Category: bookmark

The Post That Was Never Posted

I know it’s been over a month since I posted last, but it wasn’t supposed to be. I had made a post just after Mother’s Day, then went on being busy. Including taking a little trip. How awful of me not to notice that I did not make sure it went live! So, here it is! And I’ll continue to work on the next one!

A few weeks ago I thought it would be nice to give a little something to each of my daughters for Mother’s Day (they are great moms!) We were all going to my mother’s house to celebrate with her so I would be seeing them. And my nieces. And my sister. Maybe I’d need a little something for them as well. Something quick and easy. Lucky for me, they all like to read, so bookmarks would be perfect.

Simple bookmarks on wandasknottythoughts
Mother’s Day bookmarks

I was trying something out with the purple bookmark. It didn’t come out as planned but I was not unhappy with it. The next one, in green Twirlz thread, started one way, and then I realized I hadn’t put enough thread on the shuttles to do the whole thing that way, so I changed it up a bit. After that, I decided to quit playing around and just get them finished. I like doing split rings, which work well for this type of bookmark, and they are quick. I missed taking a picture of the one I gave my sister.

After Mother’s Day, I was still playing around with bookmarks, trying different things. One of those ideas got away with me and became – not a bookmark. I was unhappy with how it looked, so I tried several other things, hoping to make it better.

Doodle on a button on wandasknottythoughts
Doodle on a button

I did not think to take pictures as I was making this. I did most of it while watching TV and without much of a plan. It started on a button. I thought there would be five or six arms, but it didn’t fit right, so I stopped at four. But it was quite ugly like that. The top eight layered rings were tatted in the manner of Ankars rings and then sewn to the button when done. It still looked bare, so I added the bead.

I like the ideas in this, but not the pattern of the bottom arms. I will ruminate on this and see if something more developes later.

I have several relatives graduating from high school and college that could use one of these bookmarks. And they fit well in cards. It wouldn’t hurt to have a few extras for when an unforeseen small gift is needed. I think I’ll make a few more.

“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” Roger Staubach

February Tatting

You know how life keeps happening? You go about your normal business and other things sidetrack you. Recently a young relative went through a sad event and I’m planning a sympathy package to send them as we are too far away to visit. We’ve also been invited to a wedding of some friends, which means a gift is needed. Emotional opposite ends of the happiness spectrum, right? It’s amazing how tatting can fit into both gifts.

I usually make cross bookmarks for sympathy gifts. My “Graduation Cross Bookmark” is simple and quick but still looks good. I started with that, then had an idea.

Green Graduation cross with edging on wandasknottythoughts
Green Graduation cross with edging

Lime Green (Lizbeth #679) isn’t usually a color I think of for a sympathy gift, but it was on my shuttles from a different project. Though the green was size 20 I didn’t have any size 20 handy that looked even close to good with it, so I used a size 10 in Ocean Teal Dark (Lizbeth #65). I played around with stitch counts and developed this edging around the cross. I liked it, so I made one in the colors I had wanted to make it in.

Blue Graduation cross with edging on wandasknottythoughts
Blue Graduation cross with edging

The center of this cross is Country Turquoise Lt (Lizbeth #660) (I think! – I lost the label) in size 20, and the outside is River Blue Dark (Lizbeth #709) in size 10. I finished the edging, cut and hid the ends, and THEN noticed I goofed on the last chain. I’m pretty confident I can fix it without much trouble, but, we’ll see. I think it looks good otherwise.

I had to think a bit to come up with a wedding gift. Then I remembered that a while ago the bride and I were looking at tatting online when she saw one of the doves from Frivolite con sabor and loved it, so I purchased the “Dove of Peace” pattern. I have completed one dove and plan to make another, then frame them to give as a wedding gift.

'Dove of Peace' by Frivolite con sabor on wandasknottythoughts
‘Dove of Peace’ by Frivolite con sabor

This is a lovely pattern, and not hard to do, I just had to pay attention! This will be a lovely gift! The pattern is on Frivolite con sabor’s Etsy shop.

At the beginning of February, it occurred to me that Valentine’s Day was coming up. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for Valentine’s Day, but I wanted to do something, so I started making several of my “January Heart”. I added them to a can for a touch of room decor, but what else to do? I thought it would be fun to have a pin to wear.

