FIG HDT by Yarn Player

Squeee!  Yarn Player dyed a custom colorway based upon paint chips I sent her.

Paint Chip Palette - Fig

"Fig" HDT by Yarnplayer

She did such a fabulous job. I am more excited than Sapling at Christmas (with a hedgehog)!

This colorway is not reserved exclusively for me. No, no!  Go get some and tat gorgeous, amazing things with it. And if you would be so kind, share your photo(s) with Yarnplayer and me?

I will be singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as I await the figgy goodness to arrive via post.

♪ ♪...bring us some figgy pudding...and bring it right here...♪ ♪

Tatting Tea Tuesday: Farfalla 2

Farfalla  Butterfly 2

Another butterfly flew off the shuttles!

Farfalla (a.k.a. Alfie) Butterfly 2
For this one I experimented with using blended threads for the antennae and SCMR body, throwing off the round one wings in a solid color. It took three shuttles for round one, but it wasn't difficult to tat the three-shuttle part, since it was only two double stitches at a go.

Once again, for those who are interested, the thread list:

• Lizbeth®20 #642 Lilac Medium  for round 1 wings
• A blend of lavender/black/yellow threads for antennae and body
• Tat-ilicious HDT by Jess in Night Thunder for round 2 

You can find the free pattern on the Italian tatting web site:  CHIACCHIERINO  The butterfly diagram can be found on this page: Gioielli di chiacchierino

Still need to snip one thread after this beauty's steam press, but isn't he a clever gent?

I am tempted to call him Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All, after the Doctor Who episode called "Closing Time!"  At the end of that episode the baby decides he prefers the name Alfie.



So Alfie it is. Norma Jean and Alfie look good together, n'est-ce pas?

Norma Jean and Alfie together

Only after examining the two butterflies side by side did I notice that one of Norma Jean's lower wings is missing a repeat of 5 DS and a picot. So sorry Norma Jean!  You're still sexy to me.

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful. See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Snow Angel Poetry Challenge

Snow Angel © 2011 Sharren Sarver Morgan
Tatted by IsDihara

Snow Angel Poetry Challenge
As angel lace reeled off the shuttles and visions of snow angels danced in my head, a poem was born, or at least most of one.

My 300th blog post is coming up fast (this post is number 298) and I thought, 'What better time for a quick bit o' knot-tea fun?' So I'm having a giveaway!

The challenge is to find a suitable last line to the following bit of verse:

Snow Angel by IsDihara (and...you?)

It's fun to walk in the sparkling snow,
And hear my boots go crunch.

Frolicking in a frosty 'spance
thrills my heart a bunch.

Swooshy imprints in the snow,
Give my cheeks a rosy glow,
And leave behind a cool halo,

Snow angels are big funch!

ADD YOUR LAST LINE IN THE COMMENTS FOR THIS POST.
PLEASE LEAVE ME A VALID WAY TO CONTACT YOU.
IF I PICK YOUR ENTRY, YOU WIN A PRIZE!


DEADLINE to enter is THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011, at midnight, Eastern Standard Time.

Contest is open to all domestic and international followers of Ambitatterous. You must be a "regular reader" to qualify. That means a reader who has spent a minimum of three months following this blog.

I will pay shipping for the winning entry.

I will announce the Poetry Contest Challenge WINNER on Friday, December 9, 2011.

Thank you for reading regularly from your corner of Tat Land, wherever it may be! Good Luck!

Giveaway - Tuscan Lace Prize Pack

What Do I Win?
This Tuscan Lace prize package will bring a little ray of sunshine to warm up a wintry day.

A gorgeous, 50-yard skein of sun-drenched Tuscany HDT by LadyShuttleMaker in size 20, a box of Lipton "Tuscan Lemon" Black Tea and an 8-ounce jar of luxurious, Tuscan Lace hand and body lotion made by New Hands Soaps and Lotions.

REMEMBER TO ADD YOUR LAST LINE IN THE COMMENTS FOR THIS POST.
PLEASE LEAVE ME A VALID WAY TO CONTACT YOU.
IF I PICK YOUR ENTRY, YOU WIN A PRIZE!
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Waiting Room Giveaway Winners!

(Exclaimed in a southern belle voice, accompanied with appropriate mannerisms...) Why, I do declare Tat Land has nimble-fingered, quick-thinking HDT lovers.

Congratulations to the first winner, deft detective Karrieann!

