Ball and Chain

There is a thunderstorm. The cat is hiding under the covers. I am cold. I am not doing well at the T.A.T exercise ( NOT the pic). I will never be able to tat well..... You can see what kind of a MOOD I am in!

But, honestly, I do see a SLIGHT similarity........

This afternoon was a bit better. I had just finished buying a new television for my mom, who is moving to a senior's residence in a few weeks. This activity - with my mom - took WAY more time than I thought it would. (You'd think I was used to this by now!)
After the comparison shopping, the ruminating, and the decision making, the thing was purchased. We had lunch, and I went on my merry way - to Tim Horton's, for a bit of time to myself, to have a cup of coffee.

This is what transpired in the coffee shop.

I now carry thread and shuttles with me AT ALL TIMES - you never know..... Well. the thread I had with me was in two sizes - green, #80 and white #30. So, it made perfect sense - in the deranged state I was in - to tackle Cluny Leaves in a public place. What else? Clearly, I have lost all caring as to what I look like to the public at large!

Change the weapon of choice, and there may be a veritable Madame Defarge in the making...

Fox ~ Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~

Obsession Takes Wing (S)

It used to be 'Heart's Desire'. It still would be if I were to tat it again. Seems I just cannot leave it at merely one. Well, the GR-8 Butterfly has taken a strong hold; I felt compelled to try it out using the wee bit I had left of Tatskool's Rainbow Bright #80!

Came out all right, considering I did it over my lunch hour! I like to take more care and concentrate on the little details. I need to slow it down or I miss the whole point.

However, it is very reassuring to me that I am able to do a small motif that quickly. Who knows when I might have to send out an immediate card that requires the personal tatted touch!
Fox ~ Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~

Wonderful Comments Spur Me On to Another Butterfly!

The comments on the first butterfly from Tat-land INSPIRED me! I had a relaxing time tatting the first one and figured it must be an anomaly, so I picked up a shuttle with this lovely thread - I forget whose it is, but it is all gone now : ( - and worked this up before I went to work this morning. Again - FUN! I think the larger pieces can be frustrating and draining till the very end when the enjoyment grows, because the completion is near.

I am going to continue to do some smaller pieces - MiniTats - and things like that. There is a reason for considering the smaller motifs..... My time may be eaten up with the T.A.T. course.

I have just done the first course, which was so helpful, and am about to embark on the second, which is not only quite a bit more demanding than the first, but also is rather intimidating to someone who is only nine months into adventures with the shuttle!

Also, every exercise takes me such a LONG time. So, I might not have a lot of blog time in the next little while. Or, maybe I will surprise myself. That has certainly happened before!!!
Fox ~ Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~

Putting a New Spin on my Learning: After the Wheel

I have not had any time to look over the newest reading material, Tatting The GR-8. (whatever happened to my obsession with "regular" books - you know, fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, mystery, and so forth?)

This morning, I managed to get the first bit of the book about the SCMR read, grabbed a shuttle, and completed the first pattern. It is to be partly finger tatted and I had a perplexing half hour trying to figure out how to do this WITH a shuttle. Still, I cannot figure it out. ( I feel sooo stupid!) The butterfly came out all right anyway, despite my lack or spatial reasoning!

I haven't the stomach for television, so I tend to listen to a lot of audio books, which I download from the library. I have discovered a lot of great literature this way. Probably I would never have read a lot of this stuff if I had not been looking at material that is available for downloading.

Again, the Internet has influenced my life beyond belief.

Does anyone else out there in Tat-land have this audio-habit?

Fox ~ Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~

Finished and Enough!

SPINNING WHEEL GLASS MAT
pattern by MARY KONIOR

Thread #20 LadyShuttleMaker HDT - Apricot Mousse
(the real colour is more like this type than the scan)

Fox ~ Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~

Counting My Blessings

I KNOW I am very lucky.

I do not have to worry about the basics - the very basics; food, shelter, clothing. I live simply, but I live well and according to my own life choices. I live in a wealthy country, one of the safest in the entire world, that offers medical care to all. I enjoy freedom unknown to countless others.