"January Heart" pin on wandasknottythoughts
“January Heart” pin

These hearts were tatted and then joined together with a bit of thread. You can see how fancy this pin ended up with that bare safety pin. LOL! It goes on and off of my shirt or jacket easily! I might make it a bit fancier for next year, but it worked for now.

Besides all this tatting, I’m staying on task writing out several patterns. I’m working on how to diagram a particular tatting technique. It’s quite challenging but also rewarding. I’m almost done with one, yay! 😊

“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” David Viscott

Busy, Busy

I have been very busy the last few weeks, which put writing on my blog at the bottom of my to-do list. I have done some tatting but I have not gotten anywhere on writing out any patterns.

League track meets and tennis matches involving my grandkids meant I was traveling a lot trying to make all of them. There were also a few events besides these that were all-day affairs, leaving me tired and hot (or cold) and uninterested in doing anything after making it home.

One of my grandsons was just confirmed into our church. This is not a sacrament or a divine ordinance, but a public recognition of a person’s instruction of the Word and confession of faith. In our congregation, this ceremony is done when the person is about 14 years old, after several years of specific study. I made him my April’s Cross bookmark with modified ends to celebrate the occasion.

April Cross Bookmark for confirmation on wandasknottythoughts
April’s Cross Bookmark for confirmation.

When making it this time I just didn’t care for the look of the ends of the original pattern. I like this better, but I spent an inordinate amount of time getting the stitch count to a place I was happy. I suppose at some point I may add this change to the pattern. My 14-year-old grandson was not all that impressed with this gift. I’m hoping that maybe someday he will appreciate it a bit more.

I haven’t been in the mood to do much in the way of starting or finishing my tatting projects, maybe too tired after all the events and traveling, but I did get some tatting done. The case on my phone is clear and plain. I’ve thought a bit of tatting would look good on it but have not done anything about it. The other day I ran across a ball of thread labeled Star Tatting Crochet in white/off-white. It looks to be smaller than size 40, maybe 70?

Old Star tatting thread on wandasknottythoughts
Old Star tatting thread

I tatted a small ring in the Star thread and another of the same stitch count in Lizbeth size 40.

Star thread comparison on wandasknottythoughts
Star thread comparison

It is definitely smaller than the size 40. I’m pretty sure that the old thread I’ve seen before was labeled 70, so I’m going with that. I made several doodles with it to see how it would look and fit in the phone case.

Phone cover with tatting on wandasknottythoughts
Phone cover with tatting

The tatting is not glued down to anything, but placed between the phone and the case. It is good the thread is so small as it causes the case to be not quite as tight to the phone as it is supposed to be. This allows the tatting to move a bit, but not much, and only in some circumstances. I’ll probably change the tatting in this if/when I come up with other ideas. This certainly changes the look of the case for the better and I’m glad I wasn’t too busy to try it.

“I don’t care how busy I am – I will always make time for what’s most important to me.” Kevin Hart

Making a few changes

I’ve been working on the ‘Iris’ cross bookmark I shared last week. I made a few tweaks as I worked on writing the pattern and tatted it again.

I tatted the original in size 10 thread, bigger than I usually work in. I saw the color and just knew I wanted to use it, and it was in size 10, so that was it. The cross came out the first time with minimal trouble. It ended up being six inches tall by six inches across, much larger than I think of as fitting in a normal book. I decided to make it in a smaller thread as I verified the stitch count.

Iris Cross bookmark in size 10 on wandasknottythoughts
Iris Cross bookmark in size 10

I usually tat in size 20 thread, which would make this cross smaller, but I thought that it might not make it small enough, so I made it in size 40. Which I don’t tat in much, either, so it took longer to tat it. But the end result is about what I was hoping for.

Iris v 2 in size 40 on wandasknottythoughts
Iris v 2 in size 40

The center of the cross has a wonderful pattern, but I was concerned that handling it as a bookmark would be too floppy. I added a picot to the corner chains to make it less floppy. While tatting in the small thread the ends of the arms didn’t come out looking the same as the original so I changed up the stitch count a bit there as well.

Iris v 3 in size 40 on wandasknottythoughts
Iris v 3 in size 40

On the next cross, I changed the stitch count at the ends of the arms again and they came out better, but I still wasn’t happy with them. The shuttle 2 clovers at the tips twisted a lot. This would be a problem if it were handled much.

