Giuntini Crosses are Finished

I offered to tat some animal bookmarks for my niece's children, but they all wanted crosses. They want animal bookmarks, too, but they want crosses first. LOL Here they are in their favorite colors. All threads are size 20, but I mixed and matched Flora, Lizbeth, and Manuela to get the combinations I wanted. Finished size is approximately 8 cm by 11 cm. These aren't part of the fair entries I planned, but I was so close to finishing them that I decided to do so. As I mentioned earlier when I showed you the black and orange one, the pattern, Double Chained Cross, is by Jackie Giuntini and was published in the August 1998 issue of Tatter Tales.

Design Course Starting in September

Do you ever wonder how one designs a tatting pattern? Do you have an idea that you really wish someone would work into a pattern? If you can tat rings and chains, you have the skills to take Sharon's Designing Class. She takes you from the very basics, through designing a piece of your own, and then teaches you how to write up the pattern and diagram it! All of that sounds much harder than it really is, because Sharon takes you through it step by step. Sharon will give you a list of software suggestions for diagramming. Some are free or nearly free. You may even have software on your computer already that will work just fine. If you think you might be interested, contact Sharon through her blog here.

Planning for the Fair

Some of you may remember that my oldest daughter (who just finished grad school) has picked up her tatting shuttles again. She decided we need to enter tatting in the county fair this year. We spent our Tatting Tea Tuesday looking through the exhibits handbook for places where we might enter some tatting. (There are no tatting categories.) Then we looked at what we have available to enter and what we would like to still tat to enter. The results--we are both busily tatting away on our respective projects. I'm sorry that I have nothing to show you right now, but that should change in a few days.

Meanwhile, I am enjoying reading your blogs in my breaks. I'm going to take a quick look at what you've been doing and then I need to get back to my entries.

Bookmarks

I finally took the time this evening to retat the last chain of Jeff's Sine Wave Bookmark. My mother loves the colors and style so I'm going to give it to her.

An opportunity to ride rather than drive for several hours today gave me time to tat a bookmark for my great-nephew. He asked for a cross bookmark and this one is tatted in his favorite colors. The orange thread is Altin Basak size 50 and the black is Flora size 20. The two threads are actually very similar in size. The pattern is the Double Chained Cross by Jackie Giuntini of New South Wales, Australia. It was published in Volume 3, Issue 3 of Tatter Tales (August 1998).

Tatting On the Go

I tried to pack some tatting to do on the go today and found myself with the thread and no pattern for one project, pattern and no thread for another. What I did have were the instructions for the single shuttle split ring printed off from Bina's website (Matthew Takeda method), Anne Bruvold's pattern Ringtrim - a microdragon and some shuttles I wanted to empty of their leftover thread. I had the Sine Bookmark with me so that I managed to untat the messed up chain segment, but I had forgotten the thread so that I could not repair my mistake.

Anne uses the SSSR (single shuttle split ring) in her Minor Dragon pattern as well, but I got around them there by using regular split rings. Since I was doing a two color variation, I relied primarily on her diagram. For some reason, I've put off learning the SSSR--looked at it a time or two, but it just seemed confusing. When I pulled it out today, I thought, that looks remarkably easy! And it was! My thanks to Miranda at The Tatting Fool blog for the inspiration to finally give this a try.

Here is Ringtrim. Isn't he cute? I love the 3d effect of his wing sticking up like this. Color selection could have been better, but I was practicing and I was emptying shuttles. Beside him is the bookmark I came up with to use up more of the thread left on this shuttle. I call it The Line because it reminds me of that geometric structure which is always drawn with an arrow on each end. It measures 12 cm. I'm not sure if this thread is a size 20 or 30 since I have this particular Manuela thread in both sizes.

Cleaning & Sorting

I've spent the last 24 hours (the awake ones) sorting, arranging, and clearing things out. I began with my tatting threads last night. You see my nicely arranged threads with a separate drawer for sizes 10, 20, and 30. There were some real tangles in some of them, and I had thread scattered across two rooms and in several bags, purses, etc. Then today I tackled my chest of drawers and closet. One of my daughters is having a yard sale this weekend, and it was a great opportunity to clear out things I'm not using. I even found a shuttle I didn't know was missing when I cleaned out purses that haven't been used in a while! So while I have no tatting to show, it has been a very productive day.

I hope to get the Sine bookmark finished tomorrow. I'm soooo close! Thanks, btw, for all the kind comments about my effort at this bookmark and my Tatting Tea Tuesday.

Tatting Tea Tuesday

I had an enjoyable Tatting Tea Tuesday! My youngest daughter has been reading Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. She would really like me to read it now as well, but there are other things that I want to get done before school starts in two weeks. She found the perfect solution. She reads to me while I do other things. She read while I tatted--a treat for both of us!

Two of the three bracelets I made over the past weekend, for this same daughter, needed adjustments in length so I began my tatting time by adding another shamrock to the green one and another partial repeat to the red one. I tried to get a start on Rachael's Yusoff Challenge Snowflake, but it just wasn't coming together for me. I'm going to have to make some picot gauges or find the ones I made years ago. So I finished my tatting time with a project, and a thread, I've been longing to try. I tatted Jeff Hamilton's Sine Bookmark in Lizbeth Jelly Bean, size 20. As you can see, it isn't quite finished. I lost concentration as I was making the final join and didn't realize it until I had dampened the piece and was laying it out to dry. I tried to remove the wet stitches, but that was disastrous. So that is a project for later today. Many thanks, Jeff, for sharing the pattern with us. It was a pleasure to tat and I plan to start another one in a different thread.

Found a Couple of My Patterns!

I like to google myself occasionally to see what information is available about me on the internet. It usually doesn't show me anything I don't expect to see. Today was different. I can't believe the number of people who are using the name Eliz Davis! Most of them weren't me. However, I found that a couple of my patterns that were hosted on sites that no longer exist are now available on the internet again. Small cross and Red Clover Bookmark have been added to my list of patterns on the left. The Red Clover Bookmark was one of my earliest design efforts--a project I did right after learning to make the split ring. I think the clover blossoms could be improved with lots more picots and the pattern was written before there had been much standardization in style. If any of you find it too confusing to follow, let me know and I'll rewrite it.

