Into The Garbage - And Out Again

At two in the morning last night I could not sleep because I kept seeing the contents under my kitchen sink, in the garbage, to which  the tatting had been condemned.

Before this development, the blue-green thread version that was so pretty turned out to be IMPOSSIBLE to tat with.

It was sticky, floppy, fuzzy and breakable - every bad thing that thread can be, all wrapped up in such beautiful, saturated colour.  I could not go on, even though I had prepared to do all four squares, having even completed all four centres.

I had seen Frivole’s absolutley gorgeous 4-repeat square, and was inspired to try it in the blue/green, and then in frustration switched to Lizbeth.

Ultimitely, I got so vexed with the pattern and made so many mistakes that I thought, “The hell with it,” and was ready to call it quits.  No longer was it fun.  Into the trash it went.

Perhaps, you all know me well by now.  I could not be beaten down by a mere tatting pattern…could I?  So, up out of bed and mucking about in the garbage, I decided I would finish it any way I could, mistakes and all.


The challenge this time was simply completion. That’s right.  No perfect picots, well formed chains.  Just a finished motif times four.

That was not easy to do.  I make such a point of trying to tat as well as I can that blitzing along just to get it done goes against the grain - badly.  But there was something to be learned and so I persevered and finished.


Although the thing is a mess, I am glad I finished it, stuck with a design I got to hate, worked through my dyslexic difficulties in the joins and get to look at something that is complete. Ah, what we learn about ourselves when in Tat-land... 


I learned something new with this next piece as well.This is from the pattern for the bookmark that Ladytats sent me and I seem to recall her writing something somewhere a while ago about not making knots in the mock picots, because you don’t have to.  I believe it was Ladytats…

At any rate, it all made sense to me as I began this piece and I did not do a ds, but simply left a length of thread as the mock picot after a split ring and voîla!  It works beautifully!  A new trick under my belt!

AND, my new scissors arrived.  What a joy.  For anyone curious, Gingher are terrific still, and also relatively  inexpensive Though they are now made in Italy and have lost some of their previous prestige, I think they are as good as they ever were.  My opinion is based on these:   : )

Bree's Sassy "Shaded Sun"

 Gina's said:

I got to tat Bri's doily and used size 20 Coates variegated and size 20 Lizbeth dark purple. It's easy to tat but I had to pay attention and make sure I joined in the right places.

Well, it's not a difficult piece to be sure, but I had terrible trouble in the beginning!  I found it fiddly and a bit challenging to tat, but really only because I was trying to do what the pattern did NOT say to do!  There you have it:  my confession. I cannot follow directions!

My version of Bree's motif in #40 Lizbeth and Milford:

#24 Motif Challenge

Shaded Sun is a neat pattern.  Isn't it pretty?

I had trouble with the thread twisting on the longish chains, but I find that always happens with Lizbeth.

Thanks, Bree! I am so glad I got to test-tat it and will try it again in other colours, this time following the directions as they appear!

Eight, Not Seven...

 I took the sage advice.

Here is the finished corrected motif:

Also from this book:

I like this book!

A final note.  

Something Happened:

: )

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. : )