Iris cross bookmark version 4 on wandasknottythoughts
Iris cross bookmark version 4

The fourth cross came out much better. The tips of the arms are more secure and less able to twist. I am also happier with the look of the ends. I’m wondering if I should leave off the picots I added to hold the center firmer. In the small thread will it be okay without them? I like the look better without that picot.

It is amazing how different the cross looks making it the two different size threads. What are your thoughts? Which one do you like best?

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.“ Alan Watts

New Bookmark

It’s spring, so it must be time for another bookmark. This time of year brings many occasions for gifts, and I usually include something tatted, often a bookmark. This year, one of my grandsons and three other eighth graders are being confirmed in our church. I’m making each of them a cross bookmark to celebrate the occasion.

Phoebe cross bookmark on wandasknottythoughts
Iris cross bookmark

As usual, I couldn’t just use a pattern I already had, I had to try something different. I do fancy how the center came out with this. It is made of size 10 Lizbeth #647 Purple Iris Dark and measures 6 inches by 6 inches, almost too big for a bookmark. I’ll be making the ones for the confirmands in a smaller thread, and probably in a shade of red.

I’ve worked on this cross and a few other items, but spent more time outside this last week or two. It’s been so nice outside I don’t want to sit inside and the wind makes it challenging to tat outside. I don’t have many flowering plants to enjoy yet, but the trees are blooming.

Red bud tree blooming on wandasknottythoughts
Redbud tree blooms

We have two Redbud trees in our yard. I always look forward to them blooming.

Pear bloom on wandasknottythoughts
Apricot blooms

My neighbor has several fruit trees at the edge of the yard. They are so beautiful when they bloom.

Apple bloom on wandasknottythoughts
Apple bloom

The apple trees are blooming a bit behind the other trees. I was afraid our tree wouldn’t bloom, but it finally is showing a few.

Once in a while, I even catch a picture of a bird. This one is from a few weeks ago. I haven’t been filling the feeders much, so I’m not seeing as many pretty ones yet this year as I’ve seen in the past.

Bird in a bare tree on wandasknottythoughts
Bird in a bare tree

It’s finally spring. We even had rain a couple of nights ago! Our area in Kansas has been in a drought for a while now. Most of the state is in Extreme to Exceptional drought. Any rain is welcome, and the inch we got is wonderful! Now I need to weed the flower beds and get a few flowers out. A few perennials survived the winter but aren’t ready to bloom yet. The weeds are blooming everywhere!

“If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.” Doug Larson

More Bookmarks Needed

The last few weeks have seen several losses of family or friends, though none close to me. Our pastor lost his father and my mother lost a close friend, both to illness. For such occasions, I give cross bookmarks with sympathy cards. I found that I am out of any bookmarks and in need of making more.

Cross bookmark for pastor on wandasknottythoughts
Cross bookmark for our pastor

I chose Lizbeth thread ‘Caribbean’ in size 20 to make the bookmark I’m giving to our pastor. It’s a beautiful color that doesn’t seem too bright to give for a solemn occasion. I used my Graduation Bookmark pattern, which is based on a traditional cross pattern. I haven’t made one for my mom yet, but that’s next.

As the name implies, I also use this pattern for graduations. I have a couple of those coming up, so I need to make several more. Let’s see if I make them in this pattern or something else.

I’ve been tatting more than this, just nothing quite ready to show yet. I did take some pictures the other morning when we had a bit of fog.

Fog at sunrise on wandasknottythoughts
Fog at sunrise
Tractor in fog on wandasknottythougths
Tractor in fog

Sometimes there are beautiful views in places we see every day.

Ready for some green

Can you believe it’s almost March already? We haven’t had a hard or bad winter here in Kansas – so far – with more mild days than bad. But I’m still looking forward to spring, with growing things popping up everywhere. A few green things are popping up on my shuttles already.

Something green on wandasknottythoughts
Something green

The plan was to start making green bookmarks for several friends in March. What came off my shuttles is NOT a bookmark. My fingers decided I should do something else. I’m not sure I like that green button in the center, but I liked the size. I’m already on to another round on this. It looks like I’ll be starting the bookmarks later.

