Still Tatting for Easter

Easter Egg for Intatters Challenge on wandasknottythoughts.com
Are you surprised it’s not another bunny?
I made this Easter Egg for a challenge on Intatters a couple of years ago.  I only made one then, but I’m in an Easter type mood for tatting and thought I’d do it again. It’s in Lizbeth #115 “Springtime”, size 20. I didn’t use beads – I was lucky to have the time to tat this without!
I did want to have the pattern ready today, but it’s not quite done.  I’m hoping to have it done very soon, so keep an eye on the right side of the blog.
I found a site that has some cute Easter poems.  Check this out.
Five Little Easter Eggs


Five little Easter eggs, lovely colors wore;
Mother ate the blue one, then there were four.


Four little Easter eggs, two and two, you see;
Daddy ate the red one, then there were three.


Three little Easter eggs, before I knew
Sister ate the yellow one, then there were two.


Two little Easter eggs; oh, what fun,
Brother ate the purple one, then there was one.


One little Easter egg; see me run!
I ate the very last one, and then there were none.
 

Tick Tock Goes the Clock

After 40 years or more of silence this clock is now keeping time again.
This is my grandparent’s Gilbert clock.  It had quit working back when I was a child. I have a few memories of it chiming, but not for years and years.  I inherited this when we moved Grandma out of her house to an apartment.  My husband surprised me a couple of months ago by taking it to a man who repairs old clocks.  It just came back a week ago.  We’ve been getting it leveled and adjusting the times to get it up to correct time again.
This clock is a Gilbert clock made about 1915 – 1920, according to the repair man.  It has a pendulum inside in the back and has to be wound with a key.  When I got it, it was missing the glass front and the hands, and was wound too tight.  It now chimes the hour and once on the half hour and makes a lovely tick-tock sound. Once we got it level it keeps time very well.
I’ve gotten very little tatting done this week. I’ll probably share it next week, maybe even with the pattern. It’s more Easter-themed tatting, can you guess what it might be?
“In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance.  In Switzerland, they had brotherly love; they had five hundred years of democracy and peace and what did that produce?  The cuckoo clock. “
Orson Welles

“Love is not a clock. You simply cannot take it apart just to see what makes it tick, and even if you could, you probably could never get it back together again.”

Bunny Face

I’ve decided I like the bunny face.  I’ve made a few more, playing around with it a little, mostly with the ears.  I think the bottom one looks a little more like a dog than a bunny, but still has potential.  I don’t think this will become an edging, at least not without a lot more work, but it looks pretty good as a bunny face. 
I’ve been trying to find out if there is another bunny that is made like this.  I’ve found several really cute bunnies: 
Tatman has a couple of cute bunnies here and here. I also hear he has a pattern for a bunny in an egg, but I don’t know where to find the pattern.  I saw it on Steph’s Stuff; very cute!
Bella OnLine has several bunny patterns, including a few edgings, found here.
[the first link on the page, Brenda’s Bunnies, does not contain tatting. It looks to have been hacked]
Nancy has a cute one on her be-stitched site, here.  
I checked Dianna Steven’s book ‘Animal Bookmarks, a Tatted Zoo’, which has a really cute bunny bookmark, but it doesn’t look like this either. 
So, if anybody is interested, I have put the pattern up on my sidebar.  The pattern has the rounded ears like the top two in the picture. I made the bottom one today while I was sipping my Tatting Tea Tuesday tea, after I had the pattern ‘finished’.  I might make an addendum for changing up the ears later.

This time of year thinking of bunnies makes me think of Easter, so I’ll leave you with another Easter poem.

Sky Bunnies
The sky is full of bunny clouds
So soft and fat and white,
I wonder if they’re hiding eggs
For stars to find at night.

Because it’s Easter Eve, you know,
And there’s no reason why
There shouldn’t be an Easter hunt
In meadows in the sky.

Looking for the Bunny

I usually don’t think to make seasonal things until much too close to the actual holiday, but I’m actually thinking Easter already.  It’s already Lent so there are only about 40 days left to get things made before Easter.
My first (only?) Easter-themed tatting this year is a bunny face.  I did this while riding in the car without a pattern but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this, or a close variation, somewhere.  I have Dianna Steven’s book ‘Animal Bookmarks, a Tatted Zoo’ which has a rabbit in it, so that may be it; I’ll have to check.  I already checked Jane’s patterns and didn’t see it there. This one is made in Victorian Red #670 Lizbeth thread, size 20 and you can see it’s not very big.  I’ve already thought of a different way to make this – my original plan for the bunny was an edging for the hem of some pants for my grand-daughter. Some adjustments will need to be made to resemble the idea in my head.

I wasn’t sure I liked this bunny, but I like the picture of him ☺.

