Found and safely stowed

It took me another day to find it, but I did:

4 squares of Tablecloth pattern from Workbasket c. 1970's

The shelving in this house is built-in and painted white. Just the color I used in this study. I set the completed tatting down on a shelf and then later, set a piece of paper on top. That didn’t annoy me as much as the fact that I couldn’t remember what I had been doing as I was setting it down. Normally, it’s easy for me to think through and retrace my steps. I shoulda known not to unpack in the evenin’ from the days travels. My steps: I came through the door, saw the blocked squares, picked them up to carry them into the study, set them down, saw the print-out of another pattern, picked it up to make a note on it, set the paper down on top of the tatting, walked away already thinking about something else. Sigh!

Overall, I’m pleased with how the study of joining these squares turned out. The faux center that the ecru thread forms is nicely geometric. If you look closely, you can tell which of the 2 squares were worked using a SCMR instead of just stringing along a bare thread. I’ve tucked it safely away now with the other study pieces and am on to the next square pattern.

Oh, thank you Cleda for these patterns from your Workbasket collection. I’ve had fun updating the directions!

It's lost...but shall be found!

Well, I’ve lost it. Not my marbles…those have been gone for a long, long time. Even before kids! (Sorry Steph). I lost my completed study of the Tablecloth motif. I completed 4 squares joined at the appropriate places. Even though I added a section in one chain, it looked intriguing. Well, someplace between blocking and photographing, I set it down and now CANNOT find it. I looked everywhere!

Sigh!

So, until I find it, you’ll just have to wait to see it.

Sigh!

I have witnesses as I did show it at the meeting last week. Maybe they can tell me where it went off to……

Pumpkin in rope

I normally do not decorate specifically for Halloween. I’m usually way too busy with all things musical. All Saints Vesper is one of my favorite services to sing. The closure of remembering those who have passed away in the last year also feeds my soul. So, the ever present cobwebs and such is usually all that I bother with for Halloween decorations.

This year, I found some orange cord in the camping gear box. Just about that time, someone mentioned tatting with rope. Well, I was inspired to work out this decoration for our front door.

The pattern is Tatted Celtic Knot Pumpkin by  Rozella Linden.

Personally, I think I need something a bit larger for the door; it’s that massive a door. Maybe like a wreath pattern in brown cord with some harvest theme tatting fastened on. 

A tatter's vote

This is nothing political. Just your tatting opinion desired.

I have a tin with shuttles and thread that goes with me to demonstrations. In it live a few shuttles I’m not fond of, but are readily available or are examples of what tatters typically used a generation ago. I also toss in shuttles with just a bit left on them; enough for a butterfly or ring or 2.

After my last foray using the tin, I decided that I really had to empty one shuttle. The thread is quite fine, I assumed size 80. The shuttle is larger, so I thought it would work nicely for beads. I decided that I should use up the thread trying out the Hen N Chicks pattern. The one in the last post....it wasn't the greatest experience!

I should have known better than to use tiny thread for a technique I’ve not tatted before. Not only that, the thread turned out not to be size 80 cotton. It’s more of a rayon size 100. Split rings are tricky in small thread, but with slippery rayon?????

What was I thinking???? Oh yeah, right, I wasn't thinking!

But, I persevered! I had that 25^th motif in sight and I wasn’t going to back down! That’s the good news. Now I have a choice: use the rest of the thread for something else, or just take it off the shuttle and move on? What’s your vote?

25 Motifs in 2016

I did it!! This one completes the Challenge:

Hen N Chicks square by Rachael Mohler

I completed 25 motifs in 2016. I know many, many other tatters have tatted that much in 12 months. I probably have in quite a few years in the past. But, this year I kept track. I thought it would help me keep track of projects for the house, help grow the studio, and generally keep me focused and motivated. Well, it did!!

Thank you Sharon for maintaining the blog. I know how much work you’ve set for yourself. Yes, I know technology makes a lot of the task easier, but you still have to sit and the computer, look at the screen, edit the post, and then make sure it’s all the way you want it to be. Thank you!

