August Snowflake

A little more progress has been made on the pattern for the August snowflake and I hope to get it up onto my site later this week. It takes so long as there are so many things to be checked before I get it 'up there'!!!

Over the past year or two I've ditched the free software available to use on a Mac to make documents and have changed over entirely to the software that comes with the machine - Pages. I'll admit that I've tried it several times over the years and have never been happy with it - until now. It's unbelievably simple to use and I love the way I can move my drawings around without having to set everything in 'tables'. Of course this new (to me) software has taken time to learn!!!

Anyway, here are three of the August snowflake motifs now put together. I suddenly decided to reverse the colours on the top one to see what it would look like. It will form the centre of the mat/doily, I think!!!

Done and put in the wardrobe!

Well that didn't take long. Mainly because I didn't have to fiddle around playing 'hunt the right buttons' or 'hunt the press studs' or even 'hunt the right thread'!!!

Not sure if it was obvious in the picture the other day but I'd also ironed on the stiffening for the cuffs and the front band. 

Preparation seems to be the right way to go - just a pity I don't do it every time. Now that the local fabric shop is shutting down (there were two but one's gone already and the second will go in a few weeks) I think I'll have to be sure that when I travel to buy fabric I need to also remember to buy the odds and ends to complete the project. 

All in all I'm really chuffed with my two new tops.  Now for the cooler weather to wear them!!

Sock it to me!

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to buy slippers (my last ones saw three years of service) and time to knit socks.

Story about slippers. The slippers I've had for three years finally fell apart at the seams. They were from M&S (Marks and Spencer) so I went and bought another pair exactly the same. That pair lasted a whole week before falling apart so they went back!!! 

The picture is of more wool that I bought in Canada and the first sock 'on the needles').   Terry kindly split the ball for me so that it was half and half. She showed me that I needed to start in exactly the same place on the second sock to the first sock so that was my first task - to work out both starting places. It's the same brand of wool as these blue socks.  

Again I'm knitting in the continental manner which I'm getting quite fast at.  I've taught myself via YouTube (love that place) and find it so much quicker as it's more like crochet.

I'm just hoping I don't catch a dose of SSS and that I do manage to complete both socks. SSS? Second sock syndrome. I read that this is a disease that sock knitters can catch. Must check with my GP to see if I can get an inoculation to prevent it!!!

A beaded fish

Now I've been nattering with my lovely friend in Canada and she's been on a mission to find information on one of my patterns. 

This is one of the missing patterns that I found eventually lurking in the depths of my computer. Like the Ipsy Dipsy one it was 'lost on the computer' for, I think, roughly eight or ten years. 

It's a fish. Well I thought I'd better tell you what I think it is in case it's not a very good likeness!!! Here's a link to the pattern which is now on my site and hopefully won't get lost again!!!

IF I had a brain I'd be dangerous!!!

Ready, steady, GO

This was the 'state of play' at the end of the week before last.

All cut out and awaiting time (and inclination) to sew!!!

This is the other piece of fabric that I got last time we were in Birmingham. Can't wait to get started but need that space of time to get into it. Don't I look well organised? I've got everything out and ready to go. Not my normal method of working I promise you!!!

 

Still working on this

Now before I get this pattern onto the web site I thought I'd test out a theory!!! Well, not really a theory - just an idea of BC3's!!! 

I was wondering what the August Snowflake would look like when several were joined together. Well, here's the answer - so far. I decided to go with the same colours as I'm enjoying the look of them but am also wondering whether I can do anything else!! I'll have to have another think about this. I don't want to fill the negative spaces as I really want to see how they look after several have been joined together - although I suppose I could always go back and fill them later! We'll see.

A hedgehog story

Now in our town there are two youngsters who decided a few years ago to try and help hedgehogs.

The hedgehog species is declining in numbers due to modern life and they need a little help. These young teenagers have been taking them in, making sure they are fit and then releasing them back to the wild. Hedgehogs are not pets - they're wild creatures.

Last week they brought three of the recovered hogs to Lifeways which is just down our road. Here's a link to tell you what Lifeways is. Behind the house is a HUGE garden and this is where the hogs were released. The manager at Lifeways is an avid supporter of conservation issues and welcomed the three hogs. One neighbour built homes for them (should they decide to stay) and they were let loose.

This, of course, made me want to make the manager a tatted Houtz hog so that's what I did. Then another neighbour deserved one so again - that's what I did!!! I forgot to take pictures before those two left me!!! Then another friend feeds hedgehogs at her house in a nearby town so I've made her one as well but this time I remembered to take a few photos!!! First the tatted one and then the 'real deal'!!!

Look what I found

My friend from 'down the road' and I went on a trip to Birmingham two weeks ago.

Another friend had told me about another fabric shop which I'd not heard of before so that was where we went to first.   Barry's Fabrics.   Almost as soon as I walked in I spotted 'just the right' fabric for a winter top.

I didn't take any pictures of it before I pinned the pattern on or while I was working on it either.  Not sure why but I think it was because I just wanted to get on with it!!  So, here's the finished top.

I must say it's a lovely warm 100% cotton and I'm hoping that we may go back in a few weeks although I did buy another piece of fabric to make another top. Here's the first one done!!

Where does it go?

I'm asking about time, actually.  I need more than 24 hours in a day to get everything done. 

This is the snowflake pattern that I was asking for names for. I've decided to call it the August Snowflake. A great suggestion from one of the commenters.

I've started making it again while I'm still trying to get the pattern fit to fly onto the web site. This time I've chosen very 'not Jane' colours but I really, really love how they look together.

This one is in a size 40 thread. The lavender colour is a Lizbeth one and the yellow is an ancient Coats thread. I do love size 40!!!

I promised!!!

I promised I'd tell you when it was available and now I'm going to do just that!!

