All Done

OTomoko Morimoto Design from New Tatting

#40 Lizbeth thread

About 19 1/2"

In “real life,” the border is finer than it appears on the grey 

background,and more like the one above. 

Couldn’t get an accurate darker photo.

How large?

More Morimoto?

For sure! I am enjoying this pattern immensely, 

with the exception of this final row.

For each four stitches, it seems I have had to un-tat three. Silly, numb-minded mistakes. Unnecessary errors. Not certain why, but at the beginning of this round I simply could not keep the count correctly.

That said, now midway around this final lap. Relaxed. Only six more motifs to chain over; then 16 small joining clovers.

Still Not Finished, But Nearly!

To finish will be a quick damp pat-down, as it requires needs no real blocking. It holds its shape amazingly well, considering it is rather large.

Then it will get tissue-rolled into a paper towel tube for final wrapping and a ribbon. Can't wait! 

Finally, Fikkert will follow. : ))

The Floral Fifth

It has been so bitterly, record-breaking cold in Toronto that I haven’t been outside much. Missing my jogging and walks, but so thankful for indoor heating and hot water. Makes one feel very humble, those frigid lows. Our temperatures have been record breaking.

The upside is that I have been tatting up a storm!

Same motif: different background

Ta-da! 
Renulek’s Round 5. 

Tales of An Intrepid Tatter

恭喜发财

Wishing you a 

Happy  Chinese New Year 

Of The Goat!

Now for my adventure in Korea-Town:

There I was, standing in line with my store-made Kimchee at the Korean Supermarket, when I saw an unusual item beside of the check-out line.

The little plastic thing was too intriguing not to pick up. There were a multitude of them hanging, in a strip. I managed to free one and was baffled to see it was an earpick... hmmmm.

Well, for $2.00 I knew I couldn’t go far wrong; I was remembering the photo I stored in my tatting brain that promised possibilities. 

This photo from Jan Stawasz’s 

book and has always attracted me:

 

Did Jan use it as a pick or a hook? Anyway, I immediately remembered it when I saw the earpick.

When it was my turn to pay, the woman at the cash seemed puzzled and asked if I wanted the earpick. I suppose not many of my peeps customarily purchase these little lovelies.

With as much nonchalance as I could muster I assured her that I most certainly did. I smiled. She did not. Off I went, clutching my kimchee and a new potentially tatting toy.

Upon arriving home, I pulled out my trusty metal-cutting pliers, chopped off the “ear” part, then filed the end smooth.

It was the size I had envisioned. Crochet hooks are all to wide for using to standardize picots. I have imagined that might have been Jan’s use for his instrument.

I tried it out...

It worked reasonably well on this #40 to make all the picots pretty much the same size. It stretched them a tad too large for my liking. 

However, on a motif with a lot of picots it could work. Eyeballing many, many picots on a piece for me doesn’t produce the best uniformity. This could be a possible remedy. Not sure about #80 though. Might make the picots way to large.

Renulek’s 4th Round

Changed the palette.

Such a fun design. LOVE Renulek’s patterns.

Jane's T.I.A.S. 2015 Thanks again, Jane. You rock!

NOW back to finishing the ever-expanding Mirimoto. 

But doesn't it look nicely enhanced with Gian and red roses?

I had to remove the baby's breath... 

Did you know it can be fatal to cats if eaten?

I know I am obsessed with constantly whittling things down, but I must show you what I have managed to do in about 6 months. The pictures speak for themselves.

Also, I have re-homed a large pile of hidden-away-in-the dark-recesses-of-a-cupboard completed tatting pieces!

Feels very much like spring cleaning, in a wicked stretch of record-breaking cold temperature weather!

This kind of post is not just me mouthing off. Really! I make use of tat-ology as a recorded history of my tatting journey.

Occasionally, about three times a year, I send off a chunk of posts to blog2print to have a booklet printed.

Eventually, realistically, for my kids, these and not my body of work will be more valuable! So far, there are ten books, beginning at day one of my life as Fox at tat-ology.

And Bob’s your uncle.

Laurels For Lynn

Back in 2009, I joined eTatters, which became InTatters, after beginning my tatting adventure and the search for a tatting community in October of 2008.

Tat-Land! Oh joy! A community of like-minded shuttle wieldering thread addicts who existed out there in Internet territory. I was thrilled; I could get help.

If one is fortunate, in tatting as in life, one finds an advocate to champion one's success; one is supported and encouraged by an individual who astonishingly appears at critical moments, ready to uplift and inspire a flagging spirit. For me that was Lynn of Hong Kong. Her words were full of praise and encouragement; without her, this fledgling tatter would never have learned to fly. Ever.

Am I being dramatic here? Definitely not. 

You all are familiar with my temper? You know my shuttles woukd have faced certain banishment, hurled down the garbage shute accompanied by many, many nasty, bad words. Without Lynn's continual encouragement and praise throughout those challenging early years, I would never have struggled on through many difficult tatting plateaus.

Well, I'm still learning from Lynn.

The other day over at Crafttree she gave me a tip. I questioned her about closing rings, because of something she mentioned in a post - which of course I can't find now. 

I have never liked the way my rings look after closing, and everyone I ask about this says to just give a little tug at the end. It never worked. 

Lynn added the magic: after you close the ring, pull the thread up toward the left shoulder, if you are holding the shuttle in your right hand; then perform that small tug. It worked! 