Bracelet #4

This one is a variation of Nell LaCaze's Shamrock Points Edging.

Bracelet #3

While my oldest daughter was looking for a bookmark pattern to tat the other day, my youngest spotted Carolyn Groves Two-fer Bookmark and exclaimed that it would make a terrific bracelet. So here it is.

Celtic Knots

I tatted a bracelet for youngest daughter today using Rozella Linden's Celtic Knot Tatted Shamrock pattern. The color looks almost black in the picture, but it is a green (Cebelia #699 in size 20).  I did a couple of practice shamrocks--one three leaf and one four leaf to work out any kinks I might run into and to figure out how I wanted to string the motifs together. I turned the practice motifs into a couple of bookmarks by adding little tassels. So I finished THREE projects today while trying to do one! Not bad.

Snowflake size comparisons

I apologize for the poor image, but it works to let us compare the sizes of these 3 snowflakes that came out of Jon Yusoff's design challenge issued at InTatters. All three were tatted with Finca size 16 perle cotton. I've included a 6 inch ruler at the bottom of the picture and a Clover shuttle at the top to aid in comparing sizes. The one on the left was designed by frakira. The one on the right was designed by carolivy. The one in the middle is mine. While these were not the only patterns to come out of the challenge, they are the only ones I'm going to get tatted at the moment. I invite you to visit InTatters to view the other designs and to get all of the patterns. All of them resulted from different tatters' interpretations of the SAME initial diagramed idea! These three are a good example of the variety that came out of the challenge. Isn't it amazing how different they are?

I finished carolivy's snowflake today during a tatting tea party with my daughters--the first we've had together in about 5 years! Now that she has finished grad school, my oldest has picked up her shuttles again. My youngest just hung out with us today, but she has decided she wants to pick up bobbin lace again. I introduced her to it when she was in her early teens, but it was not something she wished to pursue at that time. I've promised to get our bobbin lace supplies back out so she can get started again before I get busy with college classes. I'm very excited about making lace with my girls again.

Latest News

I'm still working on carolivy's Yusoff Challenge snowflake. I managed to get TWO knots (and I don't mean double stitches!) in one split ring. It has taken me several days to get them out. Every time I tried, frustration quickly set in. Determined to win this battle, I refused to cut out the ring. Today, victory is mine! I had the knots loose in moments, and I'm on my way again. I've also managed to play a bit with EazyDraw. Nothing is finished in either of those areas. Instead, I've been very busy preparing for some big events.

Graduation was Saturday. I was SO proud as I watched my daughter receive her Master of Science Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. We began the day by attending her cowling ceremony. Then there was the graduation ceremony followed by a festive meal with family and friends around a long table at a local restaurant. It was a very special day.

In the midst of preparing for this celebration, my oldest daughter and I have also been studying for tests. Hers was the test to get her counseling license on Monday; mine was the GRE on Tuesday. Both of us did well! We celebrated her scores with pizza. We celebrated mine with the purchase of more tatting thread (lots more!) followed by one of my favorite family dining experiences--frozen yogurt sundaes with lots of laughter on top!

My summer is almost over, but it has been a wonderful one. I've enjoyed getting reacquainted with the internet tatting community. I'll soon be busy with Fall classes and my time for tatting will decline significantly. My shuttles will not gather dust until the Christmas holidays this semester, though. I've got a few projects I want to work on, and friends who will be interested to hear how they are coming.

Time to pull out my shuttles and finish up a few things before the day is over. Maybe there will be pictures tomorrow.

Thanks for letting me share my joys.

Tatting Diagrams

I am doing the happy dance all over my dining room! Thanks to Sharon Briggs and her wonderful designing course, I'm diagramming with my computer! Here is my first diagram of one of my own patterns. It isn't perfect, but until yesterday I had trouble drawing a ring with my computer. I'm using EazyDraw for the Mac (recommended by Jane Eborall a while back).

As you can see, I've been a bit distracted from my latest tatting project. Today was devoted to GRE (Graduate Requirement Exam) preparation and learning to diagram. The diagram part was the fun part of my day!

I'll go to bed now and dream of more diagramming after tomorrow's GRE practice. Tatting must wait until I master this new skill so I can produce better tatting patterns.

Size Comparisons of Yusoff Challenge Snowflakes

Here is my tatting of frakira's version of the challenge. It is tatted in Finca 16. I reversed the colors from her original and I followed the directions that had you complete the center first and then alternate tatting with two pairs of shuttles. The blue round doesn't show up very well on this background. Can you imagine those outer rounds in red and white--a candy cane snowflake! Perhaps another project for later.

It is displayed next to my version, also tatted in Finca 16, so we can compare sizes of the finished flakes. I'm ready to start carolivy's next.

Tatting the other Yusoff Challenge Snowflakes

I thought it would be fun to tat the other designs that came out of the challenge and do them in the same size thread I used for my own so I can see how the sizes compare. I started with frakira's. She offers instructions for doing the center last and for doing it first. It is a Celtic design in which the chains weave in and out of one another on the outer rounds. As you can see from the string of rings and chains, I started out tatting the outer rounds first, but I had lots of trouble keeping the shuttles for the second set of rings and chains on the correct side of the other set. I also messed up the pattern of overlapping chains when I got the to tip and started around the next side. So that strip is headed for the Totally Useless SAL jar.

As you can also see, I've begun again starting with the center this time. I think it is great that frakira offers instructions for beginning both ways. It's a beautiful flake and I'm hoping my mind and hands will work together to do it right this time. I'll let you know how it comes out.

Done!

I have had a wonderful day of tatting. I finished a couple of tattings of my interpretation of Jon's challenge snowflake and managed to get the pattern finished. I'm trying out keepandshare.com to host the pdf file. Please let me know if you have any problems with the link or find any errors in the pattern. The pattern is presented in visual format as well as short notation. I hope you all enjoy it. Just click on this link: Yusoff & Davis Challenge Snowflake  Here it is in one color with a little variation so the center can be done with ball and shuttle.

working on pattern

Just wanted to let you know that I'm working on the pattern and testing with a couple of tattings of it. Things are moving slow because I've had an arthritis flare-up in both hands. I could do very little at all for a couple of days. Pain and swelling have decreased so I hope to get back to my shuttles today.

