A sad story!

I've just remembered that it's a week ago since I had a sad day.  

I'd spent a long time preparing and tatting bookmarks for that day.  They were for gifts.  

What was the occasion?  My 75th.  NO, not birthday - 75th blood donation.  For years and years the same nurses have been in the church hall where it 'happens' and they always love the wee butterflies (the 5 ring SCMR ones) I give them on each visit.  One year (think it might've been my 50th donation) I gave them tatted hearts.  

So this was a big occasion, my 75th, and I'd decided it would be my last time so thus a decent gift was needed and made.  That was the reason I designed these butterflies.

So, off I trotted to the donation centre - a brisk ten minute walk away.  Shortly after my arrival and bang on my appointment time I was called for my 'interview' and soon after we'd sat down the lady suddenly beetled off (she'd spotted the number 74 at the top of my sheet).  Back she came with disappointment number one.

"We haven't got any certificates with us today so you'll have to wait til next time."  You get a badge when you've given 10, 25, 50 and 75 donations and also a certificate at 75.  I was SO sad and I explained that this was to be my last visit so she said she'd arrange for one to be sent to me in the post.

Then we went onto the finger prick test.  I failed - disappointment number 2!!!!  The blood wouldn't sink in the test jar.  So, onto a phial full to put in the machine.  I waited, waited, waited and eventually even the machine rejected me.  .25 down.  A measly .25 down.  It's been a LOT worse than that in the past!!

So I went round and gave away my butterflies and said goodbye to them all (well, I may have to go back next time to get a frigging certificate if it doesn't come in the post).  

I've been at sessions only once where somebody got a 75 award and they got a CLAP from everybody (at least 20 people excluding staff).  I wasn't even offered a cup of tea and a biscuit for mine!!!!  I sulked out of the place  and went for a walk instead.

The third and FINAL insult is that the next day my arm was bruised.  BRUISED after a measly, tiddly, tiny bit of blood taken for their wretched machine!!!!!  The first time I've EVER been bruised in 75 arms full.  GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.


Anyway, to conclude this sad story - I sulked about it for almost a whole hour and then turned it into a joke against myself.  Well, what else do you do when life socks you one, eh?  

Introducing Robin the robin!

I'd like to introduce you to Robin the robin!!!!  

Named after a friend of my sister's, whom I have never met (and who's name IS Robin), I wanted to show you this wee chap.

Sally asked me if I could make her a Robin a few weeks ago after she'd posted this one on her blog.  So this is what I came up with.  Not an easy task as there are so many colours in the wee chap.  Brown, black, red and white.  

As you know I'm not a lover of sewing in ends so it was a challenge to get to do this without too many ends.  Still, after re-writing it only once I did manage to avoid a few!!!

I've listed a couple of Robin's robins in my Etsy store.  I know it's a bit stupid at this time of year but I SO wanted to share him!!!!  Here are a couple of pictures of 'the bird'!!!!

Playing around with leaves!!

Last week Sue Anna sent me a lovely gift of some threads and odds and ends.  The threads were some of Yarnplayers.

I've resisted buying the HDT's as I've always thought of them as variagated threads.  I'm not very fond of variagated threads.  That's just ME being an awkward old moo.  I can get on with them if they are gradually changing colours but stark changes frighten me.  I'm not that fond of them as the main 'element' in lots of patterns but DO work with them quite a lot alongside a plain.

Sorry, I'm rambling again - it's what old people do when they get - well, OLD!!!

So, one day I was looking at Yarnplayer's HDT and spotted celery amongst them and thought - hmmm, that looks good, very good.  Imagine my delight when two skeins (1 size 20 and another size 40) were in the bag from Sue Anna. 

I couldn't wait to get my mucky mitts onto using them and eventually I got there!!!

This was the project I'd got in mind and it's just the loveliest thread to work with for these leaves.  The thread 'glows' alongside the beads which sparkle.  Aren't I a lucky old git?

Secret Santa - follow up or IS ERIN PSYCHIC?

I was so surprised when my secret santa showed up but when I opened it and saw one of the items inside my stomach turned before I burst out laughing.

Why did my stomach turn?  I thought that Erin was psychic.  I'm not sure if you can see on the previous post as I didn't want to make it look too obvious.  


This was what was in the package.  A fat quarter covered with Normans and Aileens!!!!!  Now what AM I going to make?!?!?

