It snowed so I Etsy'd!!!!

Yesterday it snowed here.  Why do I mention it? Simply because it's a rare occurence here in this town.  Even 10 miles away people can be badly affected by snow but not here!!!

So, that's got the boring bit out of the way so now to tell you what I got up to while it snowed!!!!

First of all I launched the Tat It And See and all went quiet.  VERY quiet!!  Is that good or is it bad!!!!!

I decided to list some crosses that I made over the Christmas period on Etsy.  You can find a link on the sidebar to the shop.   I am VERY pleased with these.   There's one with a flowery centre, a Celtic one and an Iona cross design.  I'm not going to put these on my site for a while as I may offer them to other places first.  We'll see!!!!  I used some of Lyn Morton at Tatting and Design's threads - two sorts wound on the page together.  It required care to tat them but well worth it.

TIAS - Link to Day 1

OK, here you go!!!!!  I'm putting this link on both blogs just so that I 'catch' you all!!!!  

I will publish all comments and work in progress on the other TIAS blog which can be found HERE!!!

Here's the link you've been waiting for.  Happy tats to all!!!!

All about shuttles

Yesterday I rambled on at length about not needing shuttles to tat with and how tatting is basically manipulating the thread 'as is'.  But when making a larger item it can be useful to own the odd shuttle or 100!!!

Well, today I'm going to ramble about something dear to my heart - shuttles!!!  I started off in tat land using the Milward shuttle as that was all my gran and I could get our mucky mitts on!!!  I loved the 'dip' in it but not the separate hook which usually found it's way down the side of the chair never to be seen again!!!  I then 'progressed' onto the Aero - which I still use and also the Silent Tatter which again I like loads.  BUT I now have another shuttle.

This one is the prototype that Sally's husband is making in their garage.  I haven't told you before because it was sort of TOP SECRET but now I'm going to share my opinions of this shuttle.

Well, it's light, it's wood and it feels great.  During the design progress several improvements have been made and the latest design (which I saw and held yesterday) are really lovely to hold and use.  Nick (Sally's husband) is even making the hooks to fit in the ends!!!!  There's a lovely 'finger dip' in them too.

We've been discussing marketing them and are thinking about doing that through my Etsy shop.  When that will happen will depend totally on the temperature in the 'factory' - AKA Sally's garage!!!  You can't lock a guy in a freezing garage!!!

More to follow on this subject!!!!

Hmmmm

TattingChic and I were having a 'natter' via email a couple of days ago after a remark at her Lace Guild about something and this got both of us thinking and talking!!!  I've had the same thing said to me many years ago when I abandoned the lace bobbins to return to the shuttle.

'They' say that tatting is NOT lace.  DUH!!!!  So off went dear old brain cell 3 into the unknown territory of the internet (without his safety gear too!!).  


First of all IS it lace or not?  The first link I found was this!  This defines for the clothing industry that tatting IS lace.  Then onto Wikipedia for this link.  Very interesting as it certainly does define tatting as lace.  

Another thing that number 3 learnt whilst on his outing was that the definition of TATTED lace was that it was made with a shuttle!  No mention of the needle at ALL!!!!  Personally I always call it a knotted lace made using a shuttle too.


This is really not at all surprising as the current way of needle tatting is a relatively recent idea - certainly within my lifetime.  In the 'dim and distant past' a needle was sometimes used instead of the shuttle to make the transferred knot.  The way the thread is manipulated using a needle nowadays is entirely different to the shuttle method.  I like the name of 'faux tatting' to define the difference between the two ways of achieving ALMOST the same thing.  I tried needle tatting in the past (actually as soon as I saw it advertised back in the 70's).


At first the needle appealed to me as a 'teaching tool'.  One that may help to show people and get them comfortable with the way the knot should look.  I realised that there were WAAAAYYYY too many ends to sew in and the resulting piece didn't 'do' it for me as it wasn't firm and was a a lot bulkier than that which I could achieve with the shuttle.  So tat was the end of tat and a rapid return to the traditional shuttle ensued!!!  

Nowadays there seems to be a 'zone' where shuttle tatting is being 'needled out' (get the pun?!?!?!) by the needlers.  Actually as you don't need either 'tool' I wonder what I'm talking about!!!  


Hang on, what did I just say?  


Actually that's right - you don't need a tool to tat - you can just manipulate the thread without.  Nowadays it's called 'finger tatting'.  VERY useful for many reasons.


