Doodad Double Dare #17!

Well, sort of...

Irma Luna tatted a beautiful snowflake and sent me the link to her blog today. I love the color she chose! The doodad that she used in the middle is very pretty... just not one of mine! I'll have to do a search to see if I can find one for it. It's just calling to me... snowflake! snowflake! snowflake!

Blue Ice ~ Doodad Snowflake #2

I meant to start this set of six in Blue Ice with Doodad Snowflake #1, but I added the wrong size jump ring, and I didn't want to start all over. So, I'll be tatting this set out of order. Does it really matter? No! I'm letting it go. It's difficult, but I'm letting it go. I am not going to obsess over tatting my snowflakes in a specific order.

Tomorrow I'll start Snowflake #1. The next day I'll start Snowflake #3, then #4, #5, #6... but I will not obsess!

Eileen Stafford's Snowflake

I decided to take a break from my doodling to tat Eileen Stafford's Snowflake. Since I added a doodad to the middle, I did have to change the stitch count for the center ring. My chains on the first round aren't as U-shaped as the original pattern, but I think it works well.

I think I'll get back to doodling now! 

And the doodads keep on coming!

Doodad Double Dare #4 was from Michelle, and she has finished tatting another gorgeous bookmark with her second doodad. I'm very flattered... she chose to tat my revised version of Toshti by Jon... the one where I joined in the wrong places! Please pop on over and leave a comment about her beautiful tatting!

In the meantime, I worked on another doodad snowflake...

Each of my doodad snowflakes has just been doodling with shuttles and thread. I haven't looked at any snowflake patterns, although I have tons of them. I guess I wanted to see what I could accomplish on my own. I started this one before re-tatting my first six snowflakes without doodads. When I picked it up to work on it again, I realized something very interesting...

It's almost the first round of Norma Benporath's Lace Mat that Jon is using for her tat-along! Honest... this was just a doodle! Still, I'm considering it to be my Norma Benporath inspired snowflake!

Here it is, beautiful little decorative hook included, ready for fund-raising! With that pretty hook, I think I should call them Santaflakes!

Snowflake #6 without the doodad ~ Pattern included

Now that I've completed my six snowflakes both with and without doodads, I can state with confidence that I much prefer the ones with the doodads. Those little metal links add just enough weight to the snowflakes to let them hang nicely. I also think that the findings help the snowflakes hold their shapes better.

So, pattern #6...

size 20 Lizbeth, Christmas Delight #116

2 shuttles wound CTM

Pewter Flower from Fire Mountain Gems, stock #H20-9117FY

*Ring: 4 - 4 + 4 - 4 (if tatting without doodad, make the join a picot); do not reverse work; switch shuttles

Chain 8; reverse work

Ring: 4 - 4 - 4 - 4

Ring: 4 + 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 - 4 

Ring: 4 + 4 - 4 - 4; reverse work

Chain 8; do not reverse work; switch shuttles

Repeat from * 5 times.

Remember that on the last center ring, the final picot should be a join to the first picot of the first ring.

Doodad Double Dare #16!

Monica has adapted Frivole's Square Elegance for her Doodad Double Dare. She used a gorgeous shade of thread that nicely compliments the antique color of her doodad. Monica is looking for suggestions, so please pop over to her blog and leave a comment.

I've been having so much fun with this Doodad Double Dare, that I'm tempted to order more doodads to share! I'm tempted, but I won't be doing it right now. ;-)

Snowflake #5 without the doodad ~ Pattern included

This one took me forever to tat the second time. I kept getting distracted by other patterns!

size 20 Lizbeth, Christmas Delight #116
2 shuttles wound CTM
Pewter flower link from Fire Mountain Gems, stock #H20-9117FY

*Ring: 4 - 4 + 4 - 4 (if not using metal finding, make join a picot); reverse work

Chain 8; switch shuttles

Ring: 4 - 4 - 4 - 4

Ring: 4 + 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 - 4

Ring: 4 + 4 - 4 - 4; switch shuttles

Chain 8; reverse work

Repeat from *.

Remember, on the last center ring, the last picot is a join to the first picot of the first ring.

Enjoy!