Her comment arrived 62 minutes into the giveaway. Silly me, I thought it would take you all days to figure it out. Can you believe that Karrieann beat out the second runner-up by less than a minute?  Hoo-wee, that's playin' it shrewd and fast!

As I watched the entries come in, though, I wondered...

Did the hint that Shannon_in_Love unknowingly divulged 19 minutes into the giveaway help point any of you in the right direction? Her entry was RED HOT, but missing one key detail. She returned soon after with the correct answer, but not in time to beat Karrieann.

So I'm giving Shannon_in_Love a consolation prize. The second runner-up, Crazy Mom, agreed that she should receive it.

So congratulations to Shannon_in_Love, the second winner!

Shannon, please email me with your mailing address. I will also send you a 50-yard skein of HDT from my stash. 

And THANK YOU to EVERYONE who commented. Your entries made this my most exciting giveaway yet!

Motif 6 - Rosone

I have completed the rosone (Italian for rosette) from Il Lavoro Chiacchierino 14, page 8. The thread is YarnPlayer's Celery in size 20. It will count as Motif 6 in my second 25 Motif Challenge.

This is a very sturdy six-sided medallion. I really like it in Celery and think it would be even lovelier tatted in Yarnplayer's Roses HDT. That said, it also begs to be tatted as a proper snowflake.

As I tatted away, the stitch counts seemed odd. And I kept wondering two things: why are the inner rings double joined? (Aside from adding strength, I mean.) Is it an attempt to form hexagons?

A honeycomb center would certainly be pretty. Then the motif could be called "Honey and Clover." What could be done to make the inner rings look more hexagonal?

It is an interesting avenue for exploration, once I have completed my Tat Days class projects. But as is, this motif is quite inviting.

Waiting Room Giveaway

This photo of me tatting in the waiting room at the doctor's office (while DH's foot was being examined - notice I did not say 'head,' ha ha!) - was created with Paper Camera. The effect applied to the photo was called Comic (somethingorother), perhaps Comic Grunge?

Can anyone tell what it is I am tatting? (The lace draped over my right hand.)

The person who posts the first correct answer in the comments will win a 50-yard skein of hand-dyed thread from my stash.

I haven't yet chosen the winning thread, so tell me your favorite color and I will try to match the winner with HDT in his or her favorite color or at least a colorway that includes his or her favorite color.

I will not reveal the correct answer until Saturday, October 22nd at 12:00 noon EST. So hurry, that is less than three days away!

P.S. If nobody guesses the correct answer I will ask DH to take another photo with PaperCamera using another bit of tatting and you will have a second chance to win!

Everybody ready? Let the guessing begin!

ChocoLove Giveaway!

ChocoLove Giveaway Prizes
Ah, l'amour. If secret longings (or the more openly professed kind) have your tatting heart pounding, let me help take your mind off things with a sweet treat.

What could be sweeter than a GIVEAWAY?

Here's your chance to sate those lace cravings with one of four "ChocoLove" gift packs.

Up for grabs are four Dream in Chocolate notepads. (They are all the same, so I only put one in the photo.)

Tatskool has donated four scrumptious skeins from her superb Choco-family of hand-dyed threads (HDT):

• ChocoMango
• ChocoLime
• ChocoRaspberry
• Raspberry Ripple with Real Vanilla

Four 3.2 oz (90 g) bars of dark Belgian chocolate in these tempting flavors:

• Raspberries in Dark Chocolate
• Peppermint in Dark Chocolate
• Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate
• Chilies & Cherries in Dark Chocolate

Winners will receive one gift pack each containing a Dream in Chocolate notepad, a bar of ChocoLove Belgian dark chocolate (It has a love poem inside.) and a skein of Tatskool's size 20 HDT.

Does that put you in the mood?

To enter, please leave a comment on THIS POST by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, February 21. Also please include a valid contact. (You can use your blog or e-mail address. For example, isdihara at verizon dot net)

Winners will be chosen by random number generator and announced on Tuesday, February 22, 2011.

Even if you are feeling cynical about love this year, there's no better revenge than indulging in a little lace-inspired ChocoLove. Good Luck!

Free Shipping - Today Only!

Don't forget to visit Lady ShuttleMaker's blog for her Mondo Monday Anniversary Treat. Four years ago today she opened her Etsy shop and is offering FREE SHIPPING on her hand-painted, ceramic Art Shuttles!

This is an exceptional savings for tatters around the globe. Just think...Belgian Dark Chocolate, gorgeous threads + an Art Shuttle = a Valentine trifecta worthy of any tatters dreams!

