Busy, Busy

I have been very busy the last few weeks, which put writing on my blog at the bottom of my to-do list. I have done some tatting but I have not gotten anywhere on writing out any patterns.

League track meets and tennis matches involving my grandkids meant I was traveling a lot trying to make all of them. There were also a few events besides these that were all-day affairs, leaving me tired and hot (or cold) and uninterested in doing anything after making it home.

One of my grandsons was just confirmed into our church. This is not a sacrament or a divine ordinance, but a public recognition of a person’s instruction of the Word and confession of faith. In our congregation, this ceremony is done when the person is about 14 years old, after several years of specific study. I made him my April’s Cross bookmark with modified ends to celebrate the occasion.

April Cross Bookmark for confirmation on wandasknottythoughts
April’s Cross Bookmark for confirmation.

When making it this time I just didn’t care for the look of the ends of the original pattern. I like this better, but I spent an inordinate amount of time getting the stitch count to a place I was happy. I suppose at some point I may add this change to the pattern. My 14-year-old grandson was not all that impressed with this gift. I’m hoping that maybe someday he will appreciate it a bit more.

I haven’t been in the mood to do much in the way of starting or finishing my tatting projects, maybe too tired after all the events and traveling, but I did get some tatting done. The case on my phone is clear and plain. I’ve thought a bit of tatting would look good on it but have not done anything about it. The other day I ran across a ball of thread labeled Star Tatting Crochet in white/off-white. It looks to be smaller than size 40, maybe 70?

Old Star tatting thread on wandasknottythoughts
Old Star tatting thread

I tatted a small ring in the Star thread and another of the same stitch count in Lizbeth size 40.

Star thread comparison on wandasknottythoughts
Star thread comparison

It is definitely smaller than the size 40. I’m pretty sure that the old thread I’ve seen before was labeled 70, so I’m going with that. I made several doodles with it to see how it would look and fit in the phone case.

Phone cover with tatting on wandasknottythoughts
Phone cover with tatting

The tatting is not glued down to anything, but placed between the phone and the case. It is good the thread is so small as it causes the case to be not quite as tight to the phone as it is supposed to be. This allows the tatting to move a bit, but not much, and only in some circumstances. I’ll probably change the tatting in this if/when I come up with other ideas. This certainly changes the look of the case for the better and I’m glad I wasn’t too busy to try it.

“I don’t care how busy I am – I will always make time for what’s most important to me.” Kevin Hart

Making a few changes

I’ve been working on the ‘Iris’ cross bookmark I shared last week. I made a few tweaks as I worked on writing the pattern and tatted it again.

I tatted the original in size 10 thread, bigger than I usually work in. I saw the color and just knew I wanted to use it, and it was in size 10, so that was it. The cross came out the first time with minimal trouble. It ended up being six inches tall by six inches across, much larger than I think of as fitting in a normal book. I decided to make it in a smaller thread as I verified the stitch count.

Iris Cross bookmark in size 10 on wandasknottythoughts
Iris Cross bookmark in size 10

I usually tat in size 20 thread, which would make this cross smaller, but I thought that it might not make it small enough, so I made it in size 40. Which I don’t tat in much, either, so it took longer to tat it. But the end result is about what I was hoping for.

Iris v 2 in size 40 on wandasknottythoughts
Iris v 2 in size 40

The center of the cross has a wonderful pattern, but I was concerned that handling it as a bookmark would be too floppy. I added a picot to the corner chains to make it less floppy. While tatting in the small thread the ends of the arms didn’t come out looking the same as the original so I changed up the stitch count a bit there as well.

Iris v 3 in size 40 on wandasknottythoughts
Iris v 3 in size 40

On the next cross, I changed the stitch count at the ends of the arms again and they came out better, but I still wasn’t happy with them. The shuttle 2 clovers at the tips twisted a lot. This would be a problem if it were handled much.

Iris cross bookmark version 4 on wandasknottythoughts
Iris cross bookmark version 4

The fourth cross came out much better. The tips of the arms are more secure and less able to twist. I am also happier with the look of the ends. I’m wondering if I should leave off the picots I added to hold the center firmer. In the small thread will it be okay without them? I like the look better without that picot.

It is amazing how different the cross looks making it the two different size threads. What are your thoughts? Which one do you like best?

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.“ Alan Watts

New Bookmark

It’s spring, so it must be time for another bookmark. This time of year brings many occasions for gifts, and I usually include something tatted, often a bookmark. This year, one of my grandsons and three other eighth graders are being confirmed in our church. I’m making each of them a cross bookmark to celebrate the occasion.

