More Myra

I dug into my stash today and pulled out a ball of size 20 Omega that I've had for ages. These are motifs No. 9 and No. 10. There are times when I don't think multi-colored or variegated threads work well, and these motifs are an example. I think they would look much better in a solid color. I do like the feel of the thread, and I think it would look good in my favorite pattern, Spinning Wheel glass mat by Mary Konior.

I had a request for a bag that would hold a Kindle keyboard, so I set to work today. I really love this one made out of bamboo. It is so soft!

This one is a little firmer fabric, and the fit is little more snug.

This one is also a snug fit, but I love the colors!

I think I may play with bag sizes tomorrow afternoon. I'd like to make a bag that's a little more square than rectangular. I have a hard time understanding how the fabric will work into a bag, but I think I've worked out how to get the look I'd like to achieve. We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Monday, Monday

I had great plans for today... get back in to a routine before school starts in three weeks, clean, meal plan, etc. Somehow, I got sidetracked! Instead of starting on the right foot, I went shopping with daughter Carol. We had a great time, and I was home by 2:00, so I still had time for some tatting and weaving. I guess the cleaning and meal planning will just have to wait!

This is motif No. 7. This was a fun tat, but not one that I'm likely to tat again. It's too loose a pattern for my liking. I'll be skipping No. 8, because it has too much bare thread. So, on to motif No. 9!

I love the way this little bag turned out! I will admit that I felt a strong craving for chocolate while I was working on it. ;-)

I could not get a good picture of this bag. The yarn is silver with a fine wrapping thread thread in sparkly pink, blue, green, and gold. It just shimmers in the light. I might just have to keep this one for myself! 

More tatting with Myra

 I took it easy today and tatted two more motifs from Tatting by Myra Piper.

No. 5 is a pretty little snowflake. Of course I wonder if I could adapt it to have a doodad in the center! Maybe I'll look to see where I stowed my doodads tomorrow.

No. 6 should make a pretty doily center. I guess my fascination with doilies continues, even if I don't the ambition to start another right now.

I finished another chenille bag. The inclusions are snippets from other bags I have made. I braided the strap with chenille and the yarn used in the inclusions.

I love the way this little bag turned out! The bottom half is a bulky acrylic, and the top half is a worsted weight with a ribbon wrap. The two braided together make a great strap. My favorite part is the button!

I can hardly wait for another day of creativity!

Done right!

It bothered me that I tatted this pretty motif incorrectly, so I tatted it again. I'm still working with size 20 Lizbeth, Arctic Waters. Isn't it a pretty color?

I do like this pattern, and I thing it would make a pretty doily center. Somehow, it still didn't look like the picture in the book.

I flipped it over and... ta da! This is what I was looking for! Motif No. 2 from  Tatting by Myra Piper is one of my favorites. Myra calls it a "Another 'Hanky Edge' Snowflake." I know I've stated this before, but I'll say it again. I cannot call this a snowflake, because it is a nine pattern repeat. Snowflakes have a symmetry based on six points. Still, it is a very pretty motif!

I skipped motif No. 3, because it has 7/8" of bare thread. I don't care for that much bare thread, which is why I haven't completed any mignonette patterns.

This is motif No. 4. The picture in the book has it blocked so that the chains are straight. I didn't bother because, again, I do not consider this a snowflake. Am I a snowflake snob? 

The bag-making continues. Here I was trying a technique called clasped weft weaving. It looked great on the loom, but I didn't take into consideration that the fabric would be folded to complete the bag, so the pattern was lost when the bag was completed.

Despite my design "mistake," Dave liked this bag the best of the ones I've made so far. I guess that just goes to show that we all see beauty differently!

This bag is one of my favorites. The beige is chenille yarn from Mom. The green inclusions are sari silk. I think the silk and the button really make this bag interesting.

I'm not much for pink, but this bag did turn out cute! I think it's the blue button. ;-)

One of the disadvantages of going on a creative binge is that I want to do everything! I've really had a strong urge to knit this week, but I couldn't think of a project that I really wanted to undertake, so I turned to dish cloths. I love knitting dish cloths! They make great little hostess gifts, and I love the thickness of them. Besides, I need to use up some of my cotton stash!

For us

When I finished Letnia the other night, Dave asked me who it was for.

It's for us, of course! It think it's absolutely beautiful!

I think it's new home will be on the hutch in the dining room, but I may change my mind. ;-)

My tatting buddies were here today, and we had so much fun! Peyton learned how to join two rings.

Dylan was working on a motif.

Grace chose new threads and spent time winding them.

Janie worked on chains.

Shelby worked on her ring and chain edging.