Final day of TIAS 2010

OK, this is the link for the final day and hopefully the beginning of a farmyard full of roosters.

You will see on the final day that there is more for you to make.


I would love to welcome all the roosters to come and take their places on the TIAS blog!!!!!

Thank you ALL for taking part. Without you all this would've still been an egg!!!!

Mary Konior

Since the death of Mary Konior two weeks ago I've thought a lot about this lady.  I never knew her or anything about her but her books were published at a time when I needed to tat something different.  Most of my books and leaflets up until then had been the old Coats and Penelope ones with just doilies, hanky edgings and antimacassars in.  I think of her with the following memories of how and when I bought the books.

Back in 1985 I bought her first book just after publication.  I can't fathom where I got it from as there's no sticker in it to say.  It cost me the sum of £6.50 though and it has my married name in it so I was 42 when I bought it.  This would have been at a time when I was happily married with teenage daughters and a full time teaching job.   The book is A Pattern Book of Tatting. 

Her next book came out in 1988 and is the one called Tatting in Lace for which I paid £8.50.  Interestingly this hasn't got my signature in it but the following year when the next book came out I have signed it again with my married name.  That book (Tatting Patterns) again cost £8.50.  I can even track the time of year I bought this book as my ex 'went walkies' in November that year with my friend.  So I must've bought it earlier on if I was using his name to sign with!!!  I ditched 'that' surname shortly after he went and returned to my proper name!!!

The final book was published in 1992 and is called Tatting with Visual Patterns.  I must've REALLY valued this lady as I was having a tough time around then financially so to pay out £14.99 on a tatting book was a BIG DEAL.  It must've been an 'egg on toast' week that week!!  It was a real inspiration to carry on tatting.  

Which is my favourite of the four?  ALL of them.  I've enjoyed many hours not only making up the patterns but also just browsing these wonderful books.  

Thank you, Mary for being in my life when I needed you most.  We never met and never will but I feel I know you through your work.

Day 10

Here is the link for day 10 which is again very straightforward!  

Day 11 is still scheduled for Wednesday.

Day 9 - out NOW!!

Here's day 9 with just two more to go!!!  

Please just check before you go on that you DID join the last part of the last chain to ring 4 on the top of the (dare I say it?) wing!!!!

Here is where I mean - see the highlighted part of that chain.

Ch: 5 Lj (vsp last Ch above join btwn R12 & R18) 1 + (p above R4 – holding it on to p of the Lp’s) 6  Lj  (1st vsp last Ch) RW SS

Thank you to everybody who reassured me yesterday that they were managing TIAS.  It was SUCH a relief.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear

I'm worried.  VERY worried.  My inbox isn't quite empty but it's not heaving with finished day 8's like I expected.

Is it because everybody in Tat Land had given up on the TIAS?  

Is day 8 too hard or is it because it's badly written?

Is it because it was just a 'Friday' thing and nobody's had time to do it?

Is it because nobody wants to play anymore?

I wish I knew.   

All answers on a postage stamp to moi!!!!!!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear

I'm worried.  VERY worried.  My inbox isn't quite empty but it's not heaving with finished day 8's like I expected.

Is it because everybody in Tat Land had given up on the TIAS?  

Is day 8 too hard or is it because it's badly written?

Is it because it was just a 'Friday' thing and nobody's had time to do it?

Is it because nobody wants to play anymore?

I wish I knew.   

All answers on a postage stamp to moi!!!!!!

Day 8 out NOW!

Just when you thought you were on the 'home run' here's day 8 with a few 'twists and turns'!!!!  

As usual - if you have any problems just email me on lovetotat @ gmail.com.  I'll be here to help - promise!

Also after this I will be 'hotting things up' as a lot of people have guessed what you're making.  

So, depending on how tomorrow goes my timescale will be 

Day 9 on Sunday

Day 10 on Monday

Day 11 (last one) on Wednesday.

Talking about Aero shuttles!

An interesting comment on Aero shuttles has been made on Fox's blog here.

I did think about sending out the 'tat police' to arrest Fox for murdering an Aero shuttle  but then thought better of it.   She is after all a tatter!!!!

