I’m a bit late to the party, but I made it! The day isn’t over yet. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Clover earrings
I wanted a pair of green earrings for several events this week. I waited until the last minute to make any, so they couldn’t be too fancy, but I wanted something a bit more than thread. I’ve had these little keys for years, never knowing what to do with them. They looked good for these earrings. They did end up being a bit longer than what I usually wear, but I like them.
I am a member of the lady’s bible group at my church. I decided this year that I would gift each of the members a bit of tatting for their birthdays, in their birthday month. There were none in February, four in March. I was planning on making crosses for them but ran out of time. They were not disappointed with these heart paperclips, even if they weren’t crosses.
March birthday gifts
Of course, I forgot to take a picture before giving any away. I did remember before I gave them all away. Too bad it’s a bit out of focus.
The weather here is mostly warm, trees and flowers are starting to bloom. Now we are expecting a hard frost… My poor apple tree.
“I don’t want to brag or make anybody jealous, but…I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.” author unknown
You know how life keeps happening? You go about your normal business and other things sidetrack you. Recently a young relative went through a sad event and I’m planning a sympathy package to send them as we are too far away to visit. We’ve also been invited to a wedding of some friends, which means a gift is needed. Emotional opposite ends of the happiness spectrum, right? It’s amazing how tatting can fit into both gifts.
I usually make cross bookmarks for sympathy gifts. My “Graduation Cross Bookmark” is simple and quick but still looks good. I started with that, then had an idea.
Green Graduation cross with edging
Lime Green (Lizbeth #679) isn’t usually a color I think of for a sympathy gift, but it was on my shuttles from a different project. Though the green was size 20 I didn’t have any size 20 handy that looked even close to good with it, so I used a size 10 in Ocean Teal Dark (Lizbeth #65). I played around with stitch counts and developed this edging around the cross. I liked it, so I made one in the colors I had wanted to make it in.
Blue Graduation cross with edging
The center of this cross is Country Turquoise Lt (Lizbeth #660) (I think! – I lost the label) in size 20, and the outside is River Blue Dark (Lizbeth #709) in size 10. I finished the edging, cut and hid the ends, and THEN noticed I goofed on the last chain. I’m pretty confident I can fix it without much trouble, but, we’ll see. I think it looks good otherwise.
I had to think a bit to come up with a wedding gift. Then I remembered that a while ago the bride and I were looking at tatting online when she saw one of the doves from Frivolite con sabor and loved it, so I purchased the “Dove of Peace” pattern. I have completed one dove and plan to make another, then frame them to give as a wedding gift.
‘Dove of Peace’ by Frivolite con sabor
This is a lovely pattern, and not hard to do, I just had to pay attention! This will be a lovely gift! The pattern is on Frivolite con sabor’s Etsy shop.
At the beginning of February, it occurred to me that Valentine’s Day was coming up. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for Valentine’s Day, but I wanted to do something, so I started making several of my “January Heart”. I added them to a can for a touch of room decor, but what else to do? I thought it would be fun to have a pin to wear.
“January Heart” pin
These hearts were tatted and then joined together with a bit of thread. You can see how fancy this pin ended up with that bare safety pin. LOL! It goes on and off of my shirt or jacket easily! I might make it a bit fancier for next year, but it worked for now.
Besides all this tatting, I’m staying on task writing out several patterns. I’m working on how to diagram a particular tatting technique. It’s quite challenging but also rewarding. I’m almost done with one, yay! 😊
“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” David Viscott
2024 is here, and it has been cold! And snowy! We’ve had more snow this winter than we’ve had in the entire two previous winters. Now, like most of the country, it is very cold! The thermometer reads 1º F but the windchill is currently -22º F. I think I’ll stay inside. I am glad that my dog doesn’t mind the cold.
Bonnie in the snow
Bonnie is a Corgi/Border Collie mix. She’s a bit taller than a Pembroke Corgi but still has pretty short legs. Getting around in the snow has been a bit of a challenge. She likes it, though.
While staying in the house, I’ve gotten quite a bit of tatting done. I’m working on a couple of patterns I submitted to Lisa Adams at Tatting Corner for her Tat Days in July. They are coming along nicely.
I’ve also been working on writing out the pattern for a square I did back in 2018. It’s been test-tatted but I haven’t quite finished the corrections yet.
Jubilee Square
The previously unnamed square is now Jubilee Square. When joined to other squares it makes a lovely mat. That will also be on the published pattern.
There are several January birthdays that I wanted to recognize with a gift, so made them cross bookmarks. The pattern for the Graduation Bookmark is on ‘My Patterns’ page.
