Fancy Cross by Roger aka Freedman

This is another piece I've tatted this week while keeping the grandchildren. It's an easy pattern to follow which Roger shared on the old msn needletatting website years ago. I altered the bottom as I was running out of thread and I thought this might work better for attaching a ribbon at the base.

Motif #16 for 2nd 25 Motif Challenge of 2016

size 20 Manuela thread

Some Easy Tatting & Catherine Wheel Join Spider

My grandson requested I make him a tatted spider, so I combined the project
with my need to work on my Catherine Wheel Join before getting back to work on filet tatting. I figured out what I was doing wrong last weekend which is good. There is no pattern for the spider. I just made it up as I went along with a little help. Nik chose the colors and decided on leg placement.

Motif #13 for 2nd 25 Motif Challenge of 2016

Size 20, black Flora and yellow/while/gold variegated Manuela

Body is about 1.5 inches long

Motifs #14 and #15 for 2nd 25 Motif Challenge of 2016

size 20 hand-dyed thread by Heather Johnston

I've had this thread for years. It's probably a size 5. I noticed though that it isn't colorfast. Any tips for making it so?

Camilla Cross by Lene Bjorn & Filet Tatting Update

This is the last of the tatting projects I completed while my computer was down last week. I continued my fascination with Lene Bjorn's patterns.

Camilla Cross

from Lene Bjorn's Tatted Bookmarks

Manuela size 20, color #041

Finished diameter approximately 12 cm or 4.75 inches tall

Motif #12 for 2nd 25 Motif Challenge of 2016

I ran into a problem with my filet tatting project. My picots from that first row are too big and, for some bizarre reason, I'm struggling with the 'pop' of the Catherine Wheel join. I'm going to start over as I can't bear the thought of continuing with these loops instead of lines in my filled squares. I'm also pulling out the bigger thread to practice that 'pop.' I may need to put on some magnifying lenses, too, as part of the problem may be that I can't see the details in that size 12 perle cotton as well, or perhaps I should use a larger thread size. I had a good start, but I'm glad to be working out the picot size problem now. I just need some uninterrupted time to concentrate on the work.

Continued Computer Issues

While I thought my Wifi problems were resolved, apparently this isn't so. I've even tried an external USB unit, but it wasn't compatible. My Macbook Pro is a late 2009 model running the latest operating system, so options seem to be few. As things stand, I can only get online when I can connect through a cable, so that is very limiting. I'm trying out an app for my iPad in hopes of keeping up with reading and posting. I could try replacing the Wifi card, but the repairman thinks it is a failing motherboard. I've enjoyed seven years of fast, efficient, and trouble-free computing. I've only just now had to replace the battery for the first time. I guess I shouldn't complain, but that song "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" from My Fair Lady is running through my head. :)

17th Day of December Snowflake

The Seventeenth Day of December 

from Lene Bjorn's 24 Snowflakes in Tatting

DMC Cecelia size 30

Finished diameter 9 cm or 3.6 inches

Motif #11 for 2nd 25 Motif Challenge of 2016

By starting with a clover from the outside round and making the 2nd ring of the clover a self-closing mock ring, I was able to tat this in one round. I left a mock picot between the inside rings and the mock rings to give the illusion of a separate round as in the original. 

This, too, is one of the items I tatted while my computer was down last week. 

16th Day of December Snowflake

The Sixteenth Day of December 

from Lene Bjorn's 24 Snowflakes in Tatting

Lizbeth size 20

Finished diameter 9.5 cm or 3.75 inches

Motif #10 for 2nd 25 Motif Challenge of 2016

If you look closely, you can see I still struggled a bit with the tension of those long chains, but I'm content with it for now. 

This is another of the items I finished while my computer was down last week. Unfortunately, the wifi issue has returned. I'm online now with a cable stretching from the router and across 2 rooms, but that has to be taken down when the little ones are here. 

