Day 9 - out NOW!!

Here's day 9 with just two more to go!!!  

Please just check before you go on that you DID join the last part of the last chain to ring 4 on the top of the (dare I say it?) wing!!!!

Here is where I mean - see the highlighted part of that chain.

Ch: 5 Lj (vsp last Ch above join btwn R12 & R18) 1 + (p above R4 – holding it on to p of the Lp’s) 6  Lj  (1st vsp last Ch) RW SS

Thank you to everybody who reassured me yesterday that they were managing TIAS.  It was SUCH a relief.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear

I'm worried.  VERY worried.  My inbox isn't quite empty but it's not heaving with finished day 8's like I expected.

Is it because everybody in Tat Land had given up on the TIAS?  

Is day 8 too hard or is it because it's badly written?

Is it because it was just a 'Friday' thing and nobody's had time to do it?

Is it because nobody wants to play anymore?

I wish I knew.   

All answers on a postage stamp to moi!!!!!!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear

I'm worried.  VERY worried.  My inbox isn't quite empty but it's not heaving with finished day 8's like I expected.

Is it because everybody in Tat Land had given up on the TIAS?  

Is day 8 too hard or is it because it's badly written?

Is it because it was just a 'Friday' thing and nobody's had time to do it?

Is it because nobody wants to play anymore?

I wish I knew.   

All answers on a postage stamp to moi!!!!!!

Day 8 out NOW!

Just when you thought you were on the 'home run' here's day 8 with a few 'twists and turns'!!!!  

As usual - if you have any problems just email me on lovetotat @ gmail.com.  I'll be here to help - promise!

Also after this I will be 'hotting things up' as a lot of people have guessed what you're making.  

So, depending on how tomorrow goes my timescale will be 

Day 9 on Sunday

Day 10 on Monday

Day 11 (last one) on Wednesday.

Talking about Aero shuttles!

An interesting comment on Aero shuttles has been made on Fox's blog here.

I did think about sending out the 'tat police' to arrest Fox for murdering an Aero shuttle  but then thought better of it.   She is after all a tatter!!!!

It reminded me of the one I've been using for about six months now.  I've scanned it to show you.  This is an England Aero but it has a crack.  Can you see it on the first picture?  It goes nearly the whole way across the shuttle.  I cannot bear to part with it until it has finally fallen to bits.  I use it constantly and push the bobbin in and out as usual.  It's still got the right tension, the hook is fine so why should I throw the poor wee thing away?  Then I see murder being committed on Fox's blog.  Ooooooh, I grieve!!!

Day 7 - TIAS

Here we go - another day and another part of the TIAS!!!!

I'm sure that somebody will guess today - unless, of course, they have already guessed right.

OK I will tell you now that I've had two correct guesses but I'm not going to say who or what they said.  I will tell all when we've finished!!!!

Secret Santa arrived

My Secret Santa package arrived last week.  Yup, it was late BUT that was really good because it was a surprise!!!   Also nobody else had one last week so I was the only one to be bragging!!!

I'd convinced myself that it was totally lost on it's way from 'wherever' but it arrived safe and sound and it was from that all time one off STINKER called Erin!!!!!!   I'm calling her a stinker cause she teased me about it unmercifully saying that there was a ransom note from her postie on it too.  

What was in it?  As we say here in the little old UK - 'everything but the kitchen sink'!!!!

Here's a picture for you to see.  There will be more on this subject at a later date.  Believe me, Erin, there will be more!!!!

A coincidence!!!

T'other day I was browsing the blogs (as an old git HAS to do to avoid doing the dreaded H word) and was looking at the HDT's on offer.  I'm a fussy OG when it comes to variegated threads so have never really been that interested until I saw celery by Yarnplayer.  This one caught my eye.  I've got some lovely Lizbeth threads and others in green but really you do need an variegated one for leaves as I found out when I was playing with the beaded one a week or two ago.

Well, having convinced myself (yet again) that I didn't 'need' more thread I wandered off to other blogs.  Well, imagine my surprise AND joy when a packet came from Sue Anne Scriber on Saturday with - go on, I know you're better at guessing this than the TIAS - yes, some celery HDT in it.  Not only 20 but 40 AND some sugar maple in 80!  There were two wee butterflies that Sue Anne had made out of the celery and which confirmed what I'd guessed - there is a lovely graduated colour change in the dying.

Oh in the picture you'll see some chocolates there.  Ummmmm, there was one more but it got 'lost' on the way upstairs to the scanner.

Thank you, Sue Anne for the surprise package AND especially for the lovely letter which came with it - I'm still blushing.

Day 6 now added

Good Sunday morning to all in tat land!!!

I've just added the link to day 6.  This, along with days 7 and 8 will be slightly more challenging as you do a few changes of direction and adding in and taking out of your THIRD thread.  After day 8 the rest will be 'plain sailing'.

Please don't give up now as you are roughly half way and I'm sure you will like the result!!  I will be here to offer advice, support and extra drawings should they be needed.

Happy tatting!!!

P.S.  I thought I'd just add the following comment from Isa after she'd done day 6.  I asked her (because she was SO fast) whether she'd had any problems.  This is what she said:-

"Yes the was a little difficult but I read all the instructions very carefully twice and after I understanded all.

I'm so happy with this play because I'm a begginer. I'm learned in May 2009 to tatting. Today I'm addicted to tatted every day. "

Day 5 link is now 'live'!

