Practice Makes -- Improvement

I finally found a "folded join" tatting tutorial that I could understand and achieve success with. I've practiced and practiced, 6 whole little motifs in fact, and I feel reasonably confident. I still sometimes struggle, but I'm improving.

I'll test out my newly found skill by trying another small motif of a different style and shape before I return to the Snowflake Georginia that I was having so much trouble with.

The folding join tutorial is from Jon Yusoff's blog, "Tat-a-Renda".

The little bookmark is a line of six joined Jasmine Motifs from page 57 of "New Tatting" by Tomoko Morimoto. I'd link to Amazon but whenever I try it links to my actual account. Anyone know of a workaround to avoid that?

Further Instruction Needed

I've been working on a tatted snowflake. All was going reasonably well, right up until the end. I then encountered a couple of tricky joins that had me backtracking and retrying, repeatedly, and perhaps shredding my thread to the point of no return.

Those two yellow pin heads are at the locations that need to be joined. I'm now in the process of asking on various tatting forums for help. Are you surprised that there are several? I've been pointed in the direction of several YouTube video tutorials that should be helpful. Not as helpful as having a real life instructor sitting down with me to take me step by step through the process, but a step in the right direction -- I hope.

That's a Fizzle!

I've been doing a bit of experimental tatting over the past few days looking for an edging to add interest and perhaps a bit of length to a cropped, handwoven top. I started by trying out this edging.

It's No. 17 "Shamrock Edging" from "Tatting With Anne Orr" done in 10/2 mercerized weaving cotton. I quite like the look but it was too delicate looking and shallow for the use I had in mind. No loss though as it was only a practice piece and it will be added, along with the pattern, to my collection of edging samples.

I thought maybe if I did it in a heavier thread, this time size 10 Cebelia crochet cotton, it might be large enough to use as an edging, but no, still not the effect I was after.

I was wondering at first why my sample looked so lopsided. Looking closer I finally realized that back near the top I made one "shamrock" with only one petal! D'oh. Mistakes in tatting are much, MUCH harder to remove and take considerably more time and skill to back out of than they do in knitting or crochet so this piece is being added to the scrap heap. Oh well, best I noticed at that point anyway because it was then that I discovered that it was not really working for my intended project. 

So Gene, this "squirrel" died before I ever caught it. Not sure what squirrel I'll chase next. Maybe I'll just go soak my sorrows away in the bathtub with a (moderately) good book. 

Fiddle Fingers

I give you another Ice Drop photo. It's either that or no blog post at all since my creative time has been taken up with tatting these little things lately.

I'll be back to the weaving soon. Or sewing. Perhaps crochet, knitting, embroidery or spinning? I never really know where the creative muse may be headed next.

Pile of Errors

For those who have been inspired to give tatting a try, and lest you think I've had no trouble learning, I give you this:

It's the pile of scraps and pieces I've been tossing aside when I've made failures I felt I couldn't back out of. Luckily my skills at "retro-tatting", as one Craftree forum member calls it, (that's meticulously picking out mistakes), have grown and that means less and less thread is being sacrificed to the scrap heap. I'm likely making almost as many mistakes, usually the result of a moment's foolish inattention, but now I spend ages picking the errors out rather than tossing the entire piece away in frustration. 

Just thought you should know in case you're giving this a try and judging yourself harshly based on your perception of my progress. Ha!

But for all those errors I do keep persevering. Tatting is challenging, fun, and occasionally there is a worthy end product. 

First of Many Ice Drops

Ice Drops are a fun little thing to tat!

They are formed around a "gem" that you can find in hobby stores or sometimes in the area of the aquariums in a pet store.

Pretty little doodads with little purpose, they are sometimes done as Christmas tree ornaments, package decorations, back pack charms and so forth.

Did I mention that they are fun to tat? For that reason alone you might be seeing many more of these.

Happy International Tatting Day

Yes, International Tatting Day is a real thing, even though the April 1st date of its occurrence might cause some to consider it a joke. I hope it's not implying that tatters are fools, because I've certainly caught the bug.

Who would have thought that such an old form of "fancy work" would be so engrossing?! There is so much to learn that I find it quite a challenge. 

Here's my latest project, off the shuttle. This is my "Blue Blanche" from the "Blanche" pattern by KimandI.

I finally got around to blocking it and taking a few photos today.