HUGE concentration as I also have to change the links to each previous page on the files too.  Very happy to have got it done.  What does it mean to anybody wanting to do the TIAS from the start (or anywhere else)?  Nothing!!!  You shouldn’t notice anything’s changed at all!!!

Catching up with myself

Before I start - there's only two more fox bookmarks to go before we reach 100.

It was during the TIAS that I came to realise that I hadn't got a technique page on how to add a bead to a picot.   

I sort of assumed that people would know how to do that and was surprised to find that I hadn't got a page about it either.

So two days ago I decided to 'do something about it'.  

I'm pretty well organised on my filing system so went to the 'tips and techniques' folder and set a new folder for 'adding bead to picot'.  I knew I could use other drawings on my system for the drawings (with a little alteration) so copied those over into the software and the new folder.   

Luckily I hadn't got far into the task when I suddenly noticed I'd already got a folder with the whole thing described and drawn.  So I deleted the new start I'd made and amended the original.  Now PLEASE DO NOT ask me why it never got uploaded!!!  

Anyway, here it is.  

I’m back!

After my long holiday on the TIAS blog I’m now back!!!  

Problem is I haven’t got anything particularly interesting to tell and show you on a regular basis yet!!!  

Do you remember this post back last September?  Well I’ve shown you many pictures of this particular Fandango square.  This one has a ring in the middle as I wanted a bit more ‘solidness’ there.  When I stared out on this adventure I had no idea what I was going to make and looking back it took me two months to decide. Here’s where I seem to have come to a decision.

I now have 352 motifs done and that’s ‘it’!!!!  I’m not doing anymore!!!  To be honest I’ve not been bored at all doing them.  In fact each one has been it’s own small adventure.  The poncho is NOT finished as I need to put a border on the neck edge and the bottom too.  That’s going to be another challenge!!!  

Another interesting fact - each motif took roughly an hour and a quarter to make.  I was still making mistakes from time to time and even had to cut out a whole row (8 motifs) when joining the two ‘parts’ together.  

Another fact is that it’s NOT necessary to have each square EXACTLY the same as the last.  A little variation is ‘lost’ when joining so many squares.  Thank goodness!!!!

Back with a Monday moan

First of all an update on the TIAS.  We now have 95 foxes completed.  I'm a happy tatter!

One of my favourite moans is about Facebook.  I DO NOT like Facebook!!!!  There I’ve said it.  

Why don’t I like it?  I don’t ever go to Facebook unless I’m tagged or want to pass on news (like the next stage of the TIAS).  I do have notifications that go directly into my email box and that’s where I decide if anything is worth looking at.  Most emails are deleted but some I do follow up if only to turn on 'notifications'.

I appreciate the tatting groups, though but really, really have a problem with the way that people don’t read the posts put on there.  Often they don’t read the question asked carefully but mainly they don’t read the answers already given.  The number of times somebody puts the same answer up to a question can be mind boggling.  I realise that there’s a sort of ‘tree’ of answers and comments but people don’t seem to read them and just repeat the same thing over and over.

I’m sure that there are some very interesting things going on on Facebook in the tatting world but If I wanted to look something up that I’d seen a week before I’m sure I’d never find it.  Things get ‘lost in time’ on that platform.  I prefer my blog (and other people's which I read avidly) where I can look things up and find them easily using the search on the top left corner. 

Monday moan over with and here's an Easter egg to cheer the post up!!!

Running the TIAS

So, for those who are interested I’d like to explain how I manage the TIAS (Tat It And See) once it goes ‘live’.

I have two email addresses so that I can log into two different browsers as it would be too frustrating to have to log in and out on one.  As far as I know you can't have two blogger accounts on the one email address.

I normally use Safari as I have Apple products and that’s what ‘comes with the appliance’.  For the TIAS I have to find another browser and this year I chose to try out Microsoft’s Edge which worked extremely well.  

Each day’s progress is, as you’ve already found out, placed in a new post so that there’s not so many to scroll down to get to the bottom.  

As the emails arrive in Safari or Mail (depending on whether I’m on the big Mac or the iPad) I select the message, copy and paste it into the post on the TIAS blog (which is on the Edge browser).  I’ve found that this then needs to be formatted to try and keep the look of the blog consistent.  

