Happy Beaks!

OK, hold on to your hats - here is the biggie that's kept me quiet for so long.

I have been asked on numerous occasions by many people (including him wot must be obeyed) if I could do a penguin. You'll see why I've taken such a long time over this. 8 different penguins!! The collective nouns for penguins are so many (parcel, rookery, creche, huddle or colony) that I couldn't decide what to call this 'lot'. In the end I decided to call them 'Happy Beaks'. Well we've all heard of feet being happy, haven't we?

I started on the front facing penguin (large) and then decided I needed a small one. Trouble was that they needed to be able to 'look' at each other. I did these and then it was a natural progression to 'need' to do the large and small ones facing the other way! Duh, what a hassle!!!

During my searches of google images I found the sideways facing penguins were interesting but also complicated. The white and black fascinated me as it would be a challenge to use them in the 'right' amount and places with as few starts and stops as possible (well, you know how I hate finishing off ends!). Again, having done the large ones the challenge to do the small ones continued. I will admit that the final penguin (the small one facing sideways and to the left) proved to be the hardest. I think that's because I was really fed up with them all by then.

Finally mounting them all. Another story.

In our smallish town there is still a store which sells fabric. A family run concern which caters for the 'up market' people in the area. I have very little luck there when it comes to haberdashery or fabric. Still, on Tuesday morning I wandered in there on the 'off chance' that I just might find the right coloured fabric for the penguins. Imagine my surprise when on the top of the remnant bin I found the two colours and weights of fabric I needed. YIPEEEEE.

The patterns for all these penguins can be found from my home page.
First of all here they all are out and about in the snow with the stars twinkling.

Here are the two adult penguins who's bodies are facing forwards but with faces looking to the left or right.

Next are their two babies (I think they belong to those adults - but maybe I'm wrong!).

Next are the sideways facing ones. These are the adults.

Finally there are two small penguins which also face sideways!

Many thanks to Sharren Morgan for test tatting the first 'batch' - she happened to mention she liked penguins and asked if I'd thought of doing one while we were 'chatting' one day!!! As I was in the doldrums of designing this pattern she got 'chosen' to help!!!

Finished!!!

I've finished it!! Every part and there are 8 parts!! I'm mounting it at the moment. Yes, me, mounting something. If I hadn't then all the pieces would get lost. I've made it into a picture and hope to put it on the blog either later today or tomorrow.
I'm really, really pleased with the result. I asked Dom the artist who lives next door to help me arrange the bits and he just moved them slightly from where I'd put them to form a grand design. I do hope that it will be liked as it's taken such a big part of my tat life!!!
Right, off to finish it and throw an iron over it!!!!

Further progress

I still have two more parts to resolve of the 'biggie'. It's driving me round the bend now!! It may be ready by the middle of the week and when it is I'll hopefully be able to post pictures here and add it to the pattern site. I've been very 'good' this time and kept up the drawings along with the text. If only I hadn't changed my mind about half of it then ........

The saying goes 'a lady is entitled to change her mind'. Trouble is - I'm no lady. Just a Jane!!!!

Still here

I'm still here and still tatting. I'm 'just' over half way through my big project. All was going well until I decided to make a small amendment to parts of it yesterday. Oh, wrong, wrong, wrong!! OK, it'll look better in the end but the hassle of altering everything does make me wonder sometimes - especially as those I'd shown the first tryouts to said that it looked fine as it was!
I was 'interrupted' last night by having to go and babysit. Must admit that this is no chore and that the boys love me looking after them. Couldn't be because I let them stay up and read lots of stories to them, could it?

Sharren's Angel

I've tested Sharren's angel and it's a darling to do. You need to know the split chain and the SCMR. The split SCMR is drop dead easy too. Here's my test tat.

100 today!!!

100 done and tat's the end of tat for a while!!! This is what I've been tatting.
Now I can go and play with my other big project after I've done one more test tat for somebody else!!

