Patriotic tatting

Independence Day has come and gone and I finally am posting a bit of patriotic tatting.

Red, White, and Blue for the 4th 2019

We traveled to western Kansas for some 4th of July family time this year. It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive each way, plenty of time to get a bit of tatting done. At least on the way out; I had to drive for a while on the way back. We had a wonderful time visiting with family we only see every couple of years.

I have trouble sometimes tatting with red, white, and blue threads. I want to get all three colors in without getting too busy with it. This time I used a button for the white and alternated with red and blue thread. It was a challenge to tat this in the car; I kept getting the four shuttles tangled as the car swayed and bumped down the road. I am pleased with how it turned out, though it might work better next time with a smooth button. I used Lizbeth threads #671 and #707 Sky Blue Dark in size 20. I’m working on writing up the pattern.

I have tatted quite a bit recently even if you haven’t seen me post. I’ve been having trouble with my picture program. It acts like it’s opening and then doesn’t. I finally paid more attention as it started and noticed that it shows the wrong version trying to open. I plan on calling the help desk about it when I have an uninterrupted few minutes, though I’m not sure when that will be. Until then I am using an older program which works okay, it just doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the other. And then when I tried to add the picture to this post it put it in sideways, even though it didn’t show as sideways. The third time it finally showed up correct.

Looking forward to having my picture program start working! Maybe I’ll post sooner!

“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults. Alexis de Tocqueville www.brainyquote.com

Sunflowers

Tatted sunflowers on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted sunflowers

Can you believe it? I actually tatted a sunflower and finished it! Several sunflowers even! Yay!

I’ve been wanting to make small sunflowers to decorate a few things for a trip I’m taking this summer. I found a necklace of tatted sunflowers on Pinterest from a Japanese site called Creema, which I based these on. I have kept changing things up as I figure out what works for me and what doesn’t.

These all have a single brown ring with eight picots in the center. The outside rings are facing out with short chains between which join to the center ring. All three of these have different counts for the outward facing rings, and all are made with Lizbeth 170 Pineapple Parfait and 692 Mocha Brown Dark in size 20. The #170 was already on a shuttle and is yellow, so it works, right?

I’m pretty happy with these, but still not done yet. The shuttle of #170 made these sunflowers and few that ‘wilted’ and were disposed of before I moved on to Lizbeth #616 Daffodil Med. The ones in #616 are made with pointed chains, which I will share later. They are made a bit differently, the only ring being the center.

Tatting is again more in the forefront of things I want to do, but life still gets in the way of my tatting plans. I’m easily distracted from moment to moment by other things that need to get done, and unfortunately, some are more important than tatting. But, hey, I made several sunflowers! Yay!

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.      Helen Keller

Faux Tatting

Recently we were in an office waiting room that has some beautiful antique furniture. When we’ve been there before the china hutches and shelves were empty. This time they had different antique collections in them. While looking those over I noticed several framed doilies that I had to get a closer look at.

Faux Tatted Doilies on wandasknottythoughts
Faux Tatted Doilies

Aren’t these pretty? There is a lot of inspiration for tatted medallions in these.

I haven’t been inspired to tat much lately, too many other things are taking my attention and energy. I have a few plans for tatting that I’m gathering my threads for today, small projects for quick satisfaction. Planning on having more time to tat! (Crossing my fingers for more things not popping up!)

“Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.” Madeleine L’Engle https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/madeleine_lengle_122317

Heart challenges

On Valentine’s Day I posted this new heart. Since then I’ve been working on the pattern for it.

First Pensive heart on wandasknottythoughts
First Pensive heart

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.

Pensive Heart in Grape Dark size 10 on wandasknottythoughts
Pensive Heart in Grape Dark

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.

Pensive Heart in two colors on wandasknottythoughts
Pensive Heart in two colors

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?

Three Pensive Hearts on wandasknottythoughts
Three Pensive Hearts

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
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January Cross 2019

Have I mentioned that I ordered several of the Lizbeth Metallic threads? Have I mentioned that they are easy to tat with? I have? Oh. Well, here I go again


I’ve used a few but not all of them yet. In ‘December Tatting’ I used Lizbeth Metallic Silver #311 and Turquoise Green #321. In ‘Old Snowflake in New Thread’ I used Antique Gold # 328 and Raspberry Pink #316. Now I’m using Violet #315.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to tat but I knew I wanted to use the Violet in something not too big that doesn’t take too long to make and nothing too complicated. I like to have bookmarks on hand because they are easy to mail and they work for so many occasions, so this what I set out to do. I like to make crosses, but not the same ones every time. So I made a new one.

January Cross 2019 on wandasknottythoughts
January Cross 2019

I’m amazed at myself – I used this metallic thread to design a new pattern. I didn’t start with a cotton thread of any size, I started with this. The biggest issue I had was trying to count the stitches. The glittery thread makes it a little hard to see the stitches in lamplight.

I was very inspired when I named this cross – January Cross 2019 (LOL!) I guess a name is just a designation to differentiate one like item from another, so it doesn’t have to be poetic, right?

After using the metallic thread I made this pattern in Lizbeth Purple Medium #632 size 20. It came out a bit smaller than the ones in the metallic thread even though Handy Hands claims it is similar is size to size 20. Similar is the keyword.

January Cross 2019 Lizbeth Purple Med #632 on wandasknottythoughts
January Cross 2019 Lizbeth Purple Med #632

I’m happy with this cross. It has four thrown rings and two split rings but still an easy pattern to tat. I’ve written this out. If you are interested in getting the pattern (versions 1 & 2) check them out on the My Patterns page.

“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.” Nate Berkus
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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 soooo much more fun tatting than to write down patterns!). I recently bought several of the Lizbeth Metallic threads and was looking for something to make with them. This snowflake was a perfect pattern to try out the thread. The first one had seven arms instead of six – oops! But it looks great in metallic thread! See it in my last post.

So I made another one, this time with six arms. I also gave it a name, Snowflake – Adie.

Snowflake - Adie on wandasknottythoughts
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 count. The chains between the arms are 7-7 instead of 6-6 and the ring inside the arms don’t have two of the picots. The threads are the same as the other one but reversed.

Snowflake Adie in Raspberry Pink on wandasknottythoughts
Snowflake Adie in Raspberry Pink

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 on the pattern.

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 it, if you are interested in trying the pattern email me at the address in the ‘Contact Me’ tab and I’ll email it back to you.

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.

blue 7 armed snowflake in metallic thread on wandasknottythoughts
Snowflake in Lizbeth metalic thread

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.

Angel in Turquoise Green metallic thread on wandasknottythoughts
Angel in Turquoise Green metallic thread

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
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