This is the link for day 5.  Hope you enjoy this one - after this things change!!!!!

Re-inventing the wheel!

Well sort of.

I'm working on something new and part of it involves this wee sample.  

I did it one way and (as usual, having a butterfly brain) as soon as I'd finished I thought of a better way of working it!!!  So I decided to do just that to find out what the difference would be.

Can anybody spot the difference?  Same stitch count.

Day 4 is out

Wednesday morning and I think it's now time to release day 4!  How do I know this?  Because my inbox has quietened down!!!  There are one or two to add to the blog but I felt I ought to drag the aged bones out of bed early to post the new link and I'll sort the drifters in later.

There is no such thing as 'being late' with doing the stages of a TIAS.  Take it all in your own time.

A useful piece of information!!

Yesterday while 'sorting through' and listing the TIAS offerings I visited Isa's blog which is all in 'foreign'!!!!  

Thankfully I noticed a google translating gadget on there so clicked on that.  WOWEEEEE.  It all suddenly became English.  THANKS ISA.  I've now put a gadget on my blog so that anybody can read it - if they're brave enough!!!!

Day 3 now up on the links

Let's see if I can get the links right today!!!  For those expecting another boo booo on my behalf - sorry!!!!

Here's the link for day 3!!!  Remember this is a 'new start' but please don't lose the other part which you've put to one side!!!!  You WILL need it later!!!

Up-date!

Well I let myself down yesterday - I made a mistake on one of the blog postings - took me most of the day to find it too.  Thankfully Katie V and Wendy told me about it and Sally pointed me to the right place.  I've been trying to say thank you to Wendy but my message keeps bouncing.  So, thanks, Wendy from here!!!

What had I done wrong?  I'll explain!!!  As we're snowed in (I did manage to stagger out and get milk and bread 'on the hoof' yesterday) I thought I'd have a lie in and read in the morning.  So on Thursday evening I did a draft post but put in the link for day 3 by accident!!!  DUH, where IS my dear number 3 when I need him!!  So a few people picked up the wrong link.  I will NOT be doing draft posts again on the TIAS unless I've had a glass of red wine beforehand which might help, of course!!!  

I did explain to myself that it wasn't really the 'end of the world' as I'm not charging for this so in the end I gave myself a good whack on the bum, smiled and got on with the day!!!!

Tomorrow is day 3 and a whole new 'part'!!!!

Day 2 now available!!!!

Still 'snowed in' here in my part of tat land.  Beginning to go 'stir crazy'!!!  Who said that I'm already crazy?  I know I am!!!

Anyway, here's the link for day 2.  Now that everybody has got into the swing of it I think I'll be 'hotting up the pace' for a few days although things do get more 'challenging' later!!!!!

Only 1, so far!!

This is the first of a set of 3 small crosses which will go in my Etsy store later (or tomorrow).

I'm really enjoying doing these but need soon to get back to designing!!  I've got a brilliant idea (with a nudge from a friend) for another ............

It snowed so I Etsy'd!!!!

Yesterday it snowed here.  Why do I mention it? Simply because it's a rare occurence here in this town.  Even 10 miles away people can be badly affected by snow but not here!!!

So, that's got the boring bit out of the way so now to tell you what I got up to while it snowed!!!!

First of all I launched the Tat It And See and all went quiet.  VERY quiet!!  Is that good or is it bad!!!!!

I decided to list some crosses that I made over the Christmas period on Etsy.  You can find a link on the sidebar to the shop.   I am VERY pleased with these.   There's one with a flowery centre, a Celtic one and an Iona cross design.  I'm not going to put these on my site for a while as I may offer them to other places first.  We'll see!!!!  I used some of Lyn Morton at Tatting and Design's threads - two sorts wound on the page together.  It required care to tat them but well worth it.

TIAS - Link to Day 1

OK, here you go!!!!!  I'm putting this link on both blogs just so that I 'catch' you all!!!!  

I will publish all comments and work in progress on the other TIAS blog which can be found HERE!!!

Here's the link you've been waiting for.  Happy tats to all!!!!

All about shuttles

Yesterday I rambled on at length about not needing shuttles to tat with and how tatting is basically manipulating the thread 'as is'.  But when making a larger item it can be useful to own the odd shuttle or 100!!!

Well, today I'm going to ramble about something dear to my heart - shuttles!!!  I started off in tat land using the Milward shuttle as that was all my gran and I could get our mucky mitts on!!!  I loved the 'dip' in it but not the separate hook which usually found it's way down the side of the chair never to be seen again!!!  I then 'progressed' onto the Aero - which I still use and also the Silent Tatter which again I like loads.  BUT I now have another shuttle.

This one is the prototype that Sally's husband is making in their garage.  I haven't told you before because it was sort of TOP SECRET but now I'm going to share my opinions of this shuttle.

Well, it's light, it's wood and it feels great.  During the design progress several improvements have been made and the latest design (which I saw and held yesterday) are really lovely to hold and use.  Nick (Sally's husband) is even making the hooks to fit in the ends!!!!  There's a lovely 'finger dip' in them too.

We've been discussing marketing them and are thinking about doing that through my Etsy shop.  When that will happen will depend totally on the temperature in the 'factory' - AKA Sally's garage!!!  You can't lock a guy in a freezing garage!!!

More to follow on this subject!!!!