Merry Christmas

Its a beautiful and sunny Christmas Day here at my cottage.  I'm just sitting outside on the deck enjoying the warmer weather and watching the wildlife.
I hope all of you are enjoying the holidays with family and friends.

More pins

I am restoring this hairpin doily for a friend.  She inherited it from a relative and wants to keep it for her daughter.  The knots closing a few rounds have come undone so I used invisible thread to mend the rounds.  I washed the doily and started pinning it out but 50 pins are not enough.  So tomorrow I will stop at wool-tyme to pick up more pins.  The outside round wants to bunch so I'm going to pin each section to get a smoother result.  So maybe I'll buy 2 packs of pins.

Ice drop with tassel

I'm still making ice drops.  I started to add tassels for fun. The best part about the ice drops is that even when you make mistakes they still turn out. 

Thanks Diane

Diane of lace loving librarian posted a tutorial on how to make her ice drops.  Basically you capture the stone in lace.  This has always been something that seemed too fiddly to me.  I did not have much success in the past with attempting a pattern.  So I was happy when Diane posted a turorial and I was actually able to do it without too much trouble.  The thing to note is that pictures really don't capture how pretty the ice drops are in person.

We Remember

Cascade Prima Cotton

Eliza left a comment on a previous post asking how I liked Cascade Prima Cotton for tatting.  I find that I like tatting with it, it flips easily and glides so you can close the rings.  Of course it is still soft compared to tatting thread so its going to have a drape to it.  It is also really nice for crochet.  I used a little of both to make this placemat.  The cascade ultra prima cotton tats up slightly larger than size 3 Lizbeth thread.  It does not have the tight twist of Lizbeth thread so it is not stiff when tatted.  This may be a problem for some people but I learned tatting with pearl cotton so its not a problem for me.  It also comes in great colors but not as many as the Lizbeth size 3.  I am currently tatting up this pattern in size 3 thread and I will show a size comparison when finished.

Confetti bracelet

Another birthday bracelet for a friend.  The white beads look like confetti to me hence the name. 
Normally I use mock rings around the center beads but this time I did something different.  I tatted half a ring then pulled the leg of the first half stitch down through the blue bead, used a paperclip to hold it in place and then finished the ring.  After I closed the ring I removed the paperclip and did a beaded lock join.  This seemed to sit better to my eyes. 
I used silk thread and really enjoyed tatting with it.  The only trick with silk is that you have to make sure the stitches don't unravel while tatting. Red isn't my color but I'm tempted to break into my stash of Sherry Pence's hand dyed silks to make one for myself. 

With apologies to Dora...

It doesn't matter how many years you do a craft... when you start working on technique things are going to go wrong. 
Last week I heard Dora Ohrenstein talk on Power Purls about her crochet designs.  I loved her attitude towards design so I looked her up on Amazon. What I found was that she is incredibly generous with her knowledge of crochet construction.  So I purchased and read The Crocheter's Skill Building Workshop. 
  Then I started the Slouchy Hat.
As per instructions I purchased a similar thread and did a swatch...that was way smaller than the gauge suggested.  No matter how loose I crocheted I couldn't get it even close.  After several tries with way bigger hooks I changed thread to one a little larger.
This was closer and I started the ribbed band (turned out smaller than measured but fit my head) then I started the Hat Body with a bigger hook that came close to gauge and I was kinda getting the hang of a lesser tension. All the while thinking this lady must crochet very loosely.  It wasn't until I reached half way through the hat body that I finally realised what was wrong about the band.....I did a slip stitch ribbing not a single crochet!  Lol! For some reason despite doing a lot of amigurumi I completely putzed the single crochet. 
 I finished my hat and started a swatch again with the right stitch.  Much closer to what Dora suggests! 
So sorry Dora about the ugly thoughts that might have been cast your way in the last 24 hours. 

Lisa's bday present

I made this bracelet using the linen thread I purchased from Wabi Sabi on Friday.  I went back for it after remembering that some people used it for tatting a few years ago.  I liked tatting with it because the linen has a neat feel to it.  However unless you take it slowly it tends to uneven stitches.  I think the result is worth the effort and the feel is unique.  I used onyx beads and a large labradorite bead for the center.