Jon's Snowflake Challenge

Here is the finished first draft of the snowflake. I had thought I would tat it again in a solid color, but I like it so well in two colors that I'm going to do it again in two colors. I'm going to fix the pattern and tat it again from the pattern to make sure there are no mistakes in the pattern, then I'll share it with all of you.

Jon's Snowflake Challenge

It isn't quite finished, but the tatting of the final round is working just I as originally planned it. That's nice. The two different colors let you see the path of the two shuttles. I hope to finish tatting it tonight and then start another all in one color.

My Progress at Jon's Snowflake Challenge

As I mentioned earlier, Jon Yusoff posted a diagram at InTatters and challenged us to figure out how to make it work with thread. Well, I trashed the Maltese Ring version I showed you in my last post. It just wasn't turning out to be fun to tat. So here is my next effort. It isn't pretty as there are places where I cut things out and started up again. This particular piece will never be pretty as it's just my working piece. Once I work out all of the details, I'll tat it again and do a better job. One more round to go!

Part of the challenge is that the patterns will be shared at InTatters when we complete them. Several others are working on ideas. Three patterns have been posted so far and they are all different. It is amazing that we all started with the same drawing. I encourage you to visit the Challenge part of the forum at InTatters and check them out.

Details for yesterday's post

My first effort at Jon Yusoff's snowflake design challenge (posted at InTatters) is about to be trashed. The proportion of the Maltese rings to the center rings is not right. I'm going to try again by enlarging the Maltese rings and possibly decreasing the size of the center rings. Certainly some of those inner picots have got to go.

I thought you might enjoy these two pictures from my trip to Silver Dollar City. Not my best picture ever, but prison photos are probably like passport photos--always terrible. On the other hand, my jailor photographed quite well, including the smug grin.

Quick Update

I've been a busy lady: a day at Silver Dollar City with my daughter's youth group, a day spent helping a relative move, and I've been working on a snowflake design challenge issued at InTatters by Jon Yusoff. I need to start the center of the flake again as I see a problem with the design already. It isn't ready to be seen yet for sure. It has been a long two days and I'm longing for my pillow. I'll report more later.

Another pattern website found

I've spent my free time today catching up at InTatters. One of the things I discovered was a link to Anastasia Maltseva's website. She has a number of free patterns available that are very lovely. I've added her website to my list of links. Happy tatting, everyone!

Emptying Shuttles

I spent a couple of hours in a waiting room today and then had a couple more to myself this afternoon. Since I had a small bag full of shuttles with leftover thread, I decided to do some small projects to empty shuttles today. You may recognize the heart balloon as a suggestion from Gina. (Hers looked better.) The flowers next to the balloon and the little bug in the middle were just doodles-of-the-moment. The flake and the teddy bears are from MINITATS by Patti Duff, patterns #3 and #67 respectively. I did drop the second shuttle ring from the center of the flake and wove long picots together instead. The top butterfly in the variegated browns is a salvage job. What can I do with this since I obviously don't have enough thread to make this bear's head? Make him headless and add antennae! The crown-looking piece at the top right was going to be pattern #40, but I saw pretty quickly that I didn't have enough thread for a snowflake. I emptied FIVE shuttles today!

One of my favorite things about tatting in public is the opportunity it provides for getting to know other people who are curious about what I'm doing or who recognize it. One of the people I met in the waiting room today has a relative who tats. I shared my contact information and my blog address. It would be wonderful to get to spend some time face-to-face with another tatter. Another has had a little instruction in the past, but has been unable to find a shuttle of her own. Unfortunately, you can't just pick one up locally. I told her about the closest places to buy shuttles and about all of you and the wonderful resources online.

Add all of this to the fact that my Dad is doing very well and you've got a very pleasant day!

Needle Tatted Bracelet

This bracelet for my daughter was inspired by the work of Totusmel. She has even posted a needle tatting video. The timing was perfect as I haven’t used my needles in a long time. I used the pattern for Edging #59 in Tatting Designs from Victorian Lace Craft, edited by Jules & Kaethe Kliot, page 39. I cleaned up the design by dropping a number of picots so it would be more in the style of Totusmel’s bracelet. Many thanks to Totusmel for both the video and the idea.

Rediscovering size 10 thread and a new use for our discarded projects

I have some projects I want to do for my daughters for which I will need to use size 10 thread. Since I haven't used that size in years and I've got to wait on the mail to get the thread I need for those projects, I decided to pull out what size 10 I have and get reacquainted with it. This Kersti Anear's Stumpy Bookmark is done in an unknown brand of bedspread weight variegated yellow. I didn't like the thickness of the tassel in my book, so I just attached a string with a ring on either end. I had to remember to keep my tension looser than usual and I ran out of thread on my shuttle about 2/3 of the way through. What shuttles do those of you who use size 10 thread usually use?

Charlotte 'Heart' South Carolina responded to my last post with news about a group that collects their snippets of thread and ditched efforts and displays them through their blogs. I'm not describing it very well, but Charlotte gave some links in her comment where you can get more information about TuSAL. It sounds like a fun way to handle those UFO's we don't really want to finish as well as the usual discards. I'm looking for a good jar or vase I can enjoy filling up.

I've found my jar - a Planter's Peanuts jar with a lid to protect the collection from our labs. I've also placed a link in my sidebar in case any of you want to check it out as well.

Have you ever been tempted to post a picture of the contents of your trashcan?

While I know we all have different amounts of time for tatting and tat at different speeds, I sometimes feel so disappointed at how little I have to show you. I know that is my vanity talking. I enjoy designing. I enjoy problem-solving. Both usually mean lots of discards into my trash can. Working out problems is sometimes part of the fun. Nevertheless, I've considered posting a picture of the inside of the trash can! :D

Finished projects of the past three weeks

I apologize for the quality of the picture. I took it with my cell phone and posted it directly from the phone.

