"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

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Sweet Success

Do you ever want to throw your shuttles across the room when you're working a perfectly lovely and well-written pattern, because you can't seem to follow the directions? That's how I felt while working Jon Yusoff's Sweetheart Snowflake. Jon's directions are perfectly clear, but I still kept trying to join the long chain in round 2 in the wrong place. I would work a whole point and then have to undo it because I realized I had nothing to join to as I was coming out of the point, having made a join that I wasn't supposed to going into it. I finally got it right, though.


Then, thanks to the influence of Fox, I decided to add beads.


You would think that it would go better the second time around, but it didn't. I still had the same problem, which was all about me not paying attention, nothing to do with Jon's directions.

Since the beaded version is all white, I decided to finish it a little differently. Instead of starting between points, I started on the side of one point. This allowed me to finish by making a split chain at the top of that point, and then a split ring. After the split ring, I just left the ends long to make a hanger. You can only do this if you're using a single color; in two colors, the SC and SR will both end up showing both colors.

If I had been paying attention, I would have joined the first point of round 2 in the right spot to make the center bead stand upright when the whole thing was finished. I didn't think about that till it was too late, but I still think it's OK.

13 comments:

  1. Both are lovely! I especially like the blue and white one!

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  2. I know what you mean, but they both look beautiful and lovely colours with the beads added to the white one.
    Margaret

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  3. Both snowflakes are beautiful! I especially like the blue and white one.

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  4. I love the two-colored snowflakes.

    By the way, I just notice that you have me in your blogroll. Thanks. Your blog has been put in my Google Reader.

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  5. These are lovely! Very crisp and clean looking.

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  6. Miranda, it happens. I'm tatting my edging but I keep doing a wrong chain and end up having to retro tat. But, we move on just to see our tatting through. You did a great job on the snowflakes. My fav is the all white with just enough little beads to make it special.

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  7. Great post! It's nice to know that the most experienced tatters have those moments of 'inattention'. When I tatted your wonderful cardinal, I mentioned in my blog that I inexplicaably miscounted the knots on a couple of the rings in the body (the easiest part!), but it's not too noticeable. Your pattern is perfect and still amazing to me! I always smile when I look at my cute cardinal in his frame in the living room!

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  8. These are fabbo, Miranda! Love the pattern and you tatted them both perfectly - one would not have a clue as to the shuttle-throwing angst that went into the effort!

    I had the same trouble with the first motif. Just could not get it right - and it is not that difficult a pattern. Oh, the rage!

    This pattern is next on the list. So pretty...
    Fox : )

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  9. ..both flakes are beautiful and yes I have wished to throw my shuttles across the room on few occasion.!

    ...yes.. it always my own fault, not paying attention.

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  10. Lovely snowflakes, and I especially like the all white with beads--would look fantastic on a Christmas tree!

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  11. Wonderful snowflakes!! Love the blue and white one!!! :)

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