I made the bracelet for my friend Lisa's birthday.  She was having an Axe Throwing Party on Saturday night. (its supervised by trained staff) It got cancelled because on Saturday afternoon Lisa and Heather's dog Begbie herniated a disc...yes dogs can do that.  So they took him to the Alta Vista Animal Hospital where it was found that he needed surgery.  He got the surgery yesterday and is currently in recovery. 

Day out 2

Today I worked in the morning then I went to the Ottawa Glass Bead Show.  I missed last year but can't remember why.  It is a great opportunity to see some great glass bead artists all at once and get some supplies.  Dragon Lair beads and McBead Creations were there too!
Everyone had amazing stuff and i wish I could have bought something from everyone.  However I need to eat.  I did buy a ridiculous amount of glass beads.  Including the ones in the pic from Nancy Sinclair. I am totally in love with the grey bead with yellow flowers. I just need to put it on a necklace and I'll be happy.
I deeply regret not buying a pair of earings from Zuzana Heron. 

Day out...

I had a wandering day today.  I was at meetings this morning and worked for a few hours in downtown Ottawa.  Then I did the short drive over to Wellington St to Wabi Sabi.  I'm not sure what the name means but it is a yarn and weaving store.  It is a lovely place with a nice stash of yarn and spools of thread. I purchased a cotton Cascade yarn called Ultra Pima that I can tat with....I think.  I also picked up a spool of long linen thread in black.  I went back to get it after picking up a delicious sandwhich from Bread By Us across the street. I realised that linen might be good for jewelry.  There's a stiffness to linen but it isn't scratchy.  I was also very excited that they had safety eyes, something not a lot of places carry.

Renulek's spring doily 2016

I've started round 14!  I think it will take a full skein of Karen Solomon's hand dyed thread to do this round.  The next round will use lots and lots of thread so I'm planning to use the green Twirlz thread.  I would hate to run out of thread!
I was very tempted to end the doily at round 13.  It looked so perfect... but I'm burning to see how the next few rounds will look with the colors I've choosen.

Great Fringe Weekend.

I had a great time at the Fringe tat weekend.  Lots of good company and great classes. 
I taught most of the weekend but I was able to sneak in a class with Kay Judt!  She is a great teacher and I learned a lot.  We made her Twisting Star pattern.  It has both the Dizzy Picot technique and onion skin joins.  The best part is that she makes onion skin joins completely different from me.  I think her way is something I will find extremely useful.  I just need a little practice first so I'll be making lots of stars.

I also did a little shoping.  Its now confirmed that I have a stash of Karey Solomon's thread that will out last my hands!

Another gorgeous Monday!

Yet again I'm leaving the cottage on a wonderful day.  No energy for things like staining the deck even though its a perfect day.  No patience for messes today! So I'm heading out early so I can go home and clean!  Yay!

Time to step away!

I was a little too hasty in my last join so I retro-tatted to pull up the tension.  That cleaned up the join but then I tatted 4 double stiches and started to close the ring early with my wet, wet hands.  So now the thread is wet and I need to add 4 more double stitches.
Wet thread does not work well when opening rings.
So I've decided it is best to just walk away until the thread dries. Otherwise I'll likely end up breaking the thread....

Fixed the problem?

Redid the outside of the previous motif.  Still trying to figure out if I like the changed version. 

Cutting away at things

I'm tatting a pattern for a class I'm teaching in May 2017.  Unfortunately I underestimated some of the stitch counts needed for the outside round.  So I've written down what I did and now I get to cut off the outside round and start it again.  I think I know what needs to be done to make it work.

Slow and steady...

I finished round 12 this morning of the Spring Napkin 2016.  It now measures 14 inches across.  The size 10 version of the doily is sitting unloved for now.  I will get back to it but right now I want to keep trudging away at the size 20 version.

Picture to go with previous post

Some times blogger won't ket me post a picture and write words at the same time.  This is the pic that goes with the previous post.

Smooth as glass

The water this morning is smooth as glass.  I'm sitting here waiting until my breakfast settles so I can swim.  Its funny but Mondays always seem to have the best weather.
Thanks everyone for the kind comments about the rocket.  I tried very hard last Christmas to come up with a pattern but nothing worked.  Then about 2 months ago I was trying to design something else and saw a rocket instead!  I blame Erin

Rocket Girl!

