A girl has to do what a girl HAS to do!!!

Now most people know I'm not married but live happily in a muddle with my dear partner.  This means that the threat of divorce doesn't hang over me - once bitten twice shy in both our cases.  BUT this doesn't mean that a relationship doesn't have 'those moments'!!!  So in order to avoid one of 'those moments' arriving I felt obliged to tidy up my tatting stuff yesterday!!!  It does tend to migrate somewhat!  I decided to put the books (well over 100) tidily on the shelf as I tend to take them out, look at them and put them back on top of the others!!  I came across the leaflets (about 50) that I've collected too and then decided to dispose of the duplicates.  As the title says - a girl has to do what a girl has to do.  So I spent yesterday afternoon listing them in ebay.  The reason I've got so many duplicates is because people tend to list them in clusters and sometimes there are leaflets in a 'cluster' that I want so the others become duplicates.  

I also got part two of TIAS 4 done and I know what it's going to be.  It's a miniature Eiffel tower (or Blackpool tower!!!).

I got the earring finished too and a rough draft of the pattern.  I'm not sure if folks will want to wear this idea as earwigs as they are rather large!!  I know I will but if not they could make them as zipper pulls, decorations for handbags, brooches - almost anything.  

Brain cell # 3

Well he (brain cell # 3) finally got a result late last night.  I don't totally like it yet so will take # 3 to one side and have a word with him later!!!!

It took all evening to achieve this one sample!!  The reason?  Brain cell # 3 kept wandering off into the other room so by the time I went to bed I'd decided that this was something that was going nowhere!!!  Looking at it again in the 'cold light of day' I can see that it has great potential.  Let me explain.

The centre motif is easy.  You do have to tie and cut but that should be the only one in the whole thing.  Actually covering the brass ring and including the central motif is easy but it took several attempts to get this right.  I've now got the 'recipe' for that sorted.  

What I should've done is put 1 bead onto the pink thread on the shuttle so that I could include a bead before the bottom pink split ring.  Then all you do is leave threads dangling.

The next round is just SO simple - rings and chains.  What I should've NOT done here is try to be so flipping clever.  I don't like that long beaded picot at the bottom.  It sucks big time.  I shall miss that one out on the next attempt.  I will have to add more doubles to the chains too.  Another mistake I made (and had to retro tat) is where I put the hanging LBP.  The first time I did it I put it on a chain instead of above a ring - dugh!!!  I think I'll probably use a second shuttle here and make a ring with the jump ring added.  

IF brain cell # 3 works properly this evening (and it is a wine drinking evening!!) then I should be able to get him to fathom a way of finishing the motif without sewing ends!!  That's the plan anyway.

Arrival of brain cell # 3!!!

Well the pink dolphin and seahorse didn't stick around for long!!!  They were snapped up out of Etsy and are well on their way to the USA!!!

I started Sherry's TIAS 4 and have one thing to say.  Just one complaint/criticism. It's VERY dangerous to tell old gits like me to 'put aside for future use'. VERY dangerous!!!! I just know I'll lose it. Well done, Sherry - looks good but so far no guesses - unless it's a basket!!!  OR am I just a 'basket case'?  Answers on a pin head please to lovetotat at gmail.com!!!!

OK I started on another idea yesterday evening.  If you take a look at the brown earwig beneath you'll see that this was made on a brass curtain ring - one I made some years ago.  Not sure where the pattern is but I think it's on my site somewhere!!!  

Anyway, having learnt how to cover a ring with knots I decided to give it a whirl the 'modern' way - I don't like the ugly brass showing through.  First of all I made the centre purple part.  I then added the beads to each picot.  Next I took the tail end of the green thread through each picot to sort of 'lock' each bead onto the picots.  Next I used the shuttle end of this thread to cover the brass ring also working over the tail running through the picots.  This locks the purple centre to the inside edge of the ring - firmly and neatly.  

In the purple/green scan on the left you can see that I haven't put enough knots over the brass ring.  The next one shows an improvement but I think I still think I need more ds.  Using the tail end I've next worked a small SR to take me to the outer round - but knowing me this could and will change.  

Now why do I bother to cover a ring when this could be made by just tatting round the purple inner?  The reason is because I cannot stand 'bendy' earwigs.  Mine have to be very firm but pretty.  On other designs I've relied on beads to help keep the shape but sometimes there are 'other ways'.  I'll play with this again and although it might sound hard it's really VERY simple and I'll draw it out when I do the pattern.  

Hmmmm

First of all I managed to get round to listing the pink dolphin and a few more roly poly bags yesterday in my Etsy shop.  The orange with purple flowers bags are really bright!!   I was tempted to keep a set but will part with both - I think!!!!  As it rained again most of yesterday I did quite a bit of computer stuff and also managed to make a banner for my shop!!  That was a big step for me!!!

