Category: TIAS

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

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

A New Bookmark

A friend of mine had her retirement party last week. I was trying to think of something to give her and felt a bookmark might work. I was too lazy to look up a bookmark pattern, so, as usual, I just started one. The bookmark is a common pattern type, I just put my flair on it.

Arlo bookmark on wandasknottythoughts
Arlo bookmark

This is made in Lizbeth #165 Grape Splash in size 20. This was quick and easy until I came to an end. I couldn’t make up my mind about what I wanted to do, so the two ends are different.

One end of Arlo on wandasknottythoughts
One end of Arlo

I like the look of this end but not how I got there. This needs a bit of work. Because I wasn’t happy with it, I did the other end a bit differently.

The other end of Arlo on wandasknottythoughts
The other end of Arlo

I like this look as well, but not the stitch count. The clover at the top joins to the sides a little wonky. I can see how I should change it – the next time.

I decided this bookmark didn’t come out well enough to give as a gift, so I gave her a Hymnal Angel that I had already made instead. My friend was quite happy with the angel, and I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t what I had originally meant to give her.

Monday was such a beautiful day outside that I took the dog for a walk at a local arboretum. Our normal temperature this time of year is in the lower 40° F, today was in the upper 50s. She and I enjoyed the outing greatly.

The pond at the arboretum on wandasknottythoughts
At the pond at the arboretum

Being winter, most of the plants were brown and not so pretty, but the walk and the weather were lovely. This was a wonderful change of scenery from our normal walk in our yard.

After our walk, I took her to our local coffee shop, where she got a pup cup, and I got a yummy coffee. Both of us were quite happy with our outing

I have several ideas for what I want to tat next. I’m even writing them down so I can remember them later! They might include hearts for Valentine’s. We’ll see how they come out. But today is the start of Jane’s 2023 TIAS!

Day 1 of Jane's 2023 TIAS on wandasknottythoughts
Day 1 of Jane’s 2023 TIAS

As there are no clues in the TIAS to indicate what colors to use, I’m doing it in Lizbeth #617 Magenta Med in size 20. Hmm, I have no guess yet.

Are you doing Jane’s TIAS? What do you think it is?

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” Groucho Marx

Dragons and Snowflakes

Jane Eborall has given us the complete pattern now for her 2022 TIAS. It became a very cute critter, Doris the Dragon!

Here be dragons!

It’s always a surprise to what Jane’s TIAS will end up being, but never a surprise at how much fun it is. I love this little dragon! I did have a few issues with it, that’s why there are two instead of one. I don’t know if it was a bad ball of thread, if it was stored badly and developed a problem, or what, but the thread kept splitting and I broke it several times. I also wasn’t careful enough when following the pattern and made several mistakes of one sort or another on each of these. A couple of times I backed up, took out the stitches, and fixed the problem. There was one mistake where that wasn’t an option, which is why I made a second dragon. But they came out so cute in Lizbeth #130 Island Breeze in size 20, mistakes and all! If you are interested in making one yourself, check out Jane’s Tat It And See blog.

I love Doris so much I’m already trying to make up my mind what threads I want to use on my next one. The completed ones are going to be on one of my shirts, I just have to decide how to position them.

Dragons on my shirt on wandasknottythoughts
Dragons on my shirt

When not tatting the dragons I’ve been tatting the Isla Snowflake trying to decide on the stitch counts. Several elements on the original had one stitch count in one place and a different stitch count in others, and I need to figure out which ones work best before I write out the pattern. I also tried something a bit different on the spikes. Which do you like better, the original or the newer version?

Isla original on wandasknottythoughts
Isla original
Isla with different points on wandasknottythoughts
Isla with different points

Today we are experiencing some real snowflakes and lots of wind. We have been fortunate to not have as much ice or snow as places to the south and east of us have. We had to make an emergency run to get coffee this morning and just a few miles from us it was a lot worse. We can use the moisture but that doesn’t mean I like what comes with it. But it gives me a good excuse to stay inside and tat!

Do you have (or need) an excuse to tat?

“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” J. R. R. Tolkien

Tatting was done!

I’m still doing Jane Eborall’s TIAS, and it’s up to day 8. There have been a lot of guesses that it might be a seahorse, but after day eight’s installment, I don’t think so. Maybe a gecko? It’s fun guessing even if I don’t get it right.