This little rocket pattern is about to lift off to the Palmetto Tatting Guild for the grab bags.  Whoosh!

Working away at stuff

Having a party?

You might think that's confetti and I'm having a party or a wedding.... Maybe throwing a little rain dance party to appease the gods and end this dry dry summer?
Sadly no, that's not confetti all over my kitchen.  Apparently I have NOT emptied the catcher on my hole punch for a very long time! 

ps.  It also helps to put the cover back on before punching more holes.

Tattindipity

Tattindipity:  When both shuttles run out of thread at the same time.  This miraculous moment allows the tatter to start the next repeat using CTM.  Many do not believe this occurs naturally in the wild.

More Spring Doily 2016

This is a comparison of Renulek's Spring Napkin at round 6 in size 10 and size 20 thread.  I laid the size 20 version on top of the size 10 version.  There's about an inch of difference between the 2 sizes around the edges.  I haven't done anything on the size 10 version since but it will be interesting to see much bigger the 10 thread is than the 20 thread when the doilies are done.

Fringe tatdays classes

These are my classes for the Fringe Element Tatdays this year.  The theme is "tatting is the best medicine".   Naturally when I tried to come up with a pattern I wanted to go with the theme.  The first thing that came to my minde is "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".  As a chiropractor I'm a huge advocate of preventative health so that was right up my alley.  Unfortunately, I drew a blank while trying to design an apple.  Fortunately while trying to design something else I looked at the blob of tatting and saw an apple core. So here is my apple!
The bag is supposed to resemble the traditional black doctor's bag.  Of course I couldn't use black thread for my sample.  Instead I used a lovely hand dyed thread from Karey Solomon.

In case you are wondering why I don't post very much...my blogger app promises to post from my phone but then always fails.  I've finally given up on using blogger on my phone so more posts more often are in the future.

Awesome time at Finger Lakes Seminar (Lodi)

I had a great time on the weekend in Lodi and tatted with fabulous people. This awesome bag was made by Sheila Boniface for the Finger Lakes Seminar.  She made all the grab bags for the weekend.  We got all kinds of neat things in that bag.  I filled it with thread for the drive home.  Unfortunately I missed Monica Braxton's hand dyed thread because I talked too much! (what a surprise!)  I did get my bi-annual stash of Karey Solomon's hand-dyed thread and some of Marilee Rockley's fabulous thread.

Getting Ready for Lodi!

I spent yesterday afternoon getting my stuff ready for the Finger Lakes Tatting Seminar this weekend. This is the first time in a couple years that I'm not teaching so I'm excited about being able to relax and enjoy to weekend.  When you teach you totally miss out on the other classes!
There still a few things that need to be done.  I have to figure out what I need for each class and make sure I bring it.  I'm sure that if I forget something I can pick it up there.  I'm bringing my books and samples of the patterns.  I've already picked up my US dollars for the trip and boy did that hurt!  I've been spoiled the last couple years when the exchange rate was so close to even.
Each year I make a kit with a pattern that is sold for $1.  The money goes to a scholarship fund set up to help people attend the seminar.   I figure they get more money from the kits than anything I've donated to the silent auction!  This year I'm using magnetic beads to make a needle minder kit.

Spring Needle Minder
Kit is $1 at the Finger Lakes Tatting Seminar
April 9-10/2016
Proceeds go to the Scholarship Fund

A bracelet for valentine's day

This part of a bracelet that I made for my neice.  I was going to give it to her on Valentine's day but I won't see her.  Its very cold so I don't think I will be heading to my cottage.  I have the cottage winterized so it will take a long time to heat up if its -20C this weekend.  I guess that's good for all the people coming to Ottawa for Winterlude but I'm not happy.  I was hoping to spend the weekend near my sister and her family.  Oh well, more time for tatting! 

Tatting cabinet

Just working away tidying up my craft closet.  It's funny that we end up with so much stuff. Some things just sit there and are rarely used but we keep them "just in case".  I found that one of the best ways to tame my mess of thread was to put the balls in scrapbook cases. They are just the right height and I can see the thread through the case.  Unfortunately that doesn't work out nearly as well for my hand dyed threads.  They are separated by size into bags but I can't see every colour.  Most doilies fit nicely into the scrapbook cases for storage too.