Thursday, February 5, 2015

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.

20 comments:

  1. Awwww....and it still looks beautiful anyway!!! I hope you heal up soon!!! :)

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  2. Oh dear. 'Vasbyt' they say in this part of the world, literally 'bite fast', but translated as 'hang in there!'

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  3. Which was the Muse who wielded the scissors? - Clotho? - perhaps you must be wary of piquing her interest in your work!

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  4. The tatting muses are telling you to join them for a relaxing retreat especially till your fingers heal .... see how happy & relaxed they are, with no tatting shuttle in hand (you should Not foist Your shuttle on them ;-P) .
    Your nonstop tatting is simply amazing & awesome ! A short break will only enhance your speed, creativity and error-free renditions , for us all to enjoy & drool over:-D
    Hope you get well soon , Fox. Sometimes I find petroleum jelly heals cracks better & quicker.

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  5. I have the same finger problem. I'm using coconut oil... it seems to helping. Sorry, there is nothing I can do about the thread or misreading patterns. Let me know if you find a solution for that!

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  6. I do like the colors next to it and I don't know why that is happening to you but I have been doing that a lot lately, We just found a cream called " O'Keefe's Working Hands" and it fixes the cracking hands you can get it through amazon if you can't find it there.

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    1. YES!!! My daughter-in-law had a jar of this stuff at her house and I tried it...instant relief. I have it on order and expect it tomorrow. Wish I had known about it before - marvellous stuff. : ))

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  7. Hate when those tatting muses get in the way, little buggers! Sorry about your thumb :(

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  8. It certainly is difficult to tat when your fingers aren't in good condition! Do take it a bit easier on yourself, and I'm sure you'll soon be back to your usual blinding speed! :-)

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  9. What's this I hear Fox is in a state, take a deep breath and calm down, it's just sent to try us.
    It will look gorgeous when you have finished it, give yourself a break from it for a couple of days and tat something else and then you will fresh back to it.
    Love to Mr G
    Sending you a hug
    Margaret

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  10. Thank you so much, Taaters. It felt lovely to read not only sympathy, but also empathy from you!

    Luckily, I found a lovely cream in a local health food store nearby, and everything is much improved tiday. : )

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  11. I'm so sorry of those troubles with thumbs and threads. Maybe you should also avoid detergents, floor cleaners, for a while.

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  12. With all the remaining naughty thread, you should make tassels!

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    1. Oh, Ninette! This cracks me up! I am so NOT a tassle kind of gal. : ))

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  13. Try a Bee Bar! They are great! I've used them for years on my hands and especially on my dry calloused feet when they crack and split. http://www.tartburners.com/hohobeebarsm.html

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  14. Oh, how I wish I knew of a cure for your hands! I have a similar problem, but it's mostly my knuckles that crack and bleed, not the fingertips (usually). I've used coconut oil and/or a tiny bit of avocado (when I peel one, I rub the inside of the avocado peel on my hands and let it stay there while I cut up the avocado, then just 'rinse' it off (not 'wash' it off) and dry my hands. At night, coconut oil (wear gloves to keep it from rubbing off your hands onto your bedding). Also - wear rubber or plastic gloves when you wash dishes, use soaps or cleaning products....do everything possible to keep soaps/cleansers off your skin AND keep your hands dry and clean. It doesn't completely cure the problem for me, but it helps a bit.

    We all have those days - weeks, sometimes - when nothing seems to go right and we cut more OFF our tatting than we actually tatted that day. It will pass and everything will go back to normal. Hang in there. Your tatting looks lovely, even with the mistakes. :-) Your tatting will be back to normal soon, I am sure.

    Fond regards to Mr. G.
    StephanieW

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  15. Ha, ha, ha! Hormonesare working on you or on Ariadne!

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  16. Get better fast! We all have those days when we can't get out of our own way.

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  17. For super dry, splitting fingertips try Qtica Intense Cuticle Repair Balm. It's pricey but it's worth every penny and more. It has lanolin in it so it takes forever to wash off too.

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    1. I react horribly to Lanolin! I have to be picky about all products. Thanks anyway. : )

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