Making up my mind

Now that's an impossible thing to do as I'm a real ditherer. I need nagging/prompting to make decisions but once I make them I act!! I really couldn't decide which colours to make the next snowflakes out of - thus the dithering.

Today I've got two more of the Snowflower pattern to show you. The green is a variegated cotton thread but the red is polyester.

You may ask 'why' or 'does it work' - mixing the two types? 

Well the answer to the first question (why) is because I'd got the green cotton thread out to work with and forgot a contrast. Rather than get up and potter back into the other room I grabbed what was sitting on the table next to me and that happened to be the polyester thread which came from Edda. 

I've not tried 'burning' the ends as recommended but automatically sewed in the final ends.  Not a problem at all!!!

Something else I did yesterday is to stop all notifications from the tatting Facebook groups. I was finding it was generating too many emails which distracted me from other things. I only really 'pop' into Facebook in the morning or when the rare email tickles my interest!!! I'd rather tat instead!!!

Another project finished

Do you remember these flowers that I made sometime ago? I asked if anybody knew what or why I'd made them? Well here's the answer!!

First picture is the back of the brooch. You'll see that I've made a circle of tatting (chains only round one tiny ring). I did two of these rounds joining the second one to the first but before I finished I inserted two plastic circles to keep the shape rigid. It's amazing what you can do with plastic milk containers!!! 

Forgot to say - I sewed a clasp to the back of one of the tatted circles before joining the second one to it. 

When everything was done I sprayed with Scotch Guard to keep the whole thing clean. Why? Well it's going to be worn on my winter coat!!!  

In fact (as of yesterday) it's now on the coat and I'm now having to wear it as it's gone very cold.

Dora's progress

More progress on the Dora Young doily on page 15.  My original post is here.

Actually this isn't hard to tat but it's hard trying to keep track of where you are!!!  I'd appreciate somebody inventing satnav for tatting but meanwhile I'll stick to my coilless safety pin and 'good old' BC3!

As I said - it's easy but it's wise to keep counting the number of picots you've got and now the number of chains too. As you can tell by progress - I'm REALLY enjoying this experience and can't wait to try another pattern from the book.  Meanwhile I've GOT to finish this one and won't allow myself to start anything else before it's done!  Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

An apology

I apologise to all who were upset by my blog post the other day.. I thought someone had done a similar design after they had seen mine, but I was mistaken. They had 'got there' by their own means.

I would like to point out that I was in no way accusing anybody of copyright theft, please take time to re-read my original post. 

I guess I was excited to see a pattern I recognised. The whole situation got very personal and out of hand which has been immensely hurtful to all parties and this is not good for the tatting community.

Over the weekend I seriously considered taking down my site as it would appear that the only valuable designs are those that are paid for and that free ones are under valued. I decided not to as it’s something that I enjoy doing.

I will not be publishing another design based on my original but will (in time) add a technique page showing how I added the beads to the centre of the one I did.

Finished and two patterns available.

Well in the end dear Nick solved the problems I was having with Pages and EazyDraw.  Not sure what he did but he 'bullied' Libre Office into working!!!  Every time I exported as jpg's from EazyDraw and inserted them into Pages they came out really blurred.  Horrid wasn't the right word for them.  I spent hours agonising over settings etc and in the end gave up.  Quietly, and while I was out, Nick sorted the problem.  No idea how but he did.  Same drawings but no blurring with Libre Office!!!  Go figure as my American friends would say!!!

Now the top snowflake today (the Snowflower) is done with a cotton HDT thread but the outside plain pink is polyester!

The bottom one is made with Eda's metallic thread - two colours, naturally.

So, does anybody want the pattern?  Well here's the link to it.  I've updated the main snowflakes, motifs and doily page too.  WHEN I found that my original had got itself stored on the cloud and not on my computer.  I must've had a ditzy day yesterday!!!!

NEW Star and more snowflake talk

Yesterday I finished another star (below at the top) which now has beads in the centre too.    Here's the link to the new one.  I'll be updating the main motif page when I get the Snowflower Snowflake done.

The lovely thread on the snowflake at the bottom is one given to me by Phyllis Schmidt and is called 'Daybreak'.  This was another gift from Tat Days. I was SOOOO spoilt this year. 

I've outlined it with a plain colour on the second round - with the inevitable beads too!!! Thank you, Phyllis.

I'm working HARD on finishing the pattern but I've had a glitch or two.  

I've been working with Libre Office (free software) for years and just lately it's refused to work on the iMac (works just fine on the laptop!) so I've started using Pages.  I'm not a happy bunny but I will work through this somehow!!!!

