Apologies to Karey

When I was in Canada I had the pleasure once more of meeting up with Karey Solomon. The unfortunate part was that she'd brought a huge selection of her HDT (hand dyed threads) with her and I was on a self inflicted ban stopping me from buying ANY MORE thread.

Well, as you can imagine - that didn't work!!! I kept going past Karey's stall in the hall where we were meeting and fondling and looking at her selection. In the end, as you have probably guessed, I gave in and bought some.

So a week or two ago I decided they needed to be used. Well, not so much 'needed' - more honestly I wanted to let my itchy fingers start on one at least. 

Why the subject 'apologies to Karey'? Well because what 'looked good' on the two threads side by side in the ball just didn't show up her thread for how lovely it really is. I'll be trying another combination soon. Keep watching this space!!

More of those hoppy things

Yesterday two more rabbits arrived in Tat Land. They're now on the TIAS blog which is here. 

I didn't get a lot of tatting done yesterday as I've finally, finally given in to an urge to do a crocheted Amigurumi critter. We'll see how that progresses over the next few days. 

Not sure if I'm odd or not but the reason for doing this is to use up odds and ends of yarn. BUT as usual I have the dreadful urged to buy new yarn before I start. I had a strong and very serious word with BC3 and we've both decided that the first attempt at Amigurumi must be done with what we've already got and that IF successful then we'll allow ourselves to buy yarn for others!!! Let's see how that works!!!

I'm a fraud

That's true - I'm a fraud. The reason I'm saying this is because I've been chosen by Tatting Corner as designer of the month. Here's the link.

You see - I'm not a designer. I'm a 'fiddler'. I've never set out to be anything but a tatter who fiddles around and sometimes I accidentally come up with a 'good idea'. 

My career as a 'so called' 'designer' started by accident and I'm still only here by accident too. It was the kids I was teaching that started my career of fiddling  as you can read in the article - the rest is now, as 'they' say, history.

I always think that to be a designer you have to want to be one and then have a plan.  I'm afraid I don't do that.  I like to wait for an idea to come along and then go with it or wait for somebodies suggestion to percolate (thinking Ruth and the Motmot bird here).  Rarely do I decide on something I want or need to make.  Ah, unless it's a TIAS and then I do need to plan that.  That's agony!!!

Ring Roses Bookmark

Just for a change and because I couldn't be bothered to tackle my latest project I decided to make a bookmark. No idea who will get this but I'd almost completed the main part when I decided I needed a little dingle dangle to put on the end of the tail (when it was made, of course!).

Rummaging in my tatting cupboard - look what I found. Isn't that the luckiest find ever? This must've come from Palmetto Tat Days as there's a little teacup and their theme one year when I was there was all about tatting, tea and toffee!!!! Keep the toffees away from me - I spend far too much time and money at the dentist!!!!

More rabbiting and more

There's another rabbit on the TIAS blog. This one has brought along a basket of carrots too.  I won't tell you anymore about Christine's rabbit as you can read all about it here.

What I really wanted to tell you is that Christine has started a blog (even though her husband says that she doesn't have time)!!! Good woman - you find time and make your husband wait for his dinner!!! Here's the link to her blog.

Now I know a lot of people are dropping out of the blogging arena and moving over to Facebook. I belong to various tatting groups on Facebook and have a page too but I must admit I try to avoid going onto Facebook as much as possible.  Why? Well I find it a confusing place.  I go to look at a thread and it's disappeared. When I looked a few minutes before it was 'there' and then, in the blink of an eye, it's gone. I don't like the quick turnover of posts, comments and pictures.  I LOVE reading blogs as I feel comfortable in that environment and can take my time.  I feel rushed on Facebook where things come and go far too quickly.  

More with the diamond.

I learned something new yesterday. Did YOU know that there was such a thing as a flying rabbit? No? Well I suggest you go over to the TIAS blog here to find out!!!!! Made my day seeing Marla's rabbit 'fly' in. We're now at 76 and I'm wondering if we'll break the 100 barrier.  No, that's not the speed barrier but the rabbit fence!!! Well, the Australians have rabbit fences but the TIAS doesn't - the more rabbits in the TIAS the better!!!!

I showed you the diamond that I made in size 80 a week or so ago. Here it is. As you saw that star shape made up of seven diamonds worked up to 3½" 

So, next thing was to find out what the same motif would measure when worked with a size 40. Here it is and it measures 4" from point to point.

