Purple Posy

This is Mary Konior's "Posy" motif from Tatting with Visual Patterns. It's the same thread I used on the dragon.

This is not the first time I've tatted this, but I always have to be careful joining the last ring of each repeat to the last ring of the previous repeat. It usually takes me several tries to get it right. I either end up with the thread coming out on the top-- it needs to come out on the bottom in order to pass it behind the work to start the next repeat-- or else I somehow manage to get the ring wrapped around the whole piece so that I can't close it. Once I figure out how to hold the threads to make it work the first time, subsequent repeats are much easier, but I still have to go through this process every time I make this pattern.

I have plans for this posy. You'll see.

Taladh Chriosta

This year I decided I would like to reduce the stress of the holiday season and counteract the nerve-jangling music inflicted on us by the malls (actually, I can't remember the last time I was in a mall, but I assume they still play nerve-jangling music) by making a series of videos of harp music. I'll be presenting these at random intervals throughout the month of December. The first one is the Scottish carol "Taladh Chriosta", or "The Christ Child's Lullaby", arranged by Sunita Staneslow. Sunita's own recording of this piece can be found on her CD Christmas Day. Lyrics can be found here.

"The Christ Child's Lullaby": Traditional Scottish, arranged by Sunita Staneslow  © 2003. Used by permission.

Color!

The second "Emily" doily is now finished, but not blocked yet. I haven't had a chance when I would be around to keep an eye on Squijum the pin-muncher for the entire time it takes to dry.

The doilies are pretty and elegant in all white, but I have to say, I'm really a fan of color.

This is, of course, Anne Bruvold's Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon, to which I added a lot of beads along the spine and tips of the wings. The thread is one of LadyShuttleMaker's; I think the colorway is "Royalty", but I could be wrong. Sherry? It's size 80.

This pattern calls for SSSR's for the tail and neck, but I always make it with regular split rings instead. You have to add a second thread anyway to make the chains on the body, and that gives you two extra ends to hide. If you start with two threads CTM from the beginning, then you already have what you need when you get to the body and don't have to hide any ends till you finish the head.

I have an idea to tat a second dragon and have their tails twined around each other. I think it will work, but of course I won't know until I try.

One Down...

Here is the first "Emily" doily completed.

I'm 3/4 of the way done with the last round of the other one as well.

The pattern is by Janet Carroll, from the book Elegant Tatting Patterns. The book says the finished size is 7 1/2 inches (19 cm) in size 30 thread. I used size 20, so I expected it to come out slightly bigger; instead, mine measures 6 3/4 inches (17 cm). Either I tat WAY tighter than I thought, or else Ms. Carroll must tat very loosely. In any case, it's a nice size for putting under a candlestick, vase, or other small knick-knack.

I've been thinking lately, a lot of people don't like doilies because they consider them fussy and unnecessary. But they actually serve the very practical purpose of protecting your furniture from being scratched by whatever you set on top of the doily. People do still put decorative objects on their tables and shelves, so it seems like it shouldn't be that hard to make them see the value of doilies. The problem is with the word "doily" itself, which reminds people of some spinster great-aunt. So maybe we should start calling them "anti-scratch mats" instead and people might start getting interested again. And while we're at it, maybe we should bring back hair oil for men to revive interest in antimacassars... nah, that's going too far!

Yes, I Still Remember How to Tat!

OK, I've finished tatting the first Emily doily, and it's on the blocking board now.

Once again, I have to thank LadyShuttleMaker for her blocking templates. The doily definitely would not have come out as well without this. Some of you are having heart palpitations at the thought of sticking in all these pins, but I say if I've spent this much time tatting it, why would I not take the time to make sure everything is properly aligned? (Hint: Since this round template is divided into 6ths, it also works for snowflakes. Use the square template to block anything with four or eight repeats.)

I should be able to show this all nice and pretty tomorrow. I've also made a good start on tatting the last round of the other doily, so soon I'll be able to show the pair.

Since I got back from San Francisco, Squijum has taken to lying on my feet. It may simply be that he likes the fleece lap blanket I'm using, but I suspect he's also trying to prevent me from leaving again.

The City by the Bay

My parents and I went to San Francisco, where my sister recently moved, for Thanksgiving. I didn't get any tatting done, except for a little bit during the 2-hour flight delay in Phoenix, but we had a great time.

Sea lions on Pier 39. There was a much larger group, but I forgot my camera that day, and they were too far away to get a good photo with the phone.

There was also a sea lion off by itself which was clearly sick. I called the posted number for the Marine Mammal Rescue Service, but I couldn't believe the number of people who were standing there saying, "Oh, look at the poor sick sea lion" and NOT CALLING THE NUMBER!!! I mention this because it is an excellent example of the well-documented phenomenon of human psychology where we all tend to assume that if there is a problem that many people are aware of, I don't need to do anything because someone else will take care of it. This is a perfectly easy tendency to overcome, but only if you are aware of it.

When we went by on an evening cruise around the bay the following evening, the sick sea lion was gone, so I hope that means there was a successful rescue. They can't always rescue an animal if it still have enough energy to fight back, but I don't think this one did. (They can't use tranquilizer darts because when the animal feels the dart, its instinct is to enter the water, where, being tranquilized, it will drown.)

For the rest of the trip I remembered the camera, so here's the Bay Bridge during said evening cruise...

...and the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset.

There Will Be Tatting Soon...

I promise! I have finished the book and am once again working on the "Emily" doilies. I'm not that much farther on than I was the last time, though, so no new pictures. I know you need eye candy, so here's Squijum helping me sort socks.

Amazingly, the sock is still intact.