Sunday, August 29, 2010

Playing with Krystledawne's threads

I LOVE HDT! ...and honestly, I can't tell you that I prefer one artist's thread over another's. They each have a sense of color that appeals to me in different ways. I've been collecting hand-dyed threads ever since Yarnplayer began experimenting with dyes. LadyShuttleMaker, Tatskool, Bre-Aly, HAJDesigns, and Krystledawne joined in the fun, and I have been in tatting paradise ever since! I'm sure there are many others who hand-dye thread. These are just the ones I have tried, and I love them all!

I'm terrible with tags, but I'm pretty sure this is Earthy Rainbow, size 40 HDT by Krystledawne. This is my all-time favorite pattern, Spinning Wheel glass mat from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. As I mentioned in a previous post, I like to use my Tatsy and Tatsy-sized shuttles for HDT so that I don't have to add thread. I think I own every color of the Tatsy shuttles... I couldn't choose a favorite! The wood shuttle is the first Tatsy-sized shuttle I commissioned from Dave Stanbrough at Grizzly Mountain Arts. I love the feel of a wooden shuttle!


I don't think Krystle named this thread. It's one of her first in size 20. I decided I need to tat patterns from books that I own but have never used, and this was the first one I grabbed off the shelf. This is the wreath pattern from by Tatsy book, Tatting by Carol M. Winandy. This was one of the first tatting books I purchased, and I never tatted anything because the directions were so overwhelming! I can laugh at myself now... the directions are really very easy to follow! The flat shuttle is another from Grizzly Mountain Arts. I know some people don't like these shuttles because the thread is exposed, but I like that I can wind lots of thread, and it's very easy for me to tell how much thread is left. The bobbin shuttle is Zingy from LaCossette. I'm not a big fan of bobbin shuttles, but this one was so pretty, I just had to have it.


The two wreaths at the top of the picture were tatted with the flat shuttle as the ball shuttle on one, and the bobbin shuttle on the other. I like the way the color flows with both of these.

The wreath on the bottom was tatted using the shoelace trick, because I didn't have enough thread left on the bobbin shuttle to complete the motif. I use the shoelace trick when I'm running out of thread, but it's not my favorite technique. I don't think the finished piece looks as nice, and I don't like the way the color flows on this one.

7 comments:

  1. Great colors and wonderful designs! :) If I had the money, I think I would be broke, but rich in HDT's. :D

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  2. Would not have known that you like the Spinning Wheel Glass Mat pattern if you hadn't told us!LOL Love the colours!

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  3. LOVE all those colours, especially the spinning wheel..it's soooh vibrant it almost jumps out of my screen.

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  4. I love the big shuttles. I had a tatsy and my oldest 'borrowed' it. Maybe I'll get it back someday, but I rather tend to doubt it. I love the feel of wood in my hands too. I just ordered my first HDT from Lady Shuttlemaker . . . have tried and loved Yarnplayers but none of the rest.

    Found a lovely package from you when I got home from Virginia yesterday. I haven't had a minute to look thru anything too closely, but did see some things I want to try. Thanks so very much!!!!

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  5. Heee, Dr. Vonthreadmore is tickled pink at this post.

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  6. Nice pattern and colorway

    Have to agree with you though - the SLT motif seems to be out of proportion; not an even circle. Whereas the two on top are rather perfectly round

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  7. Your color is wonderful!!!!
    and your shuttle is very big and good.

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Just like you, I love getting feedback!