Tatting fun and some knitting finally done!

 Well, I have a backlog of photos that I've been meaning to post. I hope that you enjoy them.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread,  #601, #603, #604, and #691. Motif #16 of my second challenge.

This puppy is from Inga Madsen's Tatted Animals. I gave this to my cousin for his birthday, and based the colors off of our puppy, who loves my cousin very much.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #656 and #694. Motif #17 of my second challenge.

This is Kersti's Tatted Bookmark pattern. I made it for my uncle's birthday. He is a Denver Broncos fan, so I thought I would try and make the pattern look like their colors. I really like how it turned out. The pattern itself was easy to follow, and allowed me to switch colors without much fuss.
Now, you may be wondering why it doesn't have a tassel.
The answer? I don't really care for tassels, either for making them or for using bookmarks that have them.

Done in size 80 Lizbeth thread, #138, #670, and #671 .

I made Aislyn's bookmark, by Carrie Neahring for my great aunt's birthday. She loved it! I really enjoyed making it. The pattern was easy to follow, and the design is lovely. I did lengthen it a little, but that's just because I prefer long bookmarks.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #620 and #621.

Another friend of mine had a baby, so I tatted her little girl's name. I'm not sure how many times I can gush about these patterns (from The Tatter's Paradise) until I start boring people, but they are my go to for tatting letters

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #618, #625, and #680. Motif #18 of my second challenge.

When I was looking for a motif to put on some letters, this design was just what I wanted. It is Star No. 4 from Tatting Patterns and Designs by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson. When I first saw it in the book, I thought it would look pretty cool if done in three colors.

So do you remember the cousin that I tatted Jane Eborall's Fandango bookmark for earlier this year? Well, she asked if I'd be willing to tat her five more bookmarks for her and her sisters (okay, technically she is my cousin-in-law, but that is a bit of a mouthful).

They were done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #146 and #603, #132 and #620, #184 and #657, #124 and #684, #122 and #633.

I said sure, and so had a Fandango bookmark making spree. I actually made seven bookmarks, but two of them were chewed up by our new puppy (the same puppy I mentioned earlier, in fact). This is a fun pattern though, and my cousin was happy when I gave them to her.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #124. Motif #19 of my second challenge.

I made some Beaded Butterflies from Tatting Patterns by Lyn Morton for some other letters was mailing. I think that motifs are a wonderful addition to almost any letter. They're easy to make, and add an extra personal touch.
Now, you may have noticed that I have a tendency to omit beads from patterns that call for them. It's not that I don't like beads, I usually just don't think about finding the right beads for the project until after I've already tatted it.
What do you think about using beads in tatting?

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #100 and #638 .

This is Tatslife's Two Round Bookmark. I made it for my brother-in-law's birthday. This is another of those patterns that I've held onto for a while without tatting, so I'm happy to have finally tatted it. The pattern was fun, and I really like how the rings at the top of the bookmark turned out.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #132 and #680 .

This is Carolyn Groves's Simple Straight Bookmark. I made it for my aunt's birthday. This pattern is really cute. I like how the chains weave around the rings.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #163. Motif #20 of my second challenge.

This is Ruth Perry's Snowflake 2008. I made it for my aunt as a thank you for her giving me a few skeins of Lizbeth thread, one of which was the color I used for this snowflake. Now, I didn't realize until after I was looking at this picture, but I completely omitted a ring and chain off of each point. I feel silly about not catching that mistake, but I do think the snowflake still looks nice.
And at least I was consistent and made that mistake on each point!
Anyway, I loved the Celtic twist in this pattern. It was really fun to make, and my aunt loved it.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread.

This is the Coaster or Centre for Main Pattern from Tatting Patterns by Lyn Morton. I used some excess thread from other projects for this. It was a fun break from making bookmarks.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread, #138 and #694. Motif #21 of my second challenge.

This is Penolopy Bulnick's Tatted Pumpkin Earrings pattern. Now, the pattern was actually written for needle tatting. It was interesting to see how needle tatting patterns are written slightly differently than shuttle tatting patterns. I made some pumpkins on their own, and then I decided to make a pair into earrings for myself.
I think they turned out really cute.

For the colors, I pulled some skeins of yarn out of our stockpile.

Now this beast is something that I've been working on for about a year.
A knitted blanket.
My sister taught me how to knit. I like knitting. It is kind of relaxing. I don't know a lot about knitting yet, but my sister said that I used a stockinette stitch and a reverse stockinette stitch.
I just thought it would be cool to make squares.
I used size 8 circular needles.

Shuttles in motion

Know what I said about not letting so much time pass before the next post?
Well, preparing for and going on multiple camping trips kind of left only a little time for tatting.
But now that those trips are done, the shuttles are back in motion!

Done in size 10.

First off, I was invited to a baby shower, and tatted the baby's name using the patterns from The Tatter's Paradise. What can I say? I like these alphabet patterns.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #132 and #684. Motif #15 of my second challenge.

