Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2019
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Heart challenges
On Valentine’s Day I posted this new heart. Since then I’ve been working on the pattern for it.
This Pensive Heart is made in Lizbeth thread size 20. Somewhere along the way I’ve misplaced the ball and now I can’t remember the color name or number. It is a dark purple, which made it somewhat challenging to tat without plenty of light. Dark color notwithstanding, it worked up smoothly.
I tried it again while I wrote out the pattern. This time I made it in Lizbeth size 10 Grape Dark, which is a lighter color than the first heart. It also worked up smoothly except for one spot on the second half where an inside picot is needed between two chains. I had no problems with this when I made the first heart but had some trouble when making this second one. Maybe I thought about it too hard. I’m also trying to figure out what to call or reference this technique. I know I’ve seen it somewhere.
I made a third heart trying to follow the pattern I had jotted down. This time it is in two colors, Lizbeth Sky Blue Dark # 707 and Denim Blue Light #650 in size 20. Again I had trouble with that one inside picot. Why didn’t I have trouble with the first heart but have trouble with the rest?
I haven’t finished the pattern yet. I’m hoping to have time this weekend. Maybe I’ll figure out what I did with that picot the first time that worked so well. And have a way to describe it.
“If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment.” Carlos Santana
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/carlos_santana_454496?src=t_heart
Old snowflake in new thread
I found a tatted snowflake in a drawer recently, made from a pattern that I came up with a few years ago, maybe from 2010 or 2011. This is one that I never wrote down (it is
So I made another one, this time with six arms. I also gave it a name, Snowflake – Adie.
This one is made in Lizbeth #328 Antique Gold (I think! It might be #300 Gold) and #316 Raspberry Pink. I love how it turned out!
The next one I made I switched up some of the stitch
I was asked about the pattern so thought it was time to write it out. I tatted the second one of these with it so I’m hoping I caught all (most?) of the mistakes. There are a couple of stitch count options mentioned
I was going to put it on My Patterns page but I found out that a lot of people are not able to download the patterns. This is because I’m getting too much traffic for the server where they are stored. For the moment, until I can figure out what to do about
I’ve been very pleased with the Lizbeth Metallics thread. My biggest problem has been threading a needle to sew the ends in. I found an embroidery threader which works wonderfully! I have several other colors of this thread that I’m looking forward to trying out, I just have to decide what to make with it. Maybe hearts?
“We are like a snowflake all different in our own beautiful way.” simplethoughtsquotes
December Tatting
I tatted during December but have been so busy, mostly with family, I haven’t posted much. I did discover Lizbeth Metallic thread and have been trying it out. I’ve seen other tatters have used it and finally decided to try it myself. Handy Hands are raising their prices a bit so I bought thread before the new year started.
This is an old snowflake pattern of mine that I tried it out on. It tats so much better than other metallic threads I’ve tried! This is silver #311 and Turquoise Green #321. I love how it turned out, even if it has seven arms instead of six so not quite a snowflake.
I tried the same Turquoise Green as an angel. This is my pattern which I modified slightly. This came out beautifully!
I bought several balls of the metallic threads in various colors. The silver and turquoise threads are the only ones I’ve tatted with yet, but I look forward to tatting in the others as well.
I have not yet had time to write out the tree patterns that I posted about a couple of weeks ago. Look for them sometime this year, hopefully in the somewhat near future.
It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about? Henry David Thoreau
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/henry_david_thoreau_153926?src=t_busy
Getting ready for Christmas
‘Tis the season to be very busy! If it’s not getting the house decorated and ready for guests it’s getting food or gifts ready. For those of us who craft our Christmas gifts, it’s also trying to get them finished! At least that’s me. How about you?
Back in October I started thinking of what I wanted for my yearly ornament that I give to family and close friends. I was early this year, not even waiting until December to come up with one. But I had so many different ideas about what I wanted to do I am still behind!
I have a whole box of old hymnals from our church that I thought I could utilize for ornaments. First, I made this folded paper angel, which came out very nicely. It doesn’t even take much time to make.
I used two pages out of a hymnal to make it. The tatting is done in Yarnart Camelia thread, very simple rings and chains. Without the thread hanger, this angel is six inches tall. I love it. But just how do you put this in a Christmas card? I needed to come up with something else.
