I collect shuttles when I can. Sometimes my husband surprises me with one – or two – and has even made me several. The most recent shuttle I purchased is from Shuttle By Design.
Helping Hands shuttle by Shuttles by Design
Rita Richmond does such spectacular work, doesn’t she? This shuttle was designed as a fundraiser for Lisa Adams and her husband Chuck, who recently underwent bypass surgery. Lisa is the owner of Tatting Corner in Chesterfield, Indiana, and Rita has designed and made this shuttle and donated some of the proceeds to help them out.
This is a Moonlit shuttle, decorated with a beautiful design by Rita. I purchased one to both help Lisa and be able to tat with such a lovely shuttle. I just got it in the mail yesterday and am looking forward to tatting with it.
I have not finished writing out the pattern for the Arches Over Arches doily. I am having difficulty diagramming it. I am still working on it and think I am going in the right direction now, so hopefully it will go faster. Maybe, maybe.
“To design is to communicate clearly by whatever means you can control or master.”Milton Glaser
Back in 2009, I made a doily that I called ‘Arches Over Arches‘. I had originally thought to call it ‘Arches’, but Yarnplayer had recently made a doily of that name, so I had to come up with something else. I am not good at coming up with names for the items I design and make, so I just modified the name a bit. I made the same doily later that year but in different colors and called it a sunflower. Other people liked the doily and requested the pattern, but I never got to it. I was recently contacted by another person who requested the pattern, and I thought it was about time to put it together.
The problem is I didn’t write down dimensions or specifics for diagramming the pattern. So, I needed to make the doily again.
Arches Over Arches doily first round
This time I’m using Lizbeth #181 Cranberry Bush in size 20. It was in a thread collection of Christmas threads and I hadn’t tried it yet. As I’m thinking about Christmas gifts now, it easily suggested itself to this doily. I like how this came out.
Once I got started this doily goes pretty quickly. The hardest part, for me, is the long chains. If I’m not careful, I lose count and have to recount to make sure all of the chains are the same length. Then of course, there is the tension on chains. Careful, careful!
Arches Over Arches doily Christmas
I noticed after I uploaded the picture that the center doesn’t look quite round. I didn’t do a good job of blocking it, did I? The chains look pretty good. They have to be blocked or they are all over the place.
The center is right at two inches across, with a total diameter of just short of nine inches. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to add a center as I did with the sunflower version. I think I’m going to write out the pattern this way first, maybe add the center later. I am working on the pattern now, looking for it to be done in a day or so. If you are interested in it, let me know.
As soon as the pattern is done, it’s on to Christmas tatting in a big way. I didn’t leave much time for that, did I?
I have been thinking about what I want to do for Christmas ornaments this year, the ones I will give to family and close friends. I’ve been surfing Pinterest, blogs, and Craftree for ideas. There are some really cool things out there, but none have them really tripped my trigger, so to speak.
In the meantime, I’ve been playing with a medallion I first made a few of years ago when I went to Palmetto Tat Days. I came up with a medallion I used in an outfit for the costume contest they had that year. I made quite a few of these for the costume and had a few that were made but didn’t get used.
My Shuttle-shaped medallion
Thinking of Christmas ornaments I gave a thought to making this medallion a bit larger and adding beads. I added a few stitches to each of the rings and chains, made the joining picots big enough for beads.
Shuttle-shaped medallion first try with beads
It didn’t come out quite like I thought it would. Not that it’s bad, just not as expected. So I tried again.
Shuttle-shaped medallion with beads second try
This one didn’t come out quite like I hoped, either. Again, not bad, just not what I was hoping for.
The first one is closer to the shape I was looking for but was open in the center. The second one just didn’t keep the shuttle shape as much as I’d like.
Shuttle-shaped medallions, all three
I did succeed in making them larger, and I do like them with beads. I’m just not sure this is what I want to make as Christmas ornaments this year.
I used size 10 Lizbeth threads on all of these, so it is obvious that I did get the goal of making them bigger right. They just didn’t meet all of my goals. I’m not saying I don’t like them, they just didn’t come out quite like I was looking for. But I now have two modified medallions to hang around the house. Or maybe at work. This was not a waste of time. But when is tatting anything a waste of time?
