WHY?
Why was this beautiful motif so hard for me to tat?
Why has it taken me three days to tat it?Why did I have to start it FOUR times?
Why did I decide to use beads after I had promised I would concentrate on the tatting?
Why did I have to cut the thread five times?
Why could I not figure the directions out after I had done two motifs?
Why did I not READ THE PATTERN properly the first time?
Why am I taking any of these questions seriously, anyway? : 0
Ladytats said in a comment to the last post:
... Since you have earned Master Tatter status, I can't imagine that you need to work on your technique as much as you say you do...Well, Ladytats, here is a perfect rejoinder to your words. If I want excellence in tatting, the T.A.T. course was a wonderful place to begin - but that is what it was for a new tatter - a good start.
One can learn any of the techniques quite quickly and with not TOO much difficulty over time, but the perfecting of them - ah, that is an other entire universe. And, after this motif, I am spaced!
Nothing went smoothly with this pattern. At the end I managed to sew the thread to my finger and jammed the sewing needle into my hand. Oh, dear. The perfect end to a thorny tat!
What I love about lace-making is that there is always the next challenge, even before the current one is mastered. There is always something to improve, always something to learn or re-learn. That is also the frustrating part, as we all know.
I forgot to add that because there are so many chain joins, I added a half ds at the beginning of the chains to snug up the tatting to the previous ring. That seemed to work very well as a way of making this soft thread behave without pulling it out of shape by tatting too tightly. Anyone else do this?
I did use a brand-new-to-me thread for this exercise and I LOVE it! It is fine - a bit finer than #40, but not a #60. Maybe a bit finer than that, so the finished tatting is quite small. It is a bear to un-tat and breaks if you do too much of that - which I did. Yes, well.... It is a wee bit fuzzy, but has a lovely, silky sheen. Also, it is soft, but can be tatted tightly to end up holding the shape quite nicely. I am impressed and it was a new experience.
I think I heard about this thread - Finca, #16, from Eliz, a while ago, and since it is very inexpensive, ordered a couple of balls, as I am so pleased at having reduced my thread stash BIG TIME! Thanks Eliz! (I think it's you!)
Perhaps there will be some good out of all this. I bought summer hat on sale which I will probably never wear as I loathe anything on my head - but I am trying to be good about the sun...
Maybe it works?
Oh, yes! It does work... beautifully!
ReplyDeleteI'm going through one of those spells right now. I've started the same cross bookmark four times. After finding yet another mistake, I started a different cross bookmark... another mistake. Sigh... I must have the start of school on my mind!
It turned out well in the end!
ReplyDeleteI start chains with a half ds to pull the threads together and not have gapsosis in many cases.
I bought a lot of size 16 Finca in Australia. I think it's similar to perle cotton size 12 and have it in the same drawer. I think it was promoted for embroidery work in the boothe where I bought it, probably for its sheen.
It looks lovely! And makes a great hat decoration, as a bonus - and the hat looks good on you. Please wear it!
ReplyDeleteOh, you are a determined soul - I believe I would have (gasp) given up after 2 or 3 tries! I consider myself pretty stubborn but I'm learning not to torture myself :/
ReplyDeleteThe hat definitely works - especially with that fabulous motif!
Love your hat and I think you did a great job on the motif! Yuo know you really do beautiful Tatting!
ReplyDeleteThat hat looks very good on you.
ReplyDelete.
Oh! Too cute on the hat!
ReplyDeleteHide the hat - Gian will go for it. Vader taught him that.
What a pretty pink and green motif. Tatting can be frustrating sometimes. But you overcame and the result is rewarding. I think you placed the beads so appropriately in this design.
ReplyDeleteSewing the thread to your finger, that's definitely a new one. Please at least try not to bleed on your tatting, OK?
ReplyDeleteMaybe having tatting on the hat will be an incentive to wear it.
very pretty hat, I too hate(d) things on my head, when I was a baby, no covering me even if it was cold, I had to see!! but over the years I have learned to use a hat to try to avoid the dreaded vertical frown line that runs between the eyebrows when you squint to keep the sun out. So I now wear hats with brims a majority of the time.
ReplyDeletelove the motif,
glad you are pleased with the final result.
It turned out so nice. One cannot see the nerves it cost. And it is a beautiful decoration for the hat.
ReplyDeleteI had to start my earrings for an exchange two times, because I had not quite finished the design of the pattern.
Petra
Its a beautiful motif even if you did start it several times, you are a good tatter and it really is a beautiful colour with the beads adding a lovely affect.
ReplyDeleteLooks great on your hat. I dont like hats either but yours looks great on you.
Margaret
Thank you for all the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteI MIGHT even fasten the motif to the hat and actually wear it - maybe! I have no confidence where hats are concerned!
Fox : )
Oh yes, the hat works! Add the tatting et voila! Smashing chapeau!
ReplyDeleteOuch! Jamming a needle into your hand is painful! Do you need a tatting first aid kit?
Is the Finca a 3-cord or 6-cord thread?
My heart skipped a beat when I read your desicription: "a bit finer than #40, but not a #60." Size 50 is my favorite! But I confess that I am too hard on 30-cord threads. They snap on me way too often.
I like it, good color scheme...
ReplyDeleteI love hats, but feel like an idiot when I wear them (no one else thinks so)!
I can see the hat being worn with the motif to the side of the head :-D
Love the hat with the motif!!! You should really wear it out.
ReplyDeleteLily, Thanks! I just stuck it on for the pic - normally I would never have it plunked in the in the middle like that! : ))
ReplyDeleteIsdihara, I'm afraid it is a soft 2-ply! : 0
Your tatting is a mite ....ahem ..tight for it I think! Might be a way to loosen that 'death grip' though!
Fox ; ))
The hat works! Looking good, Fox!
ReplyDelete