Gonna Tat Like It's My Birthday

Last year I was fortunate enough for my birthday to fall on Tatting Tea Tuesday. This year, as the big day falls on a Wednesday, I'm gonna tat like it's my birthday.

Because today IS my birthday! LOL 

The Sprout liked this (no doubt because of the large robot):




I thought this one was hilarious!





♥ from Postie
Two tatting parcels were waiting when I got home  yesterday. It is hard to be blue when you know you have tatting goodies from postie! Here's what I got:

Icelas sent the lovely vintage handkerchief with matching thread and a handmade bookmark as a blog giveaway prize. A few others (Tatskool, Lace-lovin' Librarian Diane, Vanessa) have tatted incredible edgings recently. Looks like it is my turn.

Honestly, I've not seen such a perfect match between thread and cloth. Well done, Icelas! And thanks for sending such a pretty prize package my way.

Heather, the Tarnished Tatter, has been having fun dyeing new HDT. She sent two skeins: IsDihara's Dream in size 50 and Summer Brights in size 40.

Your eyes do not deceive. She named a colorway after me. Isn't that just the bee's knees?

Alas, I must buckle down and get my county fair entry finished, mounted or shadow-boxed or some fashion of presentation. So these tempting threads will be whispering sweet nothings in my ear for a short while.

Next post -- photos of me teaching my niece to tat!

Gone, flitted away.

June has slipped through my fingers.

Remember when we were desperate for the first signs of Spring? It seemed like old man winter would never loosen his grip. Then Spring arrived and left again in a rush of adolescent heat.

Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote the words "Gone, flitted away" in a poem titled simply, "Gone." The poem is often used in memorials but the words also suit slippery days like today.

Tatting Tea Tuesday
What tea befits a Tuesday that is gone, flitted away in procrastination and minutiae?

Sun tea! A homemade infusion of green and Lady Grey with a fresh slice of lemon.

I have had a paisley design on my mind, but it turned out to be more leafy than paisley. Here is a sketch.

It can be tatted all in one pass, but to do it I had to start with a chain. And beads (or Josephine knots) may be added, especially around the edges.

If anyone thinks this looks too similar to a leaf design they have seen elsewhere, please let me know.

This is as far as I got on the test tat before Bali fever took over. More on that later.

County Fair
Have you noticed that county fair season is upon us? Batatter finished her county fair project this week, and her Bellaluna Bat is a work of art!

Instead of buckling down to work on my fair doily, I spent several days winding off exchange threads and receiving lovely notes with coveted samples tucked inside. These tantalizing new threads have been calling, begging to be tried.

Envelopes have arrived from near and far.

This striking stamp from Australia caught The Sprout's eye as soon as I pulled the letter from the post box.

"Is that one for ME, mommy?" he asked. "See? It has a TRAIN on it!" And so it did.

Bali Ha'i
Then I heard the siren song of Heather, The Tarnished Tatter's Bali HDT in size 50. It beckoned, luring me like a sailor, calling me away to start Mary Konior's spinning wheel glass mat.

So many others have made this spectacular glass mat. The pattern can be found in "Tatting with Visual Patterns" on page 72. While I'm not that far along, I completely understand why people are so fond of this pattern. (Why is it called a glass mat and not a coaster?)

Bali colorway has a lush quality that reminds me of exotic sunsets. The thread has a bit of a soft hand, but so long as you don't unpick (retrotat, tonk) too often, rings close smoothly and hold their shape.

Goodness, for a post about time racing by, I have blathered on, haven't I? Time to put this post to bed.

Wishing you all more me-time to create something beautiful.

See you in July for more communi-tea!

Long Overdue: Size 50 HDT from Heather

This was a post-in-progress when Silly Hat Central's router went kaput. 

Does this happen to you?

You carve out a little niche of time to blog, get into a comfortable groove, but don't quite get through everything you wanted to write. You make a note to get that last bit in the next post.

And before you can say "Bob's your Uncle," you are facing a blog backlog.

Backlogs don't sound all that bad. That is, until they get out of control. Ambitatterous has had a blog backlog for months. Despite best efforts to whittle it down, the reserve banks up again all too soon.

This goodie is one that could no longer remain cached.

As a thank you for test-tatting two swan motifs for her book, Afternoon Tatting, Heather, The Tarnished Tatter mailed me these lovely goodies: three skeins of simply gorgeous HDT in size 50, two googly-eyed ceramic "Sammy" shuttles, size 10 HDT bamboo and more!

But I foolishly didn't photograph them right away. Now the shuttles are stashed and not readily accessible, but the threads are.