Sparkly star

When I saw this post the other day I thought it looked rather familiar!!!! So, off I went on a voyage of discovery.

I found it here!!

This design must be at least twenty years old now and is now on it's third re-generation.  The first generation of this was done on a fancy metal finding and was submitted to a magazine along with three others.  The findings were quickly unobtainable so after a few years I decided to put them onto cabone rings (second generation!) which are easily obtainable and thus the pattern on my site was 'born again'!!! 

Now having seen Frivole's 'take' on the same one I thought I'd re-re-revisit it once more (third generation).  SO, in a couple of days time I'll get the pattern up on the web site - for free, of course!!!  Meanwhile I may tweak the centre but I quite like the shapes I've got here.  Maybe I'll make those chains a bit longer/shorter?  Who knows.  

The thread is some I had from Eda and it's lovely to work with.  The beads are so, so glittery too.  Sadly the scans don't give the true sparkle.

Two people to blame for this

As you know I was so, so kindly given a copy of Dora Young's book a couple of weeks ago by Patti Duff and I cannot leave it alone!!!! I am forcing myself to do snowflakes in between but I simply HAD to start another doily - this time it's the one on page 15. So, I name Patti as the first person to be blamed!!!

The second is Bestitched who dragged me away from my promise NOT to buy anymore threads at Tat Days. 

I was doing pretty well on Friday and Saturday and only bought 3 balls of 'essential' colours that I was short of. Then on Saturday evening/Sunday morning they announced a price reduction and 'sadly' this packet of pastels 'fell' into my bag!!!! 

Those who were around at the time were astonished that I chose these plain pastel colours and at the time I had no idea what I was going to do with them either. BUT the blue was the first choice for the page 15 doily.  Oh, these are size 40 which is my new favourite size!!!

Snowflakes are falling off my shuttles

Well here's another one!!! I think they're improving.

The thread is from Sue Hanson who gave it to me at Tat Days. Isn't it pretty? I did the centre with Sue's thread and then outlined it with a plain orange on the outside round. 

The motif is made with three shuttles. Well, you can get away with two, really.

Now with beads

I thought it would look better with beads but in this case a bad choice of colour as they don't show up very well!!! Still an interesting try. 

Better luck next time, old git!!!!

Copyright theft again

Very apt after yesterday, I feel!!  Yes this pattern is copyright theft and/or plagiarism but I'm claiming as my own.

Why? Well cause I've stolen it off my own site. Well, sort of.  I was sitting trying to think up something truly wonderful for a giveaway for this year's Christmas and was totally in the doldrums over it.  Nothing particularly inspiring came to mind so I decided to use something I'd done before and play with it. 

Actually at this stage (and this is only an early one so far) it isn't a lot like the original pattern (just been back to check). Obviously it needs beads and obviously I need to draw it and write it down AND it needs better thread colours but I don't think it's too bad for a first attempt (well, apart from the other trials that went in the bin!).

Copyright notice

Found this on Facebook the other day. I can't remember who posted it or which tatting group it was on but I think it's GREAT.

I might add (very selfishly) that I'd hope it applies to those who give work away too.

Crochet gloves - the start

I have a 'thing' about gloves and socks. I love knitting them. I never wear the socks I've knitted so I've banned myself from knitting them. I also struggle with knitting gloves too as I use four needles and suffer with that gap you get at the base of the fingers. In tatting we call that gapsosis and I feel that's a good name for my knitting problem too.

So, I decided this year that I'd have a go at doing some crochet gloves. Thereby started a long adventure on the internet looking for crocheted gloves. Yes, there are patterns aplenty but not many that are offered in 4 ply (sock wool to you Americans!). Most crocheted gloves seem to be in thicker wool. In the end I found this pattern which is WONDERFUL. Just what I wanted (not sure of the flappy bits on the finger and thumb) and the instructions look clear.

Oh, did I say they looked clear? Well, yes they are BUT they're written in 'American'. As you know that means different terminology to the English patterns. So, it's time to learn a few new skills and new terms too. That should keep me quiet in between frustrations of doing the TIAS!!!! 

Here's the start on glove number one. The bottom picture is the true colour of the wool - the sun came out before I took the top photo!!!

Talks and tatting

On Friday evening I gave a talk on 'The Life and Adventures of the Anguis Fragili" to the local group of Spinners and Weavers. 

No, I'm teasing - it was on tatting, of course.  It seemed to go well in that I didn't have to poke anybody in the audience to keep them awake and a lot of them were smiling too. 