TIAS day 8 on wandasknottythoughts
TIAS day 8

I have actually gotten some other tatting done, too. I was in a bit of a funk with tatting, knowing I have several things I should be doing but not having the inspiration to do them. Doing small, simple things has gotten me back in the frame of mind to be creative.

I had some beads I picked up at Michael’s a week or so ago. I have been wanting to practice tatting with beads and these owl beads were an inspiration to do so.

Owl earrings on wandasknottythoughts
Owl earrings

I used Lizbeth #122 Caribbean size 20 because I love the color. This is a simple use of beads, but you have to start somewhere, right? The owl beads were what I really wanted to do something with. There are several things I could do better and will do a bit differently with the next pair of these I make. I gave this pair to one of my daughters and want to give a pair to my other daughter as well.

I had plenty of the Caribbean on the shuttles to play with after the owl earrings. I want to review what I would fix/change before making another pair so thought I’d do something else. February and Valentine’s Day is coming up so hearts sprang to mind.

Doodle heart on wandasknottythoughts
Doodle heart

This one was okay, but I could see it a bit differently shaped so I tried another heart with a bit of a change. I liked the change enough I made a pair of earrings.

heart earrings on music runner on wandasknottythoughts
heart earrings on music runner

Don’t they look good on this runner? My sister made this for me for my birthday. She told me about it while she was embroidering it because she thinks it will look good with tatted edgings. I think so, too. This is one of the things on my need-to-tat list.

While looking for shuttles I found a small piece of tatting I did some time ago. I can’t find a picture of it so I’m not sure how long ago I made it. I’m pretty sure I was just doodling again when I made it. Unless someone recognizes it?

Snowflake doodle on wandasknottythoughts
Snowflake doodle

It looks kind of wonky, doesn’t it? I didn’t block it except for pulling it this way and that to make it lay nice. I decided I’d add another round, so found the thread I made it with and jumped right in.

Blue snowflake on wandasknottythoughts
Isla snowflake

This is made with Lizbeth #660 Country Turquoise Light in size 20. I like how it came out. I was fiddling with the chain length and the small rings as I was making it, so some are one size and some are another. But that is easy to fix. This is what happens when you don’t know what you’re doing when you start, LOL. I’ll have to try it again.

Today I’m working on another pair of heart earrings, this time in red as befits Valentine’s day. It was such a nice day the dog and I spent most of it outside. I did some tatting outside, too. I tried to get a picture of me with the dog, but she wouldn’t cooperate.

Tatting outside in January on wandasknottythoughts
Tatting outside in January

Kansas has a wide range of winter weather, from mild to nasty. Today was mild and beautiful- sunny, light breeze, and 66 degrees F. How could I spend it indoors? But our nice weather is coming to an end tomorrow with nasty weather here by Wednesday.

Weather in Kansas January 31, 2022

Yep, it’s supposed to start snowing Tuesday night, keep snowing through Thursday morning, with wind chills in the -10 to -20 range. I could do without that. We are very blessed to usually not have as much bad, or cold, weather as other parts of the country, but it is winter. Six months from now I’ll be complaining of the heat, LOL!

“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.” Vincent Van Gogh

Mistakes and Oopsies

I have found that my dog takes up a lot of my time. She likes to have my attention, and I like to watch her play and explore her world. This equals not as much tatting time or as much computer time. I need to pay attention to both of those activities that I am putting elsewhere – the dog! This leads to not much done on any of the patterns I’ve been working on, or much tatting at all.

I have been keeping up with Jane Eborall’s 2022 TIAS. She is up to day 6, and so am I. There has been a bit of drama getting there. I finished day 3 and started on day 4, where the bead would be added. I got the first ring of day 4 done when I noticed I had made a mistake on day 3. Instead of starting over, I decided to take out the previous two rings to where the mistake was. Things did not go as well as I expected.

Thread broken day 3 on wandasknottythoughts
Taking out a mistake from day 3

I don’t usually have much trouble opening rings. Not saying I always can, but more often than not I can. This time I broke the thread of shuttle one.

At that point, I decided I might as well go on to the previous ring where my mistake was and fix the thread when I got back to it.