The hunt continues for what I want to make for Christmas ornaments. Are you tatting anything for Christmas this year?
“Most discoveries even today are a combination of serendipity and of searching.”Siddhartha Mukherjee
This year on our vacation we stayed at the same cabin we did two years ago, beside Lake Granby, Colorado. The colors were changing, showing us a lot of fall colors in the trees and brush. We did have to detour both coming and going due to the forest fires around the state, but we were never in danger from them. The air was smoky causing the mountain views to look hazy most of the time. This did not stop us from enjoying our stay.
View from the porch
The view from the porch was still mostly green, but very inviting. We drove around to see the colors but spent a lot of our time at the cabin or fishing in Lake Monarch. I had a bit more time to tat and watch the wildlife. Do you see the two Stellar’s jays in the tree?
Some of the wild life was more friendly than others. The jays and the nuthatch liked checking us out to see if we left anything for them, but the ground squirrels and chipmunks were braver.
Curious ground squirrel checking out my tatting
This ground squirrel wasn’t sure just what I was doing while I was tatting, so came to check out the situation.
“Do you have something for me?”
I kept telling him I didn’t have any food, but he didn’t believe me.
He kept on getting closer to see what I was doing
Do you see those cheeks of his? He would get seeds and stuff himself, but was so greedy he kept coming back to see if I had anything.
He really wanted to know if I had something for him
I know he was looking for food but he really, really wanted to see what I was doing. I love sharing tatting and showing others how it’s done, but I’m pretty sure the squirrel wasn’t getting it.
This guy and several other ground squirrels and a handful of chipmunks kept us entertained the entire week with their antics and curiosity. These little guys were friendly from the time we got there. One of our friends fed them with critter food (nuts and seeds) so they became more and more friendly as the week went on.
Two years ago we saw a lot of moose and a fox at the cabin, this year we saw neither. We were sad that we didn’t see the fox this time, though it didn’t look young then. There were also a lot more people at the lake this year. A lot more. With the dry weather and wind, we also dealt with a lot more dust. This doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy our stay – we did!
I always look forward to our getting away for vacation, and seeing the wildlife is a bonus. And even more so when they are up close and personal!
“I have great instincts, like the instincts of a squirrel. You know, like when you’re driving and a squirrel stops in the middle of the road.”Simon Helberg
Every year before vacation I start thinking about what I will take to tat while we are away. What thread, what patterns, what findings if necessary, and how many shuttles. And every year, when it’s actually time to leave, my mind goes blank. Maybe because there are so many other things to think about, but whatever the cause, it happens. This year I had thought I would be working on my china hutch edgings. Surprisingly, I had them all done before we left. The unfortunate part is that now I had to think of something else to take with me.
I checked what threads I had on shuttles, to see if any would inspire me to finish off those threads. It would be a handy way to empty them, right? I looked through my thread collection to see if any of them would spark an idea to create a new project. I tried to think back on my wish list of patterns I wanted to try (I wish I wrote them down!). I really didn’t want to take half of my thread or shuttle stash with me this time.
I finally settled on the green I had used for my recent ice drop, as both shuttles still had thread on them; a ball of Lizbeth 129, Purple Splender, because it looked fun; and a few others that tickled my fancy at the time. I also brought a small selection of findings in case I wanted to make earrings.
Vacation purple doodle
Just to get the juices flowing, I started with a little doodle in Purple Splender. The finding in the center I had recently picked up at JoAnn’s thinking they would be good for earrings. Not a bad doodle, but I only made one. So I put it on my billfold.
Vacation purple doodle on my billfold
Then I doodled a bit more. I’m thinking I might try and put this on my billfold as well.
The second vacation doodle
Then I picked up the shuttles with the green thread from the ice drop. And then I added just a little more thread because it got bigger. And then I added just a little bit more thread again because I thought I was almost done. Then I wasn’t, so added thread one more time.
Vacation snowflake 2020
This snowflake is the end result. I noticed that it has some kind of stain in the center after I had gone on to the second round. Not sure what it is, but it doesn’t want to come out. As this was tatted by a lake and while on a pontoon boat day trip, I didn’t get it cleaned and didn’t worry about it. I have no pictures of the individual rounds as I did them, just this one is as finished. Not bad for doodling.
