Celtic Knot Picot

Here’s my sample of Celtic picots.

This continues the trend of combining projects/classes:

OnLine class on 3-14-2016

Tatting Tuesday study group with Carmel Crafts Guild members

Using up the left overs on shuttles.

Well, the last isn’t an official project, but it does keep things a bit more tidy!

Repurposing? no, just Combining!

I was able to complete a sample of an edging for this scarf: 

edging on silk scarf

This combined a few projects/classes into 1 item:

Indigo dye program with Carmel Craft Guild

Nellie Hall Youngburg project with OnLine Tatting class

Demonstrating fiber arts to students at CSU Monterey Bay

I love it when a plan comes together!

And the next challenge is.......

Being able to meet with local tatters is a newer experience for me. I had the pleasure of getting to know a few tatters at the Lace Museumin Sunnyvale, but the meeting time was awkward for me and their main challenge project was frustrating for me. Don’t get me wrong, they are lovely ladies and very dedicated. I just wasn’t getting the whole ornament ball cover thing at that time.

Susan's first celtic tatting

The Tatting Tuesday group here in Monterey is a different story. About the same numbers of tatters come to the get-togethers. There is a wide range of experience and skill level and interest. The current challenge is “celtic” tatting. That’s the term applied to patterns that come out looking like a celtic knot. Typically, elements are interwoven; usually chains. Here’s a sample submitted by a newbie tatter:

And yes, that's a Tinker Toy that she repurposed as a shuttle.Smart lady!

I plan to start my sample today; after I get back from demonstrating weaving at CSU Monterey Bay. More on that later too.  

I played looking at the otter pup

I have little to show for a few days of work. Partly because I was working on other projects, and partly because I took a day off to walk down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to watch the newborn otter. Well worth the time and energy. But, nothing new to show for the new design…... And no projects completed.

I’ll get back to it just as soon as the curtains are all ironed, hemmed and dressed.  Funny word that. My sense of humor wants to know if windows without several layers of curtains are “naked” or “undressed” or just fine!

Tatting Tuesday with tea in Monterey

It has been my pleasure to start a Tatting Tuesday group. When the Study Group was proposed, I agreed to host and mentor and teach as needed. Tuesday was chosen as a good day. Interest was expressed by a half dozen people. We were off and tatting.

I realized after meeting for the month of February that Tatting Tuesday groups is somewhat of a tradition. It seems that there are several such groups across the world. What I didn’t know is that one must have tea available for the enjoyment of the lace makers. Now I do. So, each Tuesday afternoon, a few tatters gather in my studio, pull out their lace, listen and discuss what they have discovered, and generally enjoy the journey.

Some of the ladies have been tatting for quite a long time. Some are just discovering the world of lace. Each week, someone has brought something to show-and-tell or share. Last week, we browsed a collection of Dover reprint books, Russian and Japanese volumes, and of course chocolate!

One of these weeks, we’ll have a shuttle envy hour. Perhaps another we’ll have a romp through a new technique or two. At the very least, it will be a pleasurable afternoon of Tatting Tuesday with tea! 

Another sketch

Here’s the next “sketch” for the design class:

sketch around star

I see where I can improve. Now to find enough hours in the day to try out solutions!

On another note, I have sheers up in the study. I’m liking all the light without the sun blasting the piano. Of course the ready-made are not the correct length, so it’s time to get the sewing machine out. I know I should let them hang for a while before marking them. I guess I’ll just have to distract myself with tatting!

A gauge for stitches

This design class challenge has been a doozy for me. I’m feeling a bit like a dunce. I’ve got the kernel of an idea, I’ve made some sketches.

 But, I’m not making my way down a path to a pattern.

In an attempt to set it aside to see if something percolates up to the top of my brain, I made a stitch gauge in size 20 thread to help in future designs. I can see this will be quite useful.