Another gecko

I had a visit from another tatter on Saturday who happened to be staying in our town. She gave me this little gecko or alligator made of beads. Isn't he cute? Measures just under 3 1/2" from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail.
She also showed me the tatting she was working on and amongst her pieces were several seahorses. She told me that she knew the pattern by heart as she'd got it from My Weekly a few years ago. I said I knew it too - it was my design!! She was very surprised!!!!

What is the difference - later in the day!

I thought it was worth copying and pasting Pamela's comments onto the main part of the blog as she's solved a few mysteries for me!! Comments are easily forgotten so I didn't want this one to get lost.
Thanks, Pamela - much appreciated.
Jane

First things first.......Does the difference between a salamander, a lizard and a gecko matter. I guess it matters a heck of a lot to another one!!
So what is the difference, well a gecko IS a lizard. Just a kind of lizard with those extra special sticky pad toes that enable it to climb up a sheet of glass.
But it wont come across a sheet of glass in the wild you may well ask!! Maybe not but I guess it's a pretty useful bit of gear that lets you escape along a shiny banana leaf or up a smooth barked tree when being pursued by a predator.
House geckos that many of you will be familiar with are well adapted for running up walls.

So what's the diff between a lizard and a salamander. Simply put it just that one is higher up the evolutionary scale than the other. When the fishes crawled out of the sea on their adapted fins they evolved into Amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders) and developed lungs to breathe and legs to walk on. BUT they still need to live near water as they have a moist skin that would dry out and they lay their eggs in or near water and have aquatic young that use gills to breathe.

Reptiles (lizards, crocodiles, snakes, turtles, tortoises) followed them and are truly terrestrial with a dry scaly skin, are fully air breathing and do not need to rely on water although many have secondarily returned to live in it.

So on to Jane's gecko
I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT!!!

This is my dream tat gecko, I have been trying to get Jane to design this for me since the first day I was aware of her wonderful talents. I have poked and prodded and tempted her with photos and drawings of geckos until I finally pressed the right button. Have to keep her challenged and on her toes for the sake of the tat world!!

The first thing that comes to mind when I see this gecko in it's present stage (and you will think this strange) is that the design must have been easy because that is exactly what it should look like!!
Maybe this is the highest compliment I can pay her because I know very well that it wasn't easy at all, especially when she challenges me to design one and I don't know where to start!! somehow or other my brain is missing a bit! how I wish I had it!!

Down to the nitty gritty then, the legs are fab, the body is fab, the split rings really give the impression of a back bone and ribcage. The tail is great, partic the fat bit at its base, tail can be modified in length and thickness according to species.
The head is probably the most difficult bit to get right, the drawing is perfect as you have captured the egg shape very well, but the tat head has got more round, lost its slim neck and its more pointy nose. Tho' there are some roundy nosed geckos. Why didn't that diagram work??
Maybe add another ring to lengthen the head.
Don't know how you are going to do the eyes, they are soosh important.
You are so nearly there and my shuttles are raring to go.
Thanks Jane for my gecko.

What is the difference?

Now it occurs to me that I don't know the difference between a salamander, a lizard and a gecko! Does it matter, I ask myself? Yes it does!
My friend sent me a link about six weeks ago to an Etsy shop where there was the most adorable crocheted gecko for sale. I think it was a big hint as her husband acquires real geckos from time to time. Anyway, Pamela (the friend and designer of the alternative meercat head and bent flamingo leg) is the one I really need to ask as she and her hubby are the experts.
I thought about this as a project for a while (well, about ten minutes) and decided to make a start a few days later.
Life has been rough, very rough lately so it's taken me time to start blogging it. This will be a looooong post so get yourself a cup of tea or coffee and sit tight. OR just close this page down!!!
Where to start? Well I decided to start with the tail so this was my first attempt.

First of all the whole thing bends the wrong way - well, not the way I planned!! I'd found a 'model' to follow through Google images and his whole body bent the other way - downwards!! I continued with this sample to try and get a front and back leg done.

Not too bad but at this stage it appeared to me as if it would have to be done in several 'parts'. Meantime I also used my drawing software to 'play' with the whole concept. Here's one of the drawings which you can see has an 'alternative' tail. The head looks good in this drawing but that doesn't mean to say it'll work in 'real tat'!!

I now had to start again as I'd decided that this could be worked in two parts. Same start place but ........
This time, and in order to make the tail and body more stable and 'encourage' it to bend in the way that I wanted, I used the same formula of split rings but added very small picots on the lower sides to join them to each other. This appears to have worked as you can see below. BUT where to go next? Obviously the head and then back down the top side of the body as before.

