Category: Ice Drop

Ice Drop Done

A few weeks ago I started an ice drop to verify the pattern, to see what, and where I did something wrong in my Larissa pattern. In the course of tatting it, I miscalculated the size of the gem center. But I found another that would work.

Two sizes of ice drop gems on wandasknottythoughts
I found a smaller gem

The gem is smaller but black instead of green. I like the green better, but using the black let me keep going on the ice drop instead of starting over. (Do you see my reflection in the gems?)

Black gem for Larissa center on wandasknottythoughts
The black gem fits the center better

Yep, it worked. It has been a while since I made an ice drop and I felt a bit awkward trying to put the gem in the center. And I’m not used to that much weight hanging around while tatting the rest.

Larissa Ice Drop 20200908 on wandasknottythoughts
Larissa Ice Drop with a black gem

Ta-da! It is finished! Made with, I think, a DMC size 20 thread, of which the label has been lost for years.

I did make a mistake with one of the chains. I forgot it! I was fortunate that 1) I caught it, and 2) it wasn’t too hard to fix. I’m not telling where the problem child is, because if you weren’t looking for it, (and you don’t know much about tatting) you wouldn’t see it. This one was only made for me, anyway, and I’m happy with it.

I did find that I have some work to do on the pattern. I know I went through it before I published it, but man, did I find a few mistakes. But now I have to take the time to fix it!

This post was almost finished yesterday, and then, Poof! it was gone! Not sure what happened. At least I have time to do it again today.

“There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.” Bob Ross

Miscalculations

I have finished tatting the third china hutch edging! I’ve even finished blocking it, but I haven’t got it in the cabinet yet.

I noticed on the first two shelf edgings that they might be just a bit shorter than I planned. So I made the 3rd edging a bit longer. Maybe too long. I’ll find out soon.

China hutch edging edges on wandasknottythoughts
The edges of the first two edgings might not really be long enough

For a bit of a change and to answer a question I was asked about making one, I decided to make an Ice Drop, specifically Diane Cademartori’s Basic Ice Drop. (You can check out all of her adventures on her blog Lace-Lovin’ Librarian.) I’ve made it before, but this time I goofed.

Ice Drop mistake on wandasknottythoughts
The center isn’t quite right

This gem is the same size I’ve used before, but this time I didn’t do something quite right. Maybe the joining picots are too short. Or maybe the gem is just bigger than the one I used before, even though they came out of the same package. Whatever I did, or didn’t do, I’ll have to find a different center if I want to finish this ice drop.

I can’t say that either of these miscalculations are mistakes. With the china hutch doors closed, which they are most of the time, you can’t see either end of the edgings, so I’m not unhappy with them. The Ice Drop can be saved, I just have to find a different center. Let’s just call them learning experiences.

“Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else’s.” Billy Wilder

Panya Ice Drop

What do you do when you have leftover thread on your shuttles? You find something small to make with it of course. I thought an ice drop would fit the bill to use up some of my remnant threads.

Panya Ice Drop on wandasknottythoughts 2018
Panya Ice Drop

I still had Lizbeth #638 Christmas Green and #671 Christmas Red size 20 on a couple of shuttles, so those are what I worked with. I started with the idea of the basic ice drop pattern with a few minor adjustments, then added the outside round. The center is a blue glass gem from The Dollar Store.

I don’t recall seeing this particular pattern before so I named it. If I am incorrect I’ll acknowledge the author and update this.

Ice drops are fun to make and usually don’t use much thread. Once you know how to make the basic ice drop you can enjoy creating so many different variations to fashion each one a little different. Or make the same one over and over and still have fun tatting them. There isn’t much to limit your ice drop creation.  Except maybe the length of your thread and how many centerpieces you have.

“Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.” Lauren Bacall               brainyquote.com

 

Out of the habit

It has been a while since I last posted, mostly because I haven’t been tatting a lot lately. I kind of got out of the habit. We were very busy for a while, then I got sick and had no interest in doing anything, then I found other things to do. This didn’t mean I didn’t think about tatting, I just didn’t do very much of it.