Isn't Heather the best? She has indefatigable design talent and a generous, giving heart.

"Wine & Roses" Weigela

Here are flowers for Heather from my "Wine and Roses" Weigela bush. (I confess to filching this idea from another tatter's blog. It is such a lovely way to show gratitude and share photos from your garden.)

Weigela, soaked in spray.

And just because the Kodak moment was too good not to share, here is The Sprout playing with the hose in the back yard. You can see the full Weigela bush in all its wild, unkempt glory. But I don't think the bush (as beautiful as it is) is the center of interest.

The Sprout taking aim at his dog Ginger.

Round 3 of Fair Doily

Round 3 of Square Fair Doily, unblocked
Round three (3) is complete and thankfully it went smoothly, though it is beginning to ruffle. Sharon Briggs' blocking method worked like a charm on the ruffle.

Round 3 of Square Fair Doily, blocked
Round four (4) is made up of split rings, which I really enjoy. I am looking forward to working them in two colors.

Kickin' It Up a Notch
It is time to really shift things into high gear. I want to tat an Easter egg this week, plus tat the first of several entwined hearts for a wedding project on which I have volunteered to assist.

AND a lucky winner must be choosen for the International Tatting Day - Pamper Yourself Giveaway on April 1st! Who will it be?

It could be you! But only if you enter.

Milward Shuttle - My eBay auction win!
Milward Shuttle
Last week I won an eBay auction and scored a Milward tatting shuttle from a seller in the UK. It didn't come with a hook, but I am still over the moon with excitement to be its proud new owner.

Milward stopped producing these shuttles in the 1980s so they are increasingly hard to find.

In October 2009 Fox wrote of her eBay auction win of a Milward shuttle and an English Aero. It's true, my longing quadrupled after reading her post. My English Aero quest continues with a broad, "I got a Milward" grin!

ISO Manuela Thread
The English Aero is not the only thing I am in search of. Recently I took a thread inventory and realized that some color planning and organizing was in order. One thread I was not able to buy was size 20 Manuela  "Vanilla" color #055.

The incredible family of tatters on the Here_Be_Tatters list have graciously helped me in my search.

• Jeff (Bridge City Tatting) helped me find the correct color number for Manuela Vanilla. 
• Elesa Hurley looked through her thread stash and offered me her ball of Manuela "Natural" color #002. 

Thanks to you both, and anyone else who checked their stash for Manuela "Vanilla." The quest continues, so if you stumble upon a source, please let me know!

Last but not least, here is how I have organized my "ball" cottons. A 50% off Michaels A&C coupon came in handy to purchase this three-drawer cabinet. Now I have a separate drawer for size 20, 40 and size 50 - 80 threads. A narrow basket in each drawer will hold hand-dyed threads (HDT).

Thread Storage
Off to tat hearts and eggs and split rings.

Hope to see you for Tatting Tea Tuesday!

A Giveaway — No Foolin'

For many, April 1st is a day for tomfoolery, pranks and hoaxes. But for tatters it is a day devoted to furthering a lace-making art.

Did you know that April Fools Day is also International Tatting Day?

Many tatters still don't know about our special day. So in the interest of getting the word out far and wide, I am having another giveaway!

Enter for a chance to win this pampering set from New Hands Soaps and Lotions.

Amber Romance Gift Set
NHSL is my twin sister's Etsy shop. In February Igoya prepared a Posh Petals custom set for me to use as a prize. In it was an indulgent combination of chocolate lip balm, champagne and strawberries linen spray and posh petals soap.

As good as that was, this gift set is even better! Amber romance is a warm and mildly aphrodisiac scent with black cherry, creme Anglaise, sandalwood, sensual amber and Egyptian musk.

Included in the prize package is a 6-ounce lotion and two 7.5 ounce bars of long-lasting, handmade soap.

And since we're "partyin' like its our birthday," I'm throwing in a skein of Tatskool's Vanilla Sky hand-dyed thread. Just in time for Easter or Spring tatting projects.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment on this post. You must leave a valid e-mail address to be eligible for the prize. Comments without valid contact information will not be entered in the drawing.

2. Cut-off date for entries is Wednesday, March 31.

3. Winner will be announced on Thursday, April 1st.

For more chances to win you can

1. post about this giveaway on your blog to qualify for an additional entry.

2. post about this giveaway on Twitter to qualify for an additional entry.

