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!