Kennedy practiced Fancy Pants. I didn't get pictures of Allison and Elizabeth tatting. Allison was warming up under a blanket, and when Elizabeth arrived I forgot to get the camera out again! It was a chilly morning, and we all wore sweatshirts!

Now that I've finished another large doily, I really felt the need for a little instant gratification. I planned to tat snowflakes, but I didn't feel like looking for the doodads, beads, and patterns. So instead, I picked up my copy of Tatting by Myra Piper. I love this little book! I tatted the first motif yesterday afternoon.

I tatted the second motif when the kids were here today. Somehow, I interpreted the pattern differently this time.

The motif on the right shows the way it's supposed to look. I can see what I did. I joined the first ring in the pattern repeat to the last ring of the previous repeat, which is not what Myra intended. I don't think it looks bad. It's just not right!

Should I try again, or should I move on? I guess I'll have to decide that once I have my shuttle loaded again!

Pinned!

I finished Renulek's Letnia last night, so first thing this morning I pinned it to my new blocking board. I've put off buying a blocking board for a long time. I have a small one that Mom made for me several years ago, and it's great for small pieces. However, it's way too small for larger doilies I've been tatting. Letnia blocked out to 16".

I'm still having fun weaving fabric for bags. Today I tried attaching the straps differently, and I really like the way it worked.

I've also been experimenting with mixing the chenille yarn from Mom with the small bits I have left from past projects. I always think I know how the bags will turn out, but they're usually much prettier than what I anticipated!

One thing I've learned is that it's best to wind off enough yarn for the straps before weaving the bag.

I love adding bits from other bags to dress up the chenille!

Now I just need to learn to photograph the bags so that the colors and shape show up properly!

The final round!

I am so pleased to be tatting the final round of Renulek's Letnia! I actually started on Friday, and I'm already about one third of the way around. While I've thoroughly enjoyed tatting this doily, I'm starting to feel the urge to tat snowflakes!

I've really been enjoying weaving. I'm sure there are many tatters who are in the same situation I am. Tatting is my first love, but I just can't tat for extended periods of time as I used to. I do enjoy knitting and crocheting, but they do not give me the rest that I need to keep on tatting.

I have several looms... Beka, Kromsky Harp, Cricket, Inkle, Inklette, ZoomLoom, Weavette... but I never really took to weaving until Mom gave me a Saori loom for my birthday. The difference? ...prewound warps!

Mom sent me a 10 lb cone of chenille yarn. Yes, it is huge! Mom calls it a foot stool. :-)

I had great dreams of quickly using up my yarn stash. Hah! Yarn goes a lot further when woven!

I've been asked what I will do with all these little bags. For the first time in years, I'm planning on attending a craft fair, the Oktoberfest in our little village. Will there be interest? Who knows? It doesn't matter. I'm having fun, and I can always start a gift closet!

I've also been asked if my bags are for sale. Of course! If you're interested in one, just email me and I'll give you the details of the bag you're interested in. Most of the bags will sell for $25. They're large enough to hold a cell phone, keys, and a small wallet. They're meant to be cross-body bags, and if the straps are too long, a simple overhand knot will shorten the strap to the length you prefer.

I've also been asked if these can be used as tatting bags. Yes, they are large enough to hold tatting essentials. However, the bags are not lined, so shuttles with pick tips or crochet hooks could get caught in the fabric.

Now, back to my doily! The end is in sight, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how my version will look when completed!

Being productive

There's nothing like being productive to make you feel good, and we've been very productive around here! We've been working on the yard and the house. We've had family over to visit, and I've even managed to find some time for myself!

I spent Monday decorating shuttles for the kids. I only managed to bling ten shuttles, but...

I did both sides! ;-)

I tried a different bag construction yesterday. I think it looks very nice, but I'm not sure the time it took made it any better. I tried using my spool knitter for the strap. It kind of reminds me of gummy worms!

Today I experimented with texture. The three beige stripes are chenille yarn. The rest is a multi-colored bulky. Weaving with the two different yarns resulted in an uneven selvage. I'm not sure if there's a way to fix that or not, so I'll do a little more experimenting.

I'm really enjoying seeing how the different yarns in my stash look when woven!

I now have 18 bags finished! I'm beginning to feel like a real weaver!

Ten girls showed up for tatting on the porch today. These three girls are measuring their tatting to see how much they've completed. It was a chilly day. I think the high was 72. The girls changed where they were sitting several times so that they could be warmed by the sun. I even put on a sweater!

I was able to tat quite a bit while the kids were here. I only have eight pattern repeats to go on round 8. I'm looking forward to starting the next round!