Burly Biggies

I used to be a serial monogamy project tatter! Not anymore it seems. After 5 years of tatting I seem to have moved into an entirely different camp.

These three projects are big, huge in fact, compared to former tatting episodes.

The most intricate is the Jan Stawasz Monster D.... Challenge. 

Because it is tatted in #12 DMC Perle, I cannot tat for long as the hour is usually late and my eyes get tired with lack of good light and the near-to-bedtime hour. So this is all I have done. 

This last row, #5, of separate motifs is gong to take forever!

Then there is the Renulek collar I will never wear! 

It is a BIG piece, having lots of tatting involved, and I like the beads. It is relaxing to tat - nothing complicated, except getting the beads onto the Finca Perle,  #8, which tends to split. I have used almost a whole ball so far.

Lastly, the Kurbatskaya Russian challenge is my second attempt. I just had to try again. 

Umintsuru and I undertook this pattern as a challenge last month. Anyway, my first attempt was not successful, probably because I used two differeng threads, made a mess of it and did not fully understand the diagram from which the pattern originated

This time I chose Cebelia #30, and the results are so much better. I am enjoying this pattern now and it definitely is easier to 1) understand and 2) to tat and have the stitches bahave. This time there is no cupping or pulling. : )

I follow conversations and posts at InTatters  all the time, and because of that reading I managed to secure this old Polish magazine with the help of tatters over there. 

In this magazine is the diagram for the Jan Stawasz Monster D... Challenge, a pattern not appearing in his two books. As far as I know, this is the only place the pattern is published. 

Lucky me! Thank you, tatters, Karen, Grace and Maureen. : )

Snip! Again!

This is the same mistake that Grace noticed in the first two rounds! 

I attached the wrong side of the motif to the centre... Why do I keep making the same error? So frustrating. And, this thread is murder... so soft.

Perhaps a firmer thread in order?

Progress on these two projects:

Notice the white bead in this final row?

Ancolie left a commenton tat-ology say that she would not complete the collar because it was too large. 

I agree. - I find it too big, but I bought the thread specifically, and I have added all the three different bead; there is a lot of tatting there, so I will finish it. Maybe eventually it will find a home.

Recommencing Renulek

Almost done with this round, unpressed. I have a rather long collar here, as I have tatted it with the same number of repeats that Renata showed on her blog.

Laying it on a v-necked t-shirt though, I see that it is actually the correct length for an adult garment. It seems huge.

I wonder how many rows there will be.

***********

Then I began adding the rings and chains to the completed centre of this Russian design. 

I must admit I am enjoying this far more the second time. The consistent thread has much to do with my improved mood. And guess what? The thread is - don’t gasp Miranda - Cèbèlia!

Desperate for something to tat this with that would not cost a fortune because of postage fees, I ordered a ball of the #30 from a Canadian outlet.

Promise I will not complain about the thread...

Really.

p.s. The Boss turned eight today!  EIGHT!!!

Did I Mention Obsessive Behaviour?

Guess what I am tatting...again!

This photo is strange. 

It looks all wobbly and as if in floating water, 

but in real life it appears quite okay.

And at the same time, here is the progress of the Monster D...

The DMC Perle is way too soft for me. I am considering re-tatting this in a tougher thread... but then again, I am not sure I want to repeat that 3rd row. This is a pattern that demands concentration- a whole lot of it.

The piece measures about 5 inches so far. It reminds me at this point of Queen Anne's Lace and is so dainty and pretty. I am amazed I have gotten this far, for even as of last year, I would have been much too intimidated to begin this one. 

Interesting how we grow as tatters, finding ourselves suddenly much farther up the mountain than we had imagined.

Pursuing The Pristine

First, before the rant... the Hankie. 

Done and sewn. 

HDT is by karey Solomon, #40

Pattern by Mary Konior: Gossip

Pretty, isn’t it?

I even borrowed Frivole’s trick of embroidering a wee bit of another colour (here it is teal) in order to pick up the same in the thread.

Remember I could not iron out the blue-edged hankie, and wondered if it had been cut on the bias? 

Well, there is definitely something wrong with that fabric, as it is from the same manufacturer as this recent one and I had absolutley NO trouble ironing the yellow circle one. I tried yet again to get the blue one smooth, as I had the iron out anyway; no go. You can see the difference here:

NOW THE RANT

I am making one mistake after another with this Monster Stawasz pattern! First I was contacted by a tatting friend who hesitated to tell me, but figured I’d best get a heads-up early rather than late. 