Below are my tatting achievements for yesterday.  The orange and pink was going to be earrings but after you've looked and laughed it will be cut up and recycled.  Talk about major boo boo!!!  IF only I could read my own patterns!!!!  I didn't count how many beads to put in the centre of the first ring on the SCMR so that put the whole pattern out!!!  Actually it would've been too big for an earwig anyway!!!  I used a no. 80 with a sewing thread but next time (IF there is one!!!) I'll use just the no. 80 as I know that'll work!!!!  As a consolation to myself I made a sequin motif.  This one uses two sorts of chains.  First the lock stitch chain using 1st half flipped second half unflipped and then the other chains are 1 double flipped followed by 1 double unflipped.  I'm quite pleased with this so may add it to the sequin page as another alternative.

      

Well, somebody had to do it!

Somebody really, really had to do it so I thought it might as well be me!!!  

I had this terrible and dreadful urge to make it so in the end I gave up trying to resist 'the call'.  I know that I'm classed as being 'slightly odd'.  Eccentric might be a better word (well, more 'upmarket') but I actually prefer the description of 'stark staring bonkers'!!!  So, I did it - a pink dolphin.  There, I said it - A PINK DOLPHIN. 

I got out the thread (well, actually the pink was already out from making yesterday's seahorse and was already being used on the second one below) so no excuse not to.  I made the dolphin to list in Etsy as a sort of 'would anybody really, really want one' but I must admit that I love it and will have to make another for myself!!!  I'll list it later (along with the seahorse) and then make another this evening!!

Reports are coming in from my 'snouts'  in Palmetto and apparently the roly poly bags were successful.  Whooooppeeeeeeeeeeee.

   

Fiddling around and talking to myself!!!

First of all thanks to Tattycat and BJ who have awarded me the 'I love your blog' award.  I will add seven people later when I've done my 'duties' for the day (dad's housework etc)!!!!!

I finished a seahorse last evening and another is on the way too.  One of these is for my Etsy shop and the other is for a present.  I'm going to make another dolphin for the shop too and then a pair of earrings that I 'have in mnd'.  

The 3D dangly flower is sitting looking at me waiting to be finished too but I'm not inspired in that direction at the moment.  

Yesterday I finished off two roly poly bags and matching pouches but again am waiting to find the 'inspiration' to put them in the shop.  It takes quite a time to do the listings - it's the 'tag' part that really annoys me!!!  The rest I can copy and paste from something that's in the shop already but the tags - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Not a lot to say!!!

This is silly.  I've not got a lot to tell today!!!  I've done a lot but nothing new or earth shattering to show.  

Yesterday I made some more roly poly bags and pouches.  Not the ones below but others which need finishing and photographing.  What else does an old git do when it rains constantly?

In the tatting part of my life I finished the basic 3D flower but it needs 'mounting/hanging' and  there lies a problem.  I've tried a couple of ideas but I'm not happy yet.  It also needs more beads.  I'm also still working on a birthday card.  No, tat's a lie.  I did nothing towards it yesterday cause I forgot!  I did some more to the baby booties in the evening and that's all!!!!

These are the bags I finished the week before my grandkids arrived.  They're not on Etsy yet and I'll probably not list them for a while until I've built up stocks.  Unless, of course, somebody wants them before then!!!!!

          

New bags!!!

Here are some previews of the new bags!!! I'm not 100% sure of these yet but one thing I can say is that they're easy to use.  I've  made the top wider than the bottom so you don't need a telescope to see to the base and what is in there!!!  The one on the left and ini the middle is the larger one and the other on the right is a smaller version.  I've lined them so they could be reversible!!!

          

New book on the shelf

Yesterday I got a new book.  This is so new that the ink's still wet!!!  Well, not really but you get the gist!!!  It's about tatting with the double bobbin shuttle and is by Sheron Goldin.  It's a really comprehensive technique book with a few patterns in to show how these shuttles can be used on loads more patterns.

I know it's going to be available at the Palmetto tat days this weekend and then afterwards from Sheron herself.  I can give you contact details if you write to me.

More roly poly bags and ........

Yesterday I made two more roly poly bags and also tried out another idea for bags.  I made these other bags (1 large and 1 small) out of some fabric that I don't like!!!  When I'd finished them I couldn't make up my mind whether I liked the idea or not!!!  Now, is it the colour of the fabric or the actual design?  I used a regular design but have modified it slightly to give a wider top when opened out.  This should (well, it does, actually) give easier access to the contents.  I'll try and take a photo today and show them tomorrow.  