Broken thread on shuttle 2 as well on wandasknottythoughts
Broken thread on shuttle 2 as well

Opening the next ring I broke the thread on shuttle two as well! It might have been faster to just start over at this point, but I added the thread back on and continued from there. Now I have a mess of thread ends that need to be cut off.

TIAS repaired and on to day 4 on wandasknottythoughts
TIAS repaired and on to day 4

I’ll cut the ends off later. I usually leave them somewhat long so they don’t work their way loose before I’m done.

TIAS through day 6 on wandasknottythoughts
TIAS through day 6

The TIAS is now through day 6. I’m still not sure what it is, maybe a bird? Several people have guessed seahorses. But it is only day 6, it could still be a lot of things, and Jane isn’t saying!

One of the few other things I’ve been working on is a wishbone thimble holder for my sister. (My first ever blog post was about making one of these!) The one I had made for her years ago had been broken. She supplied a turkey wishbone with the request I make her another. I had prepped the wishbone by sanding it to make it smooth and then sprayed it with a clear sealer. I had the bone covered with thread but had not started the tatting yet when…

Wishbone mishap on wandasknottythoughts
Wishbone mishap

One of the few things the dog has gotten into that she shouldn’t. I thought the sealer would disguise that it was a bone, but I guess not. And I didn’t have it far enough out of reach. Now I get to start over. Oh, boy.

“What’s so fascinating and frustrating and great about life is that you’re constantly starting over, all the time, and I love that.” Billy Crystal

Coffee and TIAS

I’ve been tatting the larger wings, checking if I’ve got the pattern correct. Good thing these wings were just practice and not planned for something. There was an incident with coffee yesterday…

Coffee on the wings on wandasknottythoughts
Coffee on the wings on wandasknottythoughts

Coffee stains don’t come out well. I suppose I could just put these in coffee and stain them as if I meant to do it. But I haven’t made the facing wings yet, I’d want to do them all together so they come out looking the same. I’ll have to keep that in mind to use them somewhere in the future. It would be a shame to waste all that thread and the time tatting for something like this. The coffee stains will just make them look old, I can work with that.

As I mentioned last post I’ve joined Jane Eborall’s 2022 TIAS (Tat It And See). We are on Day 3. No surprise I have no idea what it will be. I’m thinking it will be an animal of some type as she has just said that a bead will be added soon. But that doesn’t really narrow it down much on what it could be. She has a great imagination and a lot of skill. If you haven’t seen her patterns yet check them out at http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/, there are all kinds! Her TIAS is at https://tatitandsee.blogspot.com/ if you’d like to join, or just follow along with how everyone else is doing it.

2022 TIAS day 3 on wandasknottythoughts
2022 TIAS day 3

This is my version of the 2022 TIAS through day 3. Jane has said that we only need one bead but I have a habit of losing beads all over the floor or just in the mess of my table. While I was getting one bead I thought I’d better get a spare or two, just in case. How’s the TIAS going for you?

I haven’t done much with writing out the pattern for the wings this week, just the tatting. I haven’t been on my computer much, too busy doing other things. I guess I need to buckle down and work on it, maybe with coffee. I’m not taking any bets on getting very far with it though, except on the coffee.

“I don’t need an inspirational quote. I need coffee.” OurMindfulLife.com

Wings, a Dog, and TIAS

I’m currently working on the pattern for the larger wings. This means there’s nothing to share with that yet. I’ve got the written part down, but haven’t proofed it well yet. I’ve started the diagram but have a long way to go on it. Depending on how much time I get this week to work on it, maybe test tatting by next week.

I’ve done almost no tatting in the last week. I’ve had a cold (not the ‘Rona) which left me feeling very un-enthused about doing anything. I watched quite a bit of TV with idle hands, which is unusual for me.

Feel good or not I haven’t been completely idle – we got a new dog just before Christmas from a local animal shelter. We had been looking for a few weeks but there hadn’t been any small- to medium-sized dogs at any of them. We didn’t have a breed in mind, just one not too big or not too small, not a puppy but not real old, house trained preferred. We finally found a Corgi mix just shy of one year old that we both liked. Still with some puppy traits but with some adult traits. Now I have to get out and walk and be a little more active. Good things. She doesn’t mind the cold weather at all.

