Keeping busy

Between school and a visit to the doctor, today was a busy day. Still, I found a little time to tat and knit.

Lynne Urwin asked me to test tat an Ice Drop pattern for her a while back. Needless to say, life got in the way. I found time to work the first three rounds of Lynne's pattern today. She reworked round 4, and I hope to finish it up tomorrow.

I'm not doing a very good job of catching up to Mom. She has completed four pattern repeats and is well into the fifth repeat. I'm almost at the halfway point of the first pattern repeat. We really are enjoying knitting our Orenburg warm shawls!

Yes, I've been tatting...

I just don't seem to have accomplished much!

I'm working on a cross bookmark for my friend Irene. I had it about half done when I realized I'd forgotten a ring and chain section at the beginning of the second arm. I'm working in size 40 thread, and I could have untatted it all, but I didn't. I snipped it off and started over!

I'm still working on round 5 of Tat-a-Renda's Harmony doily. This round is so simple, but I keep mixing myself up!

I'm also test tatting an Ice Drop pattern for Lynne Urwin. I would have it finished, but I have lost my place in the pattern several times... not Lynne's fault. I just got distracted! Sometimes it doesn't pay to try and do two things at once!

Hot, hot, hot!

It was really hot and humid here today, perfect weather to stay inside!

I've given away several of my lavender pillows, and a friend asked if I could make some for his wife's yoga studio. They needed to be much smaller than what I've been making, just large enough to cover the eyes. They also need to have removable cases so that they can be washed. Today I played around with ideas, and I came up with a plan that works for me. Now I just need to see if my friend and his wife like it.

I also worked on round three of the Harmony Tat-along from Tat-a-Renda. I like the two shades of green together.

I'm getting ready to test tat an Ice Drop pattern for Lynne Urwin. I hope it's cooler tomorrow so that I can concentrate!

Joanne received notification that children will have to wear face masks to school, and she asked me if I would make some for Sophia. Sophia chose the fabrics, and now that I have a design that I like working, I'm ready to get going with them. I only managed to make two today, but I have all the fabric cut, so it should be a pretty smooth process.

Mom has been busy warping her Saori loom for a new project. She took a break from warping and wound her shuttle with cotton fabric. It looks like she'll be ready to start weaving tomorrow!

Falling behind?

I'm not really falling behind. I just haven't been accomplishing the same kinds of things!

I had great fun test tatting for Lynne Urwin again. This pattern is called Starburst. I really messed up on the top one. I used the wrong stitch count! The bottom one was much easier, because I used the correct stitch count! The thread is size 20 Lizbeth Blue Ice. The shuttle is from Elena Kozinenko.

My Ice Drop count for May was way down. I think I spent way too much time playing games on my iPad!

I did finish my Reyna shawlette from last summer. I also managed to knit Seashore Kerchief. Both patterns can be found on Ravelry.

I received a surprise early birthday present on Monday. The virus shuttle is a gift from my friend Sue Anna, and the lovely wood shuttle is a gift from my friend Rita. Every tatter needs a new shuttle or two, right? Thank you Sue Anna and Rita!

Keepin' busy

I've been having great fun going through all the goodies in my sewing room. They're being warehoused upstairs for now so that the room can be remodeled. I'm very excited... Mom is moving in with us! Dave and I are making plans for repurposing spaces in the house, and I think I'm going to be very happy with the changes we will be making!

Yes, I did manage to take time for tatting during the week. I test tatted Lynne Urwin's Ankars Away. I just love all those rings!

I also test tatted Laura Blanton's Coronavirus Button Cross Number One. This pattern was so easy to follow! Laura will be posting it on her Christmas in Tatting Facebook page. Laura is hoping to share free patterns with everyone. If you're on Facebook, why not check it out?

I tatted the red cross according to Laura's directions. The green cross has a slightly larger button, 1/2" instead of 3/8". I thought I would need to change the stitch count for the four corners around the button. I should have just left the original stitch count.

The pink cross is according to Laura's directions, except for the button size. This is another 1/2" button. So, Laura's stitch count works for both 3/8" and 1/2" buttons... good to know!

This is a super simple pattern to follow! For the green and pink crosses, I practiced frontside/backside tatting. It's not necessary, but I think it does give a cleaner look. I have lots of buttons and lots of thread!

Doodle Loops

I had so much I could have done today, but I chose to spend the day tatting. Yes, there's still a lot to be done in the sewing room, but I figure it will still be there tomorrow!

I started the day by finishing my test tat of Lynne Urwin's Poppy. This was great fun! Lynne decided she didn't like her first leaf pattern, and she managed to have her rewrite done in time for me to start last night. There are actually two leaves sewn on to the back of this Ice Drop, and I think it would make a beautiful brooch. Lynne will be sharing her pattern soon on the Ice Drop Addicts page on Facebook.

With several balls of thread sitting on the table by my chair, I didn't feel the urge to go looking for something different to tat. When I started this one in Grape Dk #645, I decided to try something a little different. This is my Doodle Ice Drop pattern. Instead of having picots on each point, I made loops with 8 ds. Aha! The advent of Doodle Loops!

Since I was so pleased with the results, I tatted another one in Seagreen Lt #686.

Then I tatted another in Kelly Green #713. This time I increased the loops to 10 ds. I think both sizes look good. What color should I use next?

Think green!

Way back in the 60s, there was a call to Think Green! after a blizzard hit the Chicago area. I remember a picture of The Thinker in the newspaper with the words Think Green! emblazoned across the page. My sisters and I enjoyed the theme, because our last name was Green. My brother was too young to remember.

I've been thinking about green, because of the beautiful ball of thread sitting on the table next to my chair!