Phoebe cross bookmark on wandasknottythoughts
Iris cross bookmark

As usual, I couldn’t just use a pattern I already had, I had to try something different. I do fancy how the center came out with this. It is made of size 10 Lizbeth #647 Purple Iris Dark and measures 6 inches by 6 inches, almost too big for a bookmark. I’ll be making the ones for the confirmands in a smaller thread, and probably in a shade of red.

I’ve worked on this cross and a few other items, but spent more time outside this last week or two. It’s been so nice outside I don’t want to sit inside and the wind makes it challenging to tat outside. I don’t have many flowering plants to enjoy yet, but the trees are blooming.

Red bud tree blooming on wandasknottythoughts
Redbud tree blooms

We have two Redbud trees in our yard. I always look forward to them blooming.

Pear bloom on wandasknottythoughts
Apricot blooms

My neighbor has several fruit trees at the edge of the yard. They are so beautiful when they bloom.

Apple bloom on wandasknottythoughts
Apple bloom

The apple trees are blooming a bit behind the other trees. I was afraid our tree wouldn’t bloom, but it finally is showing a few.

Once in a while, I even catch a picture of a bird. This one is from a few weeks ago. I haven’t been filling the feeders much, so I’m not seeing as many pretty ones yet this year as I’ve seen in the past.

Bird in a bare tree on wandasknottythoughts
Bird in a bare tree

It’s finally spring. We even had rain a couple of nights ago! Our area in Kansas has been in a drought for a while now. Most of the state is in Extreme to Exceptional drought. Any rain is welcome, and the inch we got is wonderful! Now I need to weed the flower beds and get a few flowers out. A few perennials survived the winter but aren’t ready to bloom yet. The weeds are blooming everywhere!

“If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.” Doug Larson

More Bookmarks Needed

The last few weeks have seen several losses of family or friends, though none close to me. Our pastor lost his father and my mother lost a close friend, both to illness. For such occasions, I give cross bookmarks with sympathy cards. I found that I am out of any bookmarks and in need of making more.

Cross bookmark for pastor on wandasknottythoughts
Cross bookmark for our pastor

I chose Lizbeth thread ‘Caribbean’ in size 20 to make the bookmark I’m giving to our pastor. It’s a beautiful color that doesn’t seem too bright to give for a solemn occasion. I used my Graduation Bookmark pattern, which is based on a traditional cross pattern. I haven’t made one for my mom yet, but that’s next.

As the name implies, I also use this pattern for graduations. I have a couple of those coming up, so I need to make several more. Let’s see if I make them in this pattern or something else.

I’ve been tatting more than this, just nothing quite ready to show yet. I did take some pictures the other morning when we had a bit of fog.

Fog at sunrise on wandasknottythoughts
Fog at sunrise
Tractor in fog on wandasknottythougths
Tractor in fog

Sometimes there are beautiful views in places we see every day.

A Doily and a Bottle

I’ve kept working on the green doily from several weeks ago. I am particularly delighted with this doily. I think I’m done but I may yet do another round. Right now, it is six inches across. I am, slowly, working on the pattern for this. I’ve named it “Shae”, meaning good, favorable. An Irish name, as I made it in March, and one I can pronounce!

Shae doily on wandasknottythoughts
Shae doily

I’ve been thinking about how to use tatting in different ways. In October, I put a tatted sunflower on a bottle by hanging it on a thread around the bottleneck. Not bad, but more could be done. I took this idea a bit further, putting a few more decorations with the tatting.

Sunflower bottle on wandasknottythoughts
Sunflower bottle

This was something of a fortuitous accident, as I had added the leaves to the sunflower and held it up to the bottle for placement – and I got it too close. At that point, the sunflower was where it was going to be. Good thing I like it there. I also added lights to the bottle.

Sunflower bottle with lights on wandasknottythoughts
Sunflower bottle with lights

The pictures don’t do the bottle justice. I took it as a prize to a bingo game on St. Patrick’s day. It was very well received. I see more decorated bottles in my future, probably with more tatting on them.

Now I need to work a bit on Easter tatting, or maybe things for spring.

“A book is simply the container of an idea like a bottle; what is inside the book is what matters.” Angela Carter

Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2023

St. Patrick's Day 2023 on wandasknottythoughts

I almost forgot to get a picture of these. I worked until the last minute to finish all of them (because I decided to do this the morning of the meeting) and left the house on the way to the meeting without taking a picture. I had to stop at my daughter’s house on the way and remembered at the last minute! All the ladies at the meeting were happy to get them.

