Crochet

Now while I was ill last week I didn't do anything but as I was recovering towards the weekend this crochet project came in VERY useful.  Last time I showed you it was at this stage.  Then a short while later I thought I’d finished as I thought I’d used all the yarn.  Being a ‘little untidy’ I then found more of the yarn in the ‘wrong’ place which threw me back into the project.

I was glad of the extra yarn but why?  Well it kept the old knees nice and warm while I was doing it!!!! I've now used it all up and it measures 33” approx square. 

Obviously it needs pressing but that will have to wait until the weather warms up as it’s still keeping my knees warm as I go back to my shuttles!!!

Now for some tweaking!

Still strange colours for a llama but heck, what else would you use this colour for?!?!

An improvement on the ears and I don't think the butt looks so bad now but there'll be another test tat in proper llama colours next. 

I'm getting the pattern together slowly too. I think this is one of the fastest designs I've ever done - only a few samples rather than the 12 or so it usually takes. 

Perhaps I'll one day become a proper tatting designer rather than a 'hit and miss' designer. One can always dream.

Bet you'll guess now!!!

To save myself embarrassment I'm going to tell you that this is a llama!!!

I continued with the start I made the other day and am quite happy with this attempt although the ears aren't quite right yet. I'll work on those as they need to point further forwards. Also it looks as if he’s got a hole in his butt but that maybe down to the wonky colours I’ve used. 

So, I’ll work another in strange colours and we’ll see what happens then!!!

The idea for the llama is down to my youngest daughter and a shopping exhibition with her and 11 year old Abbi. Abbi is obsessed with everything to do (or wear!) with unicorns on and I remarked to her mum that I wondered what the next craze would be. She said llamas!! After that I've seen llamas everywhere!!!

Just when you thought

Before I start today I’m going to warn you I’ve taken action against the spammers who are plaguing me with up to 25 comments a day.  I’ve put word verification on the settings so please don’t let that put you off commenting - your input and fun are so, so welcome.  

Also just when I thought things were going well it's back to the start again!!! 

I wasn't happy with yesterday's attempt (which actually happened over the weekend before Christmas) so it was another re-start!! I tend to just grab shuttles with any thread available for test tatting which accounts for the strange colours you get when I'm in designing 'mode'!!!

Any more guesses today?!?!?  NO, Maureen - it’s NOT a rabbit!!!!

A bright idea!!!

OK - I’m back I hope.  I wish I’d had the right flu jab back in October but there you go - can’t win ‘em all!

Here we go - a new idea about to happen!! 

This is the first tat of this 'bright idea' which isn't too bad. In fact, for me, it's pretty good. 

Shall we make this a quiz? 

What is this going to be? No, not a TIAS I'm afraid but it would've been good for doing a TIAS. Anyway, no prizes but a bit of fun guessing!!! What will tomorrow bring?

I know I said

That things were now back to normal but my aged body says not!! 

I’m hoping tomorrow will be the ‘new normal’ but that depends on whether this cold/flu/sickness thing has gone away.  I’ve got things to show you but not a lot and as I’m not doing anything at the moment I thought I’d keep stuff until I’m able to cope again.

New hat

I'm back!!! Wonder what next year will bring, eh?

I was wandering round one of the Christmas markets the other week and I spotted some hats. I have problems with hats as I have a small head. Yes I know that I don't need a bigger one as there isn't a lot inside the one I've got!!! BC3 rattles around inside that boney space without any other company.

I decided I needed a hat. I went round and round the markets looking and looking.  Really, really needed one that covers my ears in case it gets cold this winter. So what did I do? Came home without buying one.

As I was walking around I remembered I'd got some yarn left from a huge ball I bought from a store in Canada. So when I got back I started looking online for a pattern. Got bored with that after half an hour and found a crochet hook, the yarn and sat down to make a 'hat from thin air'.

I made a crochet chain and a few rows, tried it on and it was too big so I pulled it out, made a shorter chain and started again. This was fun to make and I didn't have any further problems til it came to decreasing. How many and at what 'rate' should that happen. Actually it wasn't a problem as I had a very convenient head to try it on as I was working!!! Least that's something I can't lose easily - my head!!! So, after an afternoon and evening's work I had a new hat which is warm and I like too!!!

Start of third Coriolis

Having been so, so disappointed with my colour choices on the last Coriolis I decided to start another!!! I can never leave anything alone until I'm totally happy with it!!!! 

I'm hoping to make another six using different colour ways and than maybe even another round after that. Bit ambitious as I may well fall out of love with these colours in due course!!! Who knows.

I'm taking a break from blogging next week as I want to concentrate on my new idea!!! There'll be plenty of time while 'watching' the telly which is a skill I'm hopeless at!!! 

So, see you after the Silly Season!!!

Progress after problems!!

Remember this post with the throw that I started?

Well things progressed and I reached this stage not long after. 

Then things went pear shaped!!! I noticed that shortly after the first picture that there were two holes where there shouldn't be holes!!! Yes - calamity had struck again!!! Is this yarn fated or will BC3 simply HAVE to be replaced and if so who is going to step up and take his place?

