Back on bookmarks

I usually keep several tatted bookmarks on hand for small gifts to go inside cards.  These are for condolences, just-because, (forgotten) birthdays, or other special occasions.   Recently I’ve found I don’t have any bookmarks made.  Oops, I need to get busy!

Tatted 'Branson' bookmark in Lizbeth Caribbean size 20 on wandasknottythoughts
‘Branson’ bookmark in Lizbeth Caribbean size 20

I made my ‘Branson’ bookmark in Lizbeth Caribbean size 20.  This one is easy to do while a passenger in the car on the way to work.  I already had one shuttle which needed to be emptied so I can count it as finishing up a project, right?

Unfinished tatted bookmark from Alaska pattern
Unfinished bookmark

I found a partially done bookmark to work on next.  The pattern is from one of my Alaska bookmarks.  The picture makes it look like a variegated thread though it is not.  Unfortunately, I lost the ball of the thread for this.  I’m almost done but both shuttles are too low on thread to finish.  Back in the UFO (Un-Finished Object) drawer.

I told myself I would work on UFOs before starting new projects.   But I really need to stock up on bookmarks.  Maybe I have another unfinished bookmark somewhere.  I’ll have to look.  If not, I’ll just have to start another project and finish it so as not to add to the UFOs.

The ‘Branson’ bookmark pattern can be found on my Pattern Page.  I have not written out the Alaska bookmark.

“I just got out of the hospital.
I was in a speed-reading accident.
I hit a bookmark.”                          Steve Write

Tatting when you’re bored

At work the other day I was waiting on decisions to be made and changes to be done by a couple of other people.  I was listening and doing my part in the job but only so many people can fit in one small area at a time.  While standing there I noticed a few thin wires on the floor that had been the tail of some cable or other.  As they hadn’t quite made it to the trash yet I picked them up and started fiddling with them instead of throwing them away.  Noticing the size, color and length I tried tatting with them.

tatting with wire on wandasknottythoughts
When you’re bored you’ll tat with anything

I made the ring on the right first, then a smaller ring that didn’t close.  With another couple of scrap wires, one green the other white, I made the rings with the chain between.  I even joined the rings though I had not left a picot.  There was still a lot of white wire left which I wound around the wire tails of the first two rings.  I did not try tatting that part, my fingers were already feeling the strain of working with wire.

No, I did not use a shuttle to work with the wire, I finger tatted it.  The shuttle is only for reference to the size of the wire tatting.  The wire is about 24 gauge but due to the stiffness does not tat small.  I made the white chain using direct tatting but the rings I did normally.

I knew that tatting with wire could be done; I’ve tried before but never with coated wire.  It was challenging but fun.  I don’t think I’d want to make any large project out of it though – talk about hard on the hands!

“Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true.” William Ralph Inge                                                       www.brainyquote.com

Old Hatband

A couple of weeks ago my mother wore a hat that she had picked up at a garage sale.   It had a feather wrapped around it as a hat band, which was okay but she wanted something different.  She took a hatband that I had made a long time ago and put it over the top of the feather.  She liked this a lot better so we removed the feather.

Old tatted hatband in Kreinik thread on wandasknottythoughts
Old tatted hatband put on a different hat

I’m not sure when I tatted this hatband but it was at least 20 years ago.  I believe I made it with Kreinik thread but I can’t tell you what color number.  I know it is not blended with another thread.  I remember it was not as easy to work with as cotton thread.

I have made several hatbands for my parents.  My dad especially liked the ones made out of this kind of shiny thread.  I don’t remember if I followed someone else’s pattern or did this one on my own.  It’s not that complicated a pattern, it could be either one.  It would make a pretty bookmark, wouldn’t it?

“And all your future lies beneath your hat.” John Oldham                                               https://www.brainyquote.com

 

“Thank You” Doily Finished

I finished the “thank you” doily for my aunt.

Aunt Irene's tatted thank you doily on wandasknottythoughts
Aunt Irene’s thank you doily

There are many beautiful tatted doily patterns out there – I have books full of them.  The Internet has a lot, also.  Do I make one of those?  Of course not, that would be too easy.  I designed another one.

A few years ago I made a snowflake/medallion with a finding in the center.  I used that medallion as the center but made a ring of rings in place of the finding.  That was the easy part.  Some of the rounds went very smooth, the others took more thought.  And several tries.  The end result is a bit ruffle-y until it’s blocked, but still looks nice.  This needs more blocking – it’s amazing how a picture will show things that ‘in person’ isn’t so obvious.

