Thanks, Jane!

 

Jane M suggested I combine my December 6 button ornament pattern with the Nautical - traditional pattern from Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett. Jane said that she the December 6 pattern reminded her of a ship's wheel, and I agree!

Thanks, Jane!

Nautical - traditional

 

Today was a slow crafting day. I was having too much fun watching YouTube videos!

This is a Dorset pattern that I will try again. The spacing looked fine as I was working, but when I was finished I wasn't happy with the way it looks. It may be because there are five spokes. I always find it challenging to space uneven numbered designs so that they are pleasing to my eye. Still, I'm sure that this is a challenge I will enjoy. The pattern is Nautical - traditional from Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett.

This Japanese button book arrived in the mail today. The pictures are beautiful, but figuring out the patterns is going to take some brain power. I sure hope Google Translate helps out with this one!

December 6 button ornament

 

Today I played with my December 6 button ornament pattern. This one follows the original directions.

This one has a slightly different stitch count. I'm not sure it's worth the effort to play around with this one. There just doesn't seem to be much difference other than the size of the "rings" on each spoke. I think it's time to move on!

Keeping busy

It was very humid today, a perfect day to sit inside and tat! I did go out on the porch for walks throughout the day, but otherwise I was  content to stay inside.

I'm working my way through my button ornament patterns. I'm finding that I really like some of them, and others just do nothing for me. Still, I had great fun creating them all last year. This is my December 2 pattern. I'm terrible with names, so naming them by dates kept me from getting bogged down with decision making.

The December 3 pattern is one that I can take or leave. I'm not real thrilled with the open spaces. The shuttle is one of my newest ones from Alexey Romanov.

December 4 is a pattern that just didn't seem right to me, so I decided to tweak it a little.

I changed the stitch count a little on the last round, and I think it has a much cleaner look. So now I have a December 4 variation!

December 5 is one I really like. One advantage of tatting these designs after months of ignoring them is that I have to follow my own directions. I know I had to revise several patterns because of mistakes that others found. It's funny that at the time I just couldn't see the mistakes in the patterns. Thank goodness there were tatters who asked for clarification!

Choices

 

It's hot here, too hot to do many things. However, it is not too hot to sit and do needlework. Continuing through the book Dorset Ring Buttons by Gina Barrett, this pattern is Maltese Cross - traditional.

This pattern is one that really intrigues me. It's called Yarrell - traditional. I can imagine many variations of this pattern with beads, multiple colors, and even different types of threads. This may be my ornament of choice for Christmas gift giving!

Back to school

Today was the first day of school, and it was great to see all the kids again!

I wish I had tried color with more contrast for this Woven Wheel - traditional pattern. I think it's pretty, but more contrast would show off the pattern better.

Seagreen Dk is quickly turning into a favorite color for me. I decided to stick with white buttons for the white tree, but I may have to throw in a few Ice Drops for extra sparkle!

Internet down

Our Internet was down from Monday night until mid-morning today. It's amazing to think how much of my life involves being online.

I thought I'd accomplish a lot more, but I found myself getting distracted by things I wanted to do around the house. I guess being offline is not all bad!

My Dorset button adventure continues. This pattern is Old Dorset - traditional

This one is Honeycomb - traditional. I love that I'm creating different centers for these button ornaments with a needle and thread!

I'm still making button ornaments for Christmas in the Village. Some of my color combinations seem a little strange, but I still like them. With any luck, others will like them as well!