Button Ornament Base #3

 

I've switched to a 7/8" two hole button, so I had to figure out a different base pattern. These are scrapbooking buttons that I purchased quite a while back. I wish I could remember where I found them! 

Have you noticed that some button holes are generous while others are very skimpy? Because of that, I've written the pattern for six joins in each hole or for three joins in each hole. Either way, the result has twelve rings going around the button, making it a nice base for snowflake patterns. 

Spending years teaching students about Snowflake Bentley has made me a bit of a snowflake snob. The designs I've done so far are ornaments, because the pattern repeats are not multiples of six. Studying snowflakes drives home the fact that snowflakes have six points or multiples of six. It can't be a snowflake if it has ten points. There... I've said it! 😉

December 15 Button Ornament Base #3

Materials:

7/8" two hole button

size 20 thread

Shuttle and ball

Symbols:

+ join

- joining picot

-- decorative picot

Round 1:

Ring: 5 - 5 + 5 - 5, join to hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

*Ring: 5 + 5 + 5 - 5, joining to previous ring and hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5**

Continue around from * to ** with six joins in each button hole. This will give you a total

of 12 rings and 12 chains. Lock join final chain to base of first ring. Cut, tie, and hide

ends.

If the holes in your button are too small for six joins, this pattern is easy to adapt.

Round 1:

Ring: 5 - 5 + 5 - 5, join to hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

Ring: 5 + 10 - 5, joining to previous ring, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

*Ring: 5 + 5 + 5 - 5, joining to previous ring and hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

Ring: 5 + 10 - 5, joining to previous ring, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

Note: when using this pattern as a base for other designs, change the decorative picot on the chain to a joining picot.

December 16 button ornament

 

Today's button ornament is the first one that I feel can be called a snowflake! This is an adaptation of my Bloomin' Ice Drop pattern from June 2017. Have I really been tatting Ice Drops that long?

December 16 Button Ornament

Materials:

7/8" two hole button

size 20 thread

2 shuttles wound continuous thread method

Symbols:

+ join

- joining picot

-- decorative picot

Round 1:

Ring: 5 - 5 + 5 - 5, join to hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 - 5, reverse work

*Ring: 5 + 5 + 5 - 5, joining to previous ring and hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 - 5**

Continue around from * to ** with six joins in each button hole. This will give you a total

of 12 rings and 12 chains. Lock join final chain to base of first ring.

Round 2:

Chain 9, reverse work.

Ring: 6+6, joining to picot in chain on round 1, reverse work. Switch shuttles.

Ring: 4-4. Switch shuttles. Do not reverse work.

Chain 6 - 1, switch shuttles. Do not reverse work.

Ring: 1+5-1--1-5-1, switch shuttles. Do not reverse work.

Chain 1+6, reverse work.

Ring: 6+6, joining to same picot in chain on round 1 as first ring, reverse work, switch shuttles

Ring: 4-4. Switch shuttles. Do not reverse work.

Chain 9, lock join to base of ring in previous round.

Do NOT reverse work.

Chain 5, lock join to picot on next chain of previous round, do not reverse work,

switch shuttles

Ring 10, close ring, do not reverse work, switch shuttles

Chain 5, lock join to base of next ring of previous round

Continue in pattern to complete 6 pattern repeats. Cut, tie, and hide ends.

Could it be the dye?

Last night I decided to unload my shuttles by crocheting a few more button flowers.

These don't take much thread, so I was pretty close on winding enough thread to finish my snowflake.

I may be doing this backwards, but I chose the next thread for button flowers and when I had them finished, I decided the thread would make a pretty snowflake.

I was right! Although 3 cord thread isn't ideal for tatting (in my mind), I really have enjoyed using it for these snowflakes. I believe this teal, bronze, and white thread is Artiste from Hobby Lobby. It's slightly smaller than the pink one. It's 5.5", and the pink is 6". I know that dye can make a difference in yarn, so I'm guessing the dye made a difference in the thread. It doesn't really matter. I'm not going to wear them! In case you haven't been reading my blog, I've been test tatting the pattern Noelle by Robin Perfetti. I love this snowflake!

Again, I used up the thread left on the shuttles for crocheted button flowers. Obviously, I wound a little more thread this time!

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!

Saturday?!

I can't believe it's Saturday already. Where has the week gone?