Several of my other ideas I barely started before I realized that they wouldn’t work or would take too much time. Most of them were mixed media of some sort, on the order of the angel where I tried adding tatting to paper and other backgrounds. I will probably revisit the ideas later.
Even when I thought I had an ornament that would work I couldn’t make up my mind.
I decided to make trees. But I could not make up my mind just how I wanted to make them. I came up with a forest of trees, each one different from the rest. They are in at least three different threads – size 10 & 20, and two different shades of green. I sprayed them with Stiffy to help them keep their shape. As they blend in a lot on most backgrounds I sprinkled them with fine glitter.
Yes, I know, there are Christmas tree patterns out there, but I try to come up with something myself each year. I enjoy how they look all together here, though I’m not so sure of a few of them individually. But it doesn’t matter, these are going out in the Christmas cards the way they are!
Charles N. Barnard
“The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!”
Happy 4th of July
What’s Next?
I have to admit, I haven’t picked up a shuttle to tat for over a week. I’ve moved a few shuttles and projects around but to move them not do anything else. I’ve been working on yard projects instead.
One of the projects that I moved around – several times – is this doily.
I started this in Lizbeth #620 Azalea Medium size 20 with something completely different in mind. It wasn’t even supposed to be a doily! The counts have changed mid-round in several places causing one side to be not quite curved the same as the rest. This is obviously going to be for me (even if no-one else can see the changes/mistakes). I like what I have so far but, as is it this far, I want to do more. Not sure what that is going to be yet.
While at the local grocery store just before Mother’s Day I found this potted plant in a tea-cup which drew my eye immediately. I like the design and the plants.
Maybe this doily will sit under it when I’m done. Whenever I figure out what it will take to finish it.
“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.” William S. Burroughs brainyquote.com
The Busy Month of May
May is jam-packed with events and special days, with several birthdays, graduations, and programs, as well as Mother’s Day. Just signing cards takes a lengthy amount of time. Especially when I have to add tatting to each and every one 🙂
One of the graduates mentioned the Easter Cross I made would look good as a bookmark. Who am I to argue?
I have noticed that purple is a favorite color, so I made one in Lizbeth #641, Lilac Dark, in size 20. Other than a bit of trouble closing the large Self-Closing Mock Ring at the bottom it came out well. The recipient loved it!
I’m very proud of my daughter for graduating college!
We have also attended a play, a concert, a soccer game, and a birthday lunch in the last twelve days. Considering both my husband and I work full time with a lot of overtime, we have been kept exceedingly busy. And May is not over yet!
I still have a couple of graduation gifts to finish. Both graduates live some distance away so cards will have to be mailed. Isn’t it great that tatting can fit so nicely inside cards?
“too busy” is a myth. People make time for things that are really important to them.” Mandy Hale The Awesome Quotes
Tatting when you don’t know what to make
What to tat, what to tat?
Yes, I have a list of things I’ve thought about tatting, several things I’ve contemplated making. This week none of them sounded appealing to start, though I wanted to tat. But tat what and in what color? Maybe something simple that is easy to carry around. Edgings can be simple, which sounded like a nice project. But to put on what?
I have a couple of these little yogurt glass jars. A friend of mine introduced me to the yogurt that comes in these, and like her feel that they could/should be used in some way. I guess now would be a good time to do something with one.
I have quite a bit of thread but usually end up using the same colors over and over instead of looking through my stash for anything else. This blue that I used, Lizbeth #652 Royal Blue, is no different – it was handy.
With this simple pattern, I only needed to do two things: decide how long the chains should be and how many repeats to go around the jar.
I happily tatted about half of the edging while at home with my feet up, enjoying listening to music. The next day I took it with me to tat while waiting for the oil to be changed in my car. I was pretty sure I’d finish it while there but I needed to make sure it was the right length.
So I took the jar with me. Yes, I have that kind of purse, one with plenty of room to carry this jar.
See how pretty the jar is with tatting? Okay, tatting makes almost everything pretty. But it changes the plain container into a lovely candy dish.
I have several more of these jars. Maybe I should make a set. I suppose they would make nice gifts, too. Especially with some lovely colored chocolate covered candies inside, right?
“I think people always want candy, whether you’re a kid or an adult.”
Dylan Lauren
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/dylan_lauren_779204
Disclaimer: The jars are from Yoplait French Style Yogurt “oui”. I have not received any type of compensation for mentioning it.
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.
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.
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