The head. Hmmm, it needs to be simple. The drawing looked good (above) but when I worked it and re-tatted it several times I didn't like it one bit!! I decided to leave it as it was and continue down the top side of the animal just to see if it would 'improve with keeping'!!! It was also an opportunity to test the written text for the legs. I was still intending to go to the base of the tail and stop.
At this point the plan was to then start again from the nose and make the other side. Then, whilst thinking about this I suddenly realised that by doing it that way it would mean that the tatter would have to do frontside/backside tatting for the block tatted legs to look good!!! I'm not a fan of this type of tatting (needs too much concentration for me) so decided I'd have another think!
Oh, I might add here that I do use frontside/backside if I'm sure the item's not going to be viewed from both sides. In other words if it's going to be sewn or stuck to a base.

A few days later and the 'penny dropped'!!!! Why not an alligator join instead of stopping at the base of the body? Then I could continue up the other side without having to do frontside/backside on the block tatting.
Ah, another problem here! On the first side I used the 'back' of the legs to bring the work from the claws back to the body. On this second side I'll have to use the 'fronts' of the legs. This needs some crafty design work to achieve!!! Can I do it? Am I capable? Hmmmmm. I also need to be sure that the legs are NOT the same as the first pair so that the gecko appears to be moving. Tat should be easy as they are constructed slightly differently!!
Well, here's the latest version. In the second picture I have added 'false' eyes. You will notice that the lower part of the face isn't the same as the upper part!! That's deliberate (cough, cough, splutter, splutter!) as I was trying out a second (and better) idea. I won't be doing any more to this design until Pamela comes back to me with suggestions! Over to you, Pamela!!!!!

Finished!

I was still giggling about Gina's comments on Thursday's post and decided that she was totally right. If worked in white the edging would look like a line of molars! So I thought I'd take another look at the idea again and this is what I've done. I think it looks a lot better - your comments are more than welcome Gina!!! It was rather late yesterday evening when I did the corner and you can see that on the first part I didn't join to the picot on the side at the top. This was deliberate as, although I'd added extra ds to the chain I wasn't sure it would be enough. When I came to start on the next side I did join and can now see that this will work!!!

Off to try and finish some more pages to put on the pattern site. I keep remembering things that are still lying around on the computer and which haven't made it into cyberspace!!!

Corner

OK, Gina, I take your point - it does look like a row of molars!!! Very funny!! That's just reminded me - dentist next week - YIKES!
Yesterday I drew the corner out as I find this is the easiest way for me to work. I just drew a few sections, copied and turned one group at right angles, added another single element for the corner and then remove the parts of the corner piece that are not needed. You can see this here.

In the evening I tried it out and it's perfect. All I have to do now is put the pattern together along with a few others that need finishing!!

Hey, who stole yesterday?

I lost yesterday and didn't get round to updating the edging onto the blog. I'm actually quite pleased with it now. Not sure I like these colours, though!! Very 'un-Jane'!!! They do go with the tshirt that I want to add the piece to so, if I still like it later today I may well continue to the 'bitter end'!!! You can see that replacing the SR with a chain between the 'elements' enables the piece to be used either straight or curved. I started to think about the corner I want to make for it last night but I was so tired I didn't pick a shuttle up yesterday! I may well do a drawing for this as the weather isn't good enough for gardening (good excuse!) and sometimes doing it this way rather than using a right angled mirror is easier for me. I'll let you know!!

Too much

I've tidied up the piece as I said I would yesterday and it looks a lot better, I think. There is more space now but I haven't altered the stitch count at all! The only part that changes is the header which I think (when I get it finished) will be published with the 'alternatives'!
Towards the end of this piece I decided to replace the 'spacer' SR with a chain. I think this will make the finished edging more flexible so that if you want to sew it onto a tshirt (which is my intention) it will 'go with the flow'!

Progress

I did do a bit on the edging last night in spite of not being in the mood. I tried the way of working using a split ring and no continuous join. It's looking a lot neater but I'm now wondering if the two small picots I've put on one of the central SR's really need to be there. I think I'll try it without. The problem with those two is that they may again be 'cluttering' the area just under the SR and I do want a bit more space showing.

This pattern (when it's finished) could have many headers to it and I hope to be able to give those eventually.
I'd also like to give it a corner as I remember seeing edges when I was a teenager that I wanted to work but they didn't have corners! In those days I couldn't get my head round doing them myself!