Three Graduation Bookmarks
I’ve also been working on improving my tatting. I recently purchased a Clover Picot Comb so I can make even picots, especially long ones. I’m enjoying this gauge better than I have any other gauge I’ve tried. It’s actually kind of fun. Not that I’ll use it all the time, but when a gauge is needed, this will be my choice.
Using a picot comb
I’ve also been playing with different tatting techniques. Natalie Rogers, on her Tat Your Own Adventures FaceBook page, has put out a tatting-related Bingo game with a PICOT card (instead of BINGO). There are several techniques on it that I have done before but could stand to review and practice. There are also a few that I’ve not done, including the Vapour (or vapor) stitch. I am so glad there are YouTube videos!
Vapour stitch practice
Trying new stitches opens up possibilities for pattern ideas. Thanks, Natalie, for the game!
(There are no links in this post, I receive nothing for mentioning products or services.)
I would have had this post done yesterday but I was way-laid by a book I started. I have to limit the books I read as I have a hard time putting them down until they are finished. Maybe it would be different if they were studious type books, of history, or of learning, but I mostly read stories that entertain me. Which isn’t bad, unless I don’t put them down. The worst of it is that reading a book keeps me from tatting. I do have audiobooks, but there is nothing quite like words on a page.
Do you have tatting plans for the new year? Any books you want to read?
“When you lose yourself in a book the hours grow wings and fly.”— Chloe Thurlow
I have been very busy the last few weeks, which put writing on my blog at the bottom of my to-do list. I have done some tatting but I have not gotten anywhere on writing out any patterns.
League track meets and tennis matches involving my grandkids meant I was traveling a lot trying to make all of them. There were also a few events besides these that were all-day affairs, leaving me tired and hot (or cold) and uninterested in doing anything after making it home.
One of my grandsons was just confirmed into our church. This is not a sacrament or a divine ordinance, but a public recognition of a person’s instruction of the Word and confession of faith. In our congregation, this ceremony is done when the person is about 14 years old, after several years of specific study. I made him my April’s Cross bookmark with modified ends to celebrate the occasion.
April’s Cross Bookmark for confirmation.
When making it this time I just didn’t care for the look of the ends of the original pattern. I like this better, but I spent an inordinate amount of time getting the stitch count to a place I was happy. I suppose at some point I may add this change to the pattern. My 14-year-old grandson was not all that impressed with this gift. I’m hoping that maybe someday he will appreciate it a bit more.
I haven’t been in the mood to do much in the way of starting or finishing my tatting projects, maybe too tired after all the events and traveling, but I did get some tatting done. The case on my phone is clear and plain. I’ve thought a bit of tatting would look good on it but have not done anything about it. The other day I ran across a ball of thread labeled Star Tatting Crochet in white/off-white. It looks to be smaller than size 40, maybe 70?
Old Star tatting thread
I tatted a small ring in the Star thread and another of the same stitch count in Lizbeth size 40.
Star thread comparison
It is definitely smaller than the size 40. I’m pretty sure that the old thread I’ve seen before was labeled 70, so I’m going with that. I made several doodles with it to see how it would look and fit in the phone case.
Phone cover with tatting
The tatting is not glued down to anything, but placed between the phone and the case. It is good the thread is so small as it causes the case to be not quite as tight to the phone as it is supposed to be. This allows the tatting to move a bit, but not much, and only in some circumstances. I’ll probably change the tatting in this if/when I come up with other ideas. This certainly changes the look of the case for the better and I’m glad I wasn’t too busy to try it.
“I don’t care how busy I am – I will always make time for what’s most important to me.”Kevin Hart
I’ve been working on the ‘Iris’ cross bookmark I shared last week. I made a few tweaks as I worked on writing the pattern and tatted it again.
I tatted the original in size 10 thread, bigger than I usually work in. I saw the color and just knew I wanted to use it, and it was in size 10, so that was it. The cross came out the first time with minimal trouble. It ended up being six inches tall by six inches across, much larger than I think of as fitting in a normal book. I decided to make it in a smaller thread as I verified the stitch count.
Iris Cross bookmark in size 10
I usually tat in size 20 thread, which would make this cross smaller, but I thought that it might not make it small enough, so I made it in size 40. Which I don’t tat in much, either, so it took longer to tat it. But the end result is about what I was hoping for.
Iris v 2 in size 40
The center of the cross has a wonderful pattern, but I was concerned that handling it as a bookmark would be too floppy. I added a picot to the corner chains to make it less floppy. While tatting in the small thread the ends of the arms didn’t come out looking the same as the original so I changed up the stitch count a bit there as well.