Happy tatting!

muskaan's Split Color Edging in One Color

Motif #9 for 2nd 25 Motif Challenge of 2016

While muskaan designed the Split Color Edging for two colors, I just couldn't resist trying it out in just one, and I like it! This was my first effort at split Josephine rings, but her excellent tutorial is included in the pdf of the pattern. I was able to start with a true ring rather than a split one, but it really doesn't matter to the finished product in one color.

My effort at this pattern in size 80 thread went straight into the trash bin. It was obvious I needed a magnifying glass to see those half stitches. I can fudge quite nicely for a double stitch, but not for Josephine rings, split or normal! Those of you with good eyesight must try it in size 80 and share the picture with us. I'd love to see it done.

Thanks, muskaan, for a lovely edging pattern. The grouping of Josephine rings between the clovers give it a delightful appearance in one color or two.

Happy tatting, everyone!

I'm back! & Filet Tatting

It feels great to be back online. It was just too frustrating trying to keep up from the small screen of my cell phone while my computer was being repaired, so I took advantage of my self-imposed blackout to tat in what time was available to me. I'm sometimes amazed at what I manage to get done when life seems so terribly busy, but a few knots here and there really makes a difference.

Learning Filet Tatting with Amanda aka Mandatory

Lesson 1 (Row 1 of 9)

I've seen a couple of other methods, but Amanda's seems unique in her use of picots to fill the blocks. In fact, it was seeing some of the different effects that can be accomplished in the filled blocks that convinced me I must try this technique. Check out the different ways Amanda filled the blocks in her filet heart motifs at http://www.craftree.com/projects/1202.

I confess row 1 (lesson 1) doesn't look like much at this point. It took some careful manipulation to get the image you see above, but I know it will hold its shape as the next rows develop. In fact, I'm looking forward to working through lesson 2 this weekend.

Amanda chose a small project with a simple diamond design for the tutorial, which is perfect for learning a new skill. Her instructions are very clear, and I love the diagrams. I find it so much easier to follow a good diagram than to keep referring back to the text. 

Well, I'd best get moving. There is laundry and cooking that need to be done today before I can work more on catching up on the blog reading and posting and, of course, tatting lesson 2.

Happy tatting!

SaveSave

Computer Problems and a Busy Schedule

A combination designed to interfere with my tatting, my blogging, and my blog reading. Hopefully, the computer problems will be resolved within a few days.

Happy tatting!

Butterfly with Ikuta Overlapping Picots

Butterfly with Ikuta Overlapping Picots by Ninetta Caruso

Motifs 7 and 8 for 25 Motif Challenge (2nd for 2016)

Left: Lizbeth color #112; Right: Flora color #228 (both size 20)

As I promised, here is the first of the reports of my weekend adventures into new techniques (new to me). Georgia Seitz first introduced me to the Ikuta picots (double, layered and overlapping) through the Online Tatting Class on May 2. When I first tried this technique in a ring (my May 9 post), I used one shuttle and a ball thread. I found it a bit tricky to keep my threads in the proper position to get the correct overlap. The step-by-step tutorial that muskaan put together for us beautifully clarified the technique for me with clear instructions for handling the two threads.  I found her use of two shuttles to be much easier, and I was able to remember the process to produce this 2nd butterfly the day after carefully following the tutorial as I worked through Ninetta's pattern to tat the first butterfly. The tutorial works! Thank you, muskaan.

I love this little butterfly. I had a little trouble with the first butterfly's 3rd and 5th rings. These are the rings that encircle rings 2 and 4 forming the upper parts of the wings. My outer rings weren't large enough. After looking carefully at the picture in Ninetta's pattern post, I tried a count of 8-8 for the inner rings with the green thread and I think it looks much better. I must say, though, that muskaan used the 14-14 count from Ninetta's written instructions and hers looks great, so it may just be a difference in tatting tension that made the smaller inner rings work better for me.

