Speedy Shuttles

That is what I must surely possess... Lightening LaCossettes!

I say this because I have this to show you today - just two days after folding away that enormous Honey Napkin: a dollar store cotton hankie is embellished here with Chain Reaction, a Mary Konior pattern composed

only of chains. The thread is Olympus, #40, which is such a delight to use, especially after months of tatting with 2-ply Finca #8! 

This was a most enjoyable tat. : )

****************

I forgot to post a photo of this lovely card that I received last week from Margaret - a  lovely surprise. She makes the most amazing cards. Thank you, Margaret!

The red and orange/red thread samples she sent along are lovely - Altin Basak #50, metallic. I shall have to find the perfect patterns for them.

Hail To Renulek's Honey Napkin!

The Bitter End!

The Very Last Stitch!

What began on November 1, 2012...

is now finished!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Tat-Land for sticking with me through this THREE MONTH ordeal!

Thank you, Renulek for this fantastic pattern for the tatting journey. : )

Thank you Frivole, for the wonderful shuttles that kept me inspired.

Amazing that I got it tatted in three months and even more astounding that you all stuck with me throughout the entire ninety days of grumbling, complaining, whining and winging! 

I just sewed in the last thread and am going to press it and photograph it in all its completed splendour, which I shall post tomorrow. 

♥ Happy Fox  : ))

Nearly, But No Cigar...Yet!

Wearily, I am tatting through the final row.

While babysitting tonight for the kiddlets, I was happy to be in different surroundings; I suffer cabin-fever working at this at my place for it is too large to truck around to various other tatting hideaways that I often frequent.

You shall all most probably be happy to see the end of it as well! Thanks for hanging in with me. I know I could not have continued without Tat-Land’s contributions. : )

Beige=Bordom!

Happily Elizabeth

Happily

It was my Aunt Elizabeth who cautioned me to run away and join the circus rather than get married. She meant it. She was quite a character. In retrospect, her idea might just have been a good one - at the time!

My aunt passed away last week at the age of 92.  

‘Elizabeth' and‘Happily' are for her.

 Elizabeth

An alternative shape to 

Elizabeth

Now, I am going to write these patterns up, as two different pieces; one as Happily, quite an easy piece to tat, and the other as Elizabeth, with two shape options, both having the more fiddly addition of bugle beads using safety pins.

MAIL 

From Hungary!

Thank you, Orsi! 

Orsi and I decided to trade some thread samples. I sent ‘samples.” 

Orsi sent entire balls! 

Look at this lovely Anchor supply I have here. The small balls are size #80 and the white is #40. It looks like fabulous tatting thread and I am certainly going to enjoy it very much.

Take a look at the heart that is attached to the beads that Orsi has sent along with the thread... I cannot stop touching her tatting as the tension is absolutely perfection. Really. This is one of the finest examples of tatting I have seen. 

Ah, once again I am reminded how awesome Tat-Land is, and how lucky I am to have stumbled into the realm.

Thank you, Orsi, for the fun of swapping and for your generosity. What fun!

**********

UPDATE ON ANGELINE
‘Let’s Tat’, by Angeline Chrichlow, is now with Michelle, 
the 23 recipient of the travelling tatting book since April 2010.

There is still quite a list,
 and I would like the book to return home soon, 
so I am going to request that each person keep 
the book for no longer than 3 weeks. 

Do you think you can do this?

Would all folks on the list please email me and confirm 
if you still are interested and send me your current address. 

If I do not hear from you by March 5th I shall 
remove your name from the list.

Just a little housekeeping. 
Thanks. 
Fox : )

Three...

This is finished. Marta made a comment yesterday that she preferred the design without the last row because it looked like “happily!”

I  agree with her. In fact, it made me think of a circus.

So, it looks as if I have created two designs in one. Either it can be the first round alone, or both together.

It will be so much easier to tat “happily”without all the safety pins. Thanks Marta!

LATER:
I am going to revise this: it can be three designs on one if I include the hexagon:

Three in one.

 : )

Evolving

Olympus #40 thread

I find it interesting to see how designs develop... 

This still needs some tweaking, but the shape now seems better to me.

