"But, really, why does anyone create? You feel a... a restlessness inside, a need to make something new, something no one has ever seen before. You want to add to the beauty and the richness of the world with a gift, an offering that is uniquely yours. It's an act of selfishness and generosity, all rolled into one."

-- Bruce Coville,
The Last Hunt

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Clock Is Ticking!

I haven't posted in several days because I wanted to keep the giveaway post at the top of the blog. This is just a reminder to the procrastinators, you only have one day left to enter! All you have to do is leave a comment on the post immediately below this one.

I've gotten some good out of this giveaway too. By getting comments from a lot of people beyond the usual suspects, I have been able to find several interesting blogs that I hadn't read before, which I am now following. Yay, more eye candy for me!

Being basically a low-tech kind of person, I had thought of printing the comments out and numbering them by hand. But when the numbers got higher than I can count on my fingers and toes, I decided I'd better have the computer number the entries for me. So a HUGE thanks to Gina, who very kindly sent me the link to http://www.mommymoment.ca/2010/03/numbered-comments.html, which gives instructions for doing just that.

I had a tatting sighting this week, too. I was watching Sherlock Holmes-- not the recent movie, but a series of shorts that I'm sure many of you remember being broadcast on PBS (and I assume the BBC also) years ago, and which is now streamable on Netflix. In the episode "The Crooked Man", the character Nancy Barclay wears a dress with quite a bit of tatting around the neck, very appropriate to the period. Given the Victorian setting, there was of course lots of lace throughout all the episodes; I thought I caught glimpses of tatting a couple of other times, but they weren't close enough shots to be sure. For some reason the camera kept focusing on minor details like the characters' faces instead of important things like the lace. ;)

Here's a little something I tatted while watching Sherlock and Dr. Watson:

The thread is "Purple Glory" by Yarnplayer. The beads are Miyuki Delicas size 11, in the "silk" finish. I've recently purchased beads in this finish in a variety of colors, and I really like them. You can't tell in the photo, but they have a wonderful moonstone-like luster. The pattern is "Kejora" from Jon Yusoff's book Tatting with Rings. This was the first time I had worked anything from this book, and as you can see, I kind of squashed the center motif a bit. I'm happy with the actual covering of the ring, though.

I'd like to make a pair of earrings using another of the patterns from this book, and another of Yarnplayer's threads, just as soon as I find where I put my earring findings. I could have sworn I had them in the same box with all the other findings.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow evening, when I will announce the winners.

5 comments:

  1. Your tatted ring motif looks so amazingly awesome! I love the color choice and the beads! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Miranda -
    I just discovered your blog, net-surfing while I was eating dinner and enjoying all the eye-candy. Congratulations on your blog-birthday... and many, many more!
    Best,
    Karey
    greacefulartsfiberstudio.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Please include me! I would hate to be left out! I have so enjoyed following your blog....it keeps a smile on my face.
    Suz C

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very pretty!

    Funny how those findings are not where you knew you left them!

    Thanks for the guffaw! Trust you to notice the tatted neckline of a character's dress in an old Sherlock Holmes movie!

    Fox : )

    ReplyDelete
  5. Funny how we get so excited when we see tatting on tv programs. I'm always on the look out too for tatting. Your motif is very pretty, especially in this colorway!!

    ReplyDelete