In addition to gaining confidence with the Ikuta Overlapping Picots, Ninetta's pattern also inspired me to learn the Ann Dyer Join to the Smooth Side (JSS). I used Karen Cabera's YouTube video for instruction. Karen does a great job. I think my efforts with this join got better with practice. The join in the upper right wing of the green butterfly was my 4th attempt and I did a better job of 'popping' the threads into position. It looks beautifully smooth! Thank you, Karen and Ninetta.

I have to say that when I first tried the Ikuta picots, I didn't really think I'd actually use them. Now, I think I'll enjoy adding this picot effect to some of my projects. And the JSS is a definite keeper.

Happy tatting!

Snowflakes completed for June and July (Motifs 4, 5, & 6 for 25 Motif Challenge)

My plan was two a month and I got behind by two in June. Now I'm caught up through July. (Join us in the Craftree tatting forum as we tat Lene Bjorn's 24 Snowflakes in Tatting before the year ends.) You'll notice that I skipped a flake this time. I will come back to it later when I have time to practice that frustrating split chain some more. :)

Motif #4 for 25 Motif Challenge

Twelfth Day of December 

White, Size 30 DMC, approx. 10cm in diameter

It isn't missing a chain. I didn't notice that one of the chains had folded over behind the ring when I took the photograph. I really like this one.

Motif #5 for 25 Motif Challenge

Fourteenth Day of December

White, Size 30 DMC, approx. 10cm in diameter

I like the way this one looks, but it isn't without mistakes. The small chains in that outer round that are side by side are not identical, at least they aren't supposed to be. I made a mistake with the very first pair and didn't notice until a couple of repeats later. I didn't cut it out, but, determined not to have any more of those mistakes in the piece, I found myself untatting several times. 

Motif #6 for 25 Motif Challenge

Fifteenth Day of December

White, Size 30 DMC, approx. 10cm in diameter

This one is a mess. It looked like a bowl as I finished the tatting.  My rings should have had larger picots. I struggled to keep those chains looking smooth, but I also was running short of thread on my shuttles as I neared the end. I was tatting with the bobbins and changing shuttles to avoid having to add in new thread so close to the end. Can you see where I did the shoelace trick in that top left chain? Note the breaks in the curve. The ends of this one had to be knotted and cut as one of them was less than an inch long. That was close! I hope my own failure with this one won't keep others from trying it. I think the design is a lovely one. Just remember to use the picture as a guide to picot size. Most of them must be fairly long.

The children and grandchildren were all out of town yesterday so I found some time to work on learning something new. I'll be sharing more about my explorations later. 

Happy tatting!

Eleventh Day of December

I'm just now catching up on my goal for the Craftree Challenge of tatting all 24 snowflakes from Lene Bjorn's 24 Snowflakes in Tatting this year. My personal goal has been two snowflakes a month, and I didn't tat any of them in June. I've been needing simple projects for my tatting time lately, and the Eleventh and Twelfth of December qualify.

Motif #3 for 2nd 25 Motif Challenge of 2016

DMC Cebelia size 30 in white

just over 8 cm in diameter

I decreased the size of the picots.

Tea Cloth - Round 5 of Test Tat is complete

I've been getting some tatting done on those projects that don't require frequent glances at the instructions. You saw the completion of the Concentric Rectangles doily in my last post. Here is the tea cloth test tat with round 5 completed.

I have one more row of motifs to add before the test tat of the center is done. If you would like to see how this doily looks in color, check out Jessica's. Jessica has done a great job on the pattern update of this doily. 

You don't have to tat for very long to discover that occasionally you have to make a small modification to a pattern to make it work with your finished product. Maybe your picots aren't quite the same size as the original design or your tension is different. It is less likely to be a problem with small motifs, but doilies are another matter, especially as the diameter increases. Such was the case on this round. Even though I knew the motifs of round 4 would elongate, I just didn't feel there was enough space between my motifs. I tried several different ring sizes to see how they would work, but none of them gave the same kind of look as those larger rings. I finally opted to join the inner most rings in hopes that it would at least keep those rings from trying to overlap each other. I'm pleased with the way it is working so far. The real test will be how it works with the addition of round 6.