My environment is clean by comparison to smog-ridden cities elsewhere. Water and land are in abundance in my corner of our world. I count my blessings for these things and so, so many others every day.

In spite of all this, I tremble and quake.......

WILL I HAVE ENOUGH THREAD?

Fox ~ Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~

Table of Contents - Tatting With Beads

Some of you left comments yesterday asking what was in this new book that I am intrigued with. Here is the TABLE OF CONTENTS to TATTING WITH BEADS.

Thanks to TattingChic, I have been given a heads up - I might end up with a UFO, if I got into this book as a 'more fun project'. : )

FEAR NOT!

I am still tatting away on the Spinning Wheel Grass Mat and will post it shortly! I am determined to not attempt anything new till it's finished!

Just What I Need. More to Read!

THIS
is what I am supposed to be happily tatting. After all, it is beautiful HDT, and a brand new pattern that I am NOT having trouble with. I am loving this pattern.
Isn't it purrty?

My tension has definitely improved, and I am pleased with my progress.
Life is good in Tat-land, so WHAT is the problem, you might wonder.

THIS IS.

My new book arrived this morning. I had not left for work yet when there was a knock at the door. My heart soared. I KNEW that one of my pigeons had come home to roost!
The mailman wished me a good morning and held out a small box.

YES!

The book by Rosemarie Peel had arrived. It is small but powerful, for those who have little experience with beads.

Nice layout, good size and excellent crisp colour, on quality glossy paper - just like the first publication. I have that one as well and have yet to have the time to actually tat something
from its pages!

There's the rub. I love the new books, the gorgeous
HDT threads, the great shuttles out there waiting to be chosen,
but honestly, how does one find the time to do it all?

~Fox ~~~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~~~

Hanging by a Thread

Get the drift? Hear the wee bit of frustration? Here I go again. No, not Black Magic! I'm over that. But, Mary Konior has worked her way into my brain and is keeping me in stitches - stitches that are retro-tatted over and over and over........

What is it about instructions ? If I just follow the instructions...

Here is what I am up to.



This is the LadyShuttleMaker HDT - Apricot Mousse - that just I totally wasted. Ah, well. I have started for the FOURTH time and SEEM to be doing all right...so far so good. Isn't the colour great?

Hopefully, I will not have to begin number 5!

The Pattern? Spinning Wheel Glass Mat, of course!

~Fox ~~~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~~~

Newest Addition to the LAMP - Black Magic #2

That's it. It will have to do for now. I am thoroughly done with Black Magic. I do not know why this piece caused such grief, but I do know if I don't leave it alone, I will never tat again!

It started out beautifully - even and smooth and no mistakes - then all of a sudden, I was retro-tatting every few stitches and then whole parts of the piece.

Dreadful and unfortunate mood swings ensued.
I was not pleasant company. I ground my teeth at night.

Why does that happen - that stumbling into territory one thought was not unfamiliar anymore? There is such randomness to the occurrence of the shift to the Dark Side.

I really thought this attempt would be easier and more relaxing. I thought I would enjoy the process, as there are no tricky moves like SSSR's, dimpled rings or cluny leaves.
Just simple tatting, I thought.

Well, I was mistaken, but I am glad I persevered through this second attempt. I am pleased with the result, and my tatting has improved. This one is not as floppy; the tension is better, and the stitches are more uniform. It was well worth the effort.

The good news is that I did NOT have to add thread. That would have put me over the top as I do not excel at that particular skill. This is what was left at the end.



Just made it. Wound on an Aero shuttle

I have to say, I love the finished article. Black Magic is a beauty!

Numera Una
on the
LAMP OF FAME

~Fox ~~~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)~~~

Lots of Spares - Trade Anyone?

My stash is unmanageable.

The sign of a new interest, hobby, involvement or obsession is always evident in what is in full view in my tiny apartment. There is no mistake that tatting has reserved front-row-centre!

I have too many shuttles. I will never use these Clovers as I have them in duplicate. I do not even remember when I added them to the "shuttle box". The Lacis shuttles are way too big for my small"monkey paws". Unfortunately, l earned this only after I had ordered them. I really liked the colours!