It reminded me of the one I've been using for about six months now.  I've scanned it to show you.  This is an England Aero but it has a crack.  Can you see it on the first picture?  It goes nearly the whole way across the shuttle.  I cannot bear to part with it until it has finally fallen to bits.  I use it constantly and push the bobbin in and out as usual.  It's still got the right tension, the hook is fine so why should I throw the poor wee thing away?  Then I see murder being committed on Fox's blog.  Ooooooh, I grieve!!!

Day 7 - TIAS

Here we go - another day and another part of the TIAS!!!!

I'm sure that somebody will guess today - unless, of course, they have already guessed right.

OK I will tell you now that I've had two correct guesses but I'm not going to say who or what they said.  I will tell all when we've finished!!!!

Secret Santa arrived

My Secret Santa package arrived last week.  Yup, it was late BUT that was really good because it was a surprise!!!   Also nobody else had one last week so I was the only one to be bragging!!!

I'd convinced myself that it was totally lost on it's way from 'wherever' but it arrived safe and sound and it was from that all time one off STINKER called Erin!!!!!!   I'm calling her a stinker cause she teased me about it unmercifully saying that there was a ransom note from her postie on it too.  

What was in it?  As we say here in the little old UK - 'everything but the kitchen sink'!!!!

Here's a picture for you to see.  There will be more on this subject at a later date.  Believe me, Erin, there will be more!!!!

A coincidence!!!

T'other day I was browsing the blogs (as an old git HAS to do to avoid doing the dreaded H word) and was looking at the HDT's on offer.  I'm a fussy OG when it comes to variegated threads so have never really been that interested until I saw celery by Yarnplayer.  This one caught my eye.  I've got some lovely Lizbeth threads and others in green but really you do need an variegated one for leaves as I found out when I was playing with the beaded one a week or two ago.

Well, having convinced myself (yet again) that I didn't 'need' more thread I wandered off to other blogs.  Well, imagine my surprise AND joy when a packet came from Sue Anne Scriber on Saturday with - go on, I know you're better at guessing this than the TIAS - yes, some celery HDT in it.  Not only 20 but 40 AND some sugar maple in 80!  There were two wee butterflies that Sue Anne had made out of the celery and which confirmed what I'd guessed - there is a lovely graduated colour change in the dying.

Oh in the picture you'll see some chocolates there.  Ummmmm, there was one more but it got 'lost' on the way upstairs to the scanner.

Thank you, Sue Anne for the surprise package AND especially for the lovely letter which came with it - I'm still blushing.

Day 6 now added

Good Sunday morning to all in tat land!!!

I've just added the link to day 6.  This, along with days 7 and 8 will be slightly more challenging as you do a few changes of direction and adding in and taking out of your THIRD thread.  After day 8 the rest will be 'plain sailing'.

Please don't give up now as you are roughly half way and I'm sure you will like the result!!  I will be here to offer advice, support and extra drawings should they be needed.

Happy tatting!!!

P.S.  I thought I'd just add the following comment from Isa after she'd done day 6.  I asked her (because she was SO fast) whether she'd had any problems.  This is what she said:-

"Yes the was a little difficult but I read all the instructions very carefully twice and after I understanded all.

I'm so happy with this play because I'm a begginer. I'm learned in May 2009 to tatting. Today I'm addicted to tatted every day. "

Day 5 link is now 'live'!

This is the link for day 5.  Hope you enjoy this one - after this things change!!!!!

Re-inventing the wheel!

Well sort of.

I'm working on something new and part of it involves this wee sample.  

I did it one way and (as usual, having a butterfly brain) as soon as I'd finished I thought of a better way of working it!!!  So I decided to do just that to find out what the difference would be.

Can anybody spot the difference?  Same stitch count.

Day 4 is out

Wednesday morning and I think it's now time to release day 4!  How do I know this?  Because my inbox has quietened down!!!  There are one or two to add to the blog but I felt I ought to drag the aged bones out of bed early to post the new link and I'll sort the drifters in later.

There is no such thing as 'being late' with doing the stages of a TIAS.  Take it all in your own time.

A useful piece of information!!

Yesterday while 'sorting through' and listing the TIAS offerings I visited Isa's blog which is all in 'foreign'!!!!  

Thankfully I noticed a google translating gadget on there so clicked on that.  WOWEEEEE.  It all suddenly became English.  THANKS ISA.  I've now put a gadget on my blog so that anybody can read it - if they're brave enough!!!!