This doily is seven inches across made in Lizbeth #603 Ecru size 20 thread.  I’m not sure of my aunt’s tastes in colors and decorating so chose a ‘traditional’ color. I noticed I put spokes in this doily like several of my other doilies.  I need to try something else next time.  Doing a little more planning in the beginning would probably help, don’t you think?

I had planned to mail it today but will block it a bit better first.  I want it to look good when she gets it.

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.  Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. ” Gloria Steinem                   brainyquote.com

An Unexpected Gift

I received a unexpected gift in the mail a couple of months ago: a padded envelope with no return address.  Wrapped in several layers of padding was an old metal shuttle.

Pretty tatting shuttle from my aunt on wandasknottythoughts
Pretty tatting shuttle from my aunt

A sweet aunt of mine found it in her sewing box.  She’s not sure how long she had it. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t tat, either, but she knows I do and sent it to me.

It is a post shuttle with etchings on both sides but no company markings.   There are gaps at both tips. Size 10 and 20 thread do not come unwound when the shuttle is hung to untwist the thread if done with care.  I’m surprised but happy at this, the gaps look big.  One end has a sharp point that looks bent, which I can’t decide if this is original or the last tatter bent it this way.  It works great as a pick.  The other end has been flattened a bit; I’m guessing this is not the original look.  The shuttle has no rust or any other blemishes.

I don’t know how old this is.  Who knows how long my aunt had it or if it was new when she got it?  It doesn’t really matter, it is a wonderful gift, which I appreciate very much.

I’m working on a small doily to send her as a thank you.  It’s the least I can do, don’t you think?

“The best gifts are those we not only cherish but put to use.” Les Brown                     www.brainyquote.com

 

Ice Drops

Ice Drops inspired by LaceLovinLibrarian Diane on wandasknottythoughts
Ice Drops inspired by LaceLovinLibrarian Diane

I didn’t make snowflakes to go in Christmas cards this year.  Instead I was inspired by LaceLovinLibraian Diane to tat Ice Drops.   The only draw back is that I had to hand deliver them.  I ended up not making as many for Christmas as I would have if they were flat and could be mailed.

These were a lot of fun to make.  They also don’t take very long.

Diane inspired a lot of people to make these.  I’ve seen them in different colors, too, with beads and sequins.  I may eventually tat some in colors other than white, but for Christmas these worked out great.

I am now making a list of UTPs (Unfinished Tatting Projects).  The goal is to finish those first before getting in to other projects.

Now to remember where I put all those UTPs.

“I recently took up ice sculpting.  Last night I made an ice cube.  This morning I made 12, I was prolific.”   Mitch Hedberg

https://www.brainyquote.com

Problems

I still haven’t finished the dragon.  The thread is dark enough that I need a well-lit area to work on it.  I’m doing the head streamers and am having a bit of difficulty.  Trying to hurry, maybe?   When I have time to work on it I don’t have good lighting; when I have good lighting I don’t have time to work on it.   It will get done – eventually.

Other than a couple of other small things that aren’t ready to be shared yet I haven’t done any tatting.  Getting lazy, I guess.

We’ve been having problems with our Internet.  We had trouble a week ago Saturday, called the provider and thought we had it fixed.  Then we had trouble again.  Again we called the provider, did a few more things and thought we had it fixed.  The next day we lost the Internet and haven’t gotten it back yet.  It is aggravating.  We thought we might have it by today, but we didn’t.

As I don’t have any pictures of tatting ready I thought I’d share a couple of pictures of a visitor we had this week.

Pheasant in my yard on wandasknottythoughts
Pheasant

Saw this handsome fellow strutting through our yard.  I snapped this picture through the window.

Pheasant flying away on wandasknottythoughts
Pheasant flying away

He left in a hurry as soon as we opened the door. It surprised me when I found I’d caught him in this picture.  We’ve been hearing a lot of pheasant calls around so we know they are out there.  This one just decided to brave the yard.   We were lucky we caught sight of him.

I’m hoping to get my tatting enthusiasm back.  Or back in gear, anyway.  I’ve got lots of things I want to make.