A few hours later and I've just been down the town to get some milk. Actually I almost walked straight past our new neighbour I was so deep in thought!! Whilst I was wandering along I was thinking about this edging (sad woman, or what!) and it's occurred to me that it might be as well to make the SR in the centre of each section a little wider. I've been using 4 - 4 / 4 - 4 but I think I may now try 6 - 6 / 6 - 6. This would throw the lower section outwards. See where the small SR's are heading to the foot of the edging? Hang on, I'll draw it out

See where the arrows are pointing? That's where I mean to alter it to 6 - 6. This should make a bit more of a space between the lower small SR's and R. Having done this then there may well be more scope for a fancier top!!!! Time will tell!!

Thoughts on designing

I'm about to return to the edging again but really this is due to inspiration given to me by the latest copy of Shuttle to Shuttle. This little magazine is published in order to keep some of the groups in the U.K. in touch with each other. I think it must be like the Palmetto fronds!
Now, the main reason I'm thinking about this today is that inside issue 4, which I received on Thursday, there is a small edging called 'Little Maids all in a Row' by Jennifer Williams. This pretty but simple edging has made me realise yet again where I am going wrong with mine. Mine is too complicated! Typical of me - I can never 'think simple'!!! So I'm going back to look at it again!! This is the one I'm talking about (below).
I'm now using a different 'tactic' on myself by drawing it up in order to make myself think long and hard on what I'm doing. I've already spotted that I don't need to use the CTJ in this particular 'version'. I DO like the lower part of this edging but it's the top that concerns me most. If I now 'space' the parts out a bit it may look better - less cluttered. The problem I can see thanks to the drawing is that the sections might not join to each other easily at the bottom - perhaps a ring on a SR or a chain may help OR AM I GETTING TOO COMPLICATED AGAIN!?!?!?!? Hey, ho, time to give the brain a rest and go out for a walk!!!

Earrings for a friend

I try and I try to make other 'sorts' of earrings but I still go back to this design! These are for a friend but I'm very tempted to keep them!!! I've told her they're ready just so that I'm not tempted to!!! I'll have to make another pair for myself. Oooooh, remembered I've got THE brightest pink beads from ebay so perhaps ANOTHER pair using these might happen. Still working hard on 'secret' stuff but should be back on a new design soon. I feel one 'coming on'!!!

Music notes finished

I made the big clef again yesterday as it rained ALL day. That's always a good excuse to sit and tat!!! I also managed the small clef too which was very easy. Both now written in 'Jane' and although I want to re-press them and attach them to a piece of card for travelling they are about done!!

Musical tatting

Now anybody who knows me knows that there's one thing I don't like and that's music. Apparently this makes me a very odd person!!! OK, I'll go along with that!!! I don't even like background music although I will admit to having been to two Beatle concerts when they were first popular in the 60's!!!

Anyway, this is really beside the point. A friend in the USA wrote the other day to ask me if I would make her up a pattern that she'd bought. It's the music doily by Christel Weidmann. My friend only wants the notes - not the whole doily. If you click on the title then it will take you to a page where the doily pattern is bing sold. You'll have to scroll down a bit!!
I (foolishly???) said yes! Anyway, it's all in German which isn't a big problem as there are some English notes with it and then there's always dear old Babelfish (the online translator) to help too. I sat down yesterday morning and spent a loooonnggg time translating it into 'Jane'!!!
I then tried tatting up my notes and the scan below is how it looks at a first attempt. Of course, me being me I didn't start with the easiest one which is sort of half moon shaped. I think this one is called a Clef but I've no idea what the other one's called!!! I can tell you in German, though!!! The big one (below) is called a Violin-Schlussel and the little one's a Bass-Schlussel!!!! I suppose I could go and translate those in Babelfish but it's much more fun like this!!!
Anyway, below is the first attempt. I think it's only really a matter of tweaking the last part and finishing off the last chain round the last ring. You can see where the threads trail off to the shuttles as bedtime called last night!!! More fun today as I re-tat it with amendments and tweaking and then start on the small one!!!

Bags and motif

I realised after reading all the tatting lists about making bags that I'd never photographed my latest one!!! I made it back in the Winter but then it lay around waiting for me to sew on the bits and bobs! In the end I stuck these on with some fabric glue. You can see my eye, heart, 2 and T A T on this side with some of the 'trial' bead people. This is my 'everyday' bag as I always take it shopping with me - I'm trying to do my bit to save the planet for future generations. I'm hoping one day to add more to it. There are other pieces on the back but they're the patterns I'm taking to Palmetto with me so are still 'top secret'!!!!

I love doing bags and did one to take to Palmetto a few years ago. There's a link to it if you click on the title. You can also click on the pictures on there to see enlargements.

