Not a lot else

As you know from it's title this blog is purely about tatting but just once in a blue moon I do have something else to say.

Some of you know that I volunteer in our local library on one morning a week teaching other old people (like MEEE) to use computers, laptops, tablets etc.  

A few years ago a lady joined us one Wednesday saying that she wanted to know how to use a computer as she wanted to write a book.  Well she was positive that that's what she was going to do even though she'd no experience with computers and I'd none with writing books.  

Time went on, she bought a computer and we struck up a friendship (as you do!!!) and when she moved into the town I was able on one or two occasions to walk over to her place to help with small things she needed to know.

Just before Christmas Joan came into the library one Wednesday morning with - a signed copy of her book for me.  YES, she did it.  Well I'm not a great reader of biographies but once I picked this one up I got so interested that I read it right through with more and more admiration for Joan as I finished each chapter   What an interesting lady.  WELL DONE, Joan Inglis - I'm SO proud of you and feel honoured to have met you during my journey through life.  

It's now been published as an ebook too and here's where you can find it.

Day 9

Time to play again!!!  Yes, today it's day 9 of this year's TIAS.

Here's the link.

It makes you laugh.

Day 9 tomorrow.

Although this is serious, I must tell you about a hilarious 'conversation' (I use  the word conversation with reservation as it did get heated) that I had on Monday with a 'person' who had stolen my work.  She doesn't merit the title of lady!!!

I noticed she'd taken this image and put it on her blog.  Not a problem as it was linked to my site.  BUT underneath that was the pattern to go with it.  It had been taken and somehow converted from the original pdf file with my name and copyright notice removed - NO link to my site.  Now that IS naughty.  No mention of the designer at all.  I originally noticed this blog last October but found there was no way to contact on her.  Time went on and I put it to the back of my mind - as you do.

Then on Monday I noticed she'd added another picture that was a copy of a new idea on another tatter's site.  I contacted the other tatter and she wasn't too worried but would probably have contacted the blog owner if there'd been any way to do that.  

Later that day my friend came back to me as she'd found that the blog owner had now (within the past week) set up an Etsy shop.  EUREKA.  Etsy have a convo link so off I went and 'asked' her to take my pattern off her blog.  She said she didn't think she could as she wasn't sure she knew how to get into the blog.

That's funny, I said, when you managed to put a picture up there the day before (same one in her Etsy shop)!!!  So our convo got a bit heated and I had to really laugh when she said she didn't even LIKE my patterns and I was to stop harassing her or she'd report me to Etsy!!!!  The pattern has now been removed but if it hadn't I would've taken further action - in fact I'd already contacted somebody about it who knows how to handle those situations.  There's also a whole book up there on her blog which is still under copyright.  

So, what I want to know is why you'd steal something you don't like?  

Answers on a tatting shuttle (or make a comment!!) to me, please!!!

Edging 1

Now I wanted an edging - a block tatted edging.  So in my inimitable way I just got hold of two shuttles and some thread.  

I've 'chopped up' the trials so as not to overload you with too much 'tat'!!!!!  There really is quite a lot to see in this!!!

This picture shows my first start before I put it down in disgust!!!  

The 'problem' with designing a decent edging is (in my opinion) that the most important criteria is having sufficient picots on the 'joining edge' to be able to sew it on easily.  The fewer  you have then the more difficult it is to get it evenly onto the item.  

The second consideration for me is that the edging should have sufficient depth to be made in one pass.   I remember doing one once many, many moons ago which had two rows.  First row - easy peasy but getting motivated for the second one was a nightmare.  

Day 8

Good morning on another miserable day here in England!!!  I know we probably needed a bit of rain but this is just a bit toooooooo much. 

Anyway, here's the link for day 8 of the Tat It And See.

Before I leave you today I want to tell you the very, very bad news that I had last Friday.  I was just checking my emails last thing before going to sleep and I had one from my good friend Crazy mom tats who lives in Atlanta and with whom Sally and I stayed in September 2012.  This was her exact message:-
The subject was 'Our House'

Burned down this morning, gone by 10 am. No one was inside, but house is total loss and we lost all pets. 

We are ok. Have check in hand from insurance, and are staying at Hampton Inn locally. Now to find a place to stay and much shopping to replace things. 

I'm a tough cookie, I'll be ok."

Here is a link.  

I managed to FaceTime with her on Saturday and when I got an email from her on Sunday (saying could I blog all this) she'd managed to get shuttles and thread.  Moral?  You can't stop a tatter from tatting.

Can you imagine losing everything, but everything you own within the space of a few hours?  All the pets (we met most of them) and - well it's haunted me ever since and Friday night I just didn't sleep for worrying.  

Thankfully the two boys living at home still are fine and Crazy Mom (who isn't the LEAST bit crazy) is going to get through it all too.

Ros's birthday pressie

Now today I've got a funny thing to tell you.  Well, two, actually.

My friend Ros has a birthday just after Christmas and the first funny thing to tell you is that she loves my tatting.  She's a pleasure to make things for as she likes it loads.  Admittedly I usually make her jewellery and she always gets one of my Christmas designs too.  She gets 'just because' presents mainly, though.

Anyway, just before Christmas she needed help with re-hanging her curtains so I wandered up to her place and fixed them for her.  I decided that I'd make her a runner for her windowsill so tatted the set of motifs below to match her colour scheme.

Well, I couldn't see her on her birthday so took up the present the day before and told her not to open it.  Next day she rang to say thank you and I asked her what she'd done with it.  Second funny - she said she'd put it on her windowsill!!!!  Well we must be able to read each other's minds!!  In case you wonder - this is the motif.