This cute little Shuttlebug is another Jane Eborall pattern.
And it is adorable.
I enjoyed tatting this, though I decided to leave out the beads and change the eye beads into downward facing picots. This little fella is cute whether you add beads or leave them out.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #604 and #656.

And here is another simple bookmark that I made for a friend. It is an easy pattern which I whipped off the shuttle, and is really similar to the Easy Bookmark from Learn to Tat by Janette Baker.


I've a few other pieces completed, but still need to take pictures of them. So until next time, I hope that all of your projects go well!

Busy days can't keep tatting away!

Well, it's been a while, but I do have some fun pieces to share with you.

Here is what I've been working on during the last few months.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #146 and #603. 

Here is the Tatted Bookmark by Lenore English. I tatted this for my Grandmother's birthday.

Done in size 10. Motif  #9 of my second challenge.

This is Star No. 2, from the book Tatting Patterns and Designs by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson. I wanted a cute flowerlike motif to put on some letters I was sending, and this fit quite well on them.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #138. Motif  #10 of my second challenge. 

This is edging 24, from A Tatter's Workbook. I really liked changing this pattern into a bookmark, and think it looks pretty spiffy.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #633 and #647.

Now, edging 39 from A Tatter's Workbook did not become a bookmark. Instead, it got connected to this handkerchief. I had a lot of fun with this one, constantly switching shuttles so that the colors would be where I wanted them. Once finished, I gave this to my sister.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #122 and #657. Motif  #11 of my second challenge.

This Butterfly is from Tatted Animals, by Inga Madsen. I made this for my mom, for Mother's day.

Done in size 10. Motif  #12 of my second challenge.

Now, I couldn't decide which color I wanted to use for Jane Eborall's Watering Can pattern.
So I used five.
I always enjoy patterns that use split rings. It's interesting to see how a pattern looks when done in different colors.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #618, #620, #680, and #688. Motif  #13 of my second challenge.

I've held on to this Paisley pattern by Mark Myers for a long time, without tatting it. So when I had some shuttles I wanted to unload, I thought this would be the perfect time to try the pattern.
Overall, this is a nice pattern, and it could be done in so many different colors.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #618, #620, #680, and #688. Motif  #14 of my second challenge.

I still had some thread in those shuttles, so I decided to tat Jane Eborall's Windmill. I really like how the sails turned out.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #657, #686, #688, #684, and #680.

The Butterick Butterfly Bookmark by Martha Ess made a great present for my aunt's birthday. These butterflies are so cute! Part of me just wants to tat a bunch of them, and then randomly give them to people. It could make someone smile, and share a bit of tatting with those who might not know anything about it.
Well, perhaps this could be my next excess thread project...

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #148.

This Lacy Bookmark pattern is by LaRae Mikulecky, I tatted this for my cousin's birthday, and since I couldn't decide what color to use, I thought I'd try this black and white variegated thread.

Done in DMC size 30.

Edging 18 from A Tatter's Workbook also got to become a bookmark. This time, for my Dad's birthday. A part of me is pretty sure that I've already used this edging to make a bookmark before...
Wait... nope! That other bookmark was from edging 17. The two are nearly identical, except for the inner chain.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed seeing the tatting I'd done but hadn't yet shared with you. Hopefully I'll not let so much time pass between this and the next post!

Lots of bookmarks

Well, march was a busy month.
During that time though, I did get some tatting finished.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #184 and #657. 

For my cousin's birthday, I made Jane Eborall's Fandango bookmark. I really like how these colors go with each other. (Do I comment on my satisfaction with my color choices too much? That's one of the pre-tatting decisions I always fret about, especially when the finished piece is going to be a present.)
The pattern was enjoyable, and I'll probably use it again in the future.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #647 and #680.

I gave this Flowery SCMR bookmark (also by Jane Eborall) to my aunt as a thank you gift. I didn't realize it until she pointed it out, but the colors are mine and my sister's favorite colors. An amusing oversight on my part, to not realize that.
I had a lot of fun with this pattern, especially when I got to the over the top joins.

Done in Lizbeth size 80, #104 and #665.

This Simple Celtic Knot bookmark by Toptattyhead was made for my sister, who likes celtic designs. This was my first real attempt at using more then two shuttles at a time, and it was fun. A bit challenging at first, but overall it was simply fun. This pattern was a good introduction into using four shuttles at a time, and I hope to use this knowledge again in the future.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #152 and #638. Motif # 6 of my second challenge. 

Ah, the Spiral bookmark by Gina. It's one of my favorite bookmark patterns, and this time I decided to try making a tassel. For my first time making a tassel, I think it looks alright.
I made this for a friend's surprise birthday party.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #618, #620, and #644. Motif  #7 of my second challenge.

Look, it's not a bookmark!
Nope, it is a Cupcake by Be-stitched.
I made this for another friend's birthday. Her favorite color is pink, though I don't think this is strawberry flavored.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #680. Motif #8 of my second challenge.