If anyone out there in Tat-land is interested in trading these for something you have too many/much of, or you want to trade for thread, reply to this post and we can trade. I will swap with the first person who offers.

So, who's up for it?

~Fox ~
~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)

HUBRIS: over bearing pride......

NOOOOO!

The ball thread and the shuttle thread unraveled!

New Black Magic Underway....

~Fox ~
~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)

More Magical Gifts & Also Black Magic Revisited

Remember the woman who lives in the retirement home with my Auntie? The one who gave me the little scissors with the unusual inscription?

Well, I dined with the old girls last evening, and it happened again! I had just given her a tatted bookmark that I had made for her, as a thank you for the little scissors, when she presented me with this super, little and powerful flashlight for my tatting! How sweet and thoughtful is that?




The gift of a shuttle first, from the lady from the South and then a pair of scissors from another total stranger are what started me on this tatting sojourn in the first place...... and now a little lampto light my way along the meandering path! I am an old romantic, what can I say! I just see such meaning in all of it. And such fun!

With my scissors and my little flashlight, I got busy with the second Black Magic last night and in just a few hours - not even three chapters of the audio book (more on that tomorrow) - look at what I was able to produce. The amazing thing is that I did not have to retro-tat anything! I just calmly tatted the first half of the bookmark, as if there never had been a problem.

You KNOW, how I struggled with this. I KNOW I am not making it up; that I pulled countless hairs out trying to get the rhythm of this one. Somehow, this second time, either muscle memory kicked in or magic was afoot again. I KNOW it was the little flashlight!

Magic

~Fox ~
~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)

Bulbous No More - Just a Bit Misshapen!

Lookee, Lookee!

How's this for a terrific improvement! I am dancing a happy tally dance! Not perfect, but I am definitely getting the hang of this trick.

By the way, the thread used in this piece is Olympus, #40 - and it is wonderful to work with - so smooth and tightly twisted. Love it.

I am feeling that I can step a way from the cluny leaves for a bit of a break. Next thing is to redo the Black Magic piece, because I parted (with GREAT difficulty, I might add) with my first one today. Mumsey received it as part of her Mother's Day gift.

She was not thrilled. Luckily, I had prepared for this rather cool acceptance by also wrapping other gifts and other assorted goodies ensured to tickle her very particular fancies!

Moving right along.......

Hope you all had a Happy Mother's Day, or failing that, a good, old, regular day!

~Fox ~
~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)

Opportunity Knocks

Obsessive–compulsive disorder
The sufferer feels compelled to perform voluntarily irrational,
consuming, and distressing physical behaviors.

This statement came from a definition I was reading and it got me to thinking about the past couple of days and what I do with my spare time......

TAT CLUNIES!

I cannot stop trying, trying trying trying. And just look at these pathetic attempts. How does Elisadusud do it? Her work is inspiring and beautiful and so so elusive. Ah, Elusive Elisa.

You might notice that the little beige things look EXACTLY like cluny leaves. At least I thought so, while preparing my breakfast. Do you begin to see what ails me? These little beige things are:

Quaker Oats!

With all this focus on the little tallies, I went to meet my hair stylist's mother, Donna, whom I have never met. This woman has been tatting for decades and had been taught by her mom, in the fifties. Her daughter facilitated this meeting, after talking with me during at the last haircut. I had asked her if she knew what tatting was, and she told me her mom was a tatter. Of course I could not let that opportunity go to waste! She facilitated a meeting for Donna and me.

So, this afternoon, having the latter part of the day free, I set out for her place with my tatting samples, including my cluny miseries.

It was wonderful. My hostess was warm and gracious and showed me her tatting and her mother's work, framed and displayed on the wall. She had a shuttle that her mom had used which was given to her by a very old lady, many years ago. It is probably over 150 years old. I used that old shuttle - a real treat.

She had two large bags filled with small magazines that someone had given her. Workbasket! I had never seen a copy of this publication, so I was fascinated as we poured over some of them.

Then, she asked me to tat for her and she was able to give me some pointers about the basic hand motions that I have been doing from very beginning. What a kick - to have some one-on-one, personal training!