Good news!

Well it is for me but not sure about anybody else!!!

The good news is that I've now got funding to keep the pattern pages up and running for another year or so. I fund the web site by running ads at the side of the blog here. Each time somebody clicks on an ad I get a tiny amount from Adsense. I rarely look to see what I'm earning as the amounts are so small but around every nine months or so I receive a payment of approximately £65.00 which then goes to Freeservers who are my web site hosts. Bless their cotton socks!!!!

Yesterday I had a message to say I'd been paid!! Sometimes there's a bit 'left over' so you can guess what I spend that on!!! You've got it - thread and beads!!! Well an old git has to tat, doesn't she?!?!?!

People earrings

It's probably 30 years since I started designing earrings to amuse the kids I was teaching. I had the reception class in those days and started wearing daft earrings to encourage the children to settle into school. The parents used to encourage the children to come to school to see what the teacher was wearing in her ears.

I used to wear anything - from teabags, dog biscuits, sweets, bath plugs and also the  children's homemade earrings (often made out of toilet roll middles) that would fit onto ear findings. Then I started to design my own tatted ones which formed a lot of my doodles (seen here).

I DO wear 'normal' earrings nowadays but I was feeling a tad boring recently so decided that people earrings would be something to cheer up the winter months. I used the tat beads as inspiration and only slightly shortened the arms, legs and skirt to achieve these earrings below.

Pattern uploaded!

Thanks to Sarah for the gentle reminder about the rabbit - I've now uploaded the full pattern to my site. 

Here's the link.

There are now 74 rabbits on the TIAS site here.

Playing

That's right - playing - just playing!!! 

I wanted to try out the diamond pattern to see how small it would be when worked in a size 80 thread. I wanted to know just in case anybody asked!! Not that they have and probably never will!!! Anyway, after I'd made this a few weeks ago it went missing!!!

No, this time it wasn't under the scanner - it was put away 'safely' as it may be needed for another day. More about that when I know more about that!!!!

This is the diamond pattern which can be found here. There are six of them joined together and the little doily measures (from point to point) 3½".  I did think it maybe useful to know what each single diamond felt like with regard to making earrings from the pattern but have decided that number 80 may be just a BIT too fine and 'bendy'.  I like earrings that will keep their shape and not be so flimsy that after a few wearings they will bend.  Heavily beaded earrings do tend to keep their shape well but it would be too fiddly to add ears to this pattern in too many places without taking the thread off the shuttle in at least one place.  

Beaded Shuttle

Today I've managed to get my act together and finally upload the shuttle design that I did for the Fringe Element lessons last September. This is a derivation of the one I did before and if you go to the web site and to the Motifs and Snowflakes section you'll find the original sitting right next door to the new beaded one!!! 

It may sound easy to 'just add beads' when designing but you know me - I don't like cutting and tying after each round and wherever possible will design in one 'hit'!!!!

Anyway, here's the link in case you want to try it at any time. I think it would make a lovely brooch but I haven't 'quite' got round to doing that, yet.

Two hearts

A friend 'round the corner' sent me a text a couple of days ago asking if I'd make her a couple of hearts to give as gifts. I'd given her one at the bunting making session a few weeks ago. I asked her what colours she'd like and she said one in silver and one in purple. 

The purple is some of Eda's thread (think it's Penny) which I HWT'd with another fine purple thread (origin unknown!). The silver is one of the Altin Basak range which is called Nakis Simi and again that's wound with another fine filament. I really like the Nakis Simi. So, both done and dusted as the saying goes!!!

Rabbits

People say that some things 'breed like rabbits'!!! Well they're certainly breeding in Tat Land!!!

So far we've got 56 of them on the Tat It And See blog which is here.

Wonder if there'll be any more before the end of the week?

Lovely surprise

A hanky. A pretty, pretty little hanky.

Now you're dying to know where this came from, I'm sure. Well it came with my latest copy of the Handy Hands newsletter. That's where it came from.

Now, about 35 years ago when there used to be a market stall on the Friday market which stocked hanky blanks I bought a load. In those days they were like hen's teeth and really hard to find. I've gradually worked down my stock of these although I do have a few left. I'm now no longer 'liking' them as a lot of them need to be 'squared off', cut down slightly and re-hemmed to make them useable. It's really nice to have a hanky like the one below which is beautifully hemmed and just 'ready to go'. I'll be looking through my stash of Lizbeth 80 soon to find the 'right colour' to use on it. 