Time just slips past me when I'm on a reading binge. I think I've finally reached my saturation point with all things related to Downton Abbey. I finished reading To Marry an English Lord yesterday morning. I'm very happy that I was not an heiress in the late 1800s. Glitz, glamor, and a loveless marriage are not for me.

I've moved on to a murder mystery, In Dog We Trust, a cozy dog mystery. It was a free download from BookBub. There are some inconsistencies in the book, but it has held my interest. I just keep reminding myself that free books are often out there unedited, and I just giggle at things that I think are mistakes!

I have allowed myself some tatting time this week. Buttons are still holding my interest. The cream button has been tatted with size 20 Lizbeth #658 Ocean Turquoise Lt. On snowflake shank button I used size 40 Lizbeth #653 Antique Blue Med.

The Ocean Turquoise Lt obviously caught my eye! There's not a lot of difference between the cream button and the white button, and I'm not sure which one I like better. The two coin buttons are from my stash. I had to do some stitch adjustment with each of them. I have a few more of each of those coin buttons, so I may tat duplicates and keep one for myself!

Feeling better

I've been officially released from quarantine! I still have a bit of a cough, but that cough is consistent with my springtime allergies. 

This is Snowflake #2 from Four Dozen Tatted Snowflakes by Robin Perfetti. It really looks better in person than it does in the picture. My photography skills are very sketchy!

Snowflake #3 is in size 20 hand-dyed Sugar Maple from Yarnplayer. The shuttle is another beauty from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design.

Inspired by the beautiful color, I decided to tat a button ornament. I love the stability that comes with using a button, glass gem, or doo-dad in the center of small tatted motifs. Speaking of doo-dads... I wonder where I put my stash?

Operator error

I had to give up on my first attempt at Robin Perfetti's very pretty snowflake, Noelle. I made two major errors...

Somehow, I twisted the chain before joining to the picot. I didn't notice until I'd finished another spoke of the snowflake.

I was watching t.v. while tatting this afternoon, and I skipped a section of chain. It just wasn't worth it to  untat my mistakes, so I just started over.

Luckily, Robin's pattern is well written and really easy to follow. I should easily finish this tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to the release of the full set of snowflakes!

My crocheted button flower collection is growing!

... and growing!

and growing!

Shhh! They're napping!

It's been a busy two days since my son-in-law Jan brought daughter Joanne and granddaughter Sophia down to visit. Jan is already back home in Minnesota, working hard. The rest of us have been busy playing! Right now, Joanne and Sophia are napping, so I have a few minutes to blog.

Sophia helped Grandpa fill the planters on the porch.

She wandered through the garden and played in the treehouse and on the slide.

Before it started raining, Sophia and Grandpa did a little lawn mowing...

and watched the water fountain and waterfall, with toes being tickled by the grass!

A little t.v. never hurt anyone, especially when time is taken out for dancing!

Of course, I did manage to find time to crochet some more button flowers.

Joanne asked how many I had finished, so I counted.

210! Maybe it's time to start attaching them to headbands and hair clips!

I also managed to find time to tat another snowflake from Robin Perfetti's newest collection, which is now available in her Etsy shop. This one is Eclipse, a very pretty pattern, and so much fun to tat!

Now that I've taken care of business, should I take a nap or start another snowflake? Decisions, decisions.

Ashley Snowflake

Today's tatting tried my patience! First I had two failed attempts at tatting split rings to climb out of the first round. I tried two different methods and after neither one worked for me, I chose to cut, tie, and hide my ends and go on to the next round.

"Ashley" from Teeny Tatted Snowflakes by Samantha Melnychuk looks pretty good here, but don't look too closely. I didn't know it was possible to mess up as many times as I did with this little snowflake. Except for the split ring part, I think it will be easy to tat this one again as an Ice Drop.

Yes, I will attempt the split ring again tomorrow. I am not going to give up! The split ring itself isn't what gives me fits. The problem comes when I try to join or add a picot on the second half of the split ring. It does me in every time!

My sister Janet came to visit with her grandchildren today. We had a great time! The best part for me was watching four little girls go through my button and glass gem stash to fill little organza bags with goodies. The funny thing is, they had bags of treasure and my stash doesn't look the least bit depleted!

Where do I begin?

The past ten days have been fabulous! I've had so much fun, I'm feeling a tad guilty... not much, just a tad.