Iris v 3 in size 40
On the next cross, I changed the stitch count at the ends of the arms again and they came out better, but I still wasn’t happy with them. The shuttle 2 clovers at the tips twisted a lot. This would be a problem if it were handled much.
Iris cross bookmark version 4
The fourth cross came out much better. The tips of the arms are more secure and less able to twist. I am also happier with the look of the ends. I’m wondering if I should leave off the picots I added to hold the center firmer. In the small thread will it be okay without them? I like the look better without that picot.
It is amazing how different the cross looks making it the two different size threads. What are your thoughts? Which one do you like best?
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.“Alan Watts
It’s spring, so it must be time for another bookmark. This time of year brings many occasions for gifts, and I usually include something tatted, often a bookmark. This year, one of my grandsons and three other eighth graders are being confirmed in our church. I’m making each of them a cross bookmark to celebrate the occasion.
Iris cross bookmark
As usual, I couldn’t just use a pattern I already had, I had to try something different. I do fancy how the center came out with this. It is made of size 10 Lizbeth #647 Purple Iris Dark and measures 6 inches by 6 inches, almost too big for a bookmark. I’ll be making the ones for the confirmands in a smaller thread, and probably in a shade of red.
I’ve worked on this cross and a few other items, but spent more time outside this last week or two. It’s been so nice outside I don’t want to sit inside and the wind makes it challenging to tat outside. I don’t have many flowering plants to enjoy yet, but the trees are blooming.
Redbud tree blooms
We have two Redbud trees in our yard. I always look forward to them blooming.
Apricot blooms
My neighbor has several fruit trees at the edge of the yard. They are so beautiful when they bloom.
Apple bloom
The apple trees are blooming a bit behind the other trees. I was afraid our tree wouldn’t bloom, but it finally is showing a few.
Once in a while, I even catch a picture of a bird. This one is from a few weeks ago. I haven’t been filling the feeders much, so I’m not seeing as many pretty ones yet this year as I’ve seen in the past.
Bird in a bare tree
It’s finally spring. We even had rain a couple of nights ago! Our area in Kansas has been in a drought for a while now. Most of the state is in Extreme to Exceptional drought. Any rain is welcome, and the inch we got is wonderful! Now I need to weed the flower beds and get a few flowers out. A few perennials survived the winter but aren’t ready to bloom yet. The weeds are blooming everywhere!
“If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.”Doug Larson
The last few weeks have seen several losses of family or friends, though none close to me. Our pastor lost his father and my mother lost a close friend, both to illness. For such occasions, I give cross bookmarks with sympathy cards. I found that I am out of any bookmarks and in need of making more.
Cross bookmark for our pastor
I chose Lizbeth thread ‘Caribbean’ in size 20 to make the bookmark I’m giving to our pastor. It’s a beautiful color that doesn’t seem too bright to give for a solemn occasion. I used my Graduation Bookmark pattern, which is based on a traditional cross pattern. I haven’t made one for my mom yet, but that’s next.
As the name implies, I also use this pattern for graduations. I have a couple of those coming up, so I need to make several more. Let’s see if I make them in this pattern or something else.
I’ve been tatting more than this, just nothing quite ready to show yet. I did take some pictures the other morning when we had a bit of fog.
Fog at sunriseTractor in fog
Sometimes there are beautiful views in places we see every day.
Can you believe it’s almost March already? We haven’t had a hard or bad winter here in Kansas – so far – with more mild days than bad. But I’m still looking forward to spring, with growing things popping up everywhere. A few green things are popping up on my shuttles already.
Something green
The plan was to start making green bookmarks for several friends in March. What came off my shuttles is NOT a bookmark. My fingers decided I should do something else. I’m not sure I like that green button in the center, but I liked the size. I’m already on to another round on this. It looks like I’ll be starting the bookmarks later.
My hand is starting to feel better, which makes me more inclined to tat. For a while there I did not want to pick up a shuttle. I ended up reading a few ebooks instead of tatting. I started a series from Sherry A. Burton, The Jerry McNeal stories. They are good enough that I started the series on February 16 and am now on the 10th of 13 books. They aren’t very long and are quick reads. Not much else has been done.
I did have pancakes on February 21, which was Shrove Tuesday. I had been reminded about pancakes on the news that day because of the pancake races in Onley, England, and Liberal, Kansas, USA. There is a fun rivalry between the two towns, seeing which one will beat the other. This year Olney won. I had nothing to do with the races other than seeing the results later, but pancakes did sound good.
Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday 2023
We’ve had several days of temperatures in the 60s F, but today we’ll be lucky to get to 32°. We do have sunny skies, which is a blessing, considering all the nasty weather people to the north are getting the last few days. We are supposed to get a lot warmer here Sunday, but with that comes the possibility of severe weather, such as hail, strong winds, and a chance for tornadoes. We go from one extreme to the other.