My day started with another Rock & Roll Ice Drop by Lynne Urwin. The design looks complex, but it's really fairly simple. Lynne has posted her pattern on the Ice Drop Addicts page on Facebook.

I flitted from one task to another today. I did some space measuring and planning, dreaming of ways to rearrange things in the house. I found that ideas came to me more easily while tatting. What can be easier than tatting a Doodle Ice Drop?

Why stop at one? I did enjoy my tatting time today, and while I like to think I accomplished a lot around the house, the truth is I didn't! Haha! I love fooling myself into thinking I'll get things done!

I did take time for another Puzzle Impossible. The 5x5 puzzle was a little more challenging than the 3x3, but it didn't really take me too long. I'll admit, I've spent quite a bit of time looking at jigsaw puzzles lately!

Long time, no blog!

I've been having way too much fun to play with technology. Yes, I've been taking a quick peek at blogs every day, and I've been checking emails, but I've been having so much fun playing with thread, there's been no time for blogging!

I've been spending a lot of time test tatting for Lynne Urwin, and enjoying every minute of it! This is Lorna's Wish, a design that looks fabulous with the outlining in a different color. This is Lynne's tatting, not mine!

My first attempt was in purple and green. I must have a different tension with my chains, because I had to increase the number of chain stitches to get everything to fit. Tension is everything!

My second attempt was in blue and green. I was able to use Lynne's stitch count, but I had to remove the bottom ring to make it work for me. I also decided to use Catherine Wheel joins on the outer rings for a smoother look. It's been a while since I've attempted the Catherine Wheel join, and I had to keep my YouTube video open for most of the last round. They're not perfect, but I had fun trying! I could not figure out how to use both the join and the picot on the rings to make it look right. I'm going to keep trying with this pattern, because I think it's so pretty!

I haven't been tatting the entire time. I took a break to work on my first Puzzle Impossible. I ordered all four sizes and started with the easiest. The next one is 25x25 pieces, then 7x7, and finally 12x12. I think these will be fun when grandchildren are visiting!

Doodle Ice Drops give me a mental break. I can pretty much tat them without thinking about what I'm doing!

The next pattern I tested for Lynne was Rock & Roll. Isn't it pretty? This one is wrong! I misread the directions, and this looks nothing like Lynne's pattern. With every ring and chain, I would look at Lynne's picture to try and figure out what I did wrong. I couldn't see it. I decided the best thing to do would be to start over. I was getting the same results.

Then I used a technique I used to do with crochet doily patterns. I read the pattern out loud and realized I had forgotten to reverse my work after the large ring.

Success! This is Lynne's Rock & Roll Ice Drop as she intended it! Well, sort of... I didn't start with the basic Ice Drop pattern as Lynne did, so there's a row of chains missing. When using the slightly larger glass gems, I use the one pass method. Now that I know what to do, I'm going to hunt for the right size gem and tat Lynne's pattern as written!

Everything's coming up roses!

I've been test tatting Lynne Urwin's Summer Rose. This was my first attempt, and I think it turned out pretty good! My glass gem is a little small, and it pops out easily, so I decided to try again.

I rearranged the stitch count for the domed side rings, and it worked well. However, I messed up on both the flower and the leaf!

My third attempt turned out just as I wanted, so I decided to try another.

I should have stopped at three. I messed up on the leaf on this one. Still, they're all pretty! The leaf is Frivole's pattern, and she graciously gave Lynne permission to link the leaf pattern to the Summer Rose pattern. Lynne will be offering this pattern soon on the Ice Drop Addicts page on Facebook.

Tonight I hope to start testing another pattern for Lynne!

Wednesday?

I just looked at my phone, and I couldn't believe it's Wednesday already! Where does the time go?

I've been busy cutting fabric for face masks. My production isn't great, but if I'm helping even a little, I glad to do my part.

We had a pink moon last night. I've never heard of a pink moon before. It was still too light out for the pink to show well when I took this picture, but by the time it was dark enough clouds had rolled in. I could see a little bit of pink around the edges of the clouds, but I never did see the pink moon in all its glory.

Staying home has caused me to give in to the temptation of online shopping a little more than I normally do. I just couldn't help myself! I guess the only way to avoid buying things is to not go shopping. All of these are from Banyek on Etsy.

I've been playing some more with Lynne Urwin's Lilly's Star. We've been chatting back and forth about different ring configurations. It's really pretty fascinating!

I liked the purple variation so much, I decided to tat it again today. These aren't as quick to tat as my Doodle pattern, but I do love tatting them!

Lilly's Star

Lynne Urwin asked me to test tat another pattern for her, and I was happy to help! This one is called Lilly's Star. Lynne and I have been messaging back and forth on this one all weekend. This is the first version. Lynne decided the rings were a little too squished together, so she did some tweaking.

I've been cutting it pretty close on my threads lately, not really leaving enough for the little flower motifs for Vicki Clarke. When I went to wind this shuttle with thread, I thought I'd give it a try rather than just taking the thread off. I finished the flower with nearly 6" of thread left!

This is the second version of Lilly's Star, with one less small ring. It helped that I used the correct size gem this time!

Update! I forgot to acknowledge my shuttle makers! The pierced wood shuttle is from Veronica of TattingShuttles on Etsy. The Ice Drop Addict shuttle and purple butterfly shuttle are from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design. The multi-colored flower shuttle is from Middy Clark of The Knotted Vine on Etsy. I love all of the talented shuttle makers I've "met" over the years!

Happy International Tatting Day!

How did you celebrate? Did you eat chocolate? I have not eaten chocolate... yet!

I had the great honor to test tat Lynne Urwin's Star of Hope. Lynne will be posting this pattern on the Ice Drop Addicts page on Facebook.

I hope you all had a wonderful International Tatting Day!