Secret Information
Would you like to know a secret?
Well, I’ll tell you one I know:
The Easter’s Bunny’s coming,
My mama told me so.

He’ll bring a basket filled with eggs
And leave it in my yard,
And I will find it Easter morn,
If I look very hard.

I shouldn’t tell my secret,
But I think it should be shared.
You ought to know that Bunny’s coming,
So you can be prepared!

Gifts

To me!
These wonderful items are from Tabatha that I received for our Advent exchange.  That container in the back has seven different colored seed beads.  Each bead color is in it’s own compartment so each can be opened without releasing loosing opening all the others – great!  The ball of thread is Lizbeth “Springtime” #115 in size 20.  I haven’t used it yet but it’s such a ‘spring-y’ color I’m thinking of using it for something for Easter.  The cute book is a journal, an encouragement to keep jotting down my patterns.  And the pens aren’t regular pens but crochet hook pens.  And they are soo pretty!  I’ve been keeping one in my purse so I always have one handy. 
All of these items are in such pretty colors they make me think “Spring!”  We’ve had such a mild winter here that it almost seems like spring already.  We actually had a thunderstorm yesterday with high wind and hail.  Very spring like, indeed.  Of course, it could come up and snow any day – it’s still only February.  But tatting with “Springtime” thread, using those pretty beads and crochet pens, and jotting down ideas in the journal (did you see the tea pot?) will make it feel like springtime anytime. 
I didn’t have any tea this morning for Tatting Tea Tuesday, I had coffee instead.  I was just too lazy to try and choose which tea to drink this morning 🙂  I’ve also been too busy this week to tat, so there’s no tatting to show.  I have a list of things I want/plan to tat, just not the time.  I’m hoping that this week is a little better on the tatting front.  
May you have a bit of tatting time this week, too. 
“Youth is not a time of life: it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it it a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.”
Samuel Ullman

Remembering Gina

This week, on Monday, February 13, 2012, Gina Brummet, aka The Tatting Goddess, died.  It was a great shock to those of us in the tatting world.  She had just recently shared on her blog in January that she had been going through treatment for lung cancer but was now in remission.  To hear that she had passed away was heartbreaking. 
Reading her blog was always enjoyable, whether is be about tatting, stitching, crochet or any of the many things she was interested in.  She was very generous about sharing her knowledge on any of the subjects she spoke about, doing it in an easy to read and interesting manner.  Her work on old tatting patterns, sharing her trials with them, was motivating to me, to not let them intimidate because of the way they were written.  
I know that many people read her blog if for no other reason that my blog got a lot of traffic from hers. It is obvious how many people she touched through the Internet.  I was never given the chance to meet her in person, one of the those wishes that will now never be fulfilled. 
A few years ago I made one of her patterns for an exchange on InTatters (from this post).  It’s the only pattern of Gina’s that I’ve made so far, though there are others that are on my to-do list. Gina’s ‘Southwest Butterfly’ is beautiful, done in any color. 
‘Southwest Butterfly’ by Regina A. Brummet
My thoughts and prayers go out to all of her friends and family in this time of loss. She will be greatly missed.
“Don’t ever let yourself get so busy that you miss those little but important extras in life – the beauty of a day.. the smile of a friend.. the serenity of a quiet moment alone.  For it is often life’s smallest pleasures and gentlest joys that make the biggest and most lasting difference.”

A Heart, a Goat and a Fob

Happy Valentine’s Day!  
I’ve known it’s been coming, I’ve seen all the hearts that others have been tatting and I only made one.
This is the bottom of the bookmark that eventually evolved into Heart’s Honor.  It’s not exactly like I’d like it yet, but this is all that I got done before today. It’s made with Lizbeth size 20 threads in red and white.  
I haven’t done much tatting the last week or so, though I did finish Jane’s TIAS.  Isn’t it a wonderful goat? This is perfect for tatting for little boys!  I have several ideas on what to do with him.  

Here is some tatting I did before Christmas.  While on our vacation to Colorado this last summer I stopped in a shop called Bev’s Stitchery and found this cute scissors.  I saw this and thought of Tabatha and our Christmas exchange.  Once I got it home I thought “what’s a girl doing all dressed up without a purse?”   After a couple of tries I got the fob right (I cut a couple of picots and joined in the wrong places…). It holds a year 2000 US dime – a girl has to have her mad money, doesn’t she? I think it came out very well. 

I’ve just heard the sad news that Gina, The Tatting Goddess, has died.  She will be remembered with great fondness by those of us she touched through her blogs even though we never met in person.
“Reach out for the joy and the sorrow.  Put them away in your mind. The memories are times that you borrow, to spend when you get to tomorrow.”