Thoughts about time and tatting

The hardest 'job' I had with time was adjusting to being retired. For all my working life my main ambition was to retire. I worked full time as a teacher (mainly the five year olds) at the same time raising two kids with an ex who was more often than not away on business or with his stupid hobby. After the teaching I then did temp office work. I rushed from place to place (mainly on my bike) sometimes working three jobs in a day.
Thus retirement was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
BUT when I got there it took me several years of self training to manage the time I supposedly had. I couldn't get it through my thick skull that I could read that extra chapter or three in bed in the morning and that I didn't have to rush around anymore. I'm there now and the only rushing I ever try to do is to appointments.
What I suppose I'm trying to tell you is that I love having too many tatting projects 'on the go'. I'm in my element at the moment although my own projects are having to wait a week or two.
Yesterday evening (no tatting in the afternoon as I was helping a couple of friends out with computers) I did another 20 of the small snowflakes - tat's now 72 completed.
Towards the end of the evening I had an email from Iris. She's asked me to test tat a pattern for her. Now, who could resist that? Well I had to at that time of the evening as I think I need a well rested brain to do it!!! Also I will have to get into my tat cupboard to find beads etc!!!
So the list is sort of not getting any longer but also not getting a lot shorter either!!!!
Isn't life good? I've never been bored in my life and as long as I can manage a shuttle I'm sure I never will be!!!!

Woweeeeee

I couldn't resist making the kit that Lyn from Tatting and Design sent any longer. It's been sitting on my tat table looking at me and tempting me since it arrived so yesterday afternoon I tatted these two dear little motifs up. I'm not sure if she sells these little kits but if she does then I'd recommend them to anybody and everybody. I do so love the thread and the beads.
The list is dwindling now. 52 snowflakes done and I feel that today should break the back of them. Hope to reach 70 by the end of the day!! Phewwww.

The list!

Well I forgot to add one more thing to the list yesterday - a couple of pendants.
When I was at the Lace Fair last November I met up with Lyn Morton. I couldn't take my eyes off a pendant she was wearing. I asked her what thread she had used and she told me it was some of her Oren Bayan metallic thread. Of course that made a dent in the purse!!! Anyway the other day I realised I was running out of the colours I need for my large WIP so ordered some more from her at Tatting and Design. What did the dear lady do? Not only sent my threads very quickly but also gifted me a kit with the pattern, thread and beads for the little pendant. Now I HAVE to make those sooooooon. In fact, I might take 'time out' from my list this afternoon to make them!!! Well, you have to, don't you? I'll show them tomorrow if I get them done.
Back to the list. In spite of a relatively busy day yesterday I managed to get the bracelet done (see below). I also posted the 25 garlands which I'd completed as my friend wanted those urgently. I also got another 15 of the snowflakes done too and also 'timed' them - ten minutes each (with no interruptions). I can relax on those when I've got past the 60 mark!!!

My tatting list!

The reason I've nothing to show at the moment is because I'm 'quite' busy!!! This is what I've been doing, or have left to do over the past week or two or three!!!
1. Test tatting for Martha Ess's new block tatting book or books. Done and dusted! Can't wait to see it in print.
2. Working on a very big pattern which has involved lots of 'parts'. Still a WIP!!
3. Test tatting for Hope Green (I think she's submitting it to Palmetto tat days). A smashing little butterfly which had me reviving my long lost (about 40 years ago!) knowledge of hair pin lace.
4. 25 large garlands for a friend. These are 10 rings and chains and each takes about 20 - 30 minutes each. Done and dusted and in the post this morning. That was urgent!
5. 100 large snowflakes (well, not that large - 5 rings and 5 chains) for the same friend. Still a WIP with only 10 completed.
6. Bracelet for a friend of my sister. Thread, letters, beads and bits sorted and ready to go. May take a break from snowflakes to do this today.
7. Playing with angels. Naughty of me but I needed to get the idea 'out'. Still a WIP as the pattern has to be tested again and drawings done!
8. Something else - not telling!!!!
9. Forgot - also test tatted another pattern for a friend who is going to submit it to Palmetto Tatters for their tat days. This is another little gem too. Done and dusted.
Still to come, I hope, is some test tatting for SueH. Everything else will be put to one side to do this when she sends it.
PS I forgot to say that I'm also doing Diane's TIAS too!!!!!

Angels keep arriving!!

Well it might have taken me several years to do the angel for Sally but now I've started I'm finding it hard to stop!!!

Anybody who's ever tried to 'adjust' a pattern will know that it's not easy. First of all it's easy to adjust stitch count when working on a small motif like this. BUT this doesn't always make a big enough difference to the finished size. On this angel I've not only adjusted the stitch count but also knocked out entirely some of the split rings. To keep it balanced was then another consideration.