As you can see, I've completed two on Jon's fold-over bookmarks and one of Nancy Tracy's Fan Stack Bookmark. I think I put as much tatting in the trash in these few weeks as I have to display--maybe more! Ah well, the tatting itself kept hands and mind busy.

I've enjoyed both of these patterns and expect to come back to them. For now, though, I'm ready to move on to something else. The tatting for my girls must wait until I can get in some appropriate supplies.

Busy Week

It has been a very busy week. Mom and Dad are both recovering at home. My hands seem to be doing better. I'm getting my laundry caught up. My daughter's 'stuff' is now packed up and moved into a storage unit until she can move it all into the house she is going to be renting.

You may have noticed a couple of odd posts today (which I've deleted). They occurred as part of setting up my cell phone to make posts to my blog. I'm really excited about this new feature. I won't have to wait for access to my printer's scanner in order to post a picture for you. I can take the picture and send the post from my cell phone!

Right now I'm sitting in Barnes and Noble enjoying a little down time. My daughters and I are out for the night. We've done some shopping. Most of the shops have now closed, and we have a couple of hours until our movie starts. Only in summer could I be planning to attend the midnight opening of a movie on a Tuesday evening! We have tickets for Eclipse. The drive home will be as much fun as the movie. The three of us just love critiquing books and movies. The discussion will be lively enough to keep us awake for the long drive home. Guess who is sleeping in tomorrow. LOL

I've been ordering threads and playing with my new Pop-a-bobbin shuttle. After confirming that some of the threads I need are not available within a 200 mile radius, I'm convinced I need to place another online order or two.

Well, the girls are back. It is hard to listen and type at the same time and B&N is announcing that they are closing in 15 minutes. Time just flies!

Future projects

Between a migraine and hand problems, it's pretty well impossible to tat today. (I tried it!) So I've been exploring websites and my pattern collection dreaming of possible future projects.

One of my daughters has a fairly large collection of tatted items I've done over the years. The other has 2 -- one is the dragon I recently completed. The problem has always been that I wasn't tatting anything she was interested in. Well thanks to the blogs of totusmel and agasunset I now have some ideas for items that she would really enjoy owning. So while I can't do any tatting, I'm going to review my thread and bead stash and my pattern collection with her in mind. I foresee a need to go shopping -- local and online. I declared this Tat for S... month, but since it is so late in the month she may have to have July as well. My other daughter wants a month, too, as she wants MORE tatting. LOL. It is nice to have homes for my projects before I even start them.

Dad is out of hospital

We had a special lunch and celebration at our house so my children could celebrate Father's Day with their dad. Then we loaded up to go out to my folks' house and celebrate with my dad (who has been released from the hospital) before they head out of town to spend a few days with my siblings.

I'm about to pull out my shuttles to finish up some of this week's beginnings while I keep the washer and dryer running to catch up on laundry. I'll try very hard to get some scans up in a day or two.

Many thanks for the thoughts and prayers on our behalf. Dad has a number of followup appointments. He seemed to be feeling much better today.

BTW, my pop-a-bobbin shuttle arrived. It is loaded and ready to go.

Hospital Update

I'm supposed to be resting at home, but I can't sleep so I'll blog instead. Dad had hoped to go home today, but the latest tests show his cancer is no longer in remission. He got a blood transfusion today and will see his oncologist some time this afternoon. Perhaps he can go home tomorrow.

He's been unhappy with the program selection on tv, so last night we watched a John Wayne movie from my laptop's dvd drive. I got a lot of tatting done during "Hellfighters," a movie we've both seen numerous times. That means I have some tatting to report!

After many stops and starts, I finally finished Jon's Foldover Bookmark. I plan to empty my shuttles with the Fan Bookmark and then reload for another of Jon's Foldover one's. I'm practicing tatting over ends and the Magic Thread Trick so I don't have to deal with any ends. Failed to plan for the final ends on my first Foldover model, so I had to take care of those. With all of the times I had to cut out mistakes, that one bookmark gave me plenty of practice!

When I finish these, I think I'll pull out some of my size 10 thread for a while. It is easier to see in a dimly lit room and easier to untat, too. Good thing I never got around to getting rid of it. Some times it pays to be a pack rat -- and I'm definitely a thread pack rat.

More Tatting in Hospital

I'm still hanging out with Dad at the hospital. I've been doing some tatting, but even more untatting. I've made some of the dumbest mistakes! I guess I'm just too distracted. I've spent some time today catching up on reading the blogs of fellow tatters. There is an exciting thread exchange going on. I'm so disappointed that I'm not going to be able to participate, but thrilled that Fox has put this together. I'm going to enjoy watching the swapping.

Another thread for tatting has been recommended at the Two Shuttles blog -- it is bamboo! I found it in the Aunt Lydia brand by Coats and Clark. They say it is "naturally anti-bacterial, odor resistant, breathable and cool, 3 times more absorbent than cotton and durable and strong with a silky hand." I'm thinking this could be a good thread for tray mats, coasters, etc. that get wet with use. I'm going to be looking for it locally so I can see it and feel it for myself.

Even though I know it is too early, I'm watching the post for the arrival of my first pop-a-bobbin shuttle. They've already sold out again at Jane's Etsy shop, but I have a cedar one making its way across the ocean just for me!

Well, I think I'll pull out my shuttles and untat the last set of mistakes -- unfortunately the mistatted chain is a few rings and chains back. I may just cut it out. Horrible thought, I know!

Tatting in ER

I spent the evening in the emergency room with my dad and now we are settled comfortably in a regular room. I was too distracted to get much tatting done, but I started Nancy Tracy's Fan Stack Bookmark. This is a great bookmark for emptying your shuttles. It is one of many free patterns available at her Be-Stitched website.

Bookmark from 3 different sizes of thread

Well, here it is. Size 30 Cebellia in the center, followed by size 20 Manuela, and finished with a size 5 or 10 unknown crochet cotton (most likely a 5). My daughter likes it and that is what matters.

