On the way

BE WARNED. I'm on the way!!!

No, not the men in white coats coming to collect me but me going to AMERICA. Yes, I'm delighted to say I've been chosen to teach at Palmetto Tat Days in September!!!! In fact you can now see a list of all the teachers who will be there. Some friends from past years (and via the internet) and (hopefully) new ones too. 

I've just 'stolen' the logo off their site and put one of the designs I've had accepted below it too.

 

Another day - another round!

Here's the new doily now with a second round on it. Believe it or not - those are the same colours on the outside as on the centre. Weird, isn't it?  Looking at it again - no, they're not the same colours!!!  Really MUST get BC3 to help write blog posts!!!

I think I'll do another doily now - just to test the pattern before I put it on my site. Well, that's an excuse really as I've so much enjoyed doing this one I really 'need' to do another. Next one will be in size 40 thread, though. Why? Well I'm in the mood for size 40!! Simple!!

What I really like about this design is all the negative space it's generated. Makes it a whole lot lighter. It's still very firm, though.  Pity I didn't block or press this before I showed it to you but I will with the next one.

Monkeying around!!

I decided years and years ago that I wanted to try some Amigurumi but I'd never quite got round to it!!! A few weeks ago I found this pattern on the internet and fell in love with it!!!

I thought it might be a bit ambitious for a first 'go' at this type of crochet and I was sort of right. Ambitious it was but I'm VERY glad I took it on as I learned a lot. A great BIG lot!!! Thanks to the designer who is Sharon Ojala it was a relatively easy one to make. I liked the videos she linked to too. 

Now I think I know who will like this monkey and next week MAY see it leaving chez nous!!!!!!

You were right!

Those who guessed it was going to be a doily were right. The Fandango Doily.

Now this may look an easy addition to the central part but it wasn't. The corners had me well stumped and several 'takings out' and re-tats were needed.

In this picture the top left corner doesn't look right but that's probably because I flung it on the scanner on the way to bed. Sally isn't keen on the two colours next to the centre and I must say I wasn't at first. BUT I think the next round will make it 'OK' - when I've decided what I'm going to use for it, of course!!! Decisions take time and I get easily distracted too!!!

Can you guess?

I wonder if anybody can guess what BC3 is up to now? 

Go on - I challenge you to work out what that devious little beastie is playing at!!!!

Another session!

Baubles seem to be taking up space in my tatting world at the moment!! I really HAVE to decide what I'm going to do with them soon. 

Somebody suggested they could be used as zipper pulls but I don't think they'd stand up to the wear and tear of that type of use. I've got a brooch which I wear on my winter coat (this one) that's made of the closed baubles and that might be where I'll head with them eventually. BUT I still 'need' to make more, don't I? An OG needs to have plenty of choices when it comes to assembling a brooch, doesn't she? 

Have I talked myself into more baubles? Time will tell, of course!!! Meantime - this is more of Karey's lovely HDT.

Three words today

Here it is!!!

I can tell you one thing - this was NOT an easy pattern!! Well the tatting part was OK but the thinking of what to call it was a total NIGHTMARE!!! I'm absolutely hopeless at naming things.

This isn't (hopefully) the end of this adventure as I want to make certain 'alterations' to the design so it's more 'snowflake like'. Time and inclination will tell if this does happen, however!!!

Finally!

Finally got this out of my system!!! All I've got to do is think up a name so I'm asking for help with that.

I really, really struggle with names for patterns but once this has been 'Christened' I will put it on my site. Eta came up with a possible one but I'm still not sure. So, PLEASE, if you've time can you help the OG and BC3 to get it 'named and shamed'?

Patchwork

This is what I was hinting at yesterday.

Back a few months ago one of the neighbours had a great idea to make bunting. Our two roads are really good at having street parties and we use the Queen as an excuse - if only she knew!!!! It's a great time as we have a road closure put in place which I mentioned here and some of the group can be seen here.

The bunting is finished but we had lots of scraps left over so some silly OG suggested we made a quilt to auction for charity. The gang (some of whom hadn't sewn for years) have worked hard to make the seven hexagon rosettes. I've been bringing them home with me to put together which is taking up tatting time but is GREAT fun too.  Here are the first 18 sewn up with another 18 waiting for me to get done before next Tuesday morning!!!  