Tatting.  Well I'm back working on the 3D flower again.  I've repeated the one I did in that grotty green colour with the yellow beads.  This time I've played with bead numbers, added more to joining picots and actually used WHITE thread!!!!  I went to the cupboard to get the stuff to tat late yesterday afternoon and couldn't decide what coloured thread to use and as I think this design will be more about the beads I picked out white.  Anyway I also played with the next round but there are SO many options for this I think I'll do another trial before the 'real thing'.

     

Spanish dancers

The working of the drawings and text are going well.  The text is finished.  I now have several 'heads and torsos' hanging around in tat corner but managed to finish both dancers yesterday evening to my satisfaction!!!  Next I have to check the drawings and finish off the web page.  This is where I lose interest again and am raring to go on the next idea!!!

In the afternoon I managed to finish off two more sets of roly poly bags.  I have another two sets to finish today and have thought out (and made in newspaper) the beginnings of an idea for another useful little bag.  This just needs me to work out a few more glitches before I make a 'proper' one.  I think I'll make this design in two sizes.  

Ah, here are the 'happy couple'!!!!

Yesterday I did ............

Well first of all I worked on the Spanish lady drawings.  It's amazing how much you can achieve when you get to this stage and how the text helps the drawings and vice versa!!!!  I've uploaded the web page that I also started so now I can tat what I've done from that.  Always a good sign if you can understand yourself, I find!!!  Mind, I don't make a lot of sense sometimes!!!

One thing that will be new in this pattern is how I've made the head for the lady.  This is a ring on a split ring but the ring is a different colour.  I've put the drawings below as a 'taster' but they may not make 'sense' without the text to go with them!!!! You'll have to wait for tat!!!!!

In the evening I sat and did a re-tat.  DUH, don't like the skirt anymore so will have to re-re-re-tat tonight!!!!  I doubt anybody will notice the difference but I'm not happy with the centre of it.

I also managed to cut out and start to sew some more bags in the afternoon.  SO good to get the sewing machine out again.  Loved having the boys but also good to get back to normal.

          

Normal service will be resumed!!!

After a hectic week I'm now back in 'tat mode'!!!!  Tat corner had to be cleared but it's now getting back to it's usual cluttered state!!  That's after just one evening!!!

I'm currently working through the text for the Spanish dancers and will start to do some drawings later today (with a bit of luck!).  I might get delayed by roly poly tat bags as I need to replenish stocks in the Etsy shop!  We'll see.

Today I've added the page I'd got ready before the invasion.  It's just how to make a ring on a split ring.  A friend asked for help with this so I was prompted to draw a page up.

Latest project

I haven't had a lot of time to tat the last few days but did do this the other evening.  It's 3D and is going to be a flower (with a bit of luck!).  The centre ring is actually a small metal split ring (like those used for key rings) covered with ds.  The colours I've used are A1 grotty but were readily available in tat corner!!!

I'm now wondering if the green motif I showed on Monday might form another 'layer' to this fantasy flower - with added beads, of course!!!!  I can see this working with pretty threads and beads and with that 'improved' way of adding beads to long picots it's just so easy to play with colours as you go along.

Tatting with a head in the way!!!

First of all the good news.  Remember me telling about the photo site where some of our well known designers work (as in books) had been uploaded and left open for all to see and download?  That post is here.  Good news.  Google has been told and has taken it down.  

Have you ever tried to tat with a head and a mop of curls in the way??? Not easy. We have two little grandboys here at the moment and the smallest (who looks just like a curly headed pixie) is here for his first stay away from home. I'd left some beads in a container (child proof, thankfully) and he found them. He found a couple of shuttles too with thread on so he wanted to know what they were for. Eventually I had to show him - he really does have a mind of his own - so we settled down in a chair with him on my lap. I wrapped the thread round my left hand and gave him the shuttle. He made the stitches and I flipped the flip!!! I've no doubt he'll never pick a shuttle up again but it was mildly amusing for twenty minutes to see him try!!! If only that head full of curls hadn't got in the way I could've seen what was going on a lot better!!!!!!!

Next project

The next project I want to do will be for pure pleasure. At least I hope it will be!!!! I will blog this one in progress and will write the pattern down too. Not sure if it'll ever get onto my pattern site - I'll leave it to see if there's any interest.

A few weeks ago there was an exhibition in our Civic Hall. This time it was by local wood turners. The Civic Hall (not the Town Hall, by the way!) happens to be on my route into town so it was very tempting to wander in to have a look. I bought three small wooden vases. Now these are for presents eventually but need something to 'brighten them up'. I'm hoping to do a flower for each. Not a 'stand up' sort of flower but a 'droopy' fantasy sort!!! Well, I know what I mean!!! Hopefully it will work!!!!