Failed Bookmark

I've been working on another of the Flaming Caverns Bookmarks. I chose a solid center and then tried one of the Lizbeth variegated threads for the crochet round. I don't like it at all. Unlike the previous one in which I used Manuela for the crochet, the Lizbeth is producing a little over an inch of crochet in one color before switching to the next. These lengths of color don't look at all well in this pattern. I'm about to strip it off and see if I have a Manuela color that will work to finish this one up.

No tatting today

I had cleared much of the day for tatting, but our printer/scanner died. I spent the afternoon researching and the evening installing software and getting everybody's computers set up to work with the new printer. Do you ever find yourself reluctant to go to bed at the end of the day because you didn't get your tatting done? LOL

Flaming Caverns 2

I decided to tat another one. This time I started dropping the shuttle through the ring before closing it. It gave the half-closed ring a "squarer" look. I added picots and shortened the corner chains by 3 ds to keep everything close to the crochet round.

Pattern Correction

I just corrected a mistake in my posting of the pattern. If you have already printed it, you may want to print it again. I apologize for the typo. I also made the instructions a little clearer in a couple of places.

Removed pattern links

I hate to do it, but I've been getting virus warnings about the fortune city pages that hosted some of the older patterns I've had on the web. I have pulled those links for the safety of all our computers.

Flaming Caverns Bookmark

(This pattern is the property of Eliz Davis. You may share it with friends as long as you do it free of charge and print it from http://tatknot.blogspot.com) You can isolate this post for printing by clicking on it's title. To order a shuttle tatted bookmark in your favorite colors, contact Eliz through her Etsy shop called Tatknot.

Since I don’t have any graphics software for this computer yet, you’ll have to settle for an image you can write on and my written directions. It is really pretty simple. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

I used a Lizbeth size 20 for the center and outer round and a Manuela size 20 which is a little larger for the crocheted round between them. Finished size: 4.75 inches (12 mm).

CENTER (one shuttle):

The center is formed with half-closed rings (hcr).

Make a length of 10 half-closed rings with the first being 3-3-3-3 and the remaining 9 being 3+3-3-3.

Turn the corner with a hcr of 3+3 and close it so the stitches align at a 90 degree angle.

Make a ring 3+ (joining to picot of corner hcr) 1-3, cl.

Make another hcr of 3+3 and close as before.

You are now ready to complete the remaining side with 10 half-closed rings of 3+ (to last picot of previous hcr) 3+ (to picot of opposite hcr) 3-3.

Repeat the instructions in italics to make a matching end. The second picot of your end ring will actually be a join to the first picot of the first hcr you tatted and the last hcr will join into this same picot.

CROCHETED ROUND (size 8 crochet hook)

Place 3 double crochet in each hcr along the sides, 4 double crochet in each corner hcr, and 2 double crochet into the little rings at either end.

FINAL ROUND (ball and shuttle)

Join between any set of double crochet stitches along the side. Side chains are 6+ (join between the next set of double crochet), repeating until you reach the 4 double crochet at the corner. The corner and end chains are 15+3-1--1-3+15. Return to the 6+ chain to complete the second side. Repeat the corner and end chains. Return to the 6+ chain until you return to where you began.

Enjoy!

New bookmark

After a slow start, I seem to be on a roll. I really wanted to combine the variegated red Lizbeth thread with a bright yellow, but the two size 20s didn't match very well and tatting with both was turning out to be a problem. After trashing two efforts, I decided to try combining crochet and tatting. I did my first project with half-closed rings to make a honeycomb-looking center, added a round of double crochet and then topped it off with a tatted chain for effect. I'm struggling with a name for the design. I'm considering Flaming Caverns, Crowned Fire, or (to accommodate the effect in other colors) Cavern Springs. Suggestions, anyone?

Finished!

My daughter will be thrilled when she gets home today to discover that I FINALLY finished her black and red dragon. It was to be a Christmas present for her. Was that this past Christmas or the one before? It is Anne Bruvold's pattern for her Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon as I mentioned in my earlier post. I realized I had added an extra ring at the shoulder of the first wing when I got to the same place in the second wing so I duplicated my mistake. My daughter loves red and black together so I used the shoe lace trick to position my shuttles to get the effect I desired.

Untatting

As I finish the final row in the final wing of one of Anne Bruvold's Flying Minor Norwegian Dragons, I find myself pondering the time it takes to untat compared to the time it takes to tat. I've had to untat a chain on both the final round and the previous one. First I forgot to make a ring between chains, then I forgot to join to a ring between chains. I untat because I have too much invested in this darling dragon to start over for such small mistakes, but I'm appalled at how long it takes to undo my knots. Lesson learned: A little extra time to check the diagram and the instructions will save far more time than removing knots. Sounds kind of like "a stitch in time saves nine" doesn't it? Well, back to my dragon.

Oops results in Crusty

I've done very little tatting, but I've been converting my tatting pattern files to pdfs so I can transfer them from my old PC to my Mac. I should be able to finish it with one more day of labor. When I did decide to sit down to tat for a bit, I started with a simple ring and chain cross in the variegated Lizbeth threads I mentioned previously. I got off to a bad start by making my chains too long so that I didn't get a good 90 degree angle at the first arm. I decided to keep tatting and just see where I ended. Crusty here was born of my efforts. I've seen some more realistic crustaceans by other designers, but I like him anyway.

Lizbeth Threads

Even though I planned to tat from my stash, I couldn't resist a trip to Hobby Lobby after reading about the excitement over the Lizbeth Threads. Of course, I couldn't be content with one new ball of thread. I bought three lovely variegated shades. The black and read combo (Red Burst) will be perfect for finishing a project I started a while back for my youngest daughter and the Island Breeze is ideal for the bookmark I hope to tat tomorrow. I resisted the temptation to buy more shuttles since I have several empty ones available.

Summer - Time to Tat!

Finals are finished and I decided to take some time off to rest and be with my family. This means time to pull out my shuttles again! I'm so excited. I'm spending the evening visiting my favorite tatting websites to catch up on what you've all been doing. While I'm excited about tatting, I just can't decide where to start! I'm sure your websites will provide some inspiration.

links repaired

Many thanks to Georgiz Seitz for repairing the links to the Teddy Bear and the Valeire Square Bookmarks. A few patterns that have been hosted on private websites are now down. I've removed those links until I can get them online again.

site maintenance

I've spent some time checking links tonight and removed several that are not working. I hope a few of them will be back online soon. If you notice one I missed, please let me know.