And then we have the Tatty Turtle by Mark Myers. This was actually one of the first patterns I did when new to tatting, and it was fun to revisit it.
Turtles are really cute.

Elcie and the Hippocampus

Hey everyone, here are a couple of motifs I've finished.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #618 and #644 . Motif #4 of my second challenge.

This motif pattern is Elcie by Wanda Salmans. It was an easy pattern to follow, and I like how it looks in these colors.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #647 , #686 , and #688 . Motif #5 of my second challenge.

This Hippocampus pattern is another one of the things I've been working on recently. I love mythical creatures, and am always looking for new tatting patterns featuring them. When I can't find a pattern, I think about trying to make one up myself.
I like how the hippocampus turned out, though the tail took a couple of drafts to get right.
Thus far, I've been focusing on making up patterns for mythical creatures that are hybrids.
What kind of patterns do you like?
For those of you who design patterns, what kind of process do you go through when making a new pattern?

Bookmarks and Buggies

 Hey everyone, sorry about not posting any of my tatting projects, but I've been working on a sewing project that has taken most of my time.
That sewing project is almost complete, so once its finished, I'll share it with you.
For now, here is some tatting!

Done in Lizbeth size 80, #603 and #138. Motif #1 of my second challenge.  

I made this Autumn bookmark by Mark Myers for my Grandfather's birthday. This is a really pretty pattern, and I like how these two colors look together.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #135 and #647 . Motif #2 of my second challenge.

This Easy Bookmark from Learn to Tat by Janette Baker was made for my niece. Back when I was learning to tat, this was one of the first bookmark patterns that I ever tatted.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #621 and #132 . Motif #3 of my second challenge.

I was invited to a baby shower for three of my friends, so I decided to make Jane Eborall's Baby Buggy for each of them. This pink one turned out really cute.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #686 and #688 .

These sea green colors make for a nice simple design that would work well for any baby.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #657 and #143 .

Then there's the blue buggy. I like how the lighter blue from the variegated thread is positioned in the center.


So these are a few of the things I've been working on, so expect some more a little later.
Best of luck with your own projects, whatever they may be.

Late Christmas Tatting

I had meant to post these right after Christmas, but got busy with other things. Anyway, here is the tatting I did for Christmas 2014.

Done in Lizbeth size 80, #601, #638, and #671. Motif #21.

I love how this one turned out! It's the December 2013 Snowflake, by Sharon. When I was looking at the pattern, I thought it would look nice if done in three colors. This is a pattern that I would definitely do again.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #152 and #671. Motif #22.

I really enjoyed the Design Tutorial Snowflake, by Robin Perfetti, It is a pretty pattern that reminds me of a wreath (hence my color choices).

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #152.

This Snowflake 2 is another of Sharon's patterns. This was an easy pattern to tat, which is quite nice to do in between more difficult patterns.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #152 and # 671. Motif #23.

The Celtic Style Christmas Wreath pattern is by Birgit Phelps. I haven't done much Celtic style tatting patterns, but I might look into more now that I've done this pattern. I tatted the full pattern, and then tatted some without the final row.

Celtic style wreath, without the last row.

Why did I tat some without the final row? Because I thought they looked nice both ways.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #151.

The Five-Pointed Star is from the book Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns, by Monica Hahn. Whenever I look at this pattern, I'm reminded of starfish.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #152.  Motif #24.

The Star of Leaves pattern is also from Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns, by Monica Hahn. This was probably one of the more difficult patterns for me. I don't use a gauge to measure the bare thread (or picot lengths, for that matter) so the bare thread between each level of the points had me a bit nervous.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #152.

Now, the name I have for this pattern is Snowflake 16. Unfortunately, the pattern I have saved only has some pictures and the pattern, not who designed it. So if anyone recognizes where this is from, I would love to know. It's a pretty pattern, and enjoyed how all of the rings came together.

Done in size 10.

This angel is from a Nativity pattern by Jenni Sherriff. I plan on doing the rest of this pattern at a later date.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #633, #640, and #647.  Motif #25.

I love how this Tea Cup and Saucer pattern turned out. This is a pattern that I've been wanting to do for a long time, and one that I would do again and again. I didn't connect the tea cup to the saucer, so you lift the tea cup up.
It's just an adorable pattern.
And with it, my first 25 Motif Challenge is completed! It was an exciting challenge, which allowed me to tat twenty-five patterns I had never done before. I've enjoyed the challenge, and am going to begin my second challenge immediately.

Letters done in Lizbeth size 20, #656, and #657. Roses done in DMC size 30, yellow. Sewn onto muslin.

This was the big project. My family drew names for Christmas, and I got my Grandfather. I decided to tat letters to spell Families are Forever, and then frame it. I used the letter patterns from The Tatters' Paradise again, and then tatted some roses using Vicki Clarke's Roses are Red pattern. The most time consuming part of this project was the sewing.
I do not like sewing.
But it was worth the effort, because my Grandfather loved it.