“It’s not easy taking my problems one at a time when they refuse to get in line.”  Ashleigh Brilliant

Dragons and Waiting Rooms

Chinese Dragon by Martha Ess in progress on wandasknottythoughts
Martha Ess’ Chinese Dragon in process

While at Tat Days in September I picked up ‘Flights of Fancy’ by Martha Ess. For my first project out of it I chose the Chinese Dragon.  I had thought to use a lighter color than the Lizbeth 674 Garnet Dark but decided a dark color fits my vision of a Chinese dragon – at least today.  I like it in this color until I have to take out stitches when a mistake it made.

Note to self: DON’T make mistakes!

I was working on this in a waiting room when the two ladies at the desk asked what I was doing.  I explained a bit and one of the ladies immediately Googled it.  She was quite impressed by all the tatting she found on-line.

About a week later I was tatting in another quite large waiting room that has plants strategically placed all around and in the middle. A lady on the other side of the room leans around a large plant and asks if I’m tatting.  When I admit I am she comes over to see how it’s done.  I show her a bit and answer a few questions.  Then a gentleman comes over to see what I’m doing.  When they leave the ladies at the desk also want to know what I’m doing, so I show them.  I actually enjoyed my wait that day 🙂

Unfortunately, I still haven’t finished my dragon. I’ve been working a lot of hours and even when I have a few minutes I’m so tired I don’t feel like tatting.  Even so, I’m hoping to finish it soon.  I’m at the ears, then the easy part going down the back.

Maybe I should find somewhere else I need to sit in a waiting room to finish it. Even if that meant I might get interrupted by questions about what I’m making.

I could handle that.

“Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.” Joyce Meyer   brainyquote.com

 

Time well spent

Last month I spent a weekend with my daughter’s family.  One day my grandson had a fundraiser he had to work and wanted me to go, too.  I tagged along but forgot to bring a chair to sit on.  We did happen to bring a cooler, so I was able to sit down somewhat comfortably.  I did not have a particular tatting project to work on but I did have several shuttles I was going to empty making small butterflies and such.

Ashley, the mother of one of the other boys, came over to see what I was doing.  I demonstrated a bit using two shuttles to show the flip better.  As we were both going to be there a while, and she showed interest, I let her try.  She picked it up fast!  In a little over an hour she was able to chain and even do a couple of rings.

New tatter Ashley on wandasknottythoughts
New tatter Ashley

I was impressed with Ashley, she did such a great job!  What I thought would be a long two hours went by in a flash.  We both enjoyed ourselves sitting on the sidewalk outside of a Wal-mart. Best fundraiser I ever went to.

Between the wonderful time I spent with my daughter’s family and the time I spent with Ashley, it was a great weekend.

 

“Time is free, but it’s priceless.
You can’t own it, but you can use it.
You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.
Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”

Projects from Tat Days

I took Jane Eborall’s ‘New Moon’ class at Tat Days.  I always enjoy her patterns.  I put grey Lizbeth thread my shuttles and used size 11 clear seed beads.  For all that the class was a level one I enjoyed it.  The nose of the moon is the one tricky spot in the pattern.  I got just past that point when the class ended.

Jane Eborall's Quarter Moon Class on wandasknottythoughts.com
Jane Eborall’s Quarter Moon Class

I was finally able to finish it the week following Tat Days.

Jane Eborall's tatted New Moon
Jane Eborall’s tatted New Moon

I also took Mimi Dillman’s Cluny Improvement Motif.  I had never done clunies except as practice, and only in the previous few weeks.  I am so glad that I took the class.  Mimi showed a different way to hold your hand for the loom which made it soooo much easier than what I had been doing.

Mimi demonstrating clunies to some of her class on wandasknottythoughts
Mimi demonstrating clunies to some of her class

The improvement motif definitely made me work on improving clunies.  But Mimi was right – I think my best cluny was the first one, not the last.

Completed tatted Cluny Improvement Motif on wandasknottythoughts
Completed Cluny Improvement Motif

After I got home I started another cluny motif, not because I had finished the first but because I didn’t have it with me when I wanted to tat.  The second motif was made in two colors – the ones that were already on the shuttles. Both of them are now finished

Two color tatted Cluny Improvement Motif on wandasknottythoughts
Two color Cluny Improvement Motif

I have some work to do on making those color changes look better – and the clunies themselves.  But at least now I like making clunies.   Don’t be surprised if they end up in some of my future patterns.

I haven’t yet finished my other two Tat Days projects.  Both will need my full attention to get them right.   I’m hoping to have time – and energy – to finish them soon.

“He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.” Friedrich Nietzsche                         brainy quote.com