Coral pink earrings

Next up on my bookshelf is Tatting the Jewels: Necklaces, bracelets, earrings by Annamaria Riccardi, published in 2013.

I am fascinated with tatted jewelry! I haven't tatted many jewelry pieces, but I love looking at the pictures and patterns.

I remember tatting earrings for my mom and some of her friends years ago, but I can't remember which pattern I used. The pattern is called "The Coral pink earrings" and can be found on page 24. As you can see, mine are not coral pink!

I'm not sure where my earring findings are right now, so I'm storing the two pieces in a bookmark sleeve so that I don't lose them. Bookmark sleeves sure come in handy!

My button ornament for the day was finished before lunch time! 

Looking back

Do you remember when tatting a peacock was all the rage? I do! I bought the book, but I never tatted the peacock. Occhi: Boat lace frivolity by Leopold Stocker Verlag was published in 2011. 

I did tat some of the motifs from the book, from pages 98 and 102. Will I ever tat the peacock? Time will tell!

Six of us retired teachers met at Olive Garden for lunch today. Our last get together was the end of June. It was nice to get together and catch up.

I started dinner when I got home, and then I finished another button ornament for Christmas 2026. Since I'm tatting a simpler pattern, it's much easier to tat one a day. Will I keep up the pace? Probably not, but I'm having fun!

Missing out

I've been missing out on a lot of blog posts, and yesterday I realized why. During our Tollway Tatters meeting, I mentioned that I had been relying on blog feeds to keep up with blogs and that they weren't reliable. My friend Stephanie said that she had never used a blog feed and just bookmarked the blogs she likes to read.

That's when the light bulb went on! I started out with bookmarking blogs years ago, but started using blog feeds to keep up. The blog feeds I tried no longer exist, and the feed on Blogger is not reliable. So, yesterday afternoon I started bookmarking the blogs I read. There aren't nearly as many as there used to be, and I discovered several blogs on my Blogger list that never show up.

This morning, I was able to catch up with the blogs that I enjoy. When I get a little extra time, I'm going to start looking for more blogs so that I can keep up with crafty friends around the world!

Today I explored Frivolitkova Lace by Hana Horakova, published in 2004. Google translate didn't give a translation for the word frivolitkova, so I'm guessing that it's the Czech word for tatting.

I chose to tat this two shuttle pattern found on page 46. The name of the pattern translates as Two Boat Velvet. This pattern is so simple to tat! I think it's one of my new favorites. 

There are several photos showing tatting as hair ornaments, but really intrigued me were the pictures of tatting with different lace centers. These are some of my favorites...

This one reminds me of a spider web.

This one reminds me of Mary Konior's Spinning Wheel glass mat.

This one reminds me of crocheted tablecloths that my mom used to make.

This one reminds me of Dorset buttons. There are so many interesting ideas!

Another tatted ornament is ready for next Christmas. I'm already having visions of having an ornament of the month. Ha! We'll see if that happens.

Another skein of yarn has become a hat. I really like the colors in this one!

 The next book on my tatting shelf is Encyclopedia Frivolity by S. I. Anni.

I haven't figured out when this book was published, but it has loads of inspiration.

I especially liked this scene filled with images from nature... clouds, sun, hills, animals, fish, and flowers.

This little fish on page 76 caught my eye, and I was able to tat him up quickly. The book is loaded with ideas for incorporating tatting into garments. I'm not sure that I'll ever try any of them, but I find the application of tatting to clothing very interesting.

My quest to use up yarn in my stash continues. I've been crocheting and knitting in the evenings. Somehow, the yarn feels much better than thread on these cold winter nights. I've had some requests for hats from high school students, and as long as they're not picky about colors, I will continue making hats for them.

We had a special Tollway Tatters meeting today. Since January has five Saturdays, we decided to skip the last Saturday in December and meet the first and last Saturdays in January. We had a nice turnout of seven people while I was there, and during our meeting I managed to tat two button ornaments. I really think I will be prepared for next Christmas!

Memories

Some of my tatting books bring back fond memories, such as this one.

Our son-in-law's father visited from Slovakia years ago. Joanne thinks it was September of 2011. When he learned of my love of tatting, he went searching for a book for me so that I would have an idea of what was available in Slovakia. He also brought a long some beautiful crocheted lace for daughter Joanne and me. My understanding is that no one in Jan's family creates lace of any kind, so I was extremely flattered by the attention given to these thoughtful gifts. Of course, Jan Sr. took home tatted lace for all of the ladies in the family!

Thanks to Google Translate, I know that the book is Tatting: new ideas and new schemes by Nina Kurbatskaya. The book was published in 2003.

Luckily, the book has both written and charted instructions, so I can muddle through without using Google Translate. This edging, named Arc Turn, can be found on page 22 of the book. It's really a very simple two shuttle edging. I think I may experiment with longer picots or even beads on the long chain section.

For now, my sample is in a bookmark saving my place on page 22!

I don't know if I'll be able to keep up the pace, but if I tat one button ornament every day in January, I could have next year's Christmas presents for friends and relatives finished by the end of the month!

Happy New Year!

 

Dave and I no longer attempt to stay up until midnight to usher in the new year. Sleep is much more important to us! Instead, we watched a movie and did a little reading.

My first book to peruse in the new year is Tatting step by step by Natalia Abrosimova. I hope I have the title and name correct. Google Translate is my only hope for foreign language books!

This book was published in 2019, and I believe I purchased it through Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design.

I'm hoping to tat simple designs from each of the books I post about. This one is Oval motif from page 40 of the book. There are plenty of motifs, collars, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and edgings from which to choose. Some of the designs are very simple, and some are very complex. All of the designs have both charted and written instructions, which is very helpful for me.

I think I may have decided on my ornament for next Christmas. Of course, I have plenty of time to change my mind!

I spent most of the day on my sampler cowl. I finished knitting it just before dinner. Tomorrow I will block it, in plenty of time for Alumni Night!

End of the year

I haven't been very good about blogging in 2025. Part of it is that I'm getting more forgetful as I get older. Another part of it is that so many people I met through blogging are no longer posting.

I've been thinking a lot lately about all of the wonderful tatters I have met through blogging, and I've decided that I'm going to make a greater effort to blog in the new year. I do want to keep in contact with the friends I have made through the years, and blogging seems to be the easiest way.

Today I tatted my last 2025 ornament. I did manage to tat ornaments for my friends at school, but I did not get around to tatting for family. My remedy for this... start tatting in January for next Christmas!

Our school district has been working on connecting with graduates, and January 9 will be Alumni Night. Every Friday is school spirit day when we are encouraged to wear school colors. I've been in the mood to knit the Stitch Sampler Cowl by Wool & Company in gold. The yarn I'm using is Galway #179 from The Plymouth Yarn Co. I've knit this cowl before in white, and I think I'll knit a third in green.

I've been busy organizing my tatting books and patterns I've saved from the Internet. It's amazing how many I've collected over the years. Maybe I'll blog about my books. It will give me a chance to revisit some old friends!