Happily, I’ve gotten my tatting groove back! I even made a few things for St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick's Day Penny Ice Drops on wandasknottythoughts 2018
St. Patrick’s Day Penny Ice Drops

I made these four Ice Drops with penny centers to send to one of my daughters. I think you could say these are made with the basic Ice Drop pattern found on the Ice Drop Addicts Facebook page. I didn’t actually follow it, but I’ve made it before. I did adjust counts to accommodate the pennies, but there is a pattern for that, too.

Because I didn’t refer to the patterns I made a few – let’s say, minor adjustments, that I didn’t think through very well. It still worked, just came out a little different than expected.

Two St. Patrick's Day Penny Ice Drops on wandasknottythoughts 2018
Two St. Patrick’s Day Penny Ice Drops

The Ice Drop on the left was the first one. I miscalculated when I put the penny in, putting Lincoln’s head in the wrong location (I thought it would look funny with him looking down instead of out).  I made the hanger long and joined it so Lincoln would sit correctly. Then I noticed the chains didn’t sit quite right, either. Do you see it?

I made a couple Ice Drops with the chains the same way before I figured out what was going on with them.  After that, I ordered them the other way.

I mailed four pins to my oldest daughter to get them to her before St. Patrick’s Day. We were visiting our other daughter on the Friday before, so hers I hand delivered. Because of another project I was working on – non-tatting related – I didn’t have all of them tatted by the time we left. Guess what I was doing on the trip up there? I made sure to take the beads and pins with me so I could finish them up before they were handed out.

I needed four pins for my other daughter but forgot to make one for me. So I finished that one on Saturday afternoon and promptly gave it away as well. The pins were a big hit.

I’m glad I’ve finally gotten back into the habit of tatting.

“Positivity is like a muscle: keep exercising it, and it becomes a habit.” Natialie Massenet    https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/natalie_massenet_653263

Larissa Ice Drop

Larissa Ice Drop tatting on wandasknottythoughts 2018
Larissa Ice Drop

This is ‘Larissa’, done in Lizbeth size 20 white, an ice drop that came about because I wanted to change up from the one I had been doing. This isn’t my favorite, but once I started I figured I should at least finish it. I almost didn’t, but it did come out better than I had expected.

The last few weeks I’ve only been tatting sporadically. I’ve been reading more than anything in my free time instead. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn’t get much else done.

My next project is to write out the several ice drop patterns that I’ve done. Unless I get distracted by my shuttles or another book.

“Who I am, what I am, is the culmination of a lifetime of reading, a lifetime of stories. And there are still so many more books to read. I’m a work in progress.” Sarah Addison Allen                           www.brainyquote.com

Tatted Star

One of my granddaughters had a program this week, which meant I traveled up to Nebraska to see it. Instead of taking the time to cook supper, we went out to eat at Ruby Tuesday in Bellevue. As we walked in I was pleasantly surprised to see a tatted star ornament hanging from the hostess desk.

Ruby Tuesday Tatted Star seen at restaurant in Bellevue, Nebraska shown on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted star found on display at Ruby Tuesday in Bellevue, Nebraska

Of course, I brought it to my daughter’s attention. The manager over-heard my remark and commented how surprised he was that someone recognized what it was.

While we were waiting for our order the manager came over to talk about tatting. His mother tats items like this then gives him a stack to pass out at work during the Christmas season. I learned that his mother is 88 years old and has been tatting for about 10 years. She has tried teaching people to tat – to share the fun – but most have decided it was too tedious (?!) for them.

I had brought my collection of Ice Drops with me to visit the family so the children could choose which one they wanted for their tree, but did I have them in my purse? Surprisingly, no, I had left them at the house. I showed him a picture of the Cosmic Ice Drop I’d made, which he thought his mother would like. It was an amicable conversation.

I wished it would have worked out that I could meet his mother. As that wasn’t possible during my short trip I decided to give her the Cosmic Ice Drop. After the program, we went back to the restaurant so I could deliver it to him to give to his mother. He was amazed that I would do this. But it is the season of giving, isn’t it?