My hand is starting to feel better, which makes me more inclined to tat. For a while there I did not want to pick up a shuttle. I ended up reading a few ebooks instead of tatting. I started a series from Sherry A. Burton, The Jerry McNeal stories. They are good enough that I started the series on February 16 and am now on the 10th of 13 books. They aren’t very long and are quick reads. Not much else has been done.

I did have pancakes on February 21, which was Shrove Tuesday. I had been reminded about pancakes on the news that day because of the pancake races in Onley, England, and Liberal, Kansas, USA. There is a fun rivalry between the two towns, seeing which one will beat the other. This year Olney won. I had nothing to do with the races other than seeing the results later, but pancakes did sound good.

Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday 2023 on wandasknottythoughts
Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday 2023

We’ve had several days of temperatures in the 60s F, but today we’ll be lucky to get to 32°. We do have sunny skies, which is a blessing, considering all the nasty weather people to the north are getting the last few days. We are supposed to get a lot warmer here Sunday, but with that comes the possibility of severe weather, such as hail, strong winds, and a chance for tornadoes. We go from one extreme to the other.

I’m going to go back to my shuttles now, and see what I can accomplish. (My dog is telling me I should pay attention to her, so we’ll see!)

“Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.” E. B. White

Aliens Have Arried

Jane Eborall has published the last part of her 2023 TIAS, and it’s a good one. I was kept guessing until almost the end. You can never tell where she’ll take you on her yearly journey. You think you know what it is you’re tatting, and she surprises you. I encourage all of you to go check out her Tat It and See blog to see all the aliens that have been sent in. She numbers them so we know how many there are. Here’s mine.

TIAS alien on wandasknottythoughts
TIAS alien

Jane put a lot of techniques into the TIAS this year. There are Victorian sets, Catherine Wheel joins, long twisted picots, as well as split rings. As in any of her patterns, if you have trouble with a technique, she has helpful hints and directions on her blog, so no one needs to feel that is too much for them. The clues are given days apart, giving you plenty of time to learn and work on the TIAS. The journey is always fun, as are the comments of everyone else traveling on it with you.

Even with the TIAS going on I was able to finish the paperclip heart bookmarks I wanted to and in plenty of time. They were warmly received. The pictures I posted of them on Facebook were also well received, with a lot of people wanting the pattern. I realized that I had the heart pattern but not the bookmark part of it posted. I suppose I should update the pattern with the bookmark option. Until then, here is what I did to make the bookmark part.

Replace RJ in the pattern with a split ring: SR 3-1–1—1–1-3/3-1–1—1–1-3. Repeat for the length desired. The last ring is R 3-1–1—1–1-3 join to paperclip, join to paperclip 3-1–1—1–1-3.

January Heart paperclip bookmark on wandasknottythoguhts
January Heart paperclip bookmark

Now that Valentine’s is over, I need to move on to other things. I am prepping to teach a class in April at a library. Not sure how many will signup, if anyone, but I’m getting my notes and such together. I was contacted by the librarian last fall about doing a class in the spring. I don’t know when they will advertise/promote it. I may not know much until closer to time.

March is fast approaching, with St. Patrick’s day and spring weather. I have a few ideas I want to try that reflect those ideas. I just need to get my thread together and get started.

My sister and I are starting to get more into our planning for the cruise we are taking in November. We are going on the “Knotical Adventures” Tat Sea cruise with Tatting Corner. It’s going to be so much fun! Are any of you going?

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” Carl Sagan

February Tatting

I haven’t tatted a lot in the last month or so due to one of my hands hurting. Not sure what I’ve done to cause it, but it lets me know when I hold a shuttle or try to grip things with my right hand. I’ve been doing the recommended stretches to help it get better, which it has, but I’m still going slow with any tatting.

What tatting I’ve been doing are small things, like working on the Arlo bookmark. I think I’m finally happy with the ends, so now I just need to finish the pattern. While doing this, I tried the stitch count on just the ends. By the time I finished this sample, I was thinking it would make a cute earring.

Short Arlo bookmark on wandasknottythoughts
Short Arlo bookmark

I’ve also been doing Jane Eborall’s TIAS (Tat It And See). A great way to tat without doing too much at a time, right? We’re only a couple of clues from finishing, and I’m still not sure what it is! This is up to day 12.

