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.

Knitting and motifs

Well, here are some things that I've been meaning to post for a while. To begin, here are the first two things I knitted!

Knitting is a bit easier then crocheting.

Kind of wobbly on the sides, but I find that keeping the tension for knitting is easier for me then keeping the tension for crocheting. The I-cord was my first piece of knitting, and took some time. The coaster took less time to make, and was enjoyable to make.

I look forward to knitting more things in the future, and perhaps adding tatting to my knitted projects.

Next up is a cupcake I made for my Aunt for her birthday last month.

Lovely purple cupcakes are not all grape flavored.

I quite like this cupcake pattern by Be-Stitched. It's easy to make, and looks nice in many different colors. This one was made in size 10 thread.

Done in size 10. Motif #14.

This Oval Medallion pattern from This 'n' Tat was enjoyable to tat. I like following diagram patterns on occasion, and this one was easy to follow.

Done in size 10. Motif #15.

This Pentawheel Medallion is also from This 'n' Tat. I thought it would be fun to do it in three colors. I always enjoy split rings, so that was a plus for this pattern.

Done in size 10. Motif #16.

This Spiral Medallion is another pattern from This 'n' Tat. I like how the picots on the long chains are only on one side. It's a pretty pattern, and I like how the two colors I used blend with each other.

Done in size 10. Motif #17.

Now, this black cat is from the Tat-man's Cat on a Broomstick pattern. I tatted broomsticks on their own last year, so I thought I would do some cats on their own this year. I like how it came out, and how the cut long picots transformed into whiskers.

Snails and letters

Well, I've been moving at about the same pace as these pretty snails from Tatting Animals, by Inga Madsen.

Guess what, we're going to be inside letters! Motif #13.

These lovely critters were done in Lizbeth size 20, #620 as the body, and #121, #124, #131, and #135 for the shells. The two on the left have a bead, while the two on the right do not.

While I was tatting these, I also noticed a difference between the diagram pattern and the example picture in the shell. A single chain that in the diagram is six double stitches long; while in the example picture it is three double stitches, picot, then three double stitches, and the picot is used to join a ring later on. That ring also is altered slightly, depending on if you need to use it for that join.

So the two snails on the left are tatted according to the diagram, while the two on the right follow the example picture.

Done in Lizbeth size 20, #115 and #680.

This doily was for my Uncle's birthday, and is the Pinwheel doily pattern from Be-Stitched. At first I wasn't sure if he would like it, but when I gave it to him, he appeared to quite happy to receive it.

I did make the long chains of row four too loose at first, but I was able to manipulate the core thread so that I could spread the excess into nearby chains and rings. It took some extra time, but it made the final piece look so much better.

Look! I think it's trying to spell something in size 10 thread!

For my cousin's birthday, I tatted his nickname. He seemed to like it, which is what I always hope for when I give someone a piece of tatting.

The patterns came from The Tatters' Paradise, and other then accidentally tatting the second O in size 8 at first, everything went quite quickly.

Remember when I said that I was learning to knit? Well, I have a couple of knitted pieces to show once I take pictures of them.

Something pretty cool happened when I went to a craft store to get a pair of size 8 knitting needles. I was walking past an endcap in the yarn section, when something hanging underneath a clearance sign caught my eye.

Six balls of size 20 Lizbeth thread, for fifty cents each!

I was quite ecstatic with this find, and quickly collected them.

I'm not quite sure why they were on clearance, but they appear just fine and are all colors that I like (two balls of #100, one of #134, and three of #142, in case you were wondering).

Have you ever stumbled upon an amazing deal?

If so, please fill free to share your experience.

Let me mark that birthday for you

Well, here is another birthday!

Look, size 80! It is such a nice, thin thread size. I really like it for bookmarks and dainty things. 

This lovely bookmark is from the book Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns by Monica Hahn. The pattern is called the Filigree bookmark. It was done in size 80 Christmas Green Lizbeth thread.

The top has a fancy cloverleaf appearance.

Now, I might have just been reading the pattern incorrectly, but it seemed like the written pattern wasn't quiet the same as the picture of the pattern. I followed the written pattern up until the end, where I decided to leave off the fancy point that is at the top of the bookmark and just leave the bottom flat.

While the bottom is nice and flat. Well, except for the slight curve. Just call it a creative flair.

Now, some people I know have suggested that I stiffen the bookmarks I make. But I kind of like them fresh off the shuttle. If the book I'm reading is shorter then the bookmark, I don't have to worry about the stiff bookmark catching on something and flying out of my book!