Now there are three

Yes, now there are three and they don't make much sense seen like this!!! I decided I needed another stronger colour for what may become the centre of a doily. 

Well, sometimes I make good decisions and sometimes very poor ones!! Time will tell - or, rather, more motifs will tell.

One or two people have commented asking where the pattern is for this. Well, it's still on my computer - mainly cause I didn't think it was really different enough to upload to the pattern pages, I will, though, if people think it's worth it. I'm going to develop this idea further for a Christmas snowflake but time is running away from me!!! I seem to get myself involved in too many things and that's what's happened to me lately. More tomorrow on that subject!!

A change of direction!!

I know I'm incorrigible or, (roughly translated) the owner of a butterfly brain but I DO love baubles!!! I've got quite a collection of them now but no hard and fast decisions on what to do with them. 

Have I told you about the 'bunting group'? Well we've got a group in the road (and the neighbouring road) making bunting to string up along the street for the Queen's birthday in June. 

In this road it's a matter of ANY excuse to get a road closure and throw a party. The beauty of these occasions is that there's no worrying about the drink driving laws as it all 'happens' on your own doorstep!!! It's a good idea to make and wear a badge on these occasions - one with your house number on. 

You may wonder why? Well so that if you can't remember where you live somebody can post you back through the letterbox if you're wearing your number!!! Interestingly - our house number is the same as my age will be in October!!!!

Now I have two!!!

First of all - there's another new rabbit in the warren!!! This time from Carol but missing the carrot as you can see here he's got something naughty instead!!!

Today I'm back playing with the little motif I showed you last week.  Again I'm using Karey's HDT which I LOVE as you've probably realised by now!!!!

A few more!!

Yes, I'm pleased to announce the arrival of a few more rabbits!!! They're here on the TIAS blog.

They have hopefully not appeared on here before in their finished state.  I've checked but you know that I'm liable to distractions and forget regularly what I'm doing!!!!  Same with projects - I even manage to finish patterns and then forget them and it can be months before they get uploaded!!!!

Fandango bookmark

Here we go - another diversion!!! Yes, I'm incorrigible.

This time it's a Fandango bookmark which is made with HWT (Hand Wound Thread). 

For those who haven't heard me wittering on about it before - it's any two or three strands of thread wound onto the shuttle together. In this case (IF I remember rightly) it's sewing thread and just two strands. 

This is the link to the pattern. Sadly it's one of mine - just because I'm forever checking my 'stuff' for mistakes or improvements that I can make!!!

You just NEVER know!!!

Going live shortly - a batch of Pop A Bobbin Shuttles in my Etsy shop here.

Every few weeks I wander into one of the book shops in town. I always buy any tatting books - just to save them from being forever 're-cycled' into the tip. 

Yesterday when I went into my favourite shop I found this book (below). Yes, I've already got a copy myself - bought it back when it was published in 1973. I just can't abide leaving tatting books in shops. So, what do I do with it now? Goodness knows!!!

It's been a trip down memory lane looking through it - I recognised one or two patterns I made up. Back in those 'good' old days there was a great dearth of patterns and I used to buy anything that had patterns in. I've still got all those original purchases including pages ripped out of magazines that either myself or my gran salvaged.

Ah, time to get back to this century and leave the past one behind!!!

Another of those motifs

Here's another of the motifs - this time with the same Karey variegated thread but this time a cream to go with it. Tat's a LOT better, I think. 

Now to see what else I can do with it!!!

Shuttles coming soon

I have more of the Pop A Bobbin Shuttles to put in my Etsy shop sometime towards the end of the week.  

In this batch is a new wood called Imbuya (below).  I gather that 'im in the garage' has a bit more of this wood but not a lot!!!  Well, I think that's what he said.  Here's the list of what will be available.

POP-A-BOBBINS

1 YEW £18.00

1 ROSEWOOD £18.00

2 SYCAMORE £18.00

2 SPALTED BEECH £18.00

3 IMBUYA £20.50

3 ZEBRANO £20.00

1 VIOLET ROSEWOOD £20.00

3 JARRAH £20.00

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!!!