Patterns

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Housekeeping

Sunday was a day of cleaning up and finishing stuff.  I cleared out a bunch of pictures from the photo gallery on my computer.  To get one decent picture you take quite a few and there were lots of redundant photos on my computer.  So I erased ones I don't need and hope that I don't regret erasing them.  I also fiddled around a bit and made a few more snails.  Its interesting how different color combinations can completely change a pattern.  I think the snail with the blue body is better than the brown I used in the last post.  I plan on adding another twist to the pattern but haven't tried it out yet. 
I've also spent the last few weeks obsessed with a particular motif in tatting.  In my head I call it a dagger because its made of a series of rings and chains that get smaller until it comes to a point.  I was working on a pattern before Christmas that involved this motif but lost the doily and thread somewhere between Ottawa and Campbellford.  I worry that it fell out of my car.   Last weekend I started playing with it again and ended up with these hearts and a square doily that's slowly forming.  The heart at the top is done in Tat's Kool's mango chocolate.  I love the shading in this thread from brown to yellow, unfortunately that doesn't show up in the picture.  The 2 a the bottom  and the square doily are done in Lady Shuttlemaker's (Sherry Pence) silk thread.   I lucked out this week because Sherry sent some thread as a Thank-you for some thing I sent for Picadilly.  Sherry was too generous and I feel like I should send a thank-you for the thank-you.  

I'm going to use Sherry's thread to continue a few more rounds.  I've had to stop and take a break because I was getting stiff but the doily is currently 61/2 inches.  The nice thing about silk thread is its ability to slide which means decreased friction while tatting.  You don't notice this until you go back to a cotton thread and then you feel the drag.  I can tat more with the silk thread before my hands start to stiffen from overuse.   

5 comments:

  1. That dagger motif is insanely beautiful! I am enthralled! Absolutely fascinating!
    (Do you get how much I LOVE it?!!)
    Fox : )

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  2. Those hearts and the doily are awesome sauce! I'm so in love with that doily right now it's not even funny. It's uniqueness reminds me of Lady Shuttlemaker's 'Royal Diadem'. The color changes in the thread really give the doily a romantic feel, just in time for Valentine's Day. If you ever decide to sell the pattern, I will gladly pay!

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  3. Your snail is adorable, so vibrant.

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  4. Your hearts and snails are neat, and I really love that doily!!! :)

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