Last Ones for the Sale

These are really the last ones. I need to mail them off today. I'll spend the rest of the day packaging and labeling, and probably get to the post office just before closing time.

Last year, I made two of Jane Eborall's doves for the sale. They never actually made it into the sale, because my mom has the advantage of being in charge of the crafts section, so she sometimes picks stuff out and buys it before anyone else gets to see it. Nothing wrong with that, but I really liked those doves and was hoping other people would get a chance to see them. So I made another three for this year.

I used Flora size 20 for all of them. The olive branches, top to bottom, are Yarnplayer's "Forest" HDT, Lizbeth 138 "Leafy Greens", and Lizbeth 167 "Jungle Greens". The beads are Miyuki Delicas; the ones on top have a "silky luster" finish in white, the middle ones are also silky luster in a pale gray, and the bottom ones are a darker gray with an iridescent finish. I try not to make two items the same.

Now off to write labels!

More Foxy Doodads

I'm almost out of time before I have to send everything off to my mom for the sale. I did get a couple more pendants made, though. The pattern is Fox's "Evelyn", another one that makes use of a doodad in the center. They both cupped a bit, the first one because the doodad I used was slightly larger than the specified 3/4 inch, and the second because I used size 50 thread instead of size 40. I felt this was OK, because it enhances the flower-like appearance of the first one, and on the second the cupping simply continues the contour of the doodad. I also experimented a bit with different ways to put the beads at the junctions of rings and split rings; neither method I used was what Fox described, and they both look a little different. It just shows how many different ways there are to add beads to tatting.

On this one, I used a square filigree doodad in antique brass finish, and Krystledawne's HDT's. The variegated is "Of Berries and Fairies", and the other two threads are the matching solids "Fairy Faint" and "Wineberry".

On this one, I left a long space of thread from shuttle 2 between the split rings. When I did the outer round, I added the beads as I made the joins in these spots.

This one uses a round silver doodad with a center cutout and holes around the edge, and the thread is "Midnight Oil" in size 50 by Yarnplayer. I've always wanted to make some jewelry in this colorway, so I'm glad to have finally gotten around to it. I just noticed a little bit of cat hair at the bottom, so I'll have to get it off before I mail everything.

This time, I added the beads to the shuttle 1 thread as instructed, but I still didn't do it the way Fox said. I put a bead on the circle of thread on my left hand, but did not move it up when making a stitch at any point, so when I closed the ring that bead ended up at the base of the ring.

In each of these, I added a closed jump ring by joining to it in the place of one Josephine knot. Since this made the jump ring parallel to the tatting, I then added a split ring finding to the jump ring, so that the pendant will hang right from the cord.

I've really enjoyed working with these doodads. I've always liked seeing when Jane adds a doodad to her tatting, and umintsuru has sometimes done it too. Thanks to Fox and Diane for inspiring me to join the fun!

Diane, Fox, Krystle, and Sherry

These are the four people whose ideas and "stuff" came together to make these pendants.

The centers are a gift from Diane, from her Doodad Double Dare. The pattern is Fox's "Athalia". The purple thread is "Twilight Grape" HDT from Krystledawne, and the red is LadyShuttleMaker's "Diablo".

The threads are both size 20, which made for rather large pendants, approximately 2 1/2 inches (6.3 cm) on the diagonal. They are lightweight of course, being lace and all, but for looks I will have to use fairly substantial cords to hang them from. I probably should have taken Fox's advice and used size 40, but I really wanted to use these colors, and 20 was the size I had. A lot of people like big, chunky jewelry though, so I think maybe these will sell.

I made the purple one first using the main instructions; for the red one, I used the alternate directions that make the large rings just a little smaller. This only altered the overall size by a tiny bit, but it did change the look somewhat, as the insides of the larger rings can be viewed as an extra negative space that isn't there in the other pendant. I don't think I have a preference between the two; I'm glad Fox gave both sets of directions.

To add the jump rings that make them into pendants, I simply threaded the jump rings like beads onto the ball thread and slid them into place between two chains. I used closed jump rings so there's no danger of their coming undone. I never use open jump rings anymore; if I need to add a finding that can't easily be tatted in like this, I use split rings, which are much more secure. (Note: I'm not talking about tatted split rings here; the split rings I mean are the metal findings that look like miniature key rings.)

Have you ever noticed how most of the photos I take of Squijum show him sleeping? That's because it's almost the only time when he holds still. Otherwise, the photos are a bit blurry.