And so, here’s my 2016 25 motif Challenge list:

1: Design # 10 Ball Cover by Nadine Nunnelley

2: Cross by Melanie Cervi

3: Wild Rose by Nellie Hall Youngburg

4: TIAS 2016 (Bunny) by Jane Eborall

5: Snowman by Melanie Cervi

6: Julehjerter by Anne Bruvold

7: Heart basket using Julehjerter by Anne Bruvold

8: Edging by Nellie Hall Youngburg

9: Celtic Knot Butterfly by Rozella F. Linden

10: Tatted Scarf Square from a Workbasket magazine c. mid1970’s

11: Celtic Picot Mat by Jennifer Williams

12: Curled Ring Earring by Muskaan

13: Tatted Triangle Motif by Frauberger updated byJennifer Williams

14: Rainbow Bright Earrings by Renee Campbell

15: Long Picot Earrings by Nina Libin

16: Lanyard using Necklace by Nina Libin

17: Bead Cap Earrings by Melanie Cervi (no picture….it went poof after the gift was wrapped and given)

18: Edging based on several vintage patterns

19: Window Decoration II by Jan Stawasz

20: Motif from Hector Earrings by Nina Libin (no picture....I had one, but now....poof!)

21: Dainty Tatted Trim by Anna J. Johnson

22: Insertion based on Hen N Chicks

23: Daisy Medallion updated by Ruth Perry

24: Tatted Tablecloth Square from Workbasket c. 1974

25: Hen N Chicks Square by Rachael Mohler (see picture above in this post)

There! If anyone has questions or comments or would like more info, I’ll be back to check after a walk on the beach! If you're curious what else I've tatted lately, have a look at the Board I have on the other blog I maintain.

More studio adjustments

No picture today. I’ve been working on the flag again and have added another motif to the Tablecloth pattern from Workbasket. Picture soon of that.

I’ve also been spending quite a bit of time at the organ. Not because I have a deadline approaching, but because we found some shutters at a resale place. They are tall. Like about 6 feet tall. There are also 5 of them, so they will fill a space between the pillars in the studio. When I saw them, I thought they might eat up the highs from the organ. I think they do. It’s hard for me to judge because I’m sitting at the organ playing, but I think they do. Now I need to figure out how to fix them up, attach them to the pillar, and get them in place. Oh, and I need to decide which gap to fill with them. I hope the organ voicer likes them. I’ll try to snap a picture once they get in place.

I also realized yesterday that there is barely 10 weeks left in 2016. I took the time this morning to refresh my memory of what I’ve accomplished, browse my goals, and pick the 5 most important. Normally, this would result in needing a walk to clear my head and refocus. Well, I’m pleased to say that after 55 years, I’m finally getting the hang of working towards goals. I have accomplished my 5 most important 2016 goals. Mind, that doesn’t mean that I’ve done what I really SHOULD be doing, just what I picked. More on that after the New Year.

Workbasket Tablecloth motif

Tablecloth square

I took a break from the house cleaning/organization the other day and found a copy of a Workbasket tatting pattern. I remember who gave it to me (I know surprise, surprise!) and need to remember to thank her the next time I see her. 

Anyway, it intrigued me because the center is so tight. Trefoils of smaller rings all join to each other. It’s another “fabric” pattern with not much negative space in the center. I think it would make a nice tablecloth.

Now, back to our regular schedule housework!

How is that Possible???

I seem to be drawn to activities that seem impossible. Like keeping a tidy, organized house.

No seriously, I’ve learned a few tricks in my time:

Playing the piano and organ.

Juggling,

Weaving, tatting, loom knitting, etc.

My nickname for a madrigal group was Legerdemain. They gave me that because I always seemed to be producing something that was needed just as someone realized we needed it. It wasn’t hard. I had sung with many small groups and knew the ropes. I wasn’t particularly thrilled. Part of the definition is deceit and trickery. Not my style!

Remember the pin loom I found in a box at a silent auction? I’ve been working through the directions posted by eLoomaNation . Thank you!!!! You can see where I forgot to weave in the final row and things unraveled a bit.

The weave structures are not hard to grasp except for one point: Much of the directions for warping the pin loom have you wind ½ the warp, ½ the weft, and then the rest of the warp. Yes, I wrote that correctly.  So, how DOES that work?????

Knitting uses loops of fiber to create cloth. Tatting uses knots. Weaving used intersections (the over/under you see). How can you get over/under if you only manipulate ½ of the weft?????

Well, I still haven’t wrapped my brain completely around it, but I have learned to predict where to weave in every other row for some of the weaves. Twill is easy. Rep weave made sense also. Color weaves were fussy, but worked. I’ve decided to leave it aside for a few days and see where my imagination takes me.

In the meantime, I could use some legerdemain with the clutter in the house. Maybe if I wiggle my nose?