Our dog on wandasknottythoughts
Our new dog

So far she chews her toys and leaves things on tables and such alone. No shoes have been chewed yet. I do have to be careful of my tatting, but only one slightly messed up coaster has been found. She hasn’t seen me do a lot of tatting yet, but the click-click of winding shuttles did catch her attention today.

The shuttles I was winding are for Jane Eborall’s 2022 Tat It And See, which started today, January 12. As it is completely unknown what it will be yet, any color of thread will do. I decided on Lizbeth #130 Island Breeze in size 20. As I wound my second shuttle out of the corner of my eye I see our dog reach up and very carefully take my ball of thread from the arm of my chair. She dropped it immediately when I told her to; I think she thought it was one of her balls. This is the first ball of thread she’s tried to take. Warning! Make sure there aren’t any lying around where she can get them!

2022 TIAS day 1 on wandasknottythoughts
2022 TIAS day 1

As usual with Jane’s TIAS I have absolutely no guess as to what this will be, but they are always fun. Anyone else joining in this year?

Success is following the pattern of life one enjoys most. Al Capp

TIAS day 11

Here is my TIAS day 11.  This has been a lot of fun making a really cute goat.  There is only one more day left to finish off the goat, then we’ll have to wait until next year for another one. Another TIAS, not another goat.  I think this goat will be really cute to make for the grandsons. I already have several ideas in mind. It’s been a lot of fun seeing everybody’s goats, where they are from, the really cute ways some of them have been displayed, and all the different comments people have made while doing this.  If you haven’t been over to check it out, it’s well worth your time even if you aren’t tatting it. 
I’ve been doing a little bit of tatting lately, other than the TIAS.  Some has come out like I planned, some not so much.  I made a four point motif that I thought looked pretty cool, and then thought that putting it together with others would look even better.  The motif is not all that hard, and joining them shouldn’t have been hard, either, but it didn’t always come out that way.  And then it would help if I made them all the same way.  I had this all together and was pinning it out when I noticed that one – just one – had different stitch counts than the others.  If it had been in the center it wouldn’t have looked quite so odd.  But, no, it’s on one of the corners.  It’s a bit obscured by the shuttles (purposely!).  I felt pretty stupid that I hadn’t noticed it sooner. Can’t cut it off and try again because I’m pretty sure it’s not the last one joined.  But I thought is still looked pretty good so I’m sharing it anyway. 

You might also have noticed that I missed posting on Tuesday.  I had time to do day 11 on the TIAS and that was all that I had time for.  I didn’t even have time for tea!  I’m hoping to do a little better next week. 
“Contemplation often makes life miserable.  We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.” 
Chamfort





TIAS day 8

Jane Eborall posted Day 8 of her 2012 TIAS today.  I’m thinking it’s looking like a goat, though with Jane you never know until the end!  Saturday when day 7 came up I had no guesses – until I was over on Miranda’s blog and saw her day 7.  Looking at hers it suddenly looked like a goat, or at least the back end of one.  
(from http://www.supercoloring.com)
Then with Day 8 I’m seeing horns!
I’ve gotten a little bit of tatting done recently, some I’m not quite ready to share,  but here are the ones that I’m ready to.  
 I made this cute little bell from a free pattern that yarnplayer has available.  It really isn’t hard and turns out very nice. Mine bowed just a little from the size of my picots I think, but it’s a bell, and hanging on a Christmas tree it wouldn’t be out of place and not nearly as noticeable as it is laying flat. 
I was given “Tatted Snowflakes Collection” by Jon Yusoff for Christmas. I just recently took the time to make one.  I first spent some time looking through the patterns, enjoying Jon’s lovely work. The one I decided to try first was ‘The Twirly’, #14.  I did make a mistake on one chain, adding one extra repeat of picot and doublestitches – oops.  Much as I like this colorway, I don’t think that Lizbeth “Caribbean” does this pattern justice. Blogger has done a twisty on the picture – originally the words were on the bottom!
Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I enjoyed a cup of Teavana tea, ‘Weight to Go & Sakura Allure’.  I was fortunate to have Tabatha gift me a sampling of several teas recently.  A couple of days ago I had ‘My Morning Mate’.  Both have been very good.  I have several more to try – yum!

“Don’t approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side.” 
Yiddish proverb