I did manage to get one good clear shot of him wide awake, though.

Dragonflies

The dragonfly earrings I made last year were very popular, so I wanted to make a lot more for this year's sale. Unfortunately, I'm running out of time, and I was only able to make four pairs. I have to get all the stuff sent off to my mom next week, and there are still a few other things I want to tat, plus I need to get it all packaged nicely.

Starting at the top left and going around clockwise, the threads are Yarnplayer's "Leafy", LadyShuttleMaker's "Helm's Deep", Yarnplayer's "Twilight Zone", and LadyShuttleMaker's "Wildflowers". The pattern is by Jon Yusoff.

I'll try to get started earlier for next year's sale, so I can get more of these made.

New Find!

Out doing some shopping yesterday, I came across something exciting. I saw one of those sidewalk signs that point you to a store just off the main road, and followed it to a yarn store that I never would have known was there. It made me glad I walk everywhere, because I wouldn't have seen the sign from a car.

I didn't expect they would have anything for tatting, but there were a few balls of Finca pearl cotton. I bought one in teal and one in a sort of terracotta color. I also picked up a nice fine crochet hook (0.6 mm), because a tatter can never have too many of those.

But the best was their collection of used books that they loan out like library books. Here's what I found.

This is a classic, and I can't wait to get my teeth into it. Elgiva's other book was one of the first tatting books I ever bought, and I still re-read it periodically. I'm sure this one will be just as educational.

I've also had a new entry in the "Tat This!" challenge. Sirena Sea is a new tatter who is lucky enough to be learning from her grandmother, and this is her first doily. She did a beautiful job, and I look forward to following her tatting progress. Do go to her blog and look at her shuttle collection, too!

Unbreakably Beguiling

After my disastrous experience with embellishments the other day, I pulled out what was left of my stash of doodads and selected all of the ones that could work with the "Beguile" earring pattern. I found four, so that's how many pairs of earrings I made.

First, the one made with the same thread I was trying to use before, "Helm's Deep" by LadyShuttleMaker. I think what upset me most about the broken doodads was the loss of so much precious HDT.

This time I used a hammered pewter circle with a bronze-tone finish for the center, with beads and findings to match. No way these things could break just by having tatting joined to them.

The next pair also uses a LadyShuttleMaker thread, "Hosta Leaves". This is such a lovely, soft combination of green and lavender.

These earrings use wood centers, but just plain circles, fairly thick, completely unlike the fragile things I tried to use before. The beads are a very pale lavender in a satin finish. I usually prefer to connect the tatting to the earring wires with split/jump rings; I think they hang better that way. In this case, though, the best color of wires I had on hand for this thread were these niobium ones, and I didn't have any split or jump rings to match. There's nothing worse than mismatched findings, so I just attached the wires directly to the tatting.

Next up is Yarnplayer's "Stardate" thread. This colorway is also essentially green and purple, yet it is in a way the complete opposite of the one above. I find this a very exciting colorway.

This thread is size 30 instead of 20, so I used it with a pair of slightly smaller doodads. The beads are a very dark gray, almost black.

Finally, I used Krystledawne's "Of Berries and Fairies", another favorite colorway.

These doodads are just like the first ones, but with a silver finish. The beads are a very pale blue.

This is a nice pattern in that it is very easy tatting that only takes an hour per earring, yet the embellishment in the center makes it look very special. I also like that you can make that top ring that it hangs from as an SSSR so that you don't have to hide the ends.

I almost forgot to say that the pattern is by Marilee Rockley, from her book Up and Tat 'Em. There are also matching necklace and bracelet patterns which are a bit more complicated.

And Nothing to Show for It

I could cry.

I really wanted to make Marilee's "Beguile" earrings using these cool laser-cut wooden things as the centers.

This one has eight places around the edge where you could join, perfect since the pattern has eight repeats. As I was making the first earring, I ran into a major snag.

A tiny little piece broke off the edge as I was trying to make a join. The whole thing thus became unusable.

I didn't have a spare like this, but I did have a pair in another design.

These aren't quite as cool, but still very attractive and unusual; and if someone hadn't seen the others to compare, they wouldn't know what they were missing. These have ten joining places, so I figured I would just do an extra two repeats and make the rings a little smaller so they wouldn't be crowded.

And then...

I am determined to make these earrings, but I will have to do it with metal embellishments, as these wooden ones are clearly not designed to have tatting joined to them.