TIAS day 11

Here is my TIAS day 11.  This has been a lot of fun making a really cute goat.  There is only one more day left to finish off the goat, then we’ll have to wait until next year for another one. Another TIAS, not another goat.  I think this goat will be really cute to make for the grandsons. I already have several ideas in mind. It’s been a lot of fun seeing everybody’s goats, where they are from, the really cute ways some of them have been displayed, and all the different comments people have made while doing this.  If you haven’t been over to check it out, it’s well worth your time even if you aren’t tatting it. 
I’ve been doing a little bit of tatting lately, other than the TIAS.  Some has come out like I planned, some not so much.  I made a four point motif that I thought looked pretty cool, and then thought that putting it together with others would look even better.  The motif is not all that hard, and joining them shouldn’t have been hard, either, but it didn’t always come out that way.  And then it would help if I made them all the same way.  I had this all together and was pinning it out when I noticed that one – just one – had different stitch counts than the others.  If it had been in the center it wouldn’t have looked quite so odd.  But, no, it’s on one of the corners.  It’s a bit obscured by the shuttles (purposely!).  I felt pretty stupid that I hadn’t noticed it sooner. Can’t cut it off and try again because I’m pretty sure it’s not the last one joined.  But I thought is still looked pretty good so I’m sharing it anyway. 

You might also have noticed that I missed posting on Tuesday.  I had time to do day 11 on the TIAS and that was all that I had time for.  I didn’t even have time for tea!  I’m hoping to do a little better next week. 
“Contemplation often makes life miserable.  We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.” 
Chamfort





TIAS day 8

Jane Eborall posted Day 8 of her 2012 TIAS today.  I’m thinking it’s looking like a goat, though with Jane you never know until the end!  Saturday when day 7 came up I had no guesses – until I was over on Miranda’s blog and saw her day 7.  Looking at hers it suddenly looked like a goat, or at least the back end of one.  
(from http://www.supercoloring.com)
Then with Day 8 I’m seeing horns!
I’ve gotten a little bit of tatting done recently, some I’m not quite ready to share,  but here are the ones that I’m ready to.  
 I made this cute little bell from a free pattern that yarnplayer has available.  It really isn’t hard and turns out very nice. Mine bowed just a little from the size of my picots I think, but it’s a bell, and hanging on a Christmas tree it wouldn’t be out of place and not nearly as noticeable as it is laying flat. 
I was given “Tatted Snowflakes Collection” by Jon Yusoff for Christmas. I just recently took the time to make one.  I first spent some time looking through the patterns, enjoying Jon’s lovely work. The one I decided to try first was ‘The Twirly’, #14.  I did make a mistake on one chain, adding one extra repeat of picot and doublestitches – oops.  Much as I like this colorway, I don’t think that Lizbeth “Caribbean” does this pattern justice. Blogger has done a twisty on the picture – originally the words were on the bottom!
Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I enjoyed a cup of Teavana tea, ‘Weight to Go & Sakura Allure’.  I was fortunate to have Tabatha gift me a sampling of several teas recently.  A couple of days ago I had ‘My Morning Mate’.  Both have been very good.  I have several more to try – yum!

“Don’t approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side.” 
Yiddish proverb

Tatting for little boys

I have two grandsons and have been thinking of things to tat for them.  Little girls are easier I think.  You can do things for their hair, their dresses, their socks (Fox has done some really cute ones), all kinds of things.  But boys aren’t usually into the frilly things, and my grandsons aren’t old enough to really appreciate bookmarks.  I’ve thought of several things, like pillow cases with critters on them (haven’t done one yet) and maybe things to hang on the wall (haven’t done that yet, either).  One thing I was going to do for Christmas but didn’t have time for I have finally gotten around to: insulated cups.

This is “Paprika the Dragon” by Martha Ess, in Lizbeth #122, Caribbean,  in size 20.  There is one opaque black 8/0 bead and 12 opaque rainbow 10/0 beads.  The cup/glass is one that you can decorate an insert for. I don’t remember where I picked this one up at, but Hobby Lobby and Micheal’s have carried ones similar to it. 
The flowers, bird and butterfly were made when finishing off shuttles and are a mixture of threads.  I have a baggy (and a few other containers here and there) full of things like this that are great for putting on cards and letters.  And now, cups! Tatting Paprika was fun and didn’t take much time.
Here is the insert before I put it in the cup.
I was very pleased at how this came out. I gave this to one of my grandsons the other day and understand that it has been well used already.  He hasn’t drank out of anything else since he got it.  He says his “grandma made it and it has a dragon and flowers on it.”☺
Now I need to make one for the other grandson. 
I’m calling this #24 of my second 25 Motif Challenge.  I keep forgetting when I make something to count them!  
Let’s not forget the TIAS!  
This is Day 5. I have no idea what it could be.  Day 6 will be out Wednesday (Jan 25), maybe that will help in figuring out what it might be. 
“Boys are found everywhere on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to.  Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them.” 
Alan Beck