The consequences of the talk made for an extremely untidy lot of tatting. I must admit that when I've finished a piece of tatting I fling it in a box which lives in the cupboard. Consequently when it came to preparing for the talk I had to take EVERYTHING out of the boxes to decide what to take. Then when I got home I decided I really HAD to take myself in hand and put everything away in a tidy manner. That took ALL of Saturday and Sunday mornings. Must say I do feel better for having done it. I now need to make sure that when I've completed a piece in future I make myself put it away properly. This tidying up has only been waiting for half a century (or more) to be done!!!

Before I left for my American adventure I started another Fandango square. 

By the time I got back (or was it shortly after?!?) it was in this 'state'. I'm hoping to carry on with it but have lately got diverted by something else!!!

Dora Young finished

Here is the Dora Young doily - finished!!! Meant to show you this the other day but, of course, I went and forgot!!!!  I actually finished it a week or more ago but guilt hit in and I realised that I'd have to get BC3 onto the TIAS or I'd be in trouble with people in January!!!

I even added the outside optional row to the doily to give it a sleeker edge. I'm SO pleased with it as I feel it really does 'finish it off'.  I've not been this excited about a tatting book for years as you've probably gathered.

Having said that - I do LOVE my Houtz brothers books (particularly the bauble one) and Martha Ess's books too (Critters and Toys are my favourites).  I've also got the latest Houtz triangle book to play with and Martha's toy book but I really, really need to keep focussed on the TIAS!!! 

Thinking about the baubles book it's time I made another mouse or two as some lovely beads that Jane K gave me in Canada last year are waiting and BEGGING to be used for mouse eyes.

Do you think I'm rambling today?  I think I am so please forgive me and blame it on old age!!!  I'm now 73 - had a birthday earlier in the month.  That means I've been tatting for 60 years.  

This evening I'm giving a talk to a local spinners and weavers group.  I'm DREADING it as I tend to ramble!!!  Do you think they'll put it down to old age too?  I do hope so.  I'll tell you about the talk and whether I survive (and the group too) on Monday.  Meanwhile it's back to the TIAS!!!!

Shuttles

Shopping with Joanie is fun, fun, fun. She knows all the best places and when she doesn't she finds them so easily. Her hubby is a great shuttle shopper too!!! 

Below are the shuttles we found on our travels from SC down to Fl via St Simon's Island near Brunswick.

The wonderful Aero (in the packet) was given to me at Tat Days - would that kind person please stand up and wave, please? 

The wooden one was a gift too - from Nina. I'm dying to use that one as soon as I need to use lots of beads.

THE book

You are NEVER going to believe this. It was an ordinary day at Chez Eborall when the postman came and delivered THIS. That turned it into an EXTRAORDINARY day.  Nick wondered what on earth was happening when he heard me squealing with delight.

This came from my dear friend Patti Duff.  Poor Patti has been nagged by me for years and years about re-printing her Mini Tats book - it's a wonder she's still speaking to me.  If you're reading this, Patti please consider that another 'nag' about Mini Tats!!!!  Thank you, so much  for the book and for the lovely, lovely letter too. It made me cry. 

I'm sorry, Heidi but I don't 'need' the re-printed version (due next year, folks) but I WILL still have a copy as I have nagged you so much. 

Now I'm in a total quandary. As you know I usually run a Tat It And See in January but this year poor old BC3 has been struggling to think up an idea. At the weekend I noticed that a French tatting group on Facebook were talking about the TIAS and when it was due to 'happen' again. 

YIKES - that gave BC3 a touch of the heeeebeejeebies. Two days later and several ideas had finally arrived but which one and how do I start. This is always the hardest part - the idea and how to start. I've so far done four starts and a fifth is going to happen soon. BUT this new book is SUCH a temptation. Please, please keep me on track with the TIAS.

WHAT?

Now what's this going to be and why am I making lots of flowers? 

Does anybody have any idea?

Temptation

Got the better of me!!!! 

Joanie gave me this link while I was with her. 

Of course I just couldn't resist making it!!! It's done in Aran wool - two thicknesses too. Hard on the aged hands but well worth it. I had to translate it from American into English but I enjoyed making it. What am I going to use it for? Goodness knows!!! Maybe it may just get left lying around the house as usual until somebody remarks on it and I give it to them. I just have this unbinding 'need' to make!!! Make anything out of anything and when I run out of ideas? I make mischief!!!!

A new member of the club

This dear little mouse arrived yesterday from Bernice. 

Here's the link to her blog post and her mouse is now living in the Exclusive Tatting Club (link to the page at the top).

I always smile when I see the name of Bernice's blog - Knot Vortex!!!! I wish I'd though of that name for mine as it seems to reflect my life in Tat Land!!!  A definite whirlwind of threads and knots!!!