BUT you can't 'do' needle tatting without a needle - you can't 'finger tat' it!!!  Tatting IS the formation of the stitch by reversing the thread as a reverse-hitch stitch onto it's own thread. The needle needs something for the thread to wrap round - without which it's a 'lost cause'.  AH, perhaps it could be called 'wrapped tat lace'!!!!  Somebody could then write a rap for the wrapped tat lace'!!!!  


BOY, all that thinking was hard work for number 3 to work out!!!


Hey, ho, this is all heavy going for only the third day of the New Year!!!!  

Announcing the start

It's all ready to go!!!

TIAS 2010 (well, hopefully the first of many this year).  

Here's the link to the introduction and the start date will be 

TAH DE DAH - hmmmm, hang on a minute let me think.  

What have I got to do next week?

Which day shall we make it?

Ah, here we go - Tuesday 5th January. 

Ah, before you go may I just say thanks to all those people who left comments yesterday.  I honestly didn't think I'd said much that was worth commenting on!!!  I made the leaves during the evening, scanned them on the new 'toy' and then did that 'off the cuff' post!!!  Maybe I shouldn't think before posting in future as I normally do?!?!?!?

On second thoughts.

On second thoughts and after thinking hard (well for about ten seconds) about the rigmarolle of making New Years resolutions I decided that (as usual) I wouldn't bother.  No point really as I never get past the first day!!

So instead I decided to turn over a new leaf.  Here's one of them!!!!

DARN.  Now I have more decisions - which one do I turn over and what WILL I find underneath!!

Houston we have problems!

Well, only a small one!!  Yesterday I managed to sort the TIAS finally during the day.  Lots of 'titivating' of drawings and text.

All I need to do now is to put each day up on the web site AND do the links!!  That'll take time!

Meanwhile a 'follow up' to the TIAS is almost sorted too - one more to go (or maybe two)!!  I'm thinking I may be ready by next week but will know more by tomorrow!!

The problem yesterday was putting Windows 7 onto my little laptop!!   Took/is taking longer than we thought but now it's on and all I have to do is install the 'other' software.  Shouldn't take long as I don't use a lot of fancy stuff on it as mostly I use it for internet access and writing down patterns 'on the hoof' in the evenings.  Beats watching the television any day!!!

So, yesterday evening I made two more butterfly bookmarks. 

Talking to myself about the TIAS

Well after an 'interesting interlude' called Christmas things are getting back to normal in my corner of Tat Land.

I decided yesterday that I really should look again at the proposed TIAS (Tat It And See).  I left it alone about a month ago because I got confused with myself and 'it'.  So I sat down yesterday and got to about day 7 and was thoroughly 'lost'.

This (for those who are interested) is how I work.  I work on a design/project until I'm reasonably satisfied with it.  I then move on to something else and let the project 'fester' for a while.

A few weeks, days or even months later I return to it with a well scrubbed brain cell number 3.  This works for me.  Yesterday after number 3 was well rested and full of mince pies etc I got back to the TIAS.  


It was worse than I thought!!!  When I first started on this I'd done the drawings on the PC.  Fortunately not many but then had to learn the new software and re-do them.  Hopefully I'll get more time today to put the project 'to bed' (as 'they' say!).  Once that's done I'll be able to work out a date for the start of TIAS 2010!!!

A leaf for the quilt square

Sometime over the last week or so I made this leaf for the quilt square.

I did write the pattern down sort of so I should be able to make another if I need to!!!!

Butterflies galore!!!

This is a message and the work that Katie sent me just before Christmas.

"Hi, Jane,

Been tatting your butterfly bookmarks lately.  Cute and fun!  See attached.  Also some of Jennifer's beginner's snowflakes--easy and fast. "


What am I up to?  Dithering and not doing what I ought to be doing - a final testing of the TIAS!!!  I WILL get to it - I promise myself!!!

Katie also tackled this tree of mine (what a BRAVE lass) which I'd completely forgotten about.  Hang on, I'll go and find the link - perhaps!!!

Ah, here it is!!!  Too late for this Christmas but maybe next one!!!

Same old but converted!!!

I used one of the hearts and converted it into a bookmark!!!  Here you go!!!!

What I really, really need to do is make a wee heart on t'other end but when I did this and got to the end I was too tired to bovver!!!

I did it!!

I sorted out the 3 hearts pattern and have now replaced the original!!!!