This one will fit into a 2 1/4" bangle so eventually people who want to make it will have a choice. You'll also see that in the centre of this angel there is a teardrop bead (plus two seed beads). This will give an alternative way of working BOTH angels without necessarily meaning people have to find and buy the heart shaped beads. An ordinary round bead will do just as well and I still have to work the larger version with the round bead and put the text for that into the pattern. Alternatives, that's what it's all about - alternatives. By doing this I hope that the pattern can be worked by anybody with 'normal' tatting supplies!!!! By that I mean a lot of beads, threads and bangles!!!!

Meanwhile this blog just MIGHT be quiet for a while as I have a lot of motifs to make for a friend. I'm still working on a big, big project which is nearing completion and which I'm very excited about. The angels were just a sidetrack from my 'real' projects!!!

Another angel

Thanks to all for explaining HDT (hand dyed thread). The penny dropped as I got into bed last night!!! I'll have to get me some - one day soon.
I feel another angel like Sally's 'coming on'. I would like to do a smaller pocket sized one and also another like the first one but with an 'ordinary' bead inside!
While I'm nattering on about angels I must show you this.
Remember me playing with the split SCMR? Well Sherron Morgan and I are still discussing this as she 'got there' before me last year. I've managed to persuade her to do a !!! to submit to Palmetto tat days and she's also sent me the following angel that she did. She said that she'd only played with it and used thread that was on the shuttles to make it. Hmmm, I know the feeling, Sharren!!! I think this is going to make a lovely angel so showing you (with Sharren's permission, I might add!!) might 'force' her into writing it down!!! Hey, Sharren, get the hint?!?!?

Sally's Angel - finished

The angel is finished. I realised the night before last just as I was falling asleep that I'd done the first half of the notation all wrong. Not a lot wrong but all wrong. I'd looked at doing it from the backside point of view when it could easily be front sided!! Took all of five minutes to sort out in yesterday's allocated 'tat time'.
I asked Sally what colours angels were but she said she'd never met one!
I also haven't a clue as to whether they are women or men so I decided to not make up my mind!! I do have such huge arguments with myself so tat's why this one is mixed gender!!!!!
If anybody does have the answer, please let me know as I'd like to make some more and list them on ebay.

Sally's Angel - Eureka!!!

I think it's finished. Well, apart from more testing and tweaking. I've only shown a few of the trials I've done of this but it's been a nightmare. Finally I started in another place to get this one!!! Sally suggested that the wings coming out by the neck were probably half the problem!! SO right. This meant a whole re-write. Thank goodness for copy and paste in word processing and a long cold day here in the UK!!!

I've only roughly tied her into the bangle but I'm so much happier with her. Not sure whether to do the wings differently. Again Sally and I discussed whether to make them rings and chains. I may try that as an 'alternative' idea although I do love the effect of these lock stitch chains in two colours.
Oh, I also left off the fingers too on this one!!
I've scanned her twice so that if you look at her carefully you'll be able to see all the little faults that may need correcting. I'm not sure about the halo either. Should it be bigger/smaller, come from another place or what?

Sally's Angel - part 3

Well this relatively simple angel has caused a lot of problems! I wasn't at all happy about the neck/head/body region so thought I'd start from a different place!!

Originally I'd started with the body ring which was attached to the bead and then worked the arms, first wing, skirt, second wing finishing with the head.
Next I tried starting with the head, following with the same order as before. Nope, tat didn't work either.
This time I started with the arms then the body ring (joining to the bead as before) followed by the head, first wing, skirt, second wing finishing back at the neck. I think this gives a much better look to the whole design. I now am happy with the head and the skirt (apart from a little more tweaking) and the arms (still wondering whether to 'do' fingers or not). The only thing I'm not entirely happy with is the wings. I like the lock stitch chain but I'm not totally happy with it yet .............
Ah, the surprise is that it will fit snuggly into a 3" bangle. Sorry, Sally, is that too big for you? I will try for another smaller angel when I've got this one sorted out!!!
All suggestions will be welcome!!!
Now I'm happy to go back to my big project for a while!!!