I could've sewn up the two holes that shouldn't have been there but I didn't. You can guess what I did. I spent two days unwinding it all back to the boo boo's and then set off again!!! This is where I am now!

This Way That Way Motif

Before I start.  I had 23 anonymous spam comments yesterday and all but one were on a post I made back in 2009!!!  I find it annoying but also amusing as the comments are so obviously not thought out and whoever is doing it is simply wasting their time. Delete, delete, delete!!!!!

So today I’m showing you yet another motif which has been updated mainly because I hated the colours of threads I'd used previously!!!

I'm really loving these colours together and may have to make another. 

Of course this can be varied as the 'odd' SLT here and there would make it even more interesting to a butterfly brain like BC3's!!!!

Here's the direct link.

Block tatted motif - Coriolis

Back in November I started on another of those whirly motifs and during odd moments while out and about I've managed to finish another six!!!! Here is a picture of the first one which I showed you back on the 19th November.

Sadly by the time I'd done 3 or 4 of these I was out of love with the colours I've used!!! 

Nothing to do but throw away what I'd done or carry on!!! So, BC3 being BC3 he just carried on. Still not happy with it but I've started another now!!!

I asked Sue to test tat this (or did she ask me?) and she's also come up with a stonking GREAT name for it. The Coriolis. Here's an article to explain what that is!

Another re-tat!!!

This week MIGHT be a quiet week in my corner of Tat Land although I seem to have got a few things to show you.  Enough for my daily blog posts from Monday to Friday!!!  

Stop yawning - you don't HAVE to read them if you don't want to!!!

The main reason for a little quietness is because I'm busy on a new idea!!! Also I've lots of other things I'm working on too but which aren't yet ready to show!!!

This is the small motif on my Motifs and Snowflakes page. There really wasn't a lot 'wrong' with it but I HATED the green one on the link page so simply had to re-tat it and that meant reading the pattern and that meant BC3 needed to do the odd alteration!!! Never ending but still fun. 

Here's the direct link to the pattern.

I really really needed

Some new earwigs!! I mean earrings!

Now if you believe that you’ll believe anything. I think I’ve got more earrings in my bedroom than worms in my compost bin but an old git can never have enough pairs, can they?

I decided that the day before yesterday’s tiny snowflake just needed more beads to make it a little more sparkly and some findings to make it ready to hang from the aged ears!!! So, in the space of an hour or two I had a new pair of earrings.

Interestingly I’ve been wearing them now for a couple of days and people have actually commented on them. 

We had a party for the residents in our street on Tuesday lunchtime and two neighbours arrived in Christmas tree earrings that they’d bought off me. I’d been wearing my pair since the 1st December so it was a change to wear snowflake ones.

Teeny tiny snowflake

Back into definite snowflake 'mode' again and this one has been played around with too!!! 

This is the link for a quick and easy snowflake. An old pattern of mine with a new look - well, a beaded one anyway!!!

Here's the link.

Tiny star OR snowflake

First of all a notice to the 19 ‘anonymous’ people who left comments on yesterday’s blog - don’t bother.  You won’t get published.  If I’ve accidentally deleted a genuine comment then I apologise.  It is quite amusing to think that people who leave comments like those would even think they’d get past BC3’s eagle eyes!!

I did warn you that it was snowflake week and I bet you didn't believe me!!! 

This is another star/snowflake type motif that needed a new picture and, of course, that led to beads too!!!!

Here's the link for a quick Christmas tat!!!

Snowflake week!!!

Yes it's officially snowflake week in my corner of Tat Land!!!! I'm on a roll with updating patterns so nothing new but hopefully a lot of improvements!!!

This is another re-tat of a snowflake I did waaaaay back in 2004. I totally HATED the image on the pattern site so have been trying to get round to sorting that out since forever!!!!

This is the link to the pattern where you'll also notice that I've tinkered around with it a bit!!!!

Another cat!!!

Yes another Pam Palmer cat. They're now ready to give as a little Christmas present and are 'sitting' (or rather, lying) on a hand towel. 

Can you see - I remembered to give them whiskers too!!! Proper looking cats!!!

Further progress on the throw

Just a quick post today to show I've not been lazy!!!! I'm really beginning to love this throw - or whatever it's going to be!!!!!

Another test

This is another of the Silly Silly Snowflakes that I did. 

I'm a real fusspot when it comes to getting things like this 'done right' without mistakes. So, then tell me, why is it I'm always making mistakes in my patterns?!?!?

The variegated thread is some of Karey's and the maroon is a Lizbeth thread. 

I think this motif was a hard one to design as it must've been almost the first time I'd used a ring on the second side of the split ring. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?

How can anybody resist?

My friend has just become a grandma for the first time and I simply HAD to make these lovely bootees for the new little girl.

They're in this book (see top picture below). 

Not very good photos, I'm afraid.

It was a real fiddle to make these but SUCH a fun pattern. I LOVE fiddly things as they're such a challenge!!!