Egregious Green

See how close I came to completing this motif only to run short of green thread on the final repeat?

It laid flat until the final repeat and now cups ever so slightly.
Blocking may fix it. If not, the experiment will continue anew -- as 3D tatting.

It is definitely not in my nature to just "go with it," but this experiment seems to be progressing mostly according to plan. So nervously do I turn this project over to the muses.

Sorry to be unclear, y'all. I am not quitting this motif just because the green thread ran out. I had hoped to have the new green added in, the final chains completed and all ends hidden by today, but life got in the way of lacemaking.

So I'm showing you anyway. Sometimes you can't rush a good thing.

Anyway, if the muses choose 3D then I'm thinking perhaps a 3D Teapot?

* Thread Specs - Flora 20 Green #230, Lizbeth 20 #601 Snow White and Lizbeth 20 #613 Golden Yellow Medium.

* Diameter in size 20 thread = 4 inches (10.2 cm)

A Traveling Adventure Series?

Gentle tatters, our community is poised to create a new custom.

Two "traveling book adventures" are in progress and a third is in the preparing stages. All in loving tribute to tatting paragons who have gone before, but who are not forgotten.

It all started with Angeline Crichlow.

Through the generous efforts of Fox in Canada, a copy of "Let's Tat" has been "on loan" - whisking its way around the globe from one interested tatter to the next and so on. Three Cheers for Fox and Angeline's Traveling Book Adventure!

[Responding to a request I have received for information on how to acquire books published by Angeline Crichlow (deceased 1997): This is the information I have:

Angeline Crichlow*
order by mail C/O her daughter, Jeani Crichlow Wieck, 4309 SE Flavel Portland OR 97206. Contact IsDihara (me) privately if you would like a phone number.]

Here is a link to my 2009 post "Let's Tat"


Mary Konior*
A year and almost 4 months ago, Tat Land lost another treasured rose in Mary Konior. We all love her patterns and will likely love them for generations to come.

Here is a link to my 2009 post No Rose Without a Thorn

Martha Ess (a great tatter in her own right) has generously launched a second "on loan" traveling book adventure. Yes!  A copy of Mary Konior's "Tatting in Lace" has also begun traveling. Three Cheers for Martha and Mary's Traveling Book Adventure!

So tell me, what do you think of starting a "traveling book adventure" series?

My two cents: it would be a lovely tribute to the tatting paragons who made their own textbooks when none were available, who published so that tatting did not perish, who shared of themselves to keep our gentle art alive.

Tatting Tea Tuesday