Be sure to add a (2) or (3) to your comment, just like in LadyShuttleMaker's Mondo Monday Giveaways. Kindly include a clickable link or the name of your blog so I may verify your entry. Once verified, you will be added to my giveaway spreadsheet a second or even a third time.

Winner will be chosen via random number generator.

---

Wanna see my past posts for International Tatting Day?

2009 - International Tatting Day – No Foolin'

2008 - No Foolin' – International Tatting Day

---

Each year in honor of International Tatting Day I sit down to tat with my fish-shaped shuttle. Over the past two years I have searched in vain for a Celtic fish pattern. If anyone finds one please do forward details or a link.

That said, it would be remiss of me not to point out that Jane Eborall offers many wonderful animal patterns for free, including an impressive goldfish in three sizes, small fishy earrings and even a starfish.

Special thanks to Georgia Seitz for making my beloved fish shuttle and Lady Jane for sharing her limitless creative artistry.

If you're still reading, click on this link to read a lovely poem called The Name of a Fish by Faith Shearin.

Now, let's all spread the word about International Tatting Day!

Flame Lantana up my sleeve

By now you have probably read Tatskool's post about the first in her new Transitions series of HDT. Code named ROY, it later was named after a lush Australian blooming plant, the Lantana.

You have no idea how hard it has been not to show you this thread. Keeping it under wraps was quite a challenge. Imagine me sitting on my hands resisting urges to madly type out my squeals of glee!

Far be it from me to pass up a "cahoot-y oppor-tooty!" It has been loads of fun pondering names and chatting about color. Here is what ROY reminded me of early on.

How boring is that? Tatskool's fiery lantana flower is so much better. Spot on!

Then the way the orange plays on and off the yellow put me in mind of molten glass^†. Here is a slide I shot in 1986 for a photography class. Tatskool thought the molten glass was better. Closer to lava. She was right again.

^†This nostalgic photo was taken at the glass manufacturing plant in my home town in Western Pennsylvania. The plant closed down shortly after the photo was taken.

Where are the Samples?
Hats off to the wily Fox for tatting a great motif that shows how well Flame Lantana pairs with black. My first thought when I saw her post was, 'Wow, that would make a lovely Monarch butterfly.'

My first sample is Betsy Evans' Rainbow Heart Bookmark.  It is tatted in size 20 Flame Lantana.

You can see that I had to tat it twice. After not following my better judgment, I left a picot open when the diagram clearly showed it joined. (The written instructions said not to join.) The end result was the glaring little blighter on the left. See it?

My second (third if you count the heart do-over) motif is from a doily by Iris Niebach. I downloaded the pattern from her free pages. Here is the border pattern.

See how the colors flow! No pooling whatsoever.

It's too bad I ran out of thread on the final repeat. Only eight inches of thread were left on each shuttle so I had to stop. (If I hadn't tatted the first heart twice I would have had plenty of thread to finish.)

Eagle-eyed readers will also surely note that my center ring of hearts are not dimpled as shown in the diagram.

Fear of breaking and wasting precious thread led me to use the dimple technique in the Jessica Rose pattern. I thought it would be a good substitution since it is worked in half hitches as are the Josephine knots. It gives the center a ruffled look, which may not be pleasing to everyone.

I found this awesome pattern on Dale Marie's tatting blog, Shuttle and Thread. She is combining seven of these heart-filled motifs into an incredibly lovely doily. Please do go visit and compliment her on her beautiful work. The tatting is simply stunning.

Apologies to Iris Niebach for turning her hexagon into an incomplete pentagon. But it was so much fun to watch the colors flow and mingle as this motif took shape.

Tatskool has another first-rate thread to offer. And if her future releases are anything like this one, [I know, but I'm not telling!] you bet your sweet bippy I'll be in first line to get mine.

Snowed in Under a Cherry Moon

More snow! New Tea! And a tiny bit of tatting.

Valentine's Day has come and gone but I'm still feeling its rosy glow. So I start Tatting Tea Tuesday by brewing up "a romantic tea of tender warmth."

That's what it says on the package of Cherry Moon Decaf Green Tea I purchased as a Valentine's Day treat.

Disclaimer: I do not profit by promoting the teas I drink while tatting on TTT, but I do enjoy describing them.

This one is a relaxing blend of decaffeinated Sencha green tea and hibiscus, plus some unspecified flavor mix concocted by the Eastern Shore Tea Company. I do not taste cherry, but I do detect a light fruit (orange or apple?) and rosehips flavor. A quick check of the company's web site confirms the blend has hibiscus, rosehips, apple pieces, orange, and cherry flavors. Wow, if only I were as good at wine tasting!