Yes, Martha's new button book is available now. Here's the link to her blog with all the information. My copy is already on the way and if it comes in time before this goes 'live' then I'll show you more pictures of what's in it.

If you've missed previous posts on my test tatting of some of the designs then just search for 'Martha' on this blog.  I'm sure you'll find lots of inspiration.

More packing!

This is the way I decided to package the snowflakes that I've made for the library sale. 

I used this pattern to make them and the Lizbeth gold metallic to make them with.

I'm hoping as this sale will make people think of Christmas and that they'll buy them. Who knows!

The diamond project continues

And continues and continues!!! 

The end is nigh!!! No, not the end of the world but the end of the project.  I think!

I've done all the green diamonds so it's time to do an edging. I've got one and a bit sides done on this edging but I now think it'll need another row to make it a 'proper' edge.  You can see that I've left a triangular 'gap' where the two flowers meet on the outside.  I could've dived in and out of that triangular part but I thought I'd keep it to reflect the 'bare' diamonds in the rest of the project.  

I think a side takes me an evening but I'll let you know if I remember.

Posts maybe a little haphazard for a week or so as I've other 'stuff' to sort out but we'll see!!!!

Thank you brooch

Having struggled with (and finally done) the purple earrings and whilst I had the thread and beads out I thought I'd go in search of a two hole, one inch button.

I used to have lots of this size but they've mostly been used for similar brooches so I was VERY surprised to find I had just a few left AND a purple one too!!! Out it came and I used this pattern (with the new joining technique) to make the brooch below.

That new joining method may take a little more thought but it really does settle the join onto the edge of the buttons.  

Another mermaid!

Well, well, well. Whoever would have thought that another mermaid would arrive in late August.

For any new readers I must explain that this was a game I made up each year for everybody to play. The final one was last year (tenth year, I think). It was called the Tat It And See (TIAS) and a small portion of a new pattern was released every few days for free and for fun for anybody to take part in. 

I felt it had run it's time but that's not to say it won't happen again sometime in the future although I've got no plans for this next January. 

I digress - as usual, I hear you say! 

The point of this post is that I've had a new mermaid arrive from Axa. Here's the link to the TIAS blog and also to her post too.

Isn't packing boring?

I wish it was the normal packing that I do at this time of the year when I'm heading out of the country to America or Canada to visit Palmetto Tat Days or the Fringe Tat Days. That packing isn't boring at all.  

I'm really, really regretting taking this year off from doing a trip. Part of my 'reasoning' was that it would give me longer to prepare some interesting new patterns for next year but guess what? It hasn't started yet!!!!

The packing I'm talking about is for the sale in the library in October. I'm gradually labelling everything, pricing it and putting it in my suitcase to wheel down the road. I just hope I don't have a suitcase full to bring back home with me!!!

A sad sight!

This is the saddest thing you can imagine. The end of a ball of thread. Not just any ball of thread but one of my favourites. 

It was the variegated green that I used on these Christmas tree earrings. 

It's sad but also a sort of happy time too. It means I've now got a good excuse to buy another ball of thread. Now do I need anymore thread? Of course not.

But temptation is always there, isn't it? Fortunately there's a very similar colour combination in the Lizbeth range. It's number 138 - Leafy Green. I wonder if I've got any in my stash? Must check it out!!!

A 'not so new' new pattern

Well here it is!!! It is new to you but old to me!!! 

Remember I told you on Monday that I'd found two patterns on my computer? Here's one of them. The one with the ridiculous name!!! Ipsy Dipsy. 

I'm not sure why this hasn't seen daylight until now. I certainly haven't 'sold my soul' and the pattern which would then mean I lose my copyright. I just can't think why I didn't post this on the website before.

I'm easily led astray by another idea long before the previous one has been properly dealt with. I wonder if that's what happened - although I did have a few family issues to deal with around that time. 

Well, doesn't matter now as the pattern is done, dusted and flying round in cyberspace - whatever that is!!!  Here's the link to the pattern - before I inevitably wander off again and forget!

Thank you earrings

Remember all the findings and 'things' I was given? Here they are.  Well the person who handed them to me told me that the lady who'd donated them loved purple. 

Amongst the earring bits and bobs were purple shepherd's crook findings so they had to be pulled out to make the following.

Of course that took hours and hours as it's not easy to do such fiddly designs when you've nothing to start from. Not sure I'll do another pair just yet but if I do I've written down the pattern!!! I doubt anybody else would be foolish enough to want to do a pair like this!!

Thinking caps on, please

The working name for this snowflake is 'Snowflake 2018'. How VERY boring is that?

I'm wondering if anybody can come up with a better idea as I always struggle with naming things. Even BC3 is hopeless too so it's no good asking him!

I'm now looking at this and wondering if I could join the outer rings to make an ongoing mat? I really, really REALLY ought to finish the diamond project first but ...............

Names for this snowflake would be very welcome - the sillier the better as those names seem to stick with my brain!!! 

Which reminds me - I found a couple of interesting patterns in my computer the other day and one has the silliest name ever. I'm sure I must've thought it up as it's beyond stupid. More about that as I slowly get it (and the other rogue) 'fit to fly' on the internet.

Meet somebody new!

Two of the ladies were knitting hedgehogs at the Tuesday morning group a week ago and it was so, so tempting.

I asked for the pattern and they shared it with me but I've no idea of the source as it was handwritten. It's a pretty simple one so I'm pretty sure it would be easy to find somewhere on the internet but I though I'd just go with what I was given. 

The finished hedgehogs will go to a couple of teenagers who are doing a lot of very good work round Stratford with saving hedgehogs and they want knitted ones to give away. 

Here's an article that I found from the local newspaper.  They can happily have my little chap tomorrow via my knitting friends.