Concentrating on Corrections

It is easy to see that this needs to have six sides and not five. 

The Victorian Sets need to be longer, but other than that, I like the
elements a lot. 

This pattern incorporated Josephine Knots, SCMRs, a split ring and extra-long picots;  it is a little fiddly, so not for the faint of heart but it is nicely challenging... My opinion! What do you all think?

I am going to tat it again with the revisions and then see where I am with it. 

Now, Honey Honey Honey:

Last row is taking a L...O...N...G time,

as there are many rings and chains in each repeat.

On the balcony of my new apartment there is a table, and I see 

that HN is almost the exact same size as the surface of the glass.

Perhaps I shall not be so hasty 

to give HN immedietely to Grandchild!

Perhaps HN shall remain with me, 

Tat-In-Progress Happening!

It's working!

So far...  : ))

Inspiration On Post #900!

...comes from Jane E, Frivole and the beads from North Carolina as I did not have any bugle beads before. I have not yet designed with Victorian sets, nor have I used the long picots in one of my own pieces.

Honey Napkin bordom has produced the seedlings of a new design. I have had a doodle in my purse for about two weeks (before I moved) and last night I had a strange dream and this morning began work on this:

Of course it is far too early to show anyone this tat-in-progress, but I was so delighted that the process was even there that I had to post about the beginning!

Already I have changed the design, but the kernel is there and I am hoping it will work - eventually. : )

Near Disaster

Last night, with some horror, I realized I made a huge error one row back and needed to cut into the tatting to remove the superfluous part... I did not think about it; I just grabbed my scissors just went ahead, figuring I could fix anything I cut... HA!

What an impetuous move! I can hardly believe I did that! (Maybe steeking, in my knitting past, was training for just this event???)

After I had cut out the offending bits, I started to panic and nearly wept, deciding I might not be able to fix what I had done. Oh, it was not a pretty sight, let me tell you!

Nearly, very nearly, did I toss the thing down the garbage chute... I have done this sort of thing in the past...

Anyway, I had a cup of tea and went to work on the damage and then put it aside till the morning, when I looked it over with fresh eyes.

You know, I could not find the spot! Really! I have begun the final row, and I have looked a couple of times over the entire circle (holding my breath each time!) and I cannot spot the error yet. There is an obvious mistake, as there is a wee missing bit that still needs to be mended and I have not found it. This is a good omen!

Here is the unblocked piece at the end of the row, just before I began the final round:

I have decided to go with a new ball of the honey-coloured thread, instead of red, which I found to be too heavy, sombre looking.

Also, I had been planning to add the same red beads used earlier, which were quite a deep red. When my friend from North Carolina sent that wonderful package, there were bright, red beads included; I have chosen to use them, as the piece can carry this brighter red in the last row. It subtly adds a little extra life to the piece.

The new LaCossette shuttle, ordered to help me through the final push to finish Honey Napkin, arrived just in time this morning!

Aha! I just found it in the photo, but I cannot find it on the real deal!

Applause for Jane’s Pram Perfection

I will now subject you to yet another Honey Napkin update:

It is a very mindless tat, going around the motif for the second last time. I am actually enjoying it, as it is not complicated, which is good, because there is a lot of tossing about of the piece as I tat.

It is surprisingly heavy. But, when you consider that there are over two balls of thread tatted here, it makes sense that it has weight.

Now, another kind of update. At the moment, all the record amount of snow is melting because of the warmer rain we are currently experiencing. Yesterday, however, there was a different view, as seen from another angle through the windows of my new digs...

Gong Xi Fa Ca!

Happy New Year

To All Who Are Celebrating 

The Year Of The Snake!

Image credit: Fanghong via Wikimedia Commons.

I have my own particular reasons for celebrating! 

The second to last row of the HN is a lot easier and is going much faster. 

Whew!

It is large...

Perhaps you noticed something else in these photos...

When I moved, did I buy anything for me or did I purchase a very expensive, very high cat stand for Mr G.? I think I might have posted a pic of that indulgence for my Gian.