“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” Boris Pasternak    picturequotes.com

Ice drop for Christmas?

It’s that time of year when I start getting worried I won’t have my Christmas tatting done in time. It would help if I started earlier, but every year there is some reason or reasons it doesn’t happen. My main seasonal tatting is making a tatted ornament of some type to give to family and special friends. I’m just now getting started on them, and there is definitely not enough time to get them done!

I think I’m making Ice Drops again this year. I made simple, basic ones last year.

This year I’m getting a little more adventurous! Of course, they’ll take longer…

I started out with a Cosmic Ice Drop, pattern by Nicola Bowersox.

Cosmic Ice Drop in white without any beads on wandasknottythoughts
Cosmic Ice Drop in white without any beads

It’s not very cosmic without the beads her pattern calls for. I used white thread and a clear center. It came out well and I remembered how to do it – yay!

Ice Drop with red gem center on wandasknottythoughts
Ice Drop with red gem center

The Cosmic Ice Drop pattern is beautiful, but I don’t have time to locate and use beads in my tatting this year as I’ll be doing a lot of it in the car. So I came up with a different outside. I also had to modify the back, as the gem is cut like a diamond and sticks out the back.

Ice Drop back side with red gem center on wandasknottythoughts
Ice Drop back side with red gem center

I’m going to try some with darker thread, maybe blue. The white shows every bit of dirt that might be on your fingers. If I’m going to get many done I might not have pristine hands to tat with all the time.

I haven’t figured out how to tat in my sleep yet. I’ve dreamed about it but there is no solid evidence that tatting was done when I wake up. I guess I’ll have to stay up later instead.

“Even the strongest blizzards start with a single snowflake.” Sara Raasch

brainyquotes.com

Pizzaz Tatting

Grape Pizzaz anyway.

Tatted cross in Grape Pizzaz size 20 Lizbeth on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted cross in Grape Pizzaz

I spent most of Tuesday in a waiting room while my mother underwent a medical procedure.  It was supposed to be at 9:30 A.M. but of course they want the patient there early.  I arrived at 8:30 A.M, a little late to see her as they took her to the back at 8:00 A.M.

And then we waited.  And waited.  And waited.  They finally started the procedure at 12:10 P.M.

Then we waited some more while the procedure was done.  Which took two hours.

Then we waited some more while she was in recovery.

I have been making a few bookmarks to refill my gift supply.  Most recently it has been the Graduation bookmark in Lizbeth Grape Pizzaz size 20.  I’d finished one in it and begun another.  This thread is what I had in my purse Tuesday morning.  The only thread I had in my purse.

Two tatted crosses in Grape Pizzaz size 20 Lizbeth thread on wandasknottythoughts
Two tatted crosses in Grape Pizzaz

Finishing the cross was the first thing I tatted in the waiting room.  I could have done another one – or two, or three – during the wait but I chose to do other things.

Waiting room tatting in Grape Pizzaz size 20 Lizbeth on wandasknottythoughts
Waiting room tatting

Tatting around the button was because, um, I had the button.  The butterflies and flowers as small things I make when there isn’t much thread left on the shuttles.  I use these on letters and notes to brighten them up 🙂  A clear glass gem from the bottom of my tatting bag became an Ice Drop.  Thanks to Diane for having the information on her blog to refresh my memory on how to make them!

I took quite a few breaks from tatting during the waiting for lack of a strategy for the day.  If I’d had a large project with me a lot could have been accomplished.  Alas, I didn’t have much of a plan for tatting, so was unprepared.  How odd of me.  This was not a surprise procedure, I should have had a better plan.

The good news is my mother is doing well.  She’ll have to take things easy for a while, but she is at home where she can be comfortable.

I have found several UFOs I should work on.  I’ve also started a list of things I want to tat.  Hmm, which will it be?

“Don’t wait for the perfect moment.  Take the moment and make it perfect!”