The Lucky Collar

This was my first large tatting project. Large projects since this one have been, well, disasters. I keep trying to start a doily pattern from Visual Patterns, & after 3 failed attempts, I guess I'll try it again this week-end.

So, here's my 1 large project. Oh, I'm calling it my "lucky collar", because at almost the 1/2 way point, there's one clover with 4 leaves. Purely accidental, but I'd done so much retro-tatting (retro-tatting = undoing stitches) by that time, I just decided to leave it. The pattern is from Lynn Morton's Tatting Patterns, & it's done in sz 30 thread.

Monkey on My Back - Tatting Container Acquisition

Now, this isn't my fault. I lay the entire responsibility of my jonesing for yet another tatting container at the feet of my friend Jan.

Jan called & really wanted me & my pooch to go with her & her pooch to Petco's costume contest for dogs. Ok, so I dressed up Widget, my Chinese Crested, & away we went. Jan & her angel dog, Kudjo  had wandered off, so we trecked off to  find them.

There Jan was digging through a clearance bin. She joyfully held up some decorative tin containers. "Hey! Look at these! I'm giving them for Christmas gifts to the angel dog owners!" I asked her if there was one for me. "Nope! I have them all." she laughed. I whined that I really wanted one & went on a search for more. None to be found, so I whined some more. When we got back to my place, she gifted me with one, because she said I whined so well.

Here are the dogs. Jan's Kudjo the angel dog in wings, & my Widget in her So Cute It's Scarey costume, & my new doggy treat lunch box transformed into my newest tatting box.

A Flurry of Threadwinders

While visiting various tatting blogs, I saw some threadwinders that had been pyrographed. They were made from those wood blanks you find at hobby stores.

The tool acquisition monkey was on my back, so I jetted over to Hobby Lobby. SCORE! I found 2 sizes of snowflakes - perfect for threadwinders. The larger ones were already painted. You can see I've already filled one with my new size 40 thread from Yarnplayer - Midnight  Oil.

There's an upcoming thread exchange in the works. I'm thinking my exchange partners might need one of these.

New Tatting Shuttles

All my new tatting shuttles have arrived!! They are all so beautiful! I have my tulip wood Silent Tatter, my David Reed Smith east Indian rosewood & the Shuttle Shop tulip wood with the engraved Celtic Knot. I love wood tools, & these are all exactly what I was hoping they'd be.

I find the David Reed Smith one to be lovely, but it's very thin, so I'm afraid of breaking the tip. It tats wonderfully, though because it's light as a feather!

The tulip wood Shuttle Shop shuttle is soooooooooooooo beautiful! I put just the lightest coating of my beeswax & oil polish on it, & the grain just popped!! It's has a solid, sturdy feel to it, but is still feather light!

My favorite is the Silent Tatter. Again, the grain in the tulip wood is just so stunning! I love being able to adjust the tension so minutely, & the brass pieces really add to the beauty of the shuttle!

My Christmas list is made out & ready to hand to hubby. Yeah, another Silent Tatter, & one of those Opal Shuttle Shop shuttles, please Santa!

Here are my new shuttles:

Online Tatting Classes

Cynthia invited me to join the Online Tatting Classes a while back, so I did. I came in on Lesson #3. So, here's the beginning of a class assignment - Rings on Chains:

The Tool Tin

I needed something to put all my tatting tools in. I have the wee dowel for winding bobbins, scissors, bobbins, a needle, crochet hook & screw driver for my Silent Tatter. I found this little tin, lined it with wool, & everything fits into it perfectly.

Everything The Tatting Box Can Hold

Here's how roomy this little box is. It holds 3 balls of Lizbeth, several shuttles, my pattern cards & a tool tin. Up, inside the lid, is a wee, zippered bag that holds shuttles. It just fits inside the lid.

Tatting Box

I love learning crafts! It means acquiring the tools of the craft! I call it craft tool acquisition, & it can be very addictive.

While searching online for tatting patterns, I came across an old publication online that had a picture of a victorian tatting box. Here it is:

Here's my Hobby Lobby find:

Latest Pendants

I seem to have this need for tatted pendants. It's all Yarnplayer's fault for designing new patterns! I tend to use her earring patterns for pendants.  I just received her Keyed Up pattern. Here are my pendants with that pattern & with the Carnival Earrings pattern:

The yarns are all Lizbeth size 20.

Hand Dyed Thread

I LOVE HDT!! I have lots of Lizbeth thread, & just ordered some of Yarnplayer's Midnight Oil. I decided to try my own HDT, since I already had some dyes.

Here's the result:

I'm ok with it, but would've like the colors to be more saturated.

Quadrille

I've been adding beads to my tatting, & pendants are the perfect medium for that. I've been using earring patterns for pendants. Here's Quadrille done in red hat colors of red with purple:

The pattern can be purchased at Yarnplayer's etsy store here:
Yarnplayer's etsy

Split Rings & Li'l Critters

I'm continuing to expand my tatting knowledge, so I had to move on to the dreaded split ring!! I had myself abosolutely terrified about them! I looked at the video, looked at on-line directions, tried & failed.

I got with my tatting teacher, Dot & she showed me. I shadowed her every movement & made my first split ring!! I bought her a nice tote bag for helping me - she's such an excellent teacher! Here's my first split ring project - Ringtrim a Microdragon along with Fishy & Dove:

Here's the pattern:

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2009/annebringtrimmikrodrageeng.pdf

Pumpkin Bead from the Bead Bazaar

The Bead Bazaar happened last week-end. I LOVE the Bead Bazaar & was one of the first people in the doors. Now, there's definitely a pay off to getting there early. Scott & I wandered to different vendors, & when we met in the middle, I had already found some treasures.

Once vendor had a bowl with a sign. "Fill a bag full of beads for $4.00." OMG!! OK, who could pass that by. Being one of the first, I had the best selection, & what finds!! All the beads were lampworked. One was the cutest pumpkin.

Here's what I did with it using Yarnplayer's Carnival Earrings pattern found here:
http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com/2007/09/carnival-earrings.html

Embellished Scarf Challenge

Then I attached them to my YaYa Sisterhood Challenge Scarf & added a tatted edge in black.

Maple Leaves

Fall is here - my favorite season, so I celebrated with a flurry of tatted leaves.

How I Learned to Tat

Here's the book & DVD I learned to tat from:

Intro - Katie's Tatting Too!

I tried, literally for decades to learn how to tat. I was pea green every month at our lace group meeting. Everyone could tat except me. The tatters brought their finished projects, & I would wonder why I couldn't do that, too.

Over the years, I ran a full range of emotions about tatting . At first it was curiosity, then frustration, then all-out jeolosy. Then, the day dawned when I was actually angry becasue I couldn't learn to flip that blasted knot. I mean furious. My motto became, "I DON'T tat!!! Eventually, I turned over & said, "Bury me, & throw in the shovel when you're finished! I will NEVER tat!"

This past year, one of my lacing friends lost her home to a fire. I was out shopping for shuttles & thread for her when I spied the Learn to Tat book & DVD.  Suddenly, I was hit with an intense desire - to learn to tat. All the way to the check-out, I thought "What a waste of money!"

When I got home, I pulled out the DVD & popped it into my laptop & began watching. I stopped the video, got a shuttle & wound it. I started the video, & followed along. I flipped the knot, then I flipped another & another. I did 2' of ds's without missing a beat or failing to flip!!! OMGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaash!!! I was tatting!!

Here's the proof that I finally can tat!