Finals, New Tatters, & Tatting Newsletters

Finals are over for this semester and I breathe a sigh of relief. Now I have a couple of weeks to tat and play with my guitar before classes begin again.

I got some great news today. One of my former tatting students has some students of her own. Congratulations, Heidi! To your students, let me say, "Welcome!" Heidi will get you off to a great start. I envy you the opportunity to tat with her. I know Heidi has already told you about some of the internet resources available. The online tatting community is full of people who will be glad to help you along as well. The links within this blog are just a sampling of what is available.

I have added a new set of links below listing a few of the support groups I know about personally. Ring of Tatters and International Old Lacers are international organizations with hardcopy newsletter subscriptions. I'd like to add some links or mailing addresses to some of the other hardcopy tatting newsletters. So, my friends out there in cyberspace, if you have a favorite tatting newsletter you would like to promote, please add the details in a comment to this blog.

Challenge Motifs 4 & 5

I did a little tatting this week while classes are on fall break. I'm working on some small snowflakes to give away this Christmas. Patti Duff is providing the patterns. Her book MINITATS has loads of great ideas that don't take very long to work up. Size 20 thread worked great to make ornaments that are about 1.75 to 2 inches in width. #26 & #43 are complete.

Books are waiting to be read and papers need to be written, so I'd better get back to work. Finals are just 10 days away.

Blooming Trellis Bookmark corrections

Members of the online tatting class found a few mistakes in the pattern and had some great suggestions for improvements in the instructions as well. The link at the side will take you to the corrected and improved version of the pattern. Thanks for the help, classmates.

Blooming Trellis Bookmark pattern

The online tatting class covered my Blooming Trellis Bookmark today. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it, but Georgia did a great job.

October update

School is really busy right now. I've got 4 tests this week. Tatting has had to take a back seat for a while. I've paused in the middle of my first effort at Anne Bruvold's Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon pattern. Sherry Pence's Tat It and See It #4 has caught my attention, too. I haven't loaded shuttle and thread--just printed each new addition in hopes that I might get a chance to tat it up before the final revelation. Well, back to the books!

Blooming Trellis Bookmark

The last one in the picture is the "Oops" version. The first two reflect the pattern as it is being shared. I created two different ends for the pattern version. I like to have options for changing up a pattern besides changing thread colors and sizes. I'll post the release date when I get it as well as a link to the pattern.

Challenge tats 1, 2, & 3 (new bookmark pattern)

I have finally completed the pattern. It is on its way to Georgia Seitz now to be shared during this fall's online classes. Here is a sneak peak and tats 1, 2, and 3 on the challenge for this year.

25 Motif Challenge & New Bookmark Pattern

Classes are going well and I'm even finding a little time to tat this semester. I'm working on a bookmark pattern that uses split rings and SCMRs. I've made several as I perfect the pattern for use by the Online Tatting Class. I'll put up the pictures and my challenge progress as soon as I have the pattern ready to go to Georgia--just didn't want you all to think I'm slacking off!

College classes underway

College classes are in session again, so tatting is on the back burner. I hope to get to pull out my shuttles over the holiday weekend. I'm taking one course as a special gift to myself this semester--guitar lessons. I'm not playing anything yet that you could call music, but I'm making some really lovely noise!

Butterfly Twins

I designed this motif for a greeting card several years ago.

Teddy Bear

He made his debut in the Online Tatting Class on July 22. Georgia plans to use him again during the regular sessions this fall so there will be another chance to join the how-to discussion.

Teddy Bear pattern coming soon!

I'm so excited. I finally typed up my teddy bear pattern! While testing the written pattern, I played with a few seasonal variations. Watch for a link to the pattern soon. I've offered it to Georgia Seitz for the online class, but I will provide a link to the pattern from here once it is posted on the internet.

Valeire Square Teardrop & Heart

Over a year ago, Georgia Seitz challenged me to create a heart pattern using the Valeire Square, but my brain just couldn't seem to pull it together. When we came in from our Independence Day activities last night, I suddenly felt inspired to work on it with thread and shuttle as well as paper and pencil. After ditching a few more complicated efforts that I just couldn't get to work, the simple design below was born. It is so simple you may wonder what took me so long! I certainly do.

Enjoy!

Valeire Square Teardrop & Heart by Eliz Davis: One second shuttle ring turns the square into a teardrop. Then two chain segments complete the transformation to heart.

Round 1: (Note that there are NO joins in this round.)
*R 8-8, cl. R 8-8, cl, rw.
Ch 5-5, cl, rw.*
Repeat from * to * until you have 4 pairs of rings and four chains.

Use the alligator join to climb out of round 1 and into round 2.

Round 2: (Note that you are joining adjacent rings together by joining into the picot of two rings at the same time.)
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join two adjacent rings together)

Without reversing work, tat a ring of 2-2-2-1—1-2-2-2 (to avoid the need for a second shuttle for one ring, I used the shoelace trick before and after the ring)
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join into the space at the base of the next pair of rings). Continue the progression of chains until you have joined back where you started this round. Finish as desired.

Round 3: Beginning at the second chain join past the ring of round 2, join and make a chain of 2 ds, 18 picots separated by 2 ds, 2 ds. Join to round two opposite the ring. Repeat the chain of 18 picots and join opposite to your starting point. The picture provided will be a helpful guide.

Note: Size 10 thread will produce a heart approximately 3 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches wide.

Summer Update

While I've been catching up on the housework this summer, I've also been spending some time catching up on changes in internet tatting sites. I've really enjoyed drooling over all of the lovely work I've found. A few more patterns have been added to my "must tat" stack. Tatting time is almost here! By Monday I hope to have started something. I'm ready with thread, patterns, shuttles, and even a few design ideas of my own.