I’m going to go back to my shuttles now, and see what I can accomplish. (My dog is telling me I should pay attention to her, so we’ll see!)
“Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.”E. B. White
Jane Eborall has published the last part of her 2023 TIAS, and it’s a good one. I was kept guessing until almost the end. You can never tell where she’ll take you on her yearly journey. You think you know what it is you’re tatting, and she surprises you. I encourage all of you to go check out her Tat It and See blog to see all the aliens that have been sent in. She numbers them so we know how many there are. Here’s mine.
TIAS alien
Jane put a lot of techniques into the TIAS this year. There are Victorian sets, Catherine Wheel joins, long twisted picots, as well as split rings. As in any of her patterns, if you have trouble with a technique, she has helpful hints and directions on her blog, so no one needs to feel that is too much for them. The clues are given days apart, giving you plenty of time to learn and work on the TIAS. The journey is always fun, as are the comments of everyone else traveling on it with you.
Even with the TIAS going on I was able to finish the paperclip heart bookmarks I wanted to and in plenty of time. They were warmly received. The pictures I posted of them on Facebook were also well received, with a lot of people wanting the pattern. I realized that I had the heart pattern but not the bookmark part of it posted. I suppose I should update the pattern with the bookmark option. Until then, here is what I did to make the bookmark part.
Replace RJ in the pattern with a split ring: SR 3-1–1—1–1-3/3-1–1—1–1-3. Repeat for the length desired. The last ring is R 3-1–1—1–1-3 join to paperclip, join to paperclip 3-1–1—1–1-3.
January Heart paperclip bookmark
Now that Valentine’s is over, I need to move on to other things. I am prepping to teach a class in April at a library. Not sure how many will signup, if anyone, but I’m getting my notes and such together. I was contacted by the librarian last fall about doing a class in the spring. I don’t know when they will advertise/promote it. I may not know much until closer to time.
March is fast approaching, with St. Patrick’s day and spring weather. I have a few ideas I want to try that reflect those ideas. I just need to get my thread together and get started.
My sister and I are starting to get more into our planning for the cruise we are taking in November. We are going on the “Knotical Adventures” Tat Sea cruise with Tatting Corner. It’s going to be so much fun! Are any of you going?
“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”Carl Sagan
I haven’t tatted a lot in the last month or so due to one of my hands hurting. Not sure what I’ve done to cause it, but it lets me know when I hold a shuttle or try to grip things with my right hand. I’ve been doing the recommended stretches to help it get better, which it has, but I’m still going slow with any tatting.
What tatting I’ve been doing are small things, like working on the Arlo bookmark. I think I’m finally happy with the ends, so now I just need to finish the pattern. While doing this, I tried the stitch count on just the ends. By the time I finished this sample, I was thinking it would make a cute earring.
Short Arlo bookmark
I’ve also been doing Jane Eborall’s TIAS (Tat It And See). A great way to tat without doing too much at a time, right? We’re only a couple of clues from finishing, and I’m still not sure what it is! This is up to day 12.
2023 TIAS day 12
Something has to attach at the top, but how exactly, I don’t know. It’s a person, right? Maybe? You never know with Jane! There are a lot of fun guesses over on the Tat It And See blog. Jane’s next clue for the TIAS is in a couple of days. I understood her to say there are two clues left. I’m looking forward to seeing how we finish this up. Are any of you doing it?
I’ve also been doing a few small bookmarks using my January Heart pattern on large paper clips similar to what I did for my niece last year. A couple are thank-you gifts, the other one for a friend. I have two more I’d like to make before next Wednesday. They are small enough I think it’s doable.
A trio of heart bookmarks
One of these is for an aunt, who recently sent me a couple of souvenir coins. She got these coins at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Fransisco, California when she was eight years old.
Animal League coin with a dog on one side
This coin is very lightweight. I’m thinking it is aluminum.
Animal League coin with a cat
I never thought much about how long animal care organizations existed.
The coin she thought I’d want is this Coleman coin.
1939 Coleman lantern coin
This coin is much heavier than the other, feeling more like an actual coin. You can tell it’s been carried around a lot, enough to rough up the lantern on it.
1939 Good luck Coleman coin
I started work for the Coleman Company in Wichita, Kansas in 1979. I never worked in the lantern factory, but it was a very important part of the company. This coin is so cool! I’m going to have to come up with a way to display it.
Now back to a few stretches, an ice pack, and my collection of things I would like to be tatting.
“Every experience, good or bad, is a priceless collector’s item.” Isaac Marion