Well, this afternoon I made an impulsive purchase, on top of the other two that arrived on Friday:

I am a sucker for LaCossette shuttles. I have shamelessly added these two and one additional (ordered this afternoon) to my collection. : ) Diane made me. : O

Lastly, T.I.A.S. Day 10 is complete~

This is so cute!

Am I Boring You?

Are you sick of seeing all the updates with their incrimental progress?

 Should I wait for the final photo?

Here is Honey Napkin, almost finished on the 3rd last row. 

My new place has a splendid view of a marvellous hidden little Toronto secret: St. Michael’s Cemetery, which is the city's oldest surviving Roman Catholic cemetery. It opened in 1855.

It covers 10-acres, is invisible from the road and located in the middle of the block of a prominent Toronto street (Yonge) surrounded by homes and stores.

The only way in is through a small alleyway between two stores and the gates are usually locked. I have walked by this place every day for many years.

Now I know it is not old compared to those near Jane and Sally, but this is as old as it gets here in the New World, so I’ll take what I can get! I love it; so imagine my delight when I look out my windows!

Many would not like a view of a cemetery, but I am not one of them as I love the old places and have always enjoyed strolling through them, wherever I find myself in the world; I find these bits of green serene, peaceful and good for my soul.

The northern exposure is redeemed for the moment...

Totally Tatting

Jon’s Johar in Yarnplayer’s(?) HDT #20

Yes, I am back to it! Went for a jog, (at my old place - could not stand figuring out a new route just yet!) came home, bought some eggs from the convenience store on the ground floor ( !), made an omelette and finished up Jon’s Johar.

Maybe it’s an easier pattern than some of her older ones or  - hopefully - my techniques have improved, for I found this easier to work out in spite of the directional changes. Thanks Jon for a very pretty pattern and an enjoyable tat - especially during all the moving drama!

My new apartment is still tiny by most standards but to me it is palatial, as it is 50 square feet larger than the other one and has elevators that actually work! And the laundry room? (Michelle take note) It is HEAVEN! So, I am pleased except for one detail and I knew it would be a downer...I face north and not east and the quality of light is not to my liking. I love an eastern exposure.

The management here has assured me that I can move within the building if it is too much to bear as soon as another unit appears, so I am mollified for now. : )

Honey Napkin sits in front of me... 

I suppose I should fill up the shuttles...

AGAIN.

An Astonishing Surprise

On moving day, and on the way out the door - at literally the very last moment - the superintendent of the building came over handed me a very heavy little box and said, “This came for you.” I do not know when he received it, and he is so unpredictable that it is impossible to know when it actually arrived.

Needless to say, I put it aside till hours after the move - and I do mean hours! Every box was unpacked; it was time to rest.

I had gotten into bed, exhausted at about 12:30 and could not get to sleep, as I was so wired, so I turned the light on and my eyes fell on the package. I thought it was  the perfect time to open it  then and there on the floor in the midst of the unpacking panorama.

Well! I was stunned. It was like reaching into a Mary Poppins bag; things kept appearing from the depths of endless goodies.  Jane E.  would say  I was “gobsmacked.”

What I have done to deserve this box, complete  with plastic balls and lizard for Gian and tatting goodies for me: beads, two amazing vintage hankies, matching thread for the blue hanky, doodads of all shapes and sizes, sweets, tins, plastic containers, beads and more bugle beads and beads and BEADS and more beads, is beyond me!

Also included is one round wooden thingy called a TUIT ( I looked it up: it is an “I’ll get around to it” badge) Something new indeed!

Also, there were two delightful cards - one for me and one for Gian, all this from a far-away Tat-Land friend who desires anonymity. Thank you, dear friend. This surprise could not have arrived at a more opportune time. 

The other thing that has saved - or rather somewhat preserved -  my sanity - thank you Jane E.  -  is the 2013 T.I.U.T.  All things go better with a  good old tatting mystery...

Day Nine

Jon’s beautiful free Johar design has also come into play over the weekend. Lovely motif.  I am using thread sent to me from Snowy and it is lovely. I believe it is one of Yarnplayer’s HDTs???

Monsieur G. desires another word or two... 

He has been most vocal!