Where To Store Nine Snowflakes?

I managed to re-tat those snowflakes, so now I have nine nearly perfect ones ready to give away next Christmas. The original ones weren't stiff enough so I re-blocked the whole batch.

Now I have to decide where to store them safely until it's time to send them out. It's not so much the problem of finding a place, but finding one that I will remember come December!

Snowflakes in June

There has been a flurry of curses!

I've been tatting intricate snowflakes for what seems like ages.

I calculated that I would need eight for Christmas gifts for next year. I thought I had all eight of the snowflakes done. I washed them and got them soaked in the stiffening solution. It wasn't until I was actually pinning them out that I discovered two of them have mistakes. ONE of them might be salvageable. It's missing a picot and likely 10 double stitches in one of the outer arches. That one I might be able to fudge through enough to use on my own Christmas tree.

The other one has a mistake that is so bad that it is destined for the trash. I'll have to remake it from scratch. It is so weird that I can't figure out how I did the deformity that I see. I couldn't even really block it since there seems to be an extra chain in there AND a picot connected to the wrong place. Cutting out the mistake and retatting only that section is not an option since the starching material will prevent reworking. 

All this resulted in a few choice curse words. You can't tell me that those Victorian ladies didn't mutter a few at times.

So Pleased!

It's so nice when a product ordered online far exceeds your expectations! 

That's the case with the beautiful drawstring bag I received today from jarck101 on Etsy. 

The bag is marketed as a travelling jewelry case, but I intend to use it for my tatting supplies when I'm on the go.

The shop owner, Lisa, did an outstanding job of sewing up this wonderful keepsake in luxurious, quality materials. It is a real treasure.

I'm not affiliated with the shop in anyway, nor do I receive any kickback if you click on the links. I've only provided the links for your convenience. 

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?

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. 

Another in the Making

My second tatting project is coming along well. This one will be a short necklace.

It's from the pattern, "Blanche", by KimandI. I'm naming this project "Blue Blanche" which is ironic since "blanche" is Germanic for "white". 

First Tatting Project

My first actual tatting project is complete and I deem it a success.

It's a beaded bracelet using the "The Starry Night" pattern by "The Kim and I".

I had to look up a few YouTube videos on how to add beads to tatting, and the turn to do the opposite side gave me some grief, but neither of those issues had anything to do with the pattern, which is excellent. It was just my own inexperience and learning curve. 

This was a very good pattern and I'm sure I'll be back to the Etsy shop, TheKimandI soon!

45 Years Later I Caught On

When I was about 12 or so my maternal grandmother attempted to teach me tatting with a shuttle. After an afternoon of me creating nothing but immovable knots we both gave up in frustration. Fast forward 45 years and something finally "clicked" and I got it! I credit the wonders YouTube and modern technology for finally bringing instruction that I could watch over and over until I understood that oh so important "magic trick" for flipping the stitches. It's the very first thing you have to learn and it is the stumbling block that prevents many beginners from ever going any further.

Perhaps you are wondering whatever made me try again, so many decades later? Chalk it up to not being able to pass up a freebie. Dover publications offered to send a new publication, "Tatting with Anne Orr", free of charge, in hopes that I would do a book review. I don't accept all such offers, only the ones that interest me and might interest my blog readers. This one interested me since I inherited my grandmother's bone tatting shuttle. 

The publication arrived and looked great, but I couldn't find Grandma's shuttle! I had promised to do the review though so I borrowed a shuttle. Within a day I was addicted and ordered a pack of plastic Clover brand shuttles of my own.

How was the book? It's a great pattern book, but not one to learn by. Really, to learn tatting you really need either one on one instruction or a series of great videos like I linked to above. Once you learn tatting though, this is a wonderful book containing over 50 edgings, 40 medallions, collars and yokes, doilies and more. 

I've started a little reference file for myself by making 3x5 sample cards. The intent is to eventually do a 5" sample of all 50 edgings. 

Not all of the edging instructions are perfect though. This one needs adjusting or,

worked as written, it curves into a medallion rather than forming a straight edging as pictured in the book. I have found that several of the edgings have been photographed face down too, so that the photograph is going in the opposite direction to what you will be working. Very confusing!

The other book in the photo, "New Tatting", by Tomoko Morimoto, is one that I purchased. It's got great, clear instructional photos, including help with that infamous "flip" that is so important. I'm not impressed though with the admonition to finish off by GLUING the ends! Seems sacrilege to me! Grandma would have been appalled. I'll continue to neatly and invisibly sew the ends in thank you very much.

Once I had the basics down I wanted to try patterns that had more advanced techniques Some required learning split rings. Seemed daunting at first, but once again with those YouTube videos I was able to figure them out. 

The next challenge was to learn to add beads. The video I watched mentioned using "strivers" made of paperclips to hold the beaded picots in position for later joining.

It took some wise advice from a Ravelry forum member to clue me in that I didn't need to leave the strivers in place. They are just needed until the picot is measured accurately, then can be removed. D'oh. Well, working without all those dangling paperclips sure makes it easier!

Now that I'm addicted to yet another fibre related hobby I, of course, craved some quality equipment. Luckily this hobby does not require nearly the expense or storage space of my weaving addiction.



I ordered these handmade beauties from David Reed Smith. They are, from left to right, 2.25" brass tipped shuttles in East Indian Rosewood, Figured Walnut, and Pommele Bubinga. The device at the bottom is a "reversible hook" in Kingwood.

I SO love having quality handmade tools. These are FANTASTIC!!

PS: All links are provided for your convenience. I receive no compensation for your "clicks".