The second and third row were tatted bs instead of fs. Oh, The Horror.

I told her I would leave it and try very hard to be not so bloody TypeA-obsessive. HA!

Soon the scissors were slicing away and I re-tatted the two rows. I am much happier now. Thank you, Tatting Buddy!

Then on to the next blunders. The thread is so soft;  I am not as enthralled with it as initially, for it is difficult to keep a consistently good tension. And now I have sold all my Clovers! 

Now I wish I had not been so hasty.  (I am overly obsessive about keeping a lean stash... oh the pain of OCD!)

At any rate, I am half way through the next round and have had to cut twice. I even keep making the very same error! 

As this is a gift, I will continue to fix errors when I see them. Who am I kidding? I’d fix them anyway. Can a bird really change her feathers?

Hankie Happenings

Splendid Schedule

I LOVE the DMC #12 Perle! It is always a risk to order thread one hasn’t used before. I got lucky this time. It is tiny but not too difficult to un-tat, an activity I have had to employ already!

The thread is shiny, sleek and smooth to work with. It is quite soft,  (2-strand) probably not as durable as a 6 ply, but it will be cared for so I am not concerned with that factor. 

However, I am delighted with the beginning. : )

Since this is to be a gift, I am doubley-pleased that the project has begun well. The colour is so pretty - a very pale honey/cream. It is called cream, but it has a warm, underlying gold tone. Love it.

AND, my daughter - the one who would never give tatting her attention if it weren’t for her politness because I am her mom -  would like very much to have a piece similar to this one that I am tatting for my daughter-in-law! I offered and she accepted. I am shocked and very pleased.

So, it appears that I have large projects planned and since I seem to enjoy the big ones, my time looks to be well-occupied on the tatting front for quite a while. : )

Maybe I should work on both at the same time? That way I could go back and forth... Now, what colour shall I pick fpor the second one? I think Ill tat it in the DMC Perle as well. 

Closing In On The Monster Mat!

My DMC #12 Perle has arrived! 

Yessss! I can begin the Jan Stawasz tat-a-long. : ))

(Look at InTatters for info, here.)

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

While waiting for the thread, I wanted to tat this Pomegranate design by Anne Orr, since I had seen it tatted on a hankie on Frivole’s blog, here.  I was smitten and have returned to look at the edging many times.

I am edging the hankie of the two I purchased in New York. Waiting for the perfectly-coloured thread to present itself was a lengthy process, as I didn’t like anything I have in my now paltry, boringly small stash. 

Then I realized I had one of Karey Solomon’s HDTs (#40) that blends yellow, light rose, blue and green; the same shades as the threads embroidered on the hankie.

Though it seems such an unlikely choice, when I tested it I liked it immediately! It does not reveal all its glory on the screen, but it really is surprisingly pleasing.

I hope I have enough thread. That’s the thing with HDTs; I usually buy only one skein, which is really not a smart move. Inevitably, I end up fretting about running out and that means, of course, that it is essential to tat as fast and furiously as is humanly possible!   

Oh, yes. The pattern is Mary Konior’s Gossip, tatted in two rows. ( I may have to use another thread for that row...) This is a pattern I have not used before. Probably I have avoided it because it is done in two rows.

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

Barntrup

designed by

Adelheid Dangela, “Occhi Patchwork”

Approximate diameter: two inches, #60 thread

For some reason, I have always enjoyed tatting motifs with this type of shape. However, I did NOT enjoy the colour of the thread which I now have used up; I am glad it is gone!

The colour distressed me and I rushed along at the end to be done with it, joining the last element to the wrong place. After hiding the ends, I saw my error. Correcting it dealt the death blow for this motif... it is now ear-marked for The Boss’s “artwork-stash.”

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

I forgot to ask tatters about this:

While tatting the first row of Brenen, I had a terrible time as I always do with the centre rings. The instructions say to tat  a ring of 12-12. 

Whenever I do this, I can never figure out how to untwist what always happens next. The rings get all twisted and turned and I end up with bad words erupting unbidden from my mouth at a truly horrifying volume. RUN, Mr G!

So, I replace the drections with a ring of 2-10-10-2, instead, creating some stability by joining picots between the rings.. How do you tat this without the picots and not have it get all out of shape? I just don’t get it.

Bremen

designed by

Adelheid Dangela

“Occhi Patchwork”

Two inches; tatted with Sulky

Delicious D...

The “D” word: doily. I hate it. 

But I do not know what else to call a tatted piece like this.

It is 61/2 inches - too large to be a motif.