Of course with the Newsletter came a chart of all the Lizbeth colours and the books that Handy Hands stock too. That company knows how to keep an old git happy for hours studying it!!!!!

By the way - I'm not an employee of Handy Hands but have been lucky enough to have had a colour or two chosen by them for the Lizbeth range. I think that's why I get the newsletter and it's a lovely surprise when it pops through the door. I rarely, rarely get post nowadays as I do everything online so a big, big letter like that is cause for celebration. Well, Nick celebrates too as it keeps me quiet!!!!

Good news

Well, I think it is!!!

I remembered to re-stock my shop on Saturday. The poor old Etsy shop has been neglected for a month or so while I've been busy 'playing' rabbits!!!

Here's the link to the shop - please feel free to browse.

Four years ago

A family and Tat Land lost a dear lady.   Gina fought her cancer throughout that long winter and came out the other end being told the disease was in remission.  Sadly, so sadly pneumonia set in and she died.

I miss her and always will. We chatted lots (via email) throughout that winter and she was always cheerful and never complained.  Her blog is still live but obviously not updated since. For those who have never heard of Gina - do read her blog.  This will give you the sense of who she was.  Kind, gentle and such a clever, clever tatter and artist.

A last heart

I think this is the last of the 'Abbi's Hearts' that I've done. I scanned them all and gave them away to friends at the 'bunting making' group. 

This one was done using Eda's thread. It was her Penny thread that I've had for a while. It's delightful to work with and gives a lovely firm finish. 

Oh, the bunting group. That's a group of us who are getting together on a Tuesday morning to make bunting. Our two roads are great at having street parties and any excuse will do - usually a Royal one. 

We're going to string the bunting up and down the street. We're hoping to get a closure notice so that we can bring tables and chairs out. Oh, the excuse this time is the fact that it's the Queen's 90th birthday in June. Let's hope she doesn't let us down!!! 

More of the same

Well I say more of the same but these are different, of course!!!

Just two more HWT motifs. A couple of people have said that it's also known as 'blended' threads but that makes my poor old brain think of them being put in a kitchen blender and zapped. YIKES.

Whatever anybody likes to call them I think they're lovely. In just a few balls or cones of threads I've got enough to make zillions of motifs.

HWT

Now having spent days playing with Eda's threads I decided that I needed a change. Still haven't decided what I'm going to do in tatting as my next project!!!!!

This time I'm using HWT threads. Now, anybody who's just got into tatting may ask 'what the heck are HWT threads'. Well sit back and I'll tell you!!!

The answer is simple - it's Hand Wound Thread and in my opinion, gives a much subtler variegated thread than a lot of the 'normally' variegated ones. Sewing thread is what I've used for the two motifs below although any threads can be used and even different thicknesses.   

I take a plain colour and a variegated one and then I wind them TOGETHER onto the shuttles. There is a certain 'skill' to this although it really is simple. The way I do it is to hold the two threads together.  The knack is to make sure you hold the threads firmly while winding so that they wind onto the shuttle without leaving any slack in either thread. The effect this gives is stunning. I love playing with HWT!!!!

It's a RABBIT

This is the last day of the TIAS 2016 and the link is here. Please - even if you haven't taken part publicly and even if it's months since the TIAS started I would still be grateful to receive your completed rabbit. By gathering them all in it gives me a 'certain incentive' to run another TIAS next year. 

Well as you all know now - the Tat It And See turned into a rabbit this year. Why a rabbit? Well I was getting to the end of my tether hearing Maureen going on and on and on about the result of the TIAS each year being a rabbit!!! Teasing you, Maureen. Thought I'd give her a shock and make her one. Maureen had what can only be called a 'bad year' last year resulting in the fact that we didn't meet up in Canada as hoped by both of us. So - she double deserved a rabbit. 

These are two that I made during the process of finalising the pattern. The reason I was able to go ahead with the pattern is because one day my granddaughter came over one day and saw a green trial on my table. She looked at it and said 'I like your rabbit'!!! Result - if a seven year old can recognise a green bit of tatting as a rabbit then it IS a rabbit!!!