But that is just my opinion. If I really wanted to read a book that was shorter then my bookmark, I'll just use something else to mark my place.

Anyway, my sister really liked the bookmark. She commented that I'm getting better with my tatting.

It is as the saying goes:

"Practice makes perfect."

No! Don't set your drink there!

Crocheting strikes again!

The ring of moisture shall consume all!

This was an experiment in keeping my rows equal. Then it became practice for a new (to me) crocheting technique, which I do not know the proper name of.
Crocheting is confusing. And annoyingly difficult.
But it gives me something to do when my fingers grow tired of whatever tatting project they've been doing.
So here is a little crocheted coaster, gently used.

Well, it's been a hoot

Autumn is here. The time has come for leaves to change color and fall from their trees.

As they do, you might catch a glimpse of something hiding in on the branch.

Done in size 20 Lizbeth thread: Mocha Brown Med., Falling Leaves, and Ecru.

This little tatting doodle was for a card. The cute owl is a pattern from the book Tatting Collage by Lindsay Rogers. The branch and berries a quick little addition.

I enjoyed making this, and am eager to try some more patterns from that book.

With a few major holidays on the horizon, I'll be tatting a lot.

I just need to remember to actually post the pictures I take!

Silly procrastination, you've overstayed your welcome once again.

Oh, and not only will there be posts about tatting in the future, but that horrid (to me at least) craft known as crocheting.

You have been warned!

Shrimp doodle

Time for another birthday!
Today is my father's birthday. It took a bit of time for me to figure out what I was going to make him. Then I remembered that he likes eating shrimp.

Done in size 10. The colors are white, pink, and red.

I couldn't find a pattern for a shrimp in my tatting books or online, so I experimented. It is a simple doodle, attached to a card that reads, "Happy birthday! Here is a little shrimp for your lunch."
My father got a laugh out of it.
I think if I try tatting a shrimp again, I'll make it more detailed.

Need a spare?

Today is my cousin's birthday!
I had some trouble deciding on what to make him. I'm not always sure that my male relatives would like a gift of tatting. You see, the ones that live near me are very outdoorsy. Not really the kind of guys who would like a frilly piece of lace.
So it took a while before I got the idea of tatting my cousin a tire.

The stitches are difficult to see due to the black thread. Done in size 10.

My cousin likes his car. So I tatted him a little spare tire to put with his keys. I made up the pattern myself, and used both the double stitches and some josephine knots in order to give the tire some texture. The rim gave me the most difficulty.
But in the end, it turned out well. My cousin seemed to like it when I gave it to him last night, so I would call this one a success.
Now to go tat four more so I can make a tatted car...

The ivory butterfly

I meant to post about this back in March, but didn't get around to it until now.
Ever since I learned to tat, I've tried to tat something whenever a family member has a birthday. I haven't succeeded with every birthday, for a number of reasons ranging from not knowing what to tat them to the stealthy sneakiness of birthdays. I've sat down to read a book or tat a excess thread project, only to have someone remind me that a birthday is that weekend.
If birthdays were people, they would belong to an elite clan of ninjas.
Birthday ninjas.
Moving on, I was able to tat something for my sister's birthday.

Lizbeth size 20, Mocha Swirl

"I tend to experiment with birthday presents. Like the key, this was a pendant I picked out because it way cool and looked like it would easily accept tatting. I wanted to keep the tatting simple for this piece, something that would shout for attention. That's why I chose this variegated color and stuck with chains, with the exception of that one brown ring at the very bottom of the pendant.
This is the second piece that I've added tatting to. I think I'll try using more rings in the next piece. Maybe have multiple rows of tatting.
Anyway, I've rambled enough for one post. Expect another post on Friday!

Trying size 80

I normally tat using size 10 crochet thread, as that is what I can easily find in my area. I have a fair collection of Lizbeth size 20 that I like to use for special projects, but until December I hadn't been able to get any size 80 thread.
For those who may be wondering when I talk about thread size, the higher the number is, the smaller the thread. Size 80 is one of the traditional thread sizes when it comes to tatting and makes the finished piece look daintier.
 Anyway, I tatted using size 80 thread for the first time a few days ago.

Lizbeth size 80: Victorian Red

It was just a simple pattern of chains joined to a key broach, but I quite enjoyed the experience. Size 80 is much finer then the size ten I normally use, but it was really fun to tat with. I'm eager to think of another pattern that I can tat with size 80.
Don't be afraid to try something new!