The packaging invites the buyer to share this tea with a special friend. And so I shall.

If you would like to try a sample of Cherry Moon Decaf Green tea, let me know in the comment section below and I will mail you a foil-wrapped tea bag. Be sure to email me privately with your contact info!

Now for the tatting.

An experiment is underway. Here's the hypothesis: Can Lyn Morton's Margaret motif (found in her book, Tatting Patterns, page 81) with its six-petal flower, be tatted as a nine-petal flower and turned into a nine-sided motif?

So far I like the way it is progressing in Tatskool's luscious ChocoRaspberry. The five-petal posies are positively cheerful. And would be even more so if tatted in Springtime colors with green chains.

I did make one more change to Lyn Morton's pattern. I threw off a ring from the connecting chains in order to expand the circumference of the circle, allowing room for nine posies and creating a bit more negative space.

Pardon the messy state of the tatting (unclipped strings and what not). I had hoped to be farther along, but with a pirate birthday party planned for later this week, I'm swamped. Aarrgh!

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

♫ 99 Tatting Posts on the Wall ♫

Crazy Mom Tats announcement of her 100th post giveaway sent me looking to see how far away I was from 100 posts. Surprise! A lot closer than I thought.

Since I have a giveaway started, I will have to find something else to amuse you all with for my 100th post. But what?

Here is your chance to heckle. Go ahead, yell something out from the inky black. Oh wait, (much like in space) I won't hear you scream. Better leave a comment. ツ

Tatting Tea Tuesday
Even though today was a perfect day for hot tea, I opted for quick and easy. A tall pour of iced green apple tea from the pitcher in the fridge. This stuff is fabulous hot or cold.

Green Apple Tea
1 gallon water
6 green tea bags
1/2 gallon apple cider or apple juice
(I use (6) Alpine Lace Spiced Cider packets, plus 6 cups water, if I don't have either on hand.)

Optional:
Honey, to taste
1-2 shots Green Apple Pucker (to give it a hint of "green apple" tartness)

This makes a lovely hot toddy with a shot of liquor added to your mug -- either more Green Apple Pucker or something that is more appealing to you, if you are not a fan of the neon green stuff. It is perfectly lovely as is. I drink this tea year round. YUM!

Sweet or Sinful Indulgence?
Now for the tatting. Last week Liyarra posted her gorgeous doily made from a Lene Bjorn pattern in the Danish Tatting Guild (Dansk Orkisforening) newsletter Orkis Bladet. I have had no luck contacting the guild (probably because I wrote in English). Would someone who speaks Danish kindly translate my request for me?

Here's where the tatting gets dubious. Instead of waiting for a reply or a pattern, I enlarged the image from Liyarra's blog and tatted the central motif from her photo. Bad, bad manners! My tatting grandmother would ground me. Here is the evidence of my deceit.

You can see that my chain tension is off (the hearts aren't even) but even so I can't take my eyes off  this pretty. It is so lovely in Tatskool's ChocoRaspberry size 40.

Tatting this motif actually tested my chocolate resolve. Couldn't stop thinking about Godiva Raspberry Cordials. I had to put it down several times to go hunting for chocolate to nibble.

This week I finished the edging in Bracken Crunch and am stitching it onto a quilted ball ornament. The pattern is available on the InTatters group under the Knots - Tatting Links tab. The file is called Beeton Edge. If the link doesn't take you directly to the page you may need to register to access the Knots folder.

And I finished two more itty-bitty shamrocks. The pattern is from "The Tatted Artistry of Teiko Fujito."

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

It Came! A Shamrock Setback & More

Fabric Postcard from Bonnie's Tatting Blog
Today Bonnie's blog giveaway prize came in the mail, making it a very good day. It is a fabric postcard that sets the mood for Spring. I am ready for a few flowers in the garden and a few buzzing bees. Are you?

Thank you, Bonnie! Your uplifting card sits next to Carol Lawecki's tatted teapot note card on my computer desk, where it brightens my day and long into the wee hours.

There is so much to write about today!

The Sprout slept in glamorously late (8:30 AM) so Tatting Tea Tuesday started early with decaf Irish Breakfast tea. I started tatting what I thought would be the easy one. The three or four-leaf clover pattern from "The Tatted Artistry of Teiko Fujito."

I had some Majestic 80 left over on a shuttle so I thought I would use it up doing a bit of warm-up test tatting.