I had wondered if I would finish the clovers off on paperclips, but I like how they turned out.

Are you wearing green today? Orange? Or the white for peace?

“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.”

Playing in Clover

It’s March, that time of year I see hints of spring and green things. It makes me think of Leprechauns and clovers. I’ve had shades of green on my shuttles for several weeks now, making clovers.

Clovers on wandasknottythoughts
Playing with clovers

I’ve been having fun making these clovers. I haven’t quite decided what I’m going to do with them, which is why they still have their tails. I might need them to sew them down to something.

Clovers on clips on wandasknottythoughts
Clovers on paperclips

I put some clovers on paperclips. I think I like them like this, but I’m not sure enough to cut off their tails.

A field of clovers on wandasknottythoughts
A field of clovers

I’ve made clovers in several shades of green. I think they look good in both, though I’m partial to the brighter shade.

Clover lapel pin on wandasknottythoughts
Clover lapel pin

I even made a clover lapel pin using a large, springless safety pin. I received some very nice compliments on it at church Sunday. I’m very happy with how it turned out.

Clover colors on wandasknottythoughts
Clover colors

The clovers are all in Lizbeth thread: the lapel pin in size 3 #684, Leaf Green Med; the paper clips in size 20 # 676, Leaf Green Dk; and the loose clovers in size 20 #713, Kelly Green.

I made a few clovers a couple of years ago from the same pattern, including a pair of earrings. Maybe I need another pair in a different shade of green. Here’s my pattern for them if you are interested. They don’t take long to make.

Simple clover pattern on wandasknottythoughts
Simple clover pattern

Having green on my shuttles for clovers and bookmarks was one of the reasons the doily I’ve been playing with was in green. I like how it looks without the button in the center.

Two green doilies on wandasknottythoughts
Two green doilies

The centers definitely change the look of the doily. I also changed the outside round stitch count to have it lay flatter. I’m liking this doily!

“To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few.” Emily Dickinson

Sad News

There have been sad news for tatters several times this year already.

First, Rebecca Jones, the author of The Complete Book of Tatting, has died. This book was one of my first tatting books. It has so many wonderful ideas for tatting though it doesn’t really have a lot of patterns in it. I referred to it frequently for many years and still do on occasion. I recommend it to new tatters. Rebecca had wonderful insights into tatting and shared them in an engaging way. It was very disheartening to hear of her passing.

Then I learned that @torontofox passed away in February. I followed Fox on her tatting blog for a long time. When she tried Zentangle, I followed that, too. More recently she was sharing her cross-stitching on Instagram. I don’t do cross-stitch, but I followed her on that, as well. Over the years, she would leave me wonderful comments here on my blog, full of encouragement and humor. She will be greatly missed.

Recently, I have been looking around for ideas of where to use tatting. A lot of people don’t use or like doilies, they read on electronic devices so don’t use bookmarks, and some don’t have much use for snowflakes or other such things, so not ideal people to gift tatting to. I’ve found there are a lot of videos on Youtube for junk journals, showing ways that use small laces and papers to decorate journals. I have always loved paper things as they use for these journals, and think this would be a fun way to use up some of my bits and pieces, ones that are finished and those that might have a mistake or two.

Flea market find for junk journal on wandasknottythoughts
Flea market find for a junk journal

While watching one the other day, the video creator was showing items that she found that are inexpensive that can be used in these journals. I was a bit dismayed by her flea market find of a small tatted doily. It saddened me to think she would cut it up to use in a journal. She did say that she probably wouldn’t cut this one up but possibly use it whole on the outside of a journal, which cheered me up a little. I have a lot of things I’ve tatted laying around or hidden in drawers, some finished, some not. I tat because I love to tat, not because I necessarily have a plan for each piece. It is a depressing thought that one day some of them could be in a flea market somewhere, waiting to be picked up for a few cents. Which is probably better than being thrown away… Or maybe a small piece picked up by someone who has never seen it before and will be inspired to try it, a happier thought. But I will continue tatting, finding joy in the making. Tatting is my happy place.

My something green from the previous post has grown. It is still not a bookmark but a small doily.

Something green has grown on wandasknottythoughts
Something green has grown

I do not like the button in the middle for a doily, so I have started it again without one. That does change the look, but I am tickled by the look of it. I’m liking where it is going.

Now, I’m going back to my happy place. Where’s yours?

happy place

idiom

a memory, situation, or activity that makes you feel happy