In my previous post, I talked about a shuttle that was a gift to me by my brother-in-law. I also shared it on my blog FaceBook page where Sharon Tabor shared some history of Boye shuttles. She was gracious enough to allow me to share the information that she had about them. The following is her comment on the FB post.
“The tipped curve was made by a former user. I have a complete set of Boye metal shuttles from 1915-1992. The first Boye shuttles were pinched in the middle. The shuttle you were gifted is from about 1920. The shape was changed after the 1917 patent and was made in 2 sizes 3″ and 3 1/2”
Pre-WWII, the shuttles were nickel or zinc plated brass. The one your brother-in-law gifted you is a brass shuttle with a zinc coating (it is dull) During WWII all metal was diverted to the war effort and hence the invention of celluloid ( an early but flammable plastic). The 3 1/2″ shuttles were discontinued in 1947.
Since I documented my Boye collection, I have found the 1917 shuttle I was missing. The last Boye shuttles made in the USA were only printed on one side and the back was blank.
Your shuttle is circa 1920-1923.
A great reference book is Tatting Shuttles of American Collectors by Heidi Nakayama” Sharon Tabor
Shuttle collection by Sharon Tabor
Thank you, Sharon, for the wonderful information and for allowing me to share it on my blog. Isn’t this a great collection of shuttles?
On a different note, I am still working on the pattern for the Isla Snowflake. I’m hoping to have it done in a few days.
Today is Tuesday, 2/22/22 or 22/2/22, depending on how it’s written in your part of the world. Either way, it is a palindrome, meaning it reads the same backward as it does forward. This type of ‘Twosday’ is so special that it won’t happen again for another 400 years. I’ve heard that a lot of people have chosen today to get married. I guess you’d never forget your anniversary!
I meant to post much earlier in the day today but have met with ‘two’ many issues that I didn’t expect, which put me way behind on everything I did plan to do. So I better get on it while it is still Tuesday, I mean ‘Twosday’.
My sweet brother-in-law remembered me when he found a tatting shuttle at a flea market recently and bought it for me.
Boye shuttle with whistle
You can see this was a well-used shuttle by how the finish is worn off. There is still enough left to see it is a Boye shuttle. It still has a variegated pink thread on the bobbin, which looks to be size 80.
I’m not sure how old the shuttle is but looks to be from before 1923. I have another metal Boye shuttle I compared it to. Notice in the center of the top shuttle it says “PAT APR.17.’23”. The center of the bottom shuttle, the one I was just given, says “PAT APL’D FOR”
Two Boye shuttles
The older one (bottom) is longer and the body is wider than the newer one. You can see that the top shuttle has the bobbin peeking out on both sides of the body, while the bottom one is as wide as the bobbin. The pick at the tip is different, also.
Different tips on the shuttles
The older one (right) has the tip curving up compared to the body instead of to the side like the newer one (left). All the metal Boye shuttles I’ve seen before have the pick curved to the side. Maybe this was a change before the patten went through?
One of the things that delayed me writing my post today was an event I attended. Newton, Kansas, the town that I used to live in is celebrating the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of its incorporation. They threw a party where the mayor gave a proclamation and had local organizations put on the entertainment for the evening in the form of local music groups and a dance troupe. I stopped to check it out and stayed longer than expected.
The City was selling souvenirs at the party in the form of t-shirts and wooden train whistles, of which I had to indulge. Trains have been a major part of Newton from the beginning, when it was the trailhead of the Chisholm Trail. The railroad basically cuts the town in half. If you spend any time in Newton, Kansas, even today, you understand the t-shirt.
Newton t-shirt and whistleWhistle and shuttles
I didn’t really need the wooden train whistle (or the t-shirts!) but, hey, it’s cute.
I’m still working on the pattern for the Isla snowflake. I think I’ve got the stitch count down where I’m happy with it. Now I have to start diagramming it, the most un-fun part of sharing my patterns. I’ve also realized I should document the pattern for the doily I have in the background, one I made in 2014. I think I would like to make it again. That makes two patterns to work on. There’s that two again.