Thread Anchor Mercer #40 

and Karey Solomon’s HDT #40

Pattern designed by Karey Solomon 

“Doily Delights”

(There it is again; the “d” word...)

p.s.

I changed the hanging motif in my car. 

I do this a few times a year.

Makes me a happier driver.

I really like this one : )

Collar Continued

Row Three Completed

Terrifically Teal

Yes, I bought some  Finca Perle #8, because I lusted for immediate thread; instant gratification required.

In order to fulfill my desire to tat SOMETHING while awaiting the tardy delivery of DMC Perle for the Jan Stawasz Monster Doily,  I paid a visit to the local Crochet Shop the other day to get some Finca for Renulek's new collar pattern. 

I always complain about this thread, but hey! After Lizbeth, anything would be a lovely thread! : ))

I just finished the second row and am pleased to be done with the beads, which are difficult to get onto the rather soft and fibrous thread, but I do like the colour of the beads. As soon as I saw the pattern, I knew I wanted to use these two colours of teal.

The third row has been posted for this collar pattern on Renukek's blog, so off I go to begin it.

Notice the lovely teal LaCossette shuttle? Perfect Match. :)

The amazing Diane's package arrived! I had asked her for a shuttle like the ones she gives to her students, so I could begin to teach The Boss to tat. I also asked for a sample of fat thread as I have none, nor did I have a big shuttle. You guys know me - get rid of everything!!!

This arrived in the post:

I couldn't believe this fabulous gift! 

Thank you so much, Diane! 

The Boss has been looking at Diane's blog and is very excited to get a shuttle from my tatting buddy. She will be overwhelmed, I'm sure, as I was. 

What a great introduction to learning about Fancy Pants!

Smooth Sailing

Oval Doily in Ecru 

Designed by

Linda Davies

Measures 81/2 inches by 71/2 inches.

Fun easy and fast pattern. Very repetitious.

A pleasant rest from my foiled  Russian misadventure!

There are many Split Chains in this pattern and I realize I am no longer nervous about tackling them. There was a time when the thought of an attempt would have strike terror...

Tatter’s Intuition

Brüssel  

( Hi Tally!)

by

Adelheid Dangela

“Occhi Patchwork”

An example of fussy tatting! It was fun to do, if a but fiddly. Seems it has taken about five years for me to figure out the directions for these onion rings! I certify that there was no offensive language in the tatting of these rings. 

Hankie is done. I wish it were not so stiff. I find it difficult to believe that this is 100% cotton. I can’t get the wrinkles out, even with a hot steam iron!

You can easily see that the blue thred is not quite the right colour, but it works anyway. Luckily I had just enough to finish the hankie. That is the last of the #40 Lizbeth, so it is amazing I had blue at all.

The Hoop-la is an easy one-shuttle pattern and tats up very quickly, especially in the larger thread.

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

Over the weekend I was at my son’s house for dinner. When I arrived home I realized I had not got my LaCossette shuttle and Tat-Pic, both of which had been in my tatting pouch. 

Realizing that while sitting on the patio, when I had jumped up to grab a naughty child in flight, I must have caused the items to tumble to the ground. There was nowhere else I had been with my tatting.

I texted my Daughter-in-law, asking her to check outside. I just knew they were under the pillows of the chair.

She texted back the next day that she had looked but they were not to be found. She said I must have misplaced them elsewhere.

Now, not that I trust no one, and not that I do not believe what I am reassured, but beware a tatter who has lost one of her absolute favourite LaCossette shuttles! 

As soon as I could manage it, I drove to my son’s house and proceeded to look all around the deck where it was very wet as there had been a thunderstorm the night before. 

Rain! Wet! Water! Oh no!

My daughter-in-law, to her credit, showed not a hint of irritation at my fumbling around her patio after she had assured me there was nothing to be found. 

When I moved the furniture and looked carefully, there it was! Under the chair! Damp but safe. Apparently, after I had left, my son had removed the pillows because of the impending rain, causing the tatting stuff to tumble unseen to the ground.

LaCossette shuttles can definitely withstand some moisture. I let it dry thoroughly and it is now just fine. Great product. Thank you for quality work, Frivole!

The Tat-Pic did not fare quite as well, as it had fallen where it got a bit of rain on it. I put a bit of clear nail polish on a spot on the underside, where the finish had become a bit rough. It is now just fine as well.

I am relieved not only that I found the lost items, but also that I had trusted my inner voice, which demanded I scour that patio for my little treasures! A good lesson in trusting one’s hunches...

July 1, 1867