Day 7

Ready and waiting for you right here is Day 7.

Tomorrow is

Tomorrow is Day 7 of the TIAS.  Nearly halfway now so keep going, please!!!

Yummy

Now that's what I say about these three skeins of HDT which came in the post on Monday.  Well, they simply are 'yummy'.  

Now you're wondering where they came from - they came from America.

Yes, America is a BIG place so now you want to know where from in America!!!

So, I'll tell you - Maryland.

Oh, go on, I give in.  They came from Monica who has a shop full of threads here in Etsy.

Can't wait to try them but I MUST finish off an on-going project before I do.  Steady old girl - one thing at a time!!!

Day 6

Good morning world!!!!  Well I suppose I should say good morning Tat Land!!

Here's the link for Day 6 - have fun!!!

Something different

Before I start today - tomorrow will be day 6 of the Tat It And See.  

I wanted to show you this set which was a custom order through my Etsy shop just after Christmas.  The pictures don't give the bracelet and earrings full credit but blame the lack of sun around here!!!!  

There's something very satisfying about doing a custom order.  It's good to know what the customer wants and be able to discuss it with them before making.  Making is, of course, the best bit for me.  

I'm happy to report that my customer was pleased with her order and I breathed a big sigh of relief!!  

Oh, my Etsy shop is here.

Day 5

Good morning, world.  

Here is the link for Day 5 of the TIAS 2014.  

There is plenty of time to start from the beginning if you've only just found the TIAS.  Links above this post will give you the introduction and all five days.  

We're not yet halfway through yet so let the fun continue!!!!

Not a lot else

Well I don't have a lot to say today - did I hear somebody say 'thank goodness'?  I will tell you, though, that tomorrow I'll put day 5 up on the blogs.  

The instructions for what you'll need are on the day 4 page but I'll put them here too just in case you've 'done a Jane' and lost them!!!  I could get medals for losing things!!!

For the next stage you will need two shuttles using the same thread as before with 3 yards on Sh1 and 3½ yards on Sh2 - again wound CTM (continuous thread method).

Finally the Catherine Wheel motif

The end of the line is here!!!!  Below is the final, final version and BC3 is now heading for retirement!!  

Top is 'just the middle' which makes a nice enough motif on it's own, I think.  I may well start with this as the beginning of another idea soon as once the block tatting idea wanes it could be the basis for something else!!!  

Next are two made with blue as the basis.  There's the one done in plain colours and the bottom one done in plain and variegated.  I know which I prefer!!!

Right - out with the sunglasses, book, bikini (YIKES) and the deck chair.  BC3 is heading for a long and happy retirement.  Wonder how long it'll last?!?!?!   Five minutes or fifty years?  Ummmm, doubtful on both.  Certainly the second as I ain't got fifty left - tat's for sure!!!!

Day 4 - TODAY

Here is the link for Day 4.  

As usual I will put it above this post too - just to make it easier to find if anybody new stumbles across this blog.

At a rough guess I think there are almost 90 people taking part that I know of.  I keep all the photos in folders for each day and occasionally count them.  I'm a very happy old git!!!!

Trying colours and changing stitch counts!

First an announcement - tomorrow will be Day 4 of the TIAS so keeeeeep watching!!!

So, there is a difference now between the purple/pink one here at the top and the brown/cream one below.  Just a matter of moving the ring slightly to the left.  When I got to this stage I felt I was almost there but it still needs further checking.  

Am I annoying you now?  Well with a bit of luck today I'll get the links and things done and ready to upload.  All these things take time and the full concentration of BC3!!!  

Yet another!!!

Lots more TIAS's in overnight - please bear with me while I play catch up this morning.  An OG has to eat sometimes, you know and I've also got to post all the shuttles this morning too!!!

The Tat It And See has almost 80 people taking part - well, that's the number I know about!!!  I'm thrilled with the numbers and delighted to see not only old friends but new ones arriving daily.  Thanks everybody.

I thought another colour may do the trick and make me like it but it didn't and I don't!!!!  It still didn't twirl enough for me but I carried on working on it!!!  I'll show you more and get the pattern up soon. 

Day 3 of the TIAS

Here is the link for Day 3 of the TIAS 2014.

Two announcements

Two things to tell/remind you of today.

First is that Day 3 will be out tomorrow morning.  Thank you to those who have kept quiet about my 'bad day' on Thursday when my main computer was having a meltdown!!!  Neither Nick or I could understand what was causing it and it took him most of the day to sort it out, bless his cotton socks.  During that time I accidentally copied day 3 link into my announcement post!!!  I was told by a tatter about it so quickly fired up the laptop and sorted it.  Things can only get better, can't they?

Also today I need to remind you that there are a few shuttles (see this post) that will be going into the Etsy shop later today.  The link to the shop is here.

I think Sunday is going to be a very busy day with blogging day 3's and any others that come in and sorting and packing shuttles too!!!  No mischief for me tomorrow!!!

One last thing which really, really made me megga chuffed was to notice on my dashboard here that I now have 500 followers.   Thanks for keeping an eye on me - nice to know that people care about my ramblings on here.  Really great, actually for an old git to know that there are people who are out there reading my blog.

More on the block tatting motif

Another go at the motif but I'm still not happy with it.  As you can see on this version I've replaced the outer picots with rings but they're not right.  Least I don't like them yet.  

Not sure what gets into me when I'm designing but it's like artists - you never know when to stop on some designs!!!!  Least that's what BC3 tells me.

Day 2 of the TIAS is progressing well.  Not sure whether there will be many more 'starters' but it's keeping me well out of mischief!!!