Many thanks to all of you tatters who are sharing your work and your patterns on the internet. It is inspiring to visit your webpages even when I'm too busy to do any tatting myself.

Happy tatting, everyone!

Last of the animal bookmarks

School is in full swing so there has been no time for tatting lately. We have a holiday today, so I thought I'd take a minute to post a picture of the last of the animal bookmarks I completed during the Christmas holidays. I changed the pattern a bit to use more than one thread color. The swan is in white and ecru and I used a Caron Wildflowers thread for the water.

I hope to see some of you at the online class. I plan to attend the evening sessions as often as possible. I have a college class to attend during the daytime session.

Happy tatting!

Happy New Year!

My year is off to a great start. Between Christmas and the new year, I managed to shake the dust off my shuttles. My oldest daughter gave me a new Lacis shuttle for Christmas along with four new books: Dianna Stevens' Animal Bookmarks, A Tatted Zoo; Karey Solomon's Tatting Turns Over a New Leaf; Inga Madsen's 12 Tatted Fairy-Tales; and Nancy Tracy's Tat's Where I Stopped. Oh, I've just had so much fun!

And I finally finished the Cecelia doily. It is complete, pressed, and ready to deliver. The doily has 42 motifs and measures 15.5 inches by 12.5 inches.



Besides completing the doily, I've been working some of the new patterns I received for Christmas. This yellow Oak Leaf was one of the designs I received in the book by Karey Solomon. The next three patterns were in Animal Bookmarks. The snake and the cockerel were designed by Dianna Stevens and the cat was designed by Diana Howe. The last image is butterfly variation 4A from Teri Dusenbury's book, Tatting Butterflies.

I must drop it at etats and then get back to my shuttles. There is so much more I want to do before school starts again next week and everything gets set aside again.

Happy tatting in the new year!

Can't believe it is December already!

I haven't managed to tat a stitch since I finished the little bits and pieces for the Palmetto tatters. College classes have kept me very busy. I did find ways to get a little tatting play into my work though. One of my classes was a Microsoft Applications course. When I needed to create a database in Access, I started one for my tatting patterns! When I needed to create a Power Point presentation, I featured tatted snowflakes with "Let It Snow" playing in the background. I'm looking forward to shaking the dust off my shuttles during the holidays. I'm eager to finish that doily I showed you in my April 14 post. Can you believe I got that close to being done and it still sits unfinished?

Happy Holidays, all!

Tatting for South Carolina State Fair is ready!

I counted them just for fun. My personal goal was 100 pieces to mail to the Palmetto Tatters to be given away during their state fair next month. Drum roll, please........104 pieces! I'm afraid that if I postpone the mailing much longer I'll wind up missing the deadline. So they are ready to go out in tomorrow's mail. I love doing little projects to empty my shuttles or to just fill the time when I want to tat and haven't any particular project in mind. I give them away, but often wind up with more than I can use. This is a worthy project, reduces the stash, and resulted in a rather nice pile of empty shuttles. I had been wondering where all of my shuttles were. Now I know!

Tatting & school

No pictures for you today. So sorry! But I have gotten a few things done.

My classmates and I delivered our first prepared talks tonight--a personal introduction with a visual aide. My visual was a quickly framed collection of some of my bookmarks. There was plenty of laughter as I told them about the morning my "I love tatting" t-shirt inspired a man to flag me down to ask me if I was a tatoo artist.

Georgia Seitz's request for mini tats to be given out at the South Carolina State Fair was a good excuse for an "empty those shuttles" challenge to myself. I have close to a hundred pieces ready to mail--many of which were already done. I'll try to get a group picture for the blog before I send them off. I've still got quite a pile of shuttles that need to be emptied so I can use them for something else.

Happy tatting, my friends.

Fall Routine

I started college this summer! Biology and College Algebra are out of the way and more adventures await me. But my tatting really suffered as did this blog. There just wasn't time for all the things I wished to do. As I'm getting ready for the new routines of Fall, I'm also printing off my Online class notes for tomorrow in hopes that I can work that into my schedule. I so hate to miss one of Georgia's wonderful classes. And there is to be another 25 motif challenge! Much of my tatting this year will probably have to be motifs and the challenge will help to keep me motivated.

I encouraged a new tatter this summer. I showed her the shuttle tatted double stitch, but can claim little more than that in her education. She was highly motivated and used the wonderful internet resources available to all of us to move right along. I can't say enough good things about those resources and I thank every one of you who make them available.

Happy tatting, everyone! I hope to have some goodies to share with you real soon.

Busy Summer

Summer is always a time to get those projects done than I just can't find time for during the school year. My big plans for completing some of my tatting patterns and mastering some new techniques has been pushed aside for some college courses and home projects. I'm pleased with what I've accomplished and excited about what I hope to have done before school routines begin again in less than four weeks.

But with the return of routine, I'll also have more time for tatting. So I'm going to get back to work on my home projects and I'll be back here in a few weeks.

More patterns using the Valeire square

The online class will explore two more patterns using this square tomorrow!
Note: There seem to be some problems with the links to these patterns. So sorry! I'll see what I can do.

Valeire Square

Patterns based on a square motif from Tatted Yoke No. 4 in Fifteen Tatted Yokes and Camisoles Finished on Satin, Book 9, by Anna Valeire, published by E. C. Spuehler in the early 1900s.

Valeire Square Instructions
(Shuttle and Ball)
Diagram

Round 1: (Note that there are NO joins in this round.)
*R 8-8, cl. R 8-8, cl, rw.
Ch 5-5, cl, rw.*
Repeat from * to * until you have 4 pairs of rings and four chains.

Use the alligator join to climb out of round 1 and into round 2.

Round 2: (Note that you are joining adjacent rings together by joining into the picot of two rings at the same time.)
**Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join two adjacent rings together)
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join into the space at the base of the next pair of rings)**
Repeat from ** to ** until you have joined back where you started this round. Finish as desired.

Missed the class

Well, I missed both sessions of the Online Class today, but I had a wonderful day with my husband. A tire went out on the trailer we were towing and that put us much later getting back than expected.