[cue mumbled curses, teeth-gnashing and the sound of thread repeatedly snapping under tension]

Two full hours of frustrated attempts led to what you see below. (Had to keep putting it down and walking away.) But I want tiny, delicate shamrocks.

Tomorrow I will try again with Star tatting cotton in size 70. It has a more firm hand and hopefully won't snap so easily as the softer, but more lustrous Majestic.

Besides T.I.A.S. I have been working on an edging tatted in Tatskool's Bracken Crunch size 40. I love the way the lime transforms into antique gold and the gold into rusty red, back to gold and full circle to lime. It really has enlivened and enriched the dull, grey days.

I have Been Bad
Copping a phrase from Fox, I have a confession to make. I have been in touch with Tatskool, Krystledawne, Yarnplayer, Lady Shuttlemaker and LaceySusan. In an attempt to hide the evidence soften the blow I won't be posting the HDT purchases until later in the week.

All Good Things Come in Threes
Just look at my three new tatting books! I tried to camophlage them with other goodies, including a fancy bone china teacup, saucer and third plate, plus bobbin holders and new Lizbeth thread.

Tatskool, were you distracted by the cup? Jane, did you see your tatting bag? Krystle, did you notice Dr. Von Threadmore's handiwork? Wanda, see how your butterfly marks my place?

Honestly, I have been blessed by the generosity and friendship of you all. And so many more.

My copy of Tatting Patterns by Lyn Morton sprouted (unintentional pun) legs and scampered off, so I needed to replace it.

The Japanese book was purely an impulse buy.

The prize of the buying spree was the French tatting book! I dropped $34.00 on this precious jewel. And I try never to spend that much on a tatting book.

My French is very rusty, but the author prefaces her work by writing:

Savez-vous que le monde minéral peut être source d'inspiration pour les dentellières?

The author uses crystaline mineral sructures as the inspiration for her lace — things like snow, sugar, salt, mineral metals and gemstones  Flipping through the pages was like being gifted with sapphires, rubies, celestine, amethyst, agate, petalite, tourmaline...

It gives new meaning to tatting bling, eh?

And there's more! Come back on Friday for HDT madness.

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

No Rose Without a Thorn UPDATE

Rose Doodle by Mary Konior
This past Saturday Tat Land lost a treasured rose. Mary Konior passed away from Alzheimers. So today's post begins with a quiet moment of reflection.

Mary, rest in peace and tat with the angels.

I never met Mary, but own two of her tatting books and refer to them often for inspiration. The volume of responses to the news of her passing shows how well loved and respected Mary was.

Today I settle in with a steaming cup of Pomegranate Rose tea and tat the rose doodle from Mary's wonderful book, Tatting with Visual Patterns. All the while thanking the powers that be for her time spent among us and the vast talent she shared.

After that I will start Queen of Hearts from the same book. While Yarnplayer's Roses is an obvious and lovely HDT choice, I have been saving Tatskool's Chocolate Raspberry for a special heart motif and this one feels just right. Photos will be posted as soon as I complete them.



I leave you with a beautiful song by Francoise Hardy, Mon Amie La Rose. Lovely, lovely song.

And the sensual and moving remake by Natacha Atlas. It is a song I choreographed a veil dance to several years ago and dedicated to my older sister who died from complications related to end-stage Multiple Sclerosis. Lovely, lovely song.

Natacha Atlas - Mon amie la rose
Uploaded by bernie-noel. - Explore more music videos.

If you would like to see the belly dance, let me know and I will ask Big Daddy to format the video for upload.

UPDATE: WED January 20: Rose doodle uploaded. I left the tails visible to show that I padded the stem. It looks good without padding too, I just wanted to try it to see. That said, I have never finished off padded tatting before. How is it done?

Should I just give the padding threads an extra snug, snip them close and cross my fingers that the ends won't show? Your comments and suggestions are welcome!

And with that, I leave you to your tea and tatting.  Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

A Hush Falls

Today's post is a culmination of tatting angst and a nod to the hush that seems to be falling over Tat Land of late.

Please join me as I pour a tall glass of "Iced Tea" by The Carpenters and fracture one of their best loved songs.



I know you were expecting to hear the tune, "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)".

I had originally planned this as a Tatting Tea Tuesday post and it was my attempt at a tie-in. Yes, I hear the crickets...

I freely admit I am not as good at Tatting Tea tie-ins as Gina the Tatting Goddess. But I can fracture a quote (or a lyric) with the best of them!


There's a kind of hush,
All over Tat Land tonight.
All over Tat Land.
You can hear the sound of lacers mid-knot.

