Friday, June 13, 2014

Regurgitating Repeats

It's a nightmare - Return of the Blades! The scissors keep flashing as I had to keep cutting away row after row...grrrrrrr...language... Five rows GONE!

Finally, I realize Cebelia is not my friend. This thread is not only too big, but also is a three ply and, well, never again. It is banished from my tatting box. Enough said.

Look at all that ruffling! And this is after MUCH blocking and a hot iron to boot!

Poor HDT in the centre!


Now, I am using Anchor Mercer #40. (Thank You, Suneeti!) It should have been the obvious choice right at the beginning. Here we go again.


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Remember the crocheted baby blanket? I had leftover yarn and in desperation to do something pleasing I ditched the shuttles and made a little hat. The shuttle is for scale. Cute, or what! 

The colour part can be rolled lower as the baby grows, as the hat can stretch out a bit. S/he is due to arrive sometime in August I think, so this should work for cooler autumn.

22 comments:

  1. Oh dear! Is the Cebelia a bit thicker than the HDT of the centre? The hat IS cute!

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    1. Quite a bit, Jane. Plus, it is fluffier and that means the rings look a different shape than the centre ones. Just not right - as Wendy confirmed in an email. : )

      Thanks! I love the hat. I wish I had thought of this design for the kidlets. It just sort of evolved as I watched M-5 (very good series) and I like it a lot.

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  2. Still a beautiful doily!!! :)
    Sweet hat!!!!!!!!! :)

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  3. Wow, Fox! I would NOT have the patience to keep working on something that needed to be cut repeatedly! I get really frustrated when my first attempt doesn't work, and start ranting about the design. For me, it always seems to happen with vintage patterns. Someday I must try to tackle them again...

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    1. I think it is harder with vintage patterns because we can't get the same threads. And they used sizes that were as small as sewing thread.

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  4. What an adorable hat, Fox!
    i think the white thread looks finer than the cebelia. Here's to happy tatting ahead.

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  5. Fox. You keep saying this about Cebelia, and you keep coming back to it. Stop it. Let Gian play with the Cebelia, and never buy it again.

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  6. Hang in there! That doily is very pretty. Eventually you will be glad you stuck with it through all the different thread(s) and all the scissors nightmares. You WILL conquer this one, I know it!

    The baby hat is very cute. It looks nice and warm, too.
    StephanieW

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  7. How distressing to have done all that work then to have to cut it off. "Return of the Blades" could be the name of a movie, ♪ ♫ Bad threads beware! ♫♪The Blades are back and they will find you! ♫♪
    The white is looking better, hope it goes smoother now.
    The hat is so cute! I love how the colors look like confetti in the brim

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  8. Fox, yous ound like a pinguin! Regurgitating?I thought these cute animals lived on the South pole, not in the North!

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  9. The little hat is very cute - so you did hang onto a few hooks after all..... : ) Sorry you're having thread woes, interestingly though, I read on a website that the tiny balls of size 80 tatting thread are 3-ply - never knew that. I actually prefer the softer threads myself, like Cebelia and Altin Basak - seems to suit my style. I don't know when I am going to have any time for tatting,perhaps foolishly I have begun knitting a traditional Baby Shawl which has 100's and 100's of stitches. I think I must limit the time I am spending on it every day.

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    1. Yes! The crochet hooks - aluminium and steel both - are the only things that remain from a decade of knitting and crocheting, both professionally and for my own pleasure. I liked the hooks a lot and figured I'd need them from time to time. The library I dismantled - selling some books and gifting others. Seems another life since I became a tatter. Good luck with the knitting. I'll bet it will be a beauty!

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  10. Your are such a perfectionist :) it is sad the thread wows. But that had is so cute and looks like a little baby crown love the speckles of color, today was a good read tragic beginnings and great ending. There will be a sequel to this story:)

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  11. Remember, reducing rabid ravings requires roomfuls of Riesling! . . . or just changing threads . . . :D

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  12. I have been searching for directions on how to make ruffles on the edges of tatting. I love ruffles on crocheted items . I know you are trying to flatten this but I kind of like ruffles, maybe you can just add ruffling to the over all design. Or do you gave to make it as directed ?

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    1. Some designs will be able to accommodate a ruffle. This one will not! : )

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  13. Hi Fox

    Sorry this is a bit late, I am still trying to catch up on the blogs.
    Oh dear you are having problems, It looked so nice.
    I love your baby's hat, looks lovely well done
    Love to Gian
    Margaret

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  14. I finally understood why the cébélia is so difficult to atter. It has only 3 stalks contrary to the Lisbeth or to the "cordonnet" DMC thread which has it 6. I suppose that the Anchor has 6 of it also.

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    1. I had no idea cebelia was also a 3 ply. BOO

      It probably just didn't match the body of your HDT, which still looks fantastic and will be so happy when you stop jerking it around and find the right thread for its border.

      Next time I am ready to buy thread, I'm going to try some Anchor cordonnet. For now, I think the thread stash is about maxed out/card is maxed out??

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