Roses are red...

Ever since I got my own laptop I've been lazy about posts.  You would think that it would be easier to use my own computer instead of the one at work.  The catch is that I don't own a scanner and I'm an indifferent photographer.   I end up with no photos to go with the posts and you can't see what I'm talking about.  Of course I can just randomly write whatever is on my mind but I like photos. 

So today I looked for stuff to share that you haven't already seen and found this picture on my laptop.  I meant to post it in February and ask what that did they look like to you?  I was trying for roses but wasn't sure if I was delusional.  In addition, I was trying to figure out a way to make the roses into a doily without losing the rose in the pattern.   I don't think I needed to be so concerned...Pier One Imports wasn't worried about losing the rose in the design when they did their rose placemat.  

The roses really show off  Yarnplayer's hand dyed thread and the color changes.  The one on the right is done using Olde Rose and the smaller rose is done using Pizazz.  I've yet to try the pattern with a solid color so I guess that's the next step.  I have a vague picture in my head for a doily but I don't have the right colors in Lizbeth thread right now.   That means its on the shelf until I go on a purchasing spree for greens and rose like colors at the Finger Lakes Tatting Group seminar.  I have to start compiling a list of needs now so I won't miss anything.

Squirrel! Moment

This is my squirrel moment yesterday.  I wanted to measure how much thread is needed for a motif I'm teaching at The Great Lakes Lace Guild in May. So I wound 6 yards of this great green thread from Karey Solomon on the shuttle CTM with the ball of thread. I made the first ring and then went to stir a pot of soup.
I came back, got distracted organizing some other tatting stuff and realized that I needed to finish a completely different motif.  The green thread on the shuttle matched so I pick it up and started tatting.  I was on the second ring before it hit me I was using the 6 yards shuttle!  D'oh!
I debated retro tatting then decided to forge ahead.  The motif I actually finished (not the one I originally started) is for some kits I donate to the fundraiser at the Finger Lakes Tatting Seminar.  So if your planning to attend bring a dollar for the kit.  I'm calling the project the rose bud snowflake (pic below).  You can't see from the picture but there is a diamond shaped gem in the middle.  Inspired by Diane's ice drops.

A few great answers...

I have been asking everyone's favorite Christmas/seasonal patterns and offered a bribe in my last post as an incentive. (check out the post http://victats.blogspot.com/2009/12/favorite-christmas-patterns-and-bribe.html) A few of you have thought my question and shared:

Tatskool: "My favourite at the moment is Third day of December by Lene Bjorn in 24 Snowflakes in Tatting. I have blogged about it here: http://tatsakoolchallenge.blogspot.com/2009/12/third-day-of-december.html." I'm really happy to see someone else do this pattern because now I know that the rose in the middle is supposed to be 3-d. When I made it a few years ago I thought I was making a mistake.

HJ's favorite was Susan B. Taliaferro's Christmas Chain Wreath with beads, found at http://www.susansplanet.bravehost.com/ChristmasChainWreath.htm. I couldn't get the picture to copy over but you can check it out yourself.

Kook Vee: "My ultimate favourite Xmas pattern to tat up would have to be the Holly Garland by Pam Palmer which can be found on page 18 of Tatting Treats 3! It's fast to do up for last minute gifts and just so darned cute. I've made it into cards, brooches and even earrings. I love it =)."

Jane's Current favorite is her butterfly on her site: http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/butterfly2009.pdf. I'm kinda partial to her snowsettia pattern at: http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/Motif2009.pdf. I have to warn you if you stop at her pattern site make sure you have plenty of ink in your printer. There's so many great patterns!

Thanks so much to Kook Vee, Jane, Tatskool and HJ for writing down their faves. To the rest of you out there, I can see that I may have to offer a little more incentive...I'm working on it!

note: none of the pictures in this post are mine; they come from the sites noted beside them.

Ruffled Heart pattern posted

This is the pattern for the heart I showed a few posts ago. I you have any questions please let me know.

Ruffled Heart
Vicki Clarke
drvmc2003@yahoo.com
2009

Ra- Ruffled sets- {3 1st ½ stitch, 1ds}
Rb- Ruffled sets- {1ds, 3 2nd ½ stitch}
Lj - lock join
SLT- shoe lace trick

Wind 2 yards on shuttle CTM

R1: 1-1-1-1-1-1 mp
Round 1: Ch 6 lj (to 1st picot on ring) 6 X each time lj to next picot
Round 2: Ch 8 lj (to space above lj) 3 X, Ch 4 vsp 4 lj, Ch 8 lj 2X DNRW SLT *
Round 3

R2 4-4-4-4 RW
Ch 6 RW
R3 4+4-4-4
R4 4+4-4-4
R5 4+4-4-4 RW
Ch 6 RW
R6 4+4-4-4 DNRW lj (to next space above lj on round 2) SLT #
Ra 17 X lj to vsp on Round 2
Rb 17 X join to base of ring 2

*Special note when you do this step make sure to maintain your direction of work. It’s really easy for the rose to flip sides until you make the lj at ring 6.
# instead of doing the lj and SLT separately you can accomplish the same task by pulling up the ball thread and pass the shuttle through the loop as in a normal join.
Pull up the ball thread until it pops out the other side. This locks in the stitch and switches the threads at the same time. Don’t do a 2nd ½ just go into the next stitch.

The tap is running

I have water! The gentlemen from the Smiths Falls Works came on Friday of that week and spent 11 hours thawing out the pipes on the municipal side of things.  Since February was soooo cold Smiths Falls had an epidemic of frozen pipes towards the end and while I was the first on my street to have no water I was not the last.  They actually just told everyone to have a tap in the house running until spring!
Its warmed up quite a bit here in the last week but there was a few days there where I thought my pipes would freeze up again.  One of the gentlemen who worked on my pipes told me to run all the taps in the house if the water stream slowed down.  I had to do that the first morning after they restored service but since then its been consistent.
For the last week I've been getting ready for the Finger Lakes Tatting Seminar.  I booked my room at the Red House Country Inn and started to put together a few things.  I am teaching a Sea Anemone bracelet this year. 

This is the inspiration.

This is the bracelet.

Something like this for $1.

Each year I design a pattern and make kits for the group to sell as a fundraiser.  This year it is a Nautical Rose Bracelet.  It comes with thread, beads and bangle for $1.