2023 TIAS day 12 on wandasknottythoughts
2023 TIAS day 12

Something has to attach at the top, but how exactly, I don’t know. It’s a person, right? Maybe? You never know with Jane! There are a lot of fun guesses over on the Tat It And See blog. Jane’s next clue for the TIAS is in a couple of days. I understood her to say there are two clues left. I’m looking forward to seeing how we finish this up. Are any of you doing it?

I’ve also been doing a few small bookmarks using my January Heart pattern on large paper clips similar to what I did for my niece last year. A couple are thank-you gifts, the other one for a friend. I have two more I’d like to make before next Wednesday. They are small enough I think it’s doable.

Trio of heart bookmarks on wandasknottythoughts
A trio of heart bookmarks

One of these is for an aunt, who recently sent me a couple of souvenir coins. She got these coins at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Fransisco, California when she was eight years old.

Animal League coin on wandasknottythoughts
Animal League coin with a dog on one side

This coin is very lightweight. I’m thinking it is aluminum.

Animal League coin with a cat on wandasknottythoughts
Animal League coin with a cat

I never thought much about how long animal care organizations existed.

The coin she thought I’d want is this Coleman coin.

1939 Coleman lantern coin on wandasknottythoughts
1939 Coleman lantern coin

This coin is much heavier than the other, feeling more like an actual coin. You can tell it’s been carried around a lot, enough to rough up the lantern on it.

1939 Good luck Coleman coin on wandasknottythoughts
1939 Good luck Coleman coin

I started work for the Coleman Company in Wichita, Kansas in 1979. I never worked in the lantern factory, but it was a very important part of the company. This coin is so cool! I’m going to have to come up with a way to display it.

Now back to a few stretches, an ice pack, and my collection of things I would like to be tatting.

“Every experience, good or bad, is a priceless collector’s item.” Isaac Marion

Bookmark, Leftovers, and TIAS

I’m still working on the pattern for the Arlo bookmark. I’ve made several but I’m still not happy with the stitch count for the ends.

Arlo bookmark, 3 ways on wandasknottythoughts
Arlo bookmark, 3 ways

The one on the left is the original. The two shorter ones are with the end that I like the best. The stitch count in those end clovers still pulls the side clovers to an odd angle. I’m trying to decide what needs to happen to make them lay straight. I do like the look of the pattern in this colorway, Lizbeth #165 Grape Splash, in size 20.

I have a habit of leaving leftover thread on whatever shuttle I was using. When I need a shuttle for another thread, I usually have to empty one or two. I don’t like to unwind them onto a thread holder unless I know the thread number so I can use it confidently the next time I need that color. I usually forget what I used it for, and what the color number is. When I need another shuttle I normally tat small flowers or such to use up the thread. This leaves me with a lot of small flowers and stuff. I have many containers with these thread ends. Sometimes I even remember to use them. I used some of them this last week.

One of my grandsons just had a birthday. I didn’t have wrapping paper for his gift, so I improvised.

Wrapping paper on wandasknottythoughts
Wrapping paper with tatting

As you can see, I’m not much of an artist. The grass and bush are very basic. Isn’t it amazing how much better those things look with a bit of tatting? I wouldn’t do this for just anyone. Cutting the threads from the flowers and gluing them on took more time than I thought it would. This grandson is quite the artist and can appreciate my efforts. He actually cut this section out so he can keep it. Isn’t that sweet?

How many of you are doing Jane Eborall’s TIAS? I am. The pictures and comments from other tatters on the Tat It And See blog are fun to read. I check to see if any of their guesses are similar to mine. Some tatters out there are entertaining and imaginative in their suggestions. I have never been the first person to guess where her games go, but I sure do enjoy the journey.

TIAS Day 2 on wandasknottythoughts
TIAS Day 2
Day 3 on wandasknottythoughts
Day 3
Day 4 on wandasknottythoughts
Day 4
Day 5 on wandasknottythoughts
Day 5
Day 6 on wandasknottythoughts
Day 6

One of the ways Jane keeps us from knowing what we’re making is she starts in an odd place in the pattern and progresses in a manner that doesn’t show the whole until the end. She has quite the imagination. Can you tell what it is? I think it might be an animal, but other than that, I haven’t a clue. And the game continues.

“The urge for good design is the same as the urge to go on living.” Harry Bertoia