The dragon of excess rises

I have another excess thread project to share today. Done in size 10, I started with this critter's legs and went on from there.

Basking her wings in the sunlight, Dragonthing fears nothing.

Standing about four inches tall at her snout, this dragon... thing has a wingspan of seven inches from wingtip to wingtip.

Despite having six horns and a keen sense of smell, Dragonthing secretly wishes she had eyes.

After making the legs, I began the body at the tail and worked my way up to the neck. Then I made the head and attached it. After that I made the framework for the wings, and lastly the membrane.

Dragonthing loves all the colors in her wings, and rides through the air like a kite.

I tried two different patterns for attaching the split ring wing membrane to the wing frame. With the wing on the left, I connected the split rings until reaching the elbow joint, then doubled back and forth until reaching the base of the frame, and then took each row in a straight line.
With the wing on the right, I took the split rings to the base of the frame on the first row, and had straight rows through the entire work.
Both methods work, though the first method is more time consuming.

Shifting her wings, Dragonthing hears the howling wind.

From the tip of the wing membrane to her head, Dragonthing is about eight inches long.
After I finished tatting the wing membrane, I attached it along her body by sewing. That way, I was able to position it exactly as I wanted.

I enjoy making excess thread projects. They are an opportunity to tat whatever I might feel inclined to make, while using up thread from other projects in a way that I don't need to worry as much about hiding the ends or running out of thread in the middle of the project ... okay, I still have to hide the ends in split rings when changing colors, but split rings are probably my favorite tatting technique. So they don't count as much.

Well, I hope you liked Dragonthing, the vaguely dragon-like creature made from excess thread.

Good luck with your own projects!

The dragon and the roses

I meant to post these half a week ago, after my niece's birthday.
I suppose this does count as after, so let's get to the hair clips!

Done in size 10, in my niece's favorite colors.

These were a surprising amount of work. The pattern is Tatted Rose, by Linda S Davies.
Now, the main reason that these were on the more difficult side for me is that I decided to sew the petals together instead of gluing them. I thought that since they were going to an energetic little girl, the sturdier they were, the better.
Besides, it meant that I had to practice my sewing ability (which although not horrible, is incredibly slow and tiresome).
My niece seemed to like them, so that's what counts.


Another thing I've been meaning to post is motif number two for the the 25 Motif Challenge!

I am the jade dragon! Motif #2, done in size 10.

Now this fellow was interesting. The Chinese Dragon by Anne Bruvold is another pattern that I've had sitting in a file for quite some time. I'm not sure that I'll be tatting this particular pattern again for at least a few months; since I found it to be strangely monotonous. But I am pleased to have finished it, and enjoyed the self closing mock rings in the pattern.
This dragon was also my first attempt at hiding the ends by weaving them through the stitches. It took some time, but I like how the tatting looks without an obvious knot marking where I ended.
I think I'll continue hiding the ends using this method, despite the time it takes.
I'm going to try and have each motif for the challenge be something I haven't tatted before. It is an extra little challenge, but I think it will add to the fun!

Twin dragons

This was a post I meant to do last week, but I left for the woods before getting it up.
I tatted two Minor Norwegian Dragons for two of my friends. Each dragon has a slight mistake, but neither friend was upset about it.

Twin dragons meet in flight. Wings nearly touching, they stretch out their heads in greeting.

These are the first dragons that I have made in size 10 thread. They are a pretty nice size, and I'm thinking of tatting another one to put onto a bag.

Size 10 black. This dragon suffered a terrible injury to the left wing which makes it difficult to fly.

It was fun tatting with black thread in a larger project. The black thread causes the double stitches to melt into each other, which makes it a little harder to tat if you forget where you are in the pattern.

Size 10 white. This dragon was born with a second spur at the base of its tail.

The white dragon was fun to tat. I prefer to do a dizzy picot for the ears instead of doing a twisted picot.

There was a third dragon, but I forgot to take a picture of it before giving it to a friend. The third dragon had a white body from head to tail, and wings that variegated between black and white.
Next up for dragons, a Chinese Dragon! I recently got this real pretty size 10 thread that I think will be great for the Chinese dragon pattern.

A new dragon takes flight

At least, it would if I hadn't sewn it onto the case for my nook.

Help, I'm trapped in this position!

I just got a replacement cover for my Nook Color, but happened to get one the exact same color and style as one of my friends. So in order to tell them apart without having to look at the Nook, I decided to tat something to put on my cover.
I thought that one of Anne Bruvold's Minor Norwegian Dragons would look really cool on the cover, so I decided to tat that. I used some size 20 DMC thread, but unfortunately I can't tell you the exact color.
I really enjoy this particular pattern, though this was only the second dragon I have tatted. Expect to see some more dragons at some future date.

Let's begin with a dragon

When I was first learning how to tat, I came across a pattern by Anne Bruvold called Minor Norwegian Dragons. Before I found that pattern, I had a slight interest in tatting, but was doubtful if I would actually be able to learn how to tat. You see, my teacher had never taught a lefty before, and I was determined that if I was to learn tatting, I would hold the shuttle in my left hand.
I returned home from the activity where I began to learn tatting with a borrowed shuttle and went to the computer to look at videos about tatting. I found some helpful ones, and slowly began to learn more about how to make chains and rings. I even found a tatting blog that was in the process of making a absolute beginners series! But the Minor Norwegian Dragons pattern was what made me really desire to learn the craft.
I thought that dragons were really cool, and that making my own would be amazing. I wasn't even worried about split rings, since I didn't know what they were.
I put effort into learning how to tat. I came to love it.
At one tatting class after I had learned the basics of tatting, I asked my teacher how to make split rings. She didn't know, but found instructions in one of the tatting books she had brought. I practiced split rings and came to enjoy making them.
The borrowed shuttle became mine. My teacher was happy that I had been able to learn how to tat.
That was in 2011. I wouldn't actually tat a dragon until late in 2012.
For a cousin's birthday, I decided to pull out the pattern and give it a try.

Done in Lizbeth size 20: Falling Leaves

It was made. The pattern that fueled my desire to learn how to tat. I was ecstatic.
But my tatting journey would not end there, for there were so many other patterns I wanted to try!
In the beginning, I did not think that tatting would be a craft I would come to love. But at that first class, I decided to try tatting instead of crocheting.
That simple decision changed my perception of crafts.
So try new things. You might find something you love.