Sally's Angel - part 2

Life has been hectic the past few days. I've got the last few Aero shuttles listed on ebay and have a stinking cold too.

The angel is progressing in forward and backward leaps! I am also working on another large project too - no, sorry, not another TIAS yet but that is rapidly approaching on my list.

Back to the angel. This is the latest version. The head of the last one was too small but I've a feeling this one is too big. The halo is OK, I think!!! I've made the body above the bead smaller and also added two more SR's to the arms so that they have more 'definition'. Not sure that the hands really need fingers either. The lower wings have gone and that's made the whole thing better by a long way.

The skirt is slightly wider with an interesting further addition of anther ring and beads. I shall add beads to the bottom corner SR's too and maybe make them (the SR's) a little larger!!

The wings are dreadful. I mean - truly dreadful so I may have to resort to another long think about them. Not sure they need to be small SR's but maybe just a zig zag chain as opposed to a lock stitch chain. Maybe even an 'ordinary' chain with a picoted ZZ one in the middle. Goodness knows. I may take another shot at this tonight. I think the size will be fine for the bangle which I threw onto the platten with this sample. Whatever - it will be a quick and easy one when it's finished and I hope to be able to suggest other types of beads to use too (like teardrop ones)!!!

Sally's Angel

My poor sister has been 'nagging' me for a year or more for an angel to fit in a ring!! I've tried 'adjusting' several other designs but couldn't quite get them right!! The only thing to do was to start from scratch myself!!! I've already got a good supply of these little heart beads so that seemed a good place to start!!!

Below is the first 'real' finished angel (scanned on both a white background and a black one). Not sure that I really like it yet. The lower wings are (I think) a bit 'too much' and will probably be left out in the next version or adjusted to come lower. The arms and hands which go round the bead are also not 'quite right' so probably they need adjusting too - maybe it's just the colours are the wrong way round. I like the head and the skirt. It's a reasonable start and I will get back to it so that we've both got a Christmas giveaway in plenty of time this year!!!

More on the split SCMR

This is an attempt (and a very good one too) that Gina Oschmann who is one of Riet's guild sent in. Riet said the following.

Gina Oschmann , one of the members of the guild tatted chalenge number three she mailed it to me on saterday afternoon, but there was a problem with the picture, this morning she mailed the picture for the third time and now I could open the picture and could see what she did.
She started with a splitring, in the first part of the splitring an inwards picot (2 firsthalf ds - 2 second half ds) in the second half throw of rings and a join with bead the join is made with the shuttle thread by tatting first 2 second half ds make the join and 2 first half ds.
To write down the pattern is difficult, but I will try
Sp1 is dark blue,

Sp2 is light blue.
Sp1 SR: 3ds, 2(firsthalf ds), - 2(second half ds), 3 ds / 4ds, [R1: 4-4], 3ds, 2(second halfds) +b 2(first half ds), [R2: 6-6], 4 ds [R3: 4-4], 4ds cl RW
Ch1: 7ds RW
SR: 7 / 7 cl. RW.
Ch 7 go on with second eye in mirorlook of first eye and the hair are chains with long picots.

I'm not sure if this is the way that I did it as there doesn't appear to be a split self closing mock ring here but it certainly gives the same result.

Split SCMR

Katie Verna had a look at Sharren's bookmark and decided to 'have a go' from just the picture. Well done, Katie. This is what she said and her picture too.

"I tried the Sharren's flower that you posted yesterday on your blog. When I read about it, I didn't think I could do it, but in trying I understood. Thanks to you and to Sharren for exploring this crazy, lovely little technique. I always have trouble figuring out how much thread to leave for the
split chain, but this one worked out. I think the secret is that you can always stretch the thread a little, but you can't shrink it."

The answer - part 2

Sharren Morgan (one of the Palmetto Tatters) mentioned the other day that she'd played with this idea. She sent in one of her pieces this morning for me to see. It's SO neat it makes me hang my head in shame. Anyway, I couldn't work out how she'd done hers so the following is her explanation. Do hope she writes this pattern down and uses it as it would make a really good lesson.

"I started opposite the tail with a small split ring. I did the red side as an SCMR, throwing off rings that I joined together, then did the split part in white and mirrored the throwing off rings and joining them together. I finished with another small split ring, then did the tail. I had one that's been long since given away that I did in a single color. "