Spring doily

I finished round 3 of the 2016 Spring Doily last night. Round 4 looks like it may take a while. Hopefully by Monday I will have it done. Depends on how busy the weekend gets. Round 5 is up on Renulek's web page. I wonder how many rounds this doily will have.

Resisting no longer

I tried. I held back. I told myself that I had to many other things on my in-progress and want to tat lists. I just could not help myself. I found several full balls of DMC 30 Coronet in ecru. I have joined the 2016 Spring doily /tat-along by Renulek.

Dye Experiment

Upon arriving early to the Finger Lakes tatting event, participants often gather at Karey Solomon's shop.  Graceful Arts Fiber Studio is on Highway 414 between Watkins Glen and Lodi. This year Karey asked that anyone interested could bring a skein of thread to dye. I had some size 20 that I had wound on my Niddy Noddy planning to get brave and try dying my own thread.  Karey had the dye mixed up and the above skein is my result. My camera washed out the colors a bit, but I am pleased with the result. 

While making the Jennifer Williams coaster pattern, I've decided that size 5 thread gives me the desired size. I have a few colors of Karey's hand painted size 5. I found a ball of size 5 Cebelia in my stash, skeined it with the Niddy-noddy and mixed up a tye dye kit. I am pleased with the colors, and will be doing more dye experiments in the future. Sadly the size 5 Cebelia tatted up to  be the same as the Lizbeth 3.

 Coaster on the right is from the dyed hank at the top in the above photo. It's the same size as the coaster made with the Lizbeth 3 Carribean. Much larger than the one on the top left done in Karey's size 5 hand paint.

Button doily continues

I finished round 4 of the button doily. Now I wait for Meagan to post the next round. It was to be posted today, but so far, nothing is there. I can understand. Life gets in the way of tatting. Meanwhile I have other projects to do. So far I have resisted the urge to begin Renulek's spring 2016 doily. I think I will work on more coasters, or jewelry, anything to resist starting another large project.

Coasters

I have been playing with coaster patterns. I think they would make nice gifts. This is a pattern from Jennifer Williams and can be found on her webpage. The pattern suggests size 20 thread.

 I made the coaster on the  bottom with a Karey Solomon hand painted size 10 thread.  It measures 2 1/2 inches (7 cm) in diameter. The drinking glasses in my cabinet barely fit on it.

The upper coaster is done in Lizbeth size 3, Carribean Colorway. It measures 3 3/4 inches (10 cm) across. The size is better, but I don't like shuttle tatting with size 3 thread.  Somewhere in  my thread stash is some size 5.  I could  I could needle tat with the size 3 thread. Where have my tatting needles disappeared to??

Button Doily continues

Over the weekend I completed round 3 of Megan's Button doily. Round 4 is available and I will work on that today. Round 5 should be available at the end of the week. Will round 6 be the final round?  I guess only the designer knows.

Button Tatting

I was able to complete the second round of Megan's Tat-along before going to bed last night. I am using Lizbeth size 10 in the Peacock Blues colorway. Pattern can be found here. Round 3 has no buttons and should go quickly.

Button Doily

I have joined a Tat-along for a doily with buttons at Threads of Life Creations. This is the first round. It is done in size 10 thread and the next round has 20 buttons.  I spent some serious time yesterday digging in my button collection and choosing thread.

I have to take the car for an oil change and do a bit of grocery shopping this afternoon. I think I will crochet during my wait time. Tatting is very portable, but not when I risk dropping and loosing buttons. I am not sure if I will get round 2 done in time to post tomorrow, but you never know.

Travel Report

I had a wonderful trip to New York for the Finger Lakes Tatting Event. The long drive (I drove a total of 1418 miles) was well worth it. I had 2 classes with Ruth Perry (aka Rozella Linden)  I made one earring, and learned a new (to me) way of adding a bead to the center of a split ring. Ruth has a jewelry book coming out soon and I am excited about adding it to my collection.  The second class with Ruth was a Celtic Teddy Bear. After the class, I am confident that I will be able to weave the   Knots needed to do more Celtic tatting.

I had a class with Karey Solomon and almost finished a little bear with balloons. I managed to get an extra repeat on the head, so he is not quite right. I plan to start over and get it right as the little bear will be so cute on a greeting card. 

My last class was a Nina Libin earring pattern taught by Lorena Kinnet. I was the only student in the class but managed to get one earring almost finished.

Above is the tatted lanyard that I made for the scholarship auction.  It will keep a crochet hook and picot gauge (this one is Gloria Nelson's Bare Thread Space/Picot gauge) handy. The necklace design was taught at Palmetto Tat Days last September by Karey Solomon. It's on the 2015 Tat Days CD and has appeared in a recent edition of Tatting Times.

I did not get to take a class with Randy Houtz  this time. Randy is one of the Shuttle Brothers. I spent time with Randy at the Sunshine State Tatting event back in January and he didn't say a word about a new book.   Randy kept this book a complete surprise.  He had to cancel his travel to NY in 2015 (didn't want to share his flu ) He said making available the brand  new book at Finger Lakes was his apology for the last minute cancellation. Now that I am back home, I'll be studying the book as there is LOTS of interesting designs in it.  

I am not much of a photographer, and took only a handful of photos at Finger Lakes. I had so much fun visiting with old friends and meeting new people. It is wonderful to spend time with people who understand my love for tatting.  

Road Trip

I am packing the car tonight and leaving early tomorrow for New York. No, I am not going anyplace near New York City. I'm going to wine country. I'm attending the Finger Lakes Tatting Group's annual Tatting event. I'm taking classes with Ruth Perry, and Karey Solomon and also a Nina Libin pattern being taught by Lorena Finnerty. There are so many talented teachers (Randy Houtz, Marilee Rockley, Kay Boniface to name a few) it was hard to choose my classes.  It is sure to be a fun weekend.

Shown is Jon Yusoff's Merriment coaster/doily. I challenged myself to make it in two colors. I am pleased at how it turned out.

Spinning Wheel

This is the Spinning Wheel glass Mat . Pattern is by Mary Konior, from Tatting with Visual Patterns. It was an easy tat and I can see myself making it again. Mine needs a bit of blocking.

International Tatting Day

Today is International Tatting Day. This is the Merriment Coaster/Doily designed by Jon Yusoff. Pattern can be found here. This lovely thread was hand dyed by my friend Monica Braxton. Monica and husband Shawn make lovely wood shuttles too. Their work can be found at NAG Studio on Etsy.

Two weeks from today I will be in New York for the Finger Lakes Tatting Group Workshop. I can hardly wait to see my knotty friends.