Thank you Lynn. Once again. : )

What To Do

Great news on the Morimoto front! 

Two rows snd some connectors to go and I'm done ! Yes!

As usual, in the middle of the fuchsia ball the #40, it is intermittently a #60, #70 and then back again to a #40. I tossed some remaining balls; life's too short to worry about using up defective stock.

I’m wondering if I should start the Renulek over again. The colours... yucky...

As it is, I'm not liking the beads and I can’t believe I ordered the thread colours I did...

What do you think? Start over on different thread? I wouldn't add beads either if I start over. Early days but I must decide.

She Who Posts Shall Prevail

Four More Floral Repeats To Tat

17 1/2  inches

Then two more lengthy rows followed by fill-in motifs.

This has progressed faster than I had imagined. 

Also, it has become more enjoyable as I approach the last of the motifs.

Half-Way Around

Getting into the swing of it... 

It'll get finished after all! : )

Regarding Renulek

Oh, I do love Renata's designs. I find them entertaining and stress free, so I can play, add beads and relax - just what I need as the Morimoto pattern is giving me hives!

Can you even see the shiny gold at the joins? I know the colours are a bit odd, but as I told you, I am trying like mad to use up the small stock I have of Lizbeth #40. 

Some of the stash is the green flower centres in the Japanese pattern below. 

I have actually finished 6 motifs completely, but was too lazy to take a photo. Anyway, I have twelve more to tat. I am not so fond of repeating motifs in doilies.

In the mail, a package from Belgium. Gian was immedietely captivated. 

Then he couldn't resist a stroll ll over the beautiful hankie. Gracefully. With aplomb.

Thank you so much Tallly. I love this. It is a commemorative "Never War Again" hankie; Tally knows my dad was a pilot with the RCAF during WW2. Such a wonderful thoughtful gift to send to me. It shall receive a special tatted edge.

All Sore Thumbs

I don’t know why I have had NO luck tatting in the past few days. I have made every crazy error: skipping the place I was supposed to join to; forgetting to join; missing picots; attaching to the wrong place. All stupid stuff.

After 5 completed motifs I am back to 2.

Maybe it is because my hands are SO SORE. I have dry splitting flesh around my thumbs and first fingers. I wear gloves and cream at night, use hand cream. Nothing works and those little cracks hurt like the dickens.

I removed the beads. They were not appropriate where I placed them, plus my tatting tastes and priorities are in flux. It is the process of this piece that has my interest, maybe because of the long chains and the close attnetion that tatting them demands.

The quality of the shape of my stitches is paramount. I’m not thrilled with what I am seeing, but am working through that, intent on improving rather than constantly judging. Do I sound crazy yet?

Unfortunately, the quality of the thread is beyond my control. It is difficult to make good stitches when one shuttle is wound with knotted thin thread and the other has almost twice the twisty thickness wrapped around it.

To top it off, I have used up the entire ball of red while waiting for another in the post. Ditching the last portion didn’t happen but things - read mistakes, then scissors - did, and I ended up without new thread and wanting to get on with it.

Perhaps I am being tested bt the Tatting Muses. Yes, I fear that they may be the source of all the mischief afoot. Consequently, I am on my best behaviour, desperately determined to remain focused, for to distress the Muses would surely bring certain tatting disaster.

Risqué

T.I.A.S. Day 12

Jane has gone beserk! Can Can girls!  Brava!

But how will she design those feather bonnets... 

Go, Jane!

Almost Abandoned

Yes, I almost quit at the round before the 18 fiddly motifs. It was late and joining when I am tired is beyond my comprehension, so I thought I was done with the Morimoto piece as it was.

However, in the light of day, I see I will indeed carry on. But NOT with the last quarter of the ball of #40 Lizbeth, doomed to the bin, as it  ranges from a size #40 to #80 and is splitting everywhere.

It is unfortunate that I had to order a new #40 ball of red in order to finish without maiming GIAN, who has reclined his name! ( It iis spelled differently than the offender's anyway! I still call him MrG too. : )

I switched to the green in the meanwhile, in an effort to use up more Lizbeth #40. Strange combo, I know, but I was also getting bored! This piece is going to finish at over 18 inches! It is 15" now.

Also, I had perfect complimentary beads for the green. Just three on the three picot joins, but enough for a tiny twinkle. Makes me happy!

Day 11 T.I.A.S: Splendid

This a.m....

My dear Jane,

Hoping against all hope that you have ingeniously augmented The Doctor's meagre arsenal of a sonic screwdriver, and added sonic scissors to his cosmic aid.

Unfortunately, methinks The Doctor's fan base may not extend far into Tat-Land. More's the pity...

A New Renulek Tat-Along - Wiosna 2015

BEADS! COLOURS! FUN!

This looks like LOTS of fun and is a terrific break 

from the restless-making Jan Stawasz stuff.

I am really enjoying this tat. : )

The photo shows the first two rows of the Spring pattern, which were posted Friday.

Umintsuru is tatting this with me. Does anyone else wish to join us?

Renulek’s new tat-along is here.

Can you see the beads?

I’m using what is left of my Karey Solomon HDT, #40, and the rest will be #40 Lizbeth. I don’t have much of it and am trying to use all my #40 up. 

This gold thread is WAY better than the red I am using for the Morimoto pattern, which has gotten very thin as I get to the end of the ball and is splitting like crazy.