I got some good tatting done on the way home though! I was working on a bookmark pattern by Julie Patterson when I was struck with another idea using the Valeire Square. Thanks, Julie, for the inspiration. I got the design worked out on paper and had the test piece almost finished when daylight finally gave out. My picots are not as even as usual because of the bouncing around of the vehicle, but you'll get to see it as is when I get it finished. I want to test it in a smaller thread as well before revealing the results.

By the way, I just read the log from the class sessions. I love the ideas that were floating around for the ice cream cone and look forward to trying some of them myself. I can hardly wait to see your ice cream cones as well as your responses to the design challenge.

New Pattern & Challenge

It's up! Georgia has posted the challenge and the instructions. I can hardly wait to see what changes and designs result from this. So go tat one of Anna Valeire's squares and make yourself some calorie free ice cream.

Works in Progress

I haven't had much time to tat in the last couple of weeks, and when I did, I just wasn't in the mood to work on the doily. So I have no progress to report there.

I've almost completed a cross for my youngest daughter in her favorite colors of the moment--red and black.

And I've been working on a design challenge for the online class. Georgia has the first lesson and it is on the schedule for next Monday, May 8. The class will be presented with instructions for a design element from an old pattern and a challenge to create a new design using it. I'd really like you to share the projects you produce for future classes. That will keep us all tatting for a few weeks.

The element is one that has fascinated me for years. I return to it often and have used it in several designs of my own. One of those patterns will be shared in the May 8 lesson. Just what it is will be a surprise, but I think it will appeal to many of you. I'm even withholding the images from my blog until it is revealed for class. I have at least two more patterns to share using this same element.

So whether you like to play with design, or would love to see how some of the rest of us come up with new patterns, or would just like a few new patterns to tat, I hope you'll register for the class and join us next week.

Cecelia Doily, Day 21

Well, the image is a bit dark, but you see that the doily has gotten larger. Forty of the planned 48 motifs are almost finished--one corner left to tat on number 40. A sick child kept me home this evening so I didn't get my coffee shop time to work on the TAT proficiency projects. But that meant additional time to work on the doily while we watched movies together.

Online Class Homework

The challenge to tat today's Online Class homework in two colors with two shuttles obsessed me so I didn't get a single knot done on the doily. I was watching a movie with my girls as I tatted and missed several of the joins in my first piece. This is sample number two of Tina Frauberger's Edging published in 1913, tatted in size 30 crochet cotton.

Blog Changes

I've reorganized my blog space. The list of blogs I like to follow was getting really long, so I've moved those links from here. At the bottom of the page, you'll now find a list of links for those learning to shuttle tat, needle tat, or for those like me who are working on new techniques. I reduced the number of posts visible on the main page so that it won't be so far down to those links. That means that the most recent of my images is about to get moved to "old posts." Sorry! I'll try to get an updated image posted today or tomorrow of the Cecelia Doily. It is coming along nicely.

Cecelia Doily, Day 17

33 motifs completed!!! I obviously missed my original estimated completion date of April 11, but I'm not unhappy with the rate of progress.

Cecelia Doily, Day 16

Motif #30 of 48 is finished. Obviously I haven't accomplished much on this project lately. I tried to tat when I got off the computer last night, but I was doing more untatting than tatting and gave it up! The shuttle was moving smoothly this morning during the time I spent with my dad at his doctor's office though. So three more motifs were completed. I'm over half way there!

Nothing for Show, but a little to Tell.

Life has been extremely busy and a bit stressful--much of it good stress, but stress nonetheless. The Cecelia Doily has been neglected for several days. I plan to pull it out for a little while when I get off the computer in just a few moments.

Part of my good news is that I've signed up for Phase I (Apprentice) of the Tatting Proficiency Program offered by Tatters Across Time, Inc. My notebook arrived Monday and I took a long (5 1/2 hour) break from the stresses of my life to play with the first project. I spent yesterday afternoon (3 1/2 hours) tatting at the local coffee shop. After dropping my teen off at an activity last night, I returned for another couple of hours. The same young man was working the counter and he was surprised to see me back so soon. Though I don't use all of the techniques covered at this level on a regular basis, I'm familiar with them. The tatting challenge for me is producing an error-free piece that is consistent throughout. Of course, the tatting projects are only part of the tasks to be completed. The program seems well designed to make sure you understand the different techniques and their uses. I'm very impressed and look forward to working at the various tasks they've assigned me. And did I mention I've been assigned a mentor? It is a confidence booster to know that another tatter who has successfully completed this level is available for advice and encouragement.

Well, I'd better go work on the doily while I can.

Happy tatting!

Greeting Card Idea

Scans of some of my favorite pieces of tatting (especially my own designs) are sometimes used as the artwork on my own greeting cards. I use a computer program to add text like "Happy Birthday", "Happy Anniversary" (that one used to have a scan of a bobbin lace bell), etc. When I'm ready to use the cards, I can add some tatted flowers, a tatted cap, a balloon sticker, etc, to personalize the card and it is ready to go. A search of my card collection turned up one teddy bear birthday card. It is obviously time to make some more cards.

Cecelia Doily, Day 10

Twenty-seven motifs done, at least twenty-one more to go. You are seeing the work in progress so it is a bit wrinkled. I took a 24 hour tatting break yesterday to rest my left hand. Somehow I strained the reach of my pinkie. It is much better, but not yet up to several hours a day of tatting. It is a bit stiff after 3 motifs this evening.

Ruth Perry shared her Tatted Bullion Stitch Cross pattern in the Tat Calendar for March 31 and with the Online Tatting Class on Monday. Here is an image of my first effort. The technique has lots of possibilities, I think, and Ruth's instructions are good.

Cecelia Doily, Day 6

It was a lovely day to tat and I celebrated by making a long distance call to wish a Happy International Tatting Day to the woman who first taught me to tat. Then I settled in to work on the Cecelia Doily. As I packed up for the day, I count 20 completed motifs and the beginning of number 21. After our small group Bible study tonight, I did a bit of show and tell and whipped out my tatting bag to display the doily in progress. Having no tatting history in my family that I know of, I really love the tatting stories that others share about their relatives and tonight was no exception.