I am going to try to implement that movement with the ds, as I think it will improve my speed and tension. Thanks Donna!

Here's the ironic part. When she looked at my little pieces, brought along to get some input, she was intrigued with the cluny leaves, which she had never seen . She asked me to show her how to do them! Good grief! But I struggled away and she was going to look online for more..... Yes!

Just before our coffee, Donna showed me her workroom, filled to the rafters with things craft related, and a lot of thread! She had boxes of greeting cards, decorated with tiny, colourful flowers. Amazing. She is a talented soul and generous.

Here is one of her tatted pieces that she gave me.
Thanks again, Donna!

I had a great day!

~Fox ~

~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)

When Tatters Go Bad

I am a minimalist. My mode of dress is understated and slightly conservative. My wardrobe is simple and basic. I am a no-frills, no puffy sleeves, no baubles kinda gal who eschews polka dots or florals in any form. Sequins, beading or lacy inserts are not in my fashion lexicon. Same goes for appliques or bright colours when it comes to my clothes, OR SHOES. So, what, I ask you, are THESE? I could not get out of the shoe store today without sporting these little honeys on my tootsies!

I got through four days in Manhattan without a fashion purchase. I spent no cash. But, today, in my own neighbourhood, while running errands, these beauties beckoned from an unfamiliar shoe store window.

The worst of it is - I think I had to have them because they shriek "TATTING" to me!

Aren't they soooo cute? Hee hee!

Perhaps they reminded me of this piece, just finished, and waiting for this post.
I present:
THE BULBOUS CLUNY WANNABEE

'Wannabee', because these are just
BAD cluny impostors.

I am so filled with so many questions about the right way to do some of the tatting techniques that constantly elude me. It would be gratifying to have a flesh and blood person with experience and interest in tatting to address the issues that I find to be so difficult.

Maybe, just maybe, tomorrow, I will have this wish fulfilled! You see, I am meeting with my hair stylist's mother, who happens to be a tatter! Really! A genuine, honest-to-goodness lifelong tatter, taught by her granny! YEAH!

am going to meet with her at her home, with no assumptions or expectations. I am just happy to have found one person, -1- in 4,000,000 -, in my city, with whom I can relax and have a cup of tea and talk about what we both love - TATTING!!!!!

I'll keep you posted.
~F0x~
~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots) ~

Back in Toronto

I feel like I never left. It didn't help that I continued to post, because I found
a computer I could not turn away from.... How could I NOT post that
little Black Magic beauty?
This motif is in Coral Reef by Pamela at Tatskool.
Size #20 and a turquoise Cebelia #20.
The pattern is #10, by Myra Piper.

Thank you so much, Diane, the Lace-Lovin' Librarian
for the inspiration responsible for my using
"Tatting", a terrific, little, tatting book,
full of motifs like this.
This is one of those books that I bought
and tucked away and then promptly forgot!

I have a lot of laundry and if I want to finish the new cluny piece,
I'd better attend to the details....

~F0x~
~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots) ~

Black Magic Complete!

News Alert from New York City!
Black Magic Complete!

I have been obsessed with this pattern. It has been retro-tatted more than tatted, caused headache and fist clenching. My jaws are sore. My shoulders ache. I didn't enjoy tatting it much, but have been determined to conquer this challenge... I LOVE IT! So much, that I found a computer to post this! Gotta go!
~Fox ~
~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots)

I LIED.

I said,' No posting till it is complete.' Well here it is. This is as far as I got on BLACK MAGIC.

I have retro-tatted this more than I have accomplished the right way. SOOOOO frustrating. It is a beautiful pattern and not all that difficult, once I had the directions straight, but I just keep getting it wrong! No reason. Just making mistake after stupid mistake. I am determined to get it done by tomorrow. HA!

(It is looking good, though, isn't it!)

Well, there is more on the optomism front - this is what I plan to do over the next few days, while I am away, having NO TIME to tat -

See you next week.

Have a Wonderful May 1st Weekend!

~Fox ~ ~Aspiring Adept of TATROMANCY (magical meanderings with rings, chains and picots) ~