Pictures are downloaded into downloads on the big computer or into photos on the iPad.  Sometimes I decide to crop them to show the tatting up a bit better and then I go back to the TIAS blog and insert the picture from downloads or photos below the message.  

Next I delete the picture from ‘downloads’ or ‘photos’ so that I don’t get BC3 muddled and accidentally put the wrong ones against the wrong person.  Finally (the bit I like best) I reply to the sender.  All emails come straight into the itatlots inbox even if they’re sent to the lovetotat one.  I set up ‘forwarding’ on the lovetotat one years ago just so it made my life a bit easier!!!!

So, that's how it happens.  If anybody else would like to do a TIAS and use the blog then I can add you to the admin.  It's a fair bit of work but real fun.

I don't have a picture to show you today so instead (just for a laugh) I'm adding one of me when I slid gracefully and elegantly into a muddy field a week or so ago.  

Back almost to normal

Well on this blog, I hope.  

Christine asked me how I design the TIAS so I thought I’d tell you a bit of what happens and how I work it.  It’s much the same as an 'ordinary' pattern.  First of all I have to decide what I think will work.  It has to be something that people will recognise all round the world.  With animals I use google images and particularly cartoons.  

Sometimes I do the design as per usual but then often realise that that particular design would be guessed too soon so have to start again from a different part of the pattern which throws up many different complications.  

I draw the whole design and do all the notation as a whole pattern and then, once I’m happy with it I chop it up (drawings as well).  This means lots of work checking the chopped up bits especially the drawings.  

After that it's a case of deciding on names to use for each url.  This I do while bearing in mind where they’ll show on the server.  Thus the AADAY1 etc names.  This keeps the current TIAS all together at the top of the server.  Once everything is uploaded I then send the links to a test tatter (thank you Ruth) who gives it a go as if it's a TIAS.  Obviously there are hiccups that have to be sorted!!

More soon on how I then run the TIAS from Planet Jane!!!

Meanwhile Mr Fox (or it could be Mrs) is available as a whole pattern here.

Forgot to show you

Towards the weekend life got a bit 'out of control' in that several things needed sorting.  The TIAS continues apace and I'm thrilled to tell you that the guesses are really good.  As you know I never admit whether guesses are right or wrong until I have to admit 'defeat'!!!  

So today I'm showing you progress on the poncho.  This has slowed down considerably due to the TIAS but there's no time schedule for it so I just keep plodding along.  

A couple of changes

Just to let you know that I've done some amendments to the large giraffe pattern thanks to Cheryl who's so kindly helped me out.  

This is an old, old pattern written (I believe) before the birth of BC3 so it had a few glitches.  Now they've been put right thanks to Cheryl I'm a very happy old git.  Oh, here's the link.

Also while I was on the file manager on my site I did a few small alterations to the wording on this file too.  I needed to make the reasons for it clearer - I think!!!  

This is now my preferred way of starting any piece of tatting as there are no knots involved!!!  I also added a link from that page to this one for ending a piece (again I always use this nowadays) which leaves only one end to sew in.  

If ONLY I could find the enthusiasm for housework and stuff then life would be a lot better!!!!  

Covid

Yesterday I put day 3 out on the TIAS blog here.

I also had my first Covid jab too which gives a small sense of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.  

I took some Covid tatty bits with me and gave them to the wonderful NHS staff who’d given up their Sunday to do this mammoth task.  They were very pleased with them but the doctor who gave me the jab was over the moon!!!  I’ll have to make some more for the next time I go which will be in around 11 weeks.  Here's the link again for the pattern.  Wouldn't it be good if we all did that and thus spread tatting instead of the actual virus?

After getting home from the hospital I prepared the evening meal and then decided to go for a walk to get the vaccine moving round the old body!!!!

Meanwhile I’m still working on the poncho and will take another photo sometime this week.

Day 2 of the TIAS

To find the link to day 2 of the TIAS please visit the blog which you can find here.

Trudging along

With my poncho.  

Things get done nowadays in between uploads to the TIAS blog.  Still it keeps me out of mischief!!!

It all starts TOMORROW!!!

What am I talking about?  Well the Tat It And See.  

I'm sure lots of you are fed up with hearing about it but every time I put out a count down post there are more people who haven't heard about this year's TIAS.  

So, are you ready?  Just a last minute check with the introduction maybe a good idea.

Picture is the result of a previous TIAS.