I did this last night for a 'tester'.  It's nowhere near what I hope to eventually finish up with (this is some nasty coloured thread that I'm trying to 'use up') BUT it has lead me to think of something 'new' for an earring out of it.  Well, out of the first row or two.  I've squashed it on the scanner but  it actually is sort of 3D.  The first 'ring' is worked as in covering a cabone ring but this time I worked over one of those tiny split rings (like a jump ring but without the gap).  Fewer picots on this (2 fewer) will make it more 3D and nearer what I'm looking for.  

There may be a 'gap' in my blog this week as an invasion of grandboys is happening!!!

Am I thick?

All answers on a postage stamp, please!! Actually I know the answer - YES!!!!

Dare I admit how long it's taken me to make a slideshow on this blog?

OK, yes, I'll confess. Weeks. Yes, weeks. First I tried to do it using Flickr, then I tried Photobucket (well, I'd got accounts with both of those!!!). No luck. In desperation I set up a Picassa account. Eureka - this worked first time (well, almost!!). I still don't know why the other two accounts wouldn't work but I think it might be because Picassa may be the default account to use with blogger. I'm no nerd by any means. Actually I'm more a dren (nerd spelt backwards!!!). Still, it's working so I can now add more pictures as and when I want or need to play!!!

Now, the lover!!!!  Here he is finally in all his 'glory'!!!!  What a dashing pair!!!

Sorry, no progress!!

Yesterday I did nothing, well no tatting as I had too much other stuff to do and by the evening (and after a glass of the red) I was feeling toooooo lazy. Life gets complicated at times and I've been hurt by somebody who I used to consider a friend and who I've helped a lot over the past year or more. I'm at a complete loss as to why but shit happens and life goes on!
On a separate issue. A tatter in the UK sent me a url where a lot of my images from my patterns had been uploaded. Now this is an odd situation to be landed in. Let me explain.

I put patterns on the internet so that others (if they like) can download and use them. I expect no reward for this and no payment. When I find that my images have been taken and put on a photo web site then I wonder why. What would be the reason for doing this?

I have, over the years, put my images onto a couple of these photo hosting sites but I don't allow others to 'see' them without inviting them to. With Picassa, Photobucket, Flickr etc you can 'choose' who sees them.

OK, so this is no great deal for me (images being taken) although I wonder what they've been linked to. BUT when I see on this same site that my friends and others have had entire books scanned and uploaded for anybody to see/use then my blood boils. I'm not going to give the link as that would be acknowledging that this form of copyright theft is OK.

Many thanks to the friend who pointed this out to me. Already one of those affected will be taking action against this person through their publisher.

The lover and his problems!!

Now working out a new design always has it's problems but in my case most of them suffer at one time or another from a lack of concentration or tiredness.  Oh, could that be old age too?!?!?  

Do take a peek at the Spanish dancer's lover.  I finished this one (apart from his hat) on Wednesday evening.  Poor chap.  I think he'll need a walking stick as his one leg is longer than the other.  Could he be the original 'Long haired lover from Liverpool' or perhaps just 'Daddy Longlegs'?!?!?!  All suggestions are very welcome!!!!  Please keep them clean, though!!

When you look at him carefully and count the rings there are the same number on each leg.  Something has 'gone wrong' in the crotch area.  I hope to explore this later today.  I worked up another 'lover' and got to the stage when I was down the first side of one leg.  That, I felt, was a good time to stop and wait for brain cell # 3 to arrive for his weekend break!!!

The old bag lady strikes again!

Now while I was sitting in the waiting room awaiting my turn to see the nurse on Monday afternoon I was tatting as usual. For years now I've found that waiting rooms never have a bin for rubbish!! So, here I was with my bits of thread yet again and nowhere to put them.

Not only that but I've been using a small (and getting grubbier!!) plastic bag to put finished butterflies in. I thought, yet again, that I really have to take myself in hand over the way I work in these situations. I thought (don't forget that I only have 2 regular brain cells and thinking makes them hurt) - this needs a bag!!

So, on Tuesday I set out to try and make one to cover my 'needs'. You'll see what I've made below but I'm not happy with this design yet!!! (Sorry about the poor quality pictures). It's sort of a mini roly poly but with a drawstring top. I've put a small 'pocket' on the outside for 'bits' of thread to be pushed in until I get home from the vets (sorry, I mean doctors/hospitals) but I'm not happy with this yet. It's fully lined but it is a bit too small!!! I'll have to have a re-think on this one!!  It's got to be small enough to fit into the roly poly but not tooooo small.  I think it may just need to be a bit taller but with the same sized base?  Any suggestions would be welcome - even (and especially) funny ones!!!