Denise wasn't able to attend the Twin Cities Tatters retreat this year, and Dave didn't want me driving to Minnesota by myself. So, we headed north on Saturday morning. We were able to watch most of granddaughter Lily's last game. We were able to see her catch a fly ball for an out, and we saw her hit a double. It was very exciting! Unfortunately, Lily's team lost. We were not able to attend any of Ella's games. Ella's team wound up getting second place, and they were very happy!

Dave headed home early Sunday morning, and Joanne and I went to Stillwater with the kids. We visited an adorable yarn shop and came home with plenty of goodies!

Joanne drove me to Timberhaze Retreat on Monday morning.

One of the things we love about Timberhaze is the lovely work room. There's plenty of space to spread out all of our supplies; the lighting is fantastic; each work station has everything we could possible need. Of course we each have a couple of little tweaks we would make to perfect Timberhaze, but overall I can't imagine a better place to gather.

I thoroughly enjoy seeing what others are working on. It gets my creative juices flowing. Kathy also does bobbin lace. I love this little bird she's working on!

Kathryn was working on this beautiful bookmark. Her new David Reed Smith shuttle let to quite a discussion about the different shuttle makers we've purchased from over the years.

Katie worked on some beautiful bells. I love this one in blue!

Katie wanted to experiment with buttons and beads. I showed her the little bit that I know, and she went to town!

Michelle decided to try her hand at creating a sachet. She found some fiber fill which helps show off the lovely tatted edging.

Kathryn brought along some gorgeous yarns to wind into cakes. They all went well with Michelle's dress!

Heidi gave us each a piece of felt, which came in quite handy for photographing. I love the snowflake she's working on!

Cindy is the queen of containers! She always brings along beautiful bags that she has sewn, and this year she brought along a book box that she decorated with a decal from Shauna Wachs. She also tatted, but I apparently neglected to take a picture of her tatting!

My favorite activity at the retreat was decorating shuttles! Kathryn gave each of us a shuttle to decorate, and she brought along nail decals for us to use, as well as Mod Podge spray. I love the way they turned out. Katie brought along a pack of Clover shuttles that she couldn't make work for her, and I was the lucky recipient!

Here are all the shuttles we decorated. I kind of have the urge to do some more!

I did a lot of little tatting this trip. It had been a while since I'd tatted around buttons, and Katie was interested in giving buttons and beads a try. I didn't tat with beads, but I did give her an idea of how I tat around buttons. You can see our beautiful commemorative shuttle with a mother and baby loon, created by Frivole and hand-delivered by Michelle. The shuttle alone is worth the trip!

My friend Julie admires my tatting, and I decided to try and tat a motif that could be used as a motif in Liz Metallic. It's okay, but not exactly what I'm going for.

Here's another button motif with the first shuttle I decorated. I liked the way the shuttle turned out when I did it, but I think I may go back and add something to the center so that it looks a little more balanced. I can do that, because Kathryn gave us some extra stickers!

I also worked on a motif from Eva Antonucci, a pattern she shared on Just-Tatting on Facebook. I had three false starts with this pattern. It is not difficult to follow, but I was having too much fun visiting to pay attention to the pattern! The shuttles are two of my favorites from Rita Richmond of Shuttle by Design.

I think this is my favorite button. I love the plaid! The shuttle is one I blinged a few years ago with thin clay pieces and Mod Podge. After using the spray on Mod Podge, I can tell you that spray on is the way to go for me!

The main reason I tatted around so many buttons was that I was able to tat without thinking too much. That's very important for me when everyone is laughing, chatting, and tatting! The shuttle is one that I blinged with scrapbooking paper a few years ago.

Our greatest achievement as a group was putting together a collage of tatting to leave at Timberhaze. We've left our mark!

To say I had a wonderful time at the Twin Cities Tatters retreat is an understatement. I couldn't ask for a better group of ladies to spend time with, and the inspiration we get from each other is fantastic!

Daughter Andrea picked me up from Timberhaze on Thursday morning, and I stayed at her house until Friday evening when Joanne picked me up. Saturday was a down day for me, which I needed after so much excitement. Joanne, the kids, and I headed back to Illinois on Sunday. Monday was filled with grocery shopping, walking, and laundry as we tried to get back into a somewhat normal routine. Joanne and the kids will be visiting for about a week, and I plan on getting some crafting done!