Starlight

Well, this was definitely fiddly galore! So many picots and chains and the thread while tatting tended to get stuck between chains. I won’t be tatting this again!

Shall I go on about how the thread twisted and snarled? How it broke and knotted? How it had slubs and got very thin after being twice the thickness? How my words burst forth with four-letter blasphemous vigour? Perhaps not...

Also, I am using up the dreaded Lizbeth thread and I do NOT like the colours in this motif one bit. But, I did persevere and finish and for that alone I am pleased. And the Lizbeth dwindles.

Lizbeth #80

Measures 7”

One of those free vintage online patterns 

Any Guesses?

Very fiddly, but I'm using up the Lizbeth!

Helpful Hankie

A while back, I was given a beautiful hankie from umintsuru, who tatted a gorgeous border on it. I put it in a drawer to keep it pristine. Why?

Yesterday, while frustrated that I could not get my glasses streak free, I had a brainwave. Why not use hankies, instead of tissues or towelling to dry them after cleaning?

I have given most of the hankies I have worked on away, but I remembered umintsuru's beauty and promptly rescued it from its hiding place. Perfect solution to my filmy glasses problems! Thanks again, Wendy!

I'll be laundering it, and it will get very worn, but what else is a hankie for? I know that some tatters carry a hankie in their purse all the time. Do you?

Umintsuru - what is this pattern?

Frivole's Finest

... snowflake, that is!

 This is a gorgeous design and just simple rings and chains.

SNOWDROP - A delightful pattern:

Then, with the rest of the thread, I 

tatted Gina Blummett's Netted Heart:

All tatted with #30 DMC.

Pleasing Perimeter

Isn't this a sweet border? Of course it is a Mary Komior pattern - Hoop-la - tatted in a wonderful thread: #50 AlenAlea Design 's. She is on Etsy. Best thread EVER!

I had wanted to tat the edging in Hedgehogs, but was worried that it would take a much larger amount of thread. Next hankie, I shall order 2 skeins to have enough, as it is a MK design I have not yet tatted.

Done!

Jan Stawasz pattern from 

second book finished in #80 Lizbeth.

12" Diameter

Plotting...

What do you think of the choice for the colour of the border? 

The hankie is so pretty - a gift from a tatting pal. : )

On To The Last Row!

Very excited to finish! : )

Good Will Tatting

A big "thank you" to everyone who took the time to explain the Land of Laces pattern to me. Tatters are so generous that way and it is so appreciated.

Plus, the explanations were prompt, so I was able to tackle my problem immedietely.

Though this design will wait till I've finished the Stawasz mat, I did see where the confusion existed and now, happily, I think I will be able to manage. I began the patten in #89 Lizbeth: 

Honestly, I couldn't t tell you if I tried why this flummoxed me the way it did!

Penultimate row next!

The Karey Conundrum

This is a pattern Karey Solomon posted earlier in the year in her publication "Tatting Times." There were so many errors in it that I didn't finish, but added a row with beads and sewed what I had onto a tiny baby t-shirt for a gift. It was fine that way, but I was annoyed that  I couldn't get the pattern right. 

A few days ago, wanting a break from the JS, I pulled out Karey's design and some strangely coloured #80 Lizbeth (that has a TON of knots) that I seem to have acquired and began another attempt.

This time, I recognized why I had made the errors and was able to properly complete the motif, which is quite lovely when tatted correctly. The thread? That's another old, tired story.

Here is the motif back around March:

And again, the new one, on a light background:

Progress on the JS is very slow, as this round has so many chains with picots and then tony rings. But I am still truly enjoying tatting this one. 

Actually , I believe this is one of the most enjoyable patterns I have ever tatted. Big statement, eh? But true. 

Two more rounds will complete it.

Land of Laces Question

I am frustrated. Having tried many times to tat the beautiful centre to the pattern provided so generously by Land of Laces, I can understand neither the stitch count nor the order of the elements.

This is the centre I am talking about:

Anyone willing to coach this disturbed dyslexic? 

: (

Cannot Impress Mr. G

Nevertheless, I am mightily impressed that I can move on to the final bordering rounds. Whew - there were a lot of motifs to tat.

I have to really pay attention to the pattern... 

lots of counting...

Curtain Call

Maureen said something interesting in a comment yesterday...

 ( now is it time to pack up the needles....... ? )

At first I was irritated, then puzzled, but kept thinking about what that meant. At last, late in the day, I realized that I have been grappling with a question: why am I so determined to pursue something I am not enjoying?

The answer? Just to prove I can!

Well, that is a pretty sorry reason to carry on. 

But before I left off, I decided I had to complete one entire motif, again just to prove that indeed I could, or the whole exercise would have been for naught. 

So, here is my completed motif - lopsided and a bit wobbly, but at least I got the elements right. 

But, if I am looking for a break from tatting, I’d rather read a book! 

 

RED is the new Black!

Ben Fikkert's Corona Doily

#80 Lizbeth

22"

; ))

Like An Itch

...I can't scratch!

I just cannot put the needle down, and consequently I have not tatted as many motifs as I had wanted to. They are boring me to distraction; that means Armenian Lace practice instead!

Here's the JS progress:

Here is all I've managed all morning with the needle:

#30 DMC

It is so tiny and though I'm getting the feel for it, those centre petals are a bugger to get consistent; much more difficult than tatting. Spacing is critical and I'm going to have to just keep practicing, but not on the larger thread. No!

Aunt Lydia #10 thread has already been re-homed. Awful stuff! I should have known; use only the best thread you can for satisfactory results. Hrmphhhh.

Lastly, all this thread work has hastened the season of the splitting thumbs. Oh, it does smart! This year I tried to be proactive, as I had heard good things about the "liquid bandage" products.

This brand makes it somewhat easier to bear, but it's not totally effective either.

Anyone got a better idea? 

Hand cream just doesn't cut it. 

So to speak.

: )

Armenian Addiction

All last night, as I was adding motifs to this:

after I had tatted Karey Solomon’s little motif, which was - sorry Karey - very fiddly and had a mistake tin the pattern that took me ages to figure out:

Fun threads from Ninetta - VERY tiny.

Shoddy work by yours truly.

I kept wondering if I should get some ... #10 thread to work the Armenian Lace while I am learning, because the skinny stuff is difficult and unwieldy for me to handle.

Behold wonkiness:

It is a motif though,  and in the round; I am very pleased with myself! There are a lot of new things in this little piece and it is still not finished. Im tempted to ditch it and start a new one, but I want to complete the pattern and maybe my muscle memory will co-operate: maybe.

Well, Aunt Lydia won out and I got some. WOW it is thick! But look what I managed in about 5 minutes, whereas the centrepart of the white one above took hours.

This knotting lace is very addictive and I am enjoying it immensely, even though I am using a ...gasp... needle! I have even ordered a packet online as I am fearful that I might have a tantrum if I lose the only good one I have, and You Know Who would not enjoy the drama.

Back to the thread from Ninetta. That bit of thread was hidden away in this absolutely fabulous package which just arrived this morning...

All those little pieces fit into the big one, which is a wonderful size to pack up tatting to travel. Everything has a place. Beautifully made and very much appreciated. Thank you, Ninetta! It all is a treasure.

Ninetta’s tatting, with very small thread, is really something to see in real life. She included these pieces and they are gorgeous. Very inspiring. And looking at my Karey Solomon piece, I could use a lot of inspiration.

Tatting by Ninetta Caruso