“Today is the day to celebrate Newton! 150 years ago on February 22, 1872, Newton, ‘the wickedest city in the West” made up of businessmen, gamblers and cowboys with 27 saloons and the AT& SF railroad tracks running right through the middle of it all, was incorporated as a city.” Harvey County Historical Society
Jane Eborall has given us the complete pattern now for her 2022 TIAS. It became a very cute critter, Doris the Dragon!
Here be dragons!
It’s always a surprise to what Jane’s TIAS will end up being, but never a surprise at how much fun it is. I love this little dragon! I did have a few issues with it, that’s why there are two instead of one. I don’t know if it was a bad ball of thread, if it was stored badly and developed a problem, or what, but the thread kept splitting and I broke it several times. I also wasn’t careful enough when following the pattern and made several mistakes of one sort or another on each of these. A couple of times I backed up, took out the stitches, and fixed the problem. There was one mistake where that wasn’t an option, which is why I made a second dragon. But they came out so cute in Lizbeth #130 Island Breeze in size 20, mistakes and all! If you are interested in making one yourself, check out Jane’s Tat It And See blog.
I love Doris so much I’m already trying to make up my mind what threads I want to use on my next one. The completed ones are going to be on one of my shirts, I just have to decide how to position them.
Dragons on my shirt
When not tatting the dragons I’ve been tatting the Isla Snowflake trying to decide on the stitch counts. Several elements on the original had one stitch count in one place and a different stitch count in others, and I need to figure out which ones work best before I write out the pattern. I also tried something a bit different on the spikes. Which do you like better, the original or the newer version?
Isla original
Isla with different points
Today we are experiencing some real snowflakes and lots of wind. We have been fortunate to not have as much ice or snow as places to the south and east of us have. We had to make an emergency run to get coffee this morning and just a few miles from us it was a lot worse. We can use the moisture but that doesn’t mean I like what comes with it. But it gives me a good excuse to stay inside and tat!
Do you have (or need) an excuse to tat?
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” J. R. R. Tolkien
I’ve been having fun this last week making heart earrings. I’ve even added beads to the January Hearts.
January Heart earrings
I have given several of these pairs away, to my daughters and a sister. I even kept a pair for myself! The little critter with the earrings is the Valentine my granddaughter made for me. She made these to give as Valentines to her classmates and I received one, too. Isn’t it cute?
While looking up hearts and heart patterns this week I reviewed how I posted about them since I started my blog. It’s amazing how many blog posts there have been in the last 10 years. If you are interested in the pattern, check out my Patterns page.
Thanks to all of you that have left comments about this pattern. I appreciate all of you! May you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
“And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
Valentine’s Day will be here in a week and like most years I think I have to re-invent the wheel, or in this case, the heart. Sometimes I do okay, sometimes I don’t. I think I did okay this time.
January Hearts
I like the proportion of these hearts, which I don’t always get. These are made with only one shuttle and ball thread, simple and quick to make. Amazingly, I didn’t get overly complicated, LOL! I made these in Lizbeth # 671 Christmas Red in size 20, which makes a nice earring, but they wouldn’t have to be earrings.
Something else amazing, I have the pattern done for these already! Imagine that! I’ve added it to My Patterns page.
Speaking of patterns, I am making a few changes to the pattern page. The Keep and Share site where I have the downloads have a limit on how many downloads they allow in a day. If I want to allow more, it costs more. As I don’t charge for my patterns I don’t want to do that. I am changing which patterns can be downloaded to more recent or popular patterns. All the patterns are still available but may have to be requested by email.
I’ve been seeing a lot of tatted hearts on Facebook, Instagram, and blog posts the last week or so. Are you planning to tat hearts this year for Valentine’s Day?
“I enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s a nice way to say you’re thinking about your family, someone special, or dear friends.” Camila Alves
Remember the Jasper snowflake I put on the front of the Tree-topper angel?
Jasper snowflake
I’ve finished the pattern! I’ve added it to My Patterns page. I’ve looked it over but did not have a test-tatter so there may be mistakes lurking. Let me know if one finds you! I’d love to see how it works up for you if you make it.
“Life is all about sharing. If we are good at something, pass it on. That is the pleasure I get from teaching – whether it is television or books. We should all share.” Mary Berry
