How Could I?

The pattern calls for EIGHT rings in the centre.  Right.  

That must be why I tatted SEVEN. 

Enough said.

***(except to add that I do not know what this gorgeous thread is! Ladytats  so generously sent it to me and it is about  #40-ish, and very, very soft and fuzzy.  Two ply. A bit tricky to work with, but sooo worth it!)


**** The green chain thread is the DMC perle I was sent by Monica that I have run out of it so am using the very same colour in  green Mercer #40 thread I received ages ago in a draw from Typstatting.

********

Socks are in the mail to Manhattan.

Very cute pattern.  Fast.

The beads are new - could not resist last week when in the beads shop!

 Love the colour! Unfortunately, you can't see, 

but they are multi-shades of red

 with golden hues.

What kind of scissors do you use?

I just ordered these  -  Gingher - as I dropped my old scissors once too often, and they did not cut anymore at all.  These were reduced at Amazon and even with the shipping were very reasonably priced. I read that the quality of this brand has diminished and that they no longer not live up to their reputation. Comments?

However, I cannot justify spending a lot on scissors if they are going to only last a few years and have to be replaced because of falls and wear...  Thoughts?  What about sharpening?

In the meanwhile, luckily I have a pair I use in when travelling by air, sent to me last year by Aileen. They are great to have as a second pair.  : )

My Favourite Bookmark Pattern

I love this pattern. 

Krystle and I exchanged bookmarks last year and she sent me this one:

So, when I decided to send a gift across The Pond, I naturally thought of this bookmark, which I use every single day in the book that I am currently reading, and there is always one with me wherever I go.  This bookmark has seen a lot of miles!

Here is the one that went of with Canada Post:

It is a Lenore English pattern, tatted with the same silk that is in Krystle's - in #30,  Zwicky silk - no longer available. Krystle thinks it is from Switzerland.   She sent me two spools of the stuff and I keep it locked away for special occasions!  This is the green one.  The other is burgundy and I have yet to use it!

The other thread is Marilee's Stardate - #30.


The beads in the centre are lavender  Delicas and the outer ones are beautiful silver-coloured beads from Suneeti. : )

From Her Heart To Mine

In the mail yesterday...

With this gift came a request for anonymity.  I respect those wishes, while at the same time sharing this beautiful shuttle with readers of tat-ology who are familiar with The Cat.  

The little mother-of-pearl silhouette has Misha's shape and champagne colour, giving this gift such special significance.  I treasure this shuttle as well as all the thoughtful, caring sentiments that accompany it.  Thank you, dear friend.  

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In the works is this new border...  

These socks for Mini-Boss are going to be so cute!

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Now then.  Here is an admission:

ahem...  (I am blushing - but here goes...)  I compare my tatting to the tatting of other.  All the time.  I meticulously examine blog photos, especially those of tatting done by people whose work I greatly admire. Then, of course, I become unreasonably disatisfied and frustrated...

You know how hard I work at this stuff.  I am not a slacker.  I really, really try, and usually fall so short of my own expectations.  

This is not a ploy for pats on the back or admonishments of "Don't be so hard on yourself." Not at all. You know by now, if you follow tat-ology, the whole reason for my initiating the blog was to improve  my tatting, not to serve as a showcase to garner attention or compliments.  I  take the challenge of mastery to heart, and so I compare.  

Also, I have asked for help in my posts and so very much appreciate all the thoughtful and honest insights, helpful suggestions and constructive criticisms that so many of you have offered, taking time and effort to straighten me out on so many of my tatting troubles. 

Comparing my work to that of the most talented in Tat-Land is a great opportunity through which I have benefited with the improvement of my own stitching ability.

One of my favourite tatters is Jon, whose work I constantly analyze. Before I knew a snowflake from daisy chain, I was lucky enough to receive some samples of her work;  I have always had her exquisitely tatted motifs nearby to serve as examples of quality tatting. Her small motifs, several with beads, one on a carbone ring and a few snowflakes have been fondled and examined so many, many times over the past two years. They never fail to amaze, inspire and teach.   

 This brings me to  Rose Window:

Honestly, this little motif took me many hours to tat as I sweated buckets over each ds. The stitches are still too loose and the overall shape is wonky.  Once again gain I suspect that my using beads gets in the way of good tatting and adversely affects my focus. Stubbornly, I cling to adding beads, so this time, as an experiment, I tatted the same motif without beads.

The resulting motif is smaller, not as floppy as the first one, because it is not as loose. Surprisingly, taking into account that I used only Stardate - no colour in the chains - I find that I do not like it as much, even though I believe the quality has improved.  Go figure!

Lots of work, hours of tatting  and many words later, 

and I do not know what any of this proves.

And that is okay with me.

: )

Reflections Through The The Rose Window

This is Jon's Rose Window.  Unlike times in the past when I was driven to email Jon for help with her patterns because I could not figure a thing out, I was comfortable and loose-limbed (?!) tatting this beauty.

Again, I used the old Lizbeth twist and snag with yarnplayer's 'Stardate'. Light turquoise beads are from umintsuru.

I have had an epiphany about the way I always have stabbed myself when adding beads.  It seems to me that I was pushing the bead onto the picot with the left hand (I hold the shuttle in the right) , grasping the picot between the thumb and forefinger with a LOT of pressure.  Then there would be in automatic reflex that would counteract the first push, and in that moment the hook would work its evildoing.

For some reason, the other day I pushed a bead onto the picot with the RIGHT hand, and there was so much more control and no backlash.  Hard to describe, but I instinctively knew this was a safer movement to install a bead.  Whew...  I do hope I am correct in this assumption. Otherwise, I suggest stock options in BandAid.

☼

I have had a brilliant idea!  Uh-oh, I hear you say!  Really, this is a beaut - I just now have to research places with which I am totally out of my field...  I will keep you posted if I can get off the ground floor here... : ))

So Blessed

Tatting has opened a whole universe to me - not just in an artistic way,  but in the realm of friendship.  I have met such wonderful women since I started tatting and tat-ology.  The harmony, generosity, affection and good will that exists between people, many of whom  I suspect must dwell on opposite sides of the religious, political, economic and social street from one another, never fails to astound and delight me.

Acts of kindness abound here in Tat-Land.  Another one occurred just a few minutes ago when I went to my mailbox.

You recall I tossed mt shuttles in the garbage?  Well, I tried to order one of my favourite shuttles  -  a pansy beauty -  from across The Pond, from LaCossette, my shuttle supplier par excellence - who informed me that "Pansy' was no longer available.  I was very sad to hear that. But...

Today In The Mail!

Isdihara, Thank you!
Thank You, LaCossette!

This  lovely plot hatched between LaCossette and Isdihara 

has made me a happy tatter!

I have already been tatting with this brand new baby, as it is the perfect pattern and colour for the motif I have just begun!

Perfect, nest'ce pas?

This is not the end of the mail delights!  I LOVE receiving mail from afar - it is a long-lasting happiness I still carry of my experiences as a youngster growing up in letter-writing times, who had 'pen-pals' for years.  There was always a thrill in finding envelopes with strange stamps, sporting evidence of other cultures and languages, addressed to me in the mailbox.

Today a letter with some lovely green thread and a pretty tatted motif arrived from ARGENTINA!  Thank you Monica!

It has been a good day.  Gian, however, is not impressed.  Do I see the emergence of certain bad-ass, Vader-like traits in the works here?  Hmmm...