There are a few tweaks on the stitch count (why on EARTH did I do it that way before?!?!).  


These three scans would've looked a lot better if only I'd blocked or even pressed them!!!  The iron is buried under a pile of 'stuff' so we're going to look even more wrinkled for the next week or two until it's located again!!!  

Another day - another piece!!!

I've decided that doing this quilt square should give me the chance to re-visit some of my older designs to see if I can 'improve' them.  So, here's what I'm working on at the moment!!!

I realised that when I did this design which will be 'improved' and added to the web site as soon as I can, that I wasn't particular about right and wrong side tatting.  Actually, I'm not that bothered now but I do realise that with a few 'tweaks' I can make the whole thing look a jolly sight better.  

The story continues!!!

And now Mark's suggestion which I think is GREAT.

Butterfly again!!!

Having seen Marty's butterfly with the butterfly at t'other end I decided that this was a definite improvement!!!  

I've added her wee tail to the bottom of the butterfly pattern which you can find here.  


I think I might even 'improve' on this tail by adding another split ring for the head of the butterfly.  I'm an odd tatter as I'm not very fond of four ring butterflies and prefer a 'head' on my body.  Now, if that applied to my own body and I'd got a decent 'head' on that too then I wouldn't keep losing brain cell number 3!!!!

Of course I had to 'test tat' it too!!!

First entry for the quilt square

The first problem I've encountered is what colours should I use on the square!!!  I want it to look as if the tatting has 'grown out' of it and not just been 'plonked on'.

These are the first colours I've chosen!!!!  I think I'm going to use just my own patterns to make it really 'Janey, oh Janey' (to use Sherry's expression!!!!).  The lighter green on this motif is just SO pretty.  Really 'crisp'.


Oh, I found my 'spare' hook so all is back to normal here!!!

Oh, dear - it's broken

Well that's the end of a wonderful relationship.  The end of this dear little hook has broken.  

Not only has it been a constant companion for over two years it's also holds many fond memories of Palmetto Tat Days the year before last.  That would be 2007.

I bought this off Georgia Seitz and it's been with me ever since.  

BUT all is not quite lost - I bought two 'just in case'.  Now after Christmas I'll order another from Georgia 'just in case' the other one dies.  Mind, I've yet to find it in my muddle!!!


I think I'll also treat myself to one of Sherry's pen hooks too - if they go as fine as this one.  I've had hooks break before - must be mental fatigue.  


Nope, not a typo - just living with me must drive them mental!!!

A new challenge and a treat for ME!!

This is the quilt square that I picked out of Georgia's 'stash' at Palmetto.  I've never done one of these before so that's the challenge part of the title.

The idea is to put tatting on it and return it to her.  A quilt is then going to be made and sold in order to raise money for the scholarship fund which Palmetto distribute to tatters who could not otherwise afford to attend Tat Days.  

The treat part?  Allowing myself to do something for pleasure and not the pain of the design process!!!

I'll blog the pieces I make for this as I do them.  Now I'm dying to 'get started'!!!

Jealousy will get you nowhere

Look what came in the post yesterday.

This gorgeous star necklace.  Now who was it who so kindly gave it to me?  Jennifer from this blog.

I'm just SO tempted by beading now.  Shall I give up tatting?  Hmmm, I'm seriously thinking about having a go at beading.  

My biggest problem is working with beads.  I use my laptop to notate patterns as I go along and sometimes the beads jump onto the keyboard and get under the keys.  


Then I have to wait for Nick to go out of the room so I can surreptitiously turn the  darn thing upside down and shake it. He's forever telling me NOT to work with beads but as you all know a 'tatters got to do what a tatters got to do'!!!!

Another flew in!

Only one yesterday as I'm working on something else.

Nope, not telling!!!  It's MY secret for once!!!

Life has been a bit 'problematic' lately so not a lot of time for anything!!!

A busy day - but!!

I spent most of yesterday working on the TIAS so have nothing to show you!!!!

When I do one of these I work up a pattern in the usual way doing the drawings, text, links etc.  Then when I decide to make it into a TIAS I have to work out where to split the pattern up. 

This ain't as easy as it sounds and is probably the hardest part!!  Once that's done then each 'day' or part has to be set up.

This means taking the original drawings and cutting those up too.  Mind you have to remember to not 'squish' the original drawings up so it's easier to open a new file and copy and paste. 

So, now I've spent many days on this project and nothing to show - YET!!!!!!