I enjoyed some beautiful scenery while on vacation this year. We like to go in September to see the Aspens while they change into their fall colors and we were not disappointed this year.
View from a pontoon
Though the water levels of Lake Granby and the Colorado River were down a long way, it was still fun to mosey up the river while the guys fished and relax in the quiet and beauty of a pontoon trip.
Tatting at Lake Monarch
This is the view I enjoyed while tatting beside Monarch Lake.
Hiking trail by Monarch Lake
I did not take my tatting along when I hiked a little ways up this trail. The colors were so splendid and changed a little bit every day I could have gone back daily while we were there.
I have a lot more vacation photos I’d love to share, and I will share a few next week. Including one of an interested observer of my tatting.
“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.”Wallace Stevens
When a project is finished I have three choices for thread left on a shuttle: 1. Figure out something to tat with it until it’s gone; 2. Leave it on the shuttle and use another shuttle for the next project; or 3. Unwind it, putting the thread on a card or bobbin.
Of these choices, I like to do #1 the most, #2 if I’m lazy and have other shuttles available, and #3 only if I have to. With the left-over thread from the goat, I chose to do #1.
Thread ends from the thank-you goat
The doodles I did in Lizbeth River Blue Dark in size 10 to finish off the thread from the shuttles.
Normally, any doodles I do from thread ends are put in a jar. When I want to add a little something to a letter or note I can usually find something in this jar that works. This time, I added a couple of these doodles to the goat before I mailed it off.
Thank-you goat for the Pushy Goat with a couple of doodles
I like how this turned out. I hope my message therapist likes it, too.
This post was supposed to go up last week, but I didn’t do something quite right. We were on vacation last week and I didn’t check to make sure if it posted or not. The good news is I have pictures to share next week!
“A close family member once offered his opinion that I exhibit the phone manners of a goat, then promptly withdrew the charge – out of fairness to goats.“
For Mother’s Day one of my daughters gave me a gift certificate for a massage at a place called ‘The Pushy Goat’. We were going to plan a day for us to go together, making a day of it, with lunch and shopping. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we didn’t have a chance to use it until August.
When we did get my massage set up we ran into all kinds of setbacks, one thing after another. Amazingly, things worked out well, we got our day out and had a wonderful time.
I wore a pair of tatted earrings to my appointment, which started a conversation about tatting with my therapist and her boss. After getting home I started thinking about sending my therapist a thank-you note with a bit of tatting in it. And what better example of tatting than a goat to a business named ‘The Pushy Goat’?
A Thank-you goat
The pattern is Jane Eborall’s goat pattern, made in Lizbeth River Blue Dark in size 10. I’ve made this pattern before, back when Jane did it as a Tat It And See. This came out well, but I didn’t make the chin picots long enough. In fact, my granddaughter thought it was a dog. I added some thread to the chin and combed it out, making it more recognizable as a goat.
I finished the goat then had to come up with the card to put it on. I want it to be easy to mail but of a size that, if she wants, my therapist could frame it. I cut the paper to fit in a 5×7 frame. I’m going to put the thank-you message in the upper left corner and glue the goat down about where it’s at. I’m pleased with how it turned out.
I did not get any compensation from The Pushy Goat for this post. I just had a good experience there.
“Don’t approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side”
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.
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?)
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 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
It’s done! I can hardly believe that I finished the edgings I wanted for my china hutch.
The 3rd china hutch done and on the shelf
I started making these edgings on May 30, 2020. It only took 93 days from starting to mounting the third edging on the last shelf. I’m delighted with how they came out.
All three edgings on with the china hutch doors closed
I’m pleased with the look of the china hutch with the doors closed. Though trying to get a good picture of it with the glass reflecting everything is not easy. This was the best I could do this time around.
This project is one I’ve thought about for a long time but was never motivated enough to start until this year. This china hutch belonged to my grandfather and was given to him by his parents. He was a bare-bones guy, never one for frills. Once I got it I always thought edgings would be a nice finishing touch. Thirty years later I finally added the tatting, and I was right.
“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”Earl Nightingale
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.
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.
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