The motif I'm working on 'suffered' a few improvements last night and I've now settled on this as the 'finished' idea!!!! It needs pressing but the ironing board's been out twice this year!!!!

Small motif

I'm making some small motifs to use for presents to take to family. They have to be sewn onto fabric. I'm playing with a 'combination' pattern of several that I've done in the past. Why, oh why can't I just get up off my butt and look in a book (I have well over 100 plus leaflets) instead of putting myself through the agonies of 'making something different'?
Anyway, here is the motif so far but I'm not sure it'll stay this way!!!! The background HAS to be burgundy so it's proving quite hard to find the 'right' colour to use for thread. I may go and play with combinations of fine threads instead of the green. It looks fine in 'real life', though. OR could this be a good excuse to buy more thread for my stash? No, no, no, Jane. Stay away from more thread temptations!!!!!

Ring a Ring earrings!

This is an idea I've been working on and it's SO simple it really doesn't need any more skill than being able to tat rings. Tat's it, really, rings round a ring. I sort of used another pattern which is on my web site but replace parts of it with beads. I'm using this for earrings but another thought has occurred to me which I won't tell about just yet as I need to play first BUT this is just SO easy. Oh, a love of beads is probably a must too!!! Most of these are for a friend but I shall keep the pink and green ones. The photos aren't really showing them off very well but I think you can get the general idea!!!

Another arrival in Tatland!!

Elvis is alive and living in Tatland! Honestly! Just click on the title to find out more!!!
Forgot to mention earlier - listed more tatting stuff on ebay!!! My seller ID is simply janeeborall!!

Nothing to do with tatting!

Friday, good, megga good, exceptionally good, fantastic day.
I had a phone call yesterday evening from my youngest daughter who then put four year old Nathan on the phone. He told me that 'mummy's got a baby in her tummy and it's going to 'pop out' soon'. I can't explain how I feel as I'd been hoping for ages that Nathan would have a sibling to share his parents with. Callum has Oscar and Athena has Carter and finally Nathan will have somebody too!!!
After all those years of teaching I realised way back that it was really good to have more than one child if possible. I'm the oldest of three (one brother and one sister). I know it's not always possible but it's good to have somebody to play with, argue with and, well, just BE with!!!!
I apologise to anybody who thinks that this blog is all tatting - caught you out this time, eh?!?!?!!?
No tatting yesterday and probably not a lot today as the garden took a lot of my time!!!

Time to abandon the edging for a while

Oh dear, oh dear. This is now NOT a good design. I suddenly realised that (as usual) I was being too clever with this edging and so have changed it quite drastically. It occurred to me that the CTJ wasn't actually needed at all!!! How silly is that!! So I tried starting in a different place!! Oh, not a good idea!! That scrap has been duly filed in the bin!! Below is another attempt replacing a ring with a split ring and thus getting rid of the CTJ in one go. BUT I'm not sure I like it now and it certainly needs some 'help' with the swop from the top to the bottom part as it now looks untidy. I find it's a good idea to use strongly contrasting colours when doing this sort of thing as it really, really shows up the problems!!!
I shall now leave it for a while until the 'muse' strikes again!!! I HATE TATTING. Well I did for five or ten minutes!!!!

Still playing with the edging

Well I followed Mark's suggestions and the small sample below on today's posting is what I came up with.

I think I put too many picots on the lower part of the upper part (well, I know what I'm talking about!!!!) so then went off to try something else. Oh, I was also not happy with the clarity of the bottom either!!! Below is a 'two part' tryout. In the first two 'pointy bits' I followed the same idea again but this time with less picots on the chains. Also I made the lower part slightly bigger which I think gives it a separate 'feel' to the header part.
The last two points are yet another idea using the original split ring but throwing a ring off it and down to the main central ring. I again used picots and the larger lower part. This is going to be a challenging (to me) pattern to write down for people to follow. It's not hard at all but does need some careful explanations around the continuous join concept. Anybody willing to give it a whirl? I think I may do all four versions in the end for the pattern site. Time will tell!!!

Edging

Well I did nothing to the edging yesterday as I got waylaid into another tatting project which I want to get further along the way today. This is a gift idea to take on our trip.
BUT thanks SO much to Mark Myers for the following idea. He's such a clever chap with his computer graphics. See - he's added another ring to the top and picots. What a difference this makes. I shall try and get back to it this evening to alter the pattern. Gina, I will let you have the pattern in the original form as soon as I'm sure I can understand it!!!! Susan, I think both you and Mark were thinking along the same lines!!!!!