You know what I mean.

So listen very carefully
Get closer now and you will see what I mean
It isn't a dream

The only sound that you will hear

Are lacing shuttles [needles] clicking into high gear
Before Santa appears


What? More crickets?!? Y'all sure are a tough crowd.

Before you start lobbing rotten tomatoes, here is a fascinating PDF file. It is a tatting story that The New York Times originally ran on February 2, 1913. The title of the story was Tatting Rest Cure for British Brains.

Can you believe that under the headline it said this? "beats playing solitaire"  Oh sweet mercy!

I particlularly was amused at the spelling of the word doily : "d'oyley."

Another amusing bit was the term "toilet mat." Today, wouldn't a toilet mat be one of those fuzzy rugs that people use to accessorize their bathroom decor? I'm pretty sure that in 1913 they were referring to a lacy dresser scarf or some such.

Now, the next time you find yourself in the loo, the words "toilet mat" will pop into your head. LOL!

Remember — Tatting, it beats playing solitaire!

(To come full circle, it seems The Carpenters released their version of the Neil Sedaka song, "Solitaire" in 1975 and it reached 17 on hit charts of the day. As a kid my first LP was one of The Carpenters albums. Just more useless trivia...)

I know, I know...don't quit my day job.  Aren't you glad I shelved this topic in favor of dishing on HDT stash?

Have a great weekend!

What's in Your Stash?

My HDT stash.
Please forgive this quick post, I have a couple of burning questions for HDT lovers:

Are you a HDT hoarder? A user?
How much HDT is in your stash?

Lately I have been feeling guilty reflective [They would take away my Unrepentant Thread Junkie membership card if I lapsed into feelings of contrition.] over recent HDT purchases. And my desire barely rational need to purchase more is getting stronger.

Don't get the wrong idea. I don't regret a single (or multiple) skein purchase. But I know I won't be able to use all this gorgeous thread in the pre-holiday hustle, either to make gifts or to shorten my "must tat" list.

Let's face it, I currently possess enough threads (not just HDTs, but total thread stash) to last multiple lifetimes. Yet I still must have more hand-dyed thread.

As radical and absurd as it may seem, HDTs don't always bring out the best in a pattern or design. Sometimes it is better to pair a variegated thread with a solid. And yes, there are times when only a solid color will showcase a design to its best advantage. But I'm no expert in making those weighty decisions. Still very much a novice!

Back to the pretty colors. LOL!

Looking over the photo, I see a shortage of rusty red or blue-blended colorways. (Excepting Tatskool's awesome indigo and blue skeins, of course.) There is also room for something deliciously creamy (maybe some Vanilla Sky?). Maybe some Helm's Deep...

See how easily I enable myself?

Could you help me assuage this wicked HDT craving?

Show me your HDT stash. Don't hold back. It will help me put mine into perspective.

Something Witchy is Brewing

This past week a package of HDT arrived from Lady ShuttleMaker.

Doesn't this colorway just leap off the screen? I love, love, love the witchy progression of orange to yellow to green, back to yellow to orange and finally to purple.

This is a colorway that I have wanted for well over a year. Mind you, Tatskool's Bracken Crunch was pre-loaded CTM onto two shuttles, ready to work on this pattern and another set of loaded shuttles ready to test tat one of her lovely motifs from the Design_Tat course. But the call was too strong. It was the call of size 20 Witches Brew!

The pattern comes from page 53 of Georgia Seitz's pattern book, "Tatting on the Edge...and Beyond." It was first published in "Tatting Knots and Notes," a newsletter edited by Doretha Albee. The pattern is called "Doretha's Teardrop Edging."

So I must beg forgiveness from Tatskool for bumping her scrumptious thread and motif to play with this seasonal skein. The fun, Halloween colors just begged to be tatted into something fun in the days preceding All Hallow's Eve.

As it turns out, I didn't complete this doily any way.

All day Friday I was learning how to make bobbin lace.

My 1^st Practice Piece(linen stitch and half stitch)
This is the end result of my first lesson in Torchon. (Second lesson happens this coming Friday.) This practice piece looked a lot better while it was still pinned to the pillow. Clearly I need to learn the best way to remove the pins and free the lace...

But back to Doretha's Teardrop Edging. The pattern repeats 12 times before joining back to the starting point. Each repeat forms a small, rounded wedge that would make lovely beaded earrings or 3D flower petals.

It is late and my eyes have gotten heavy, so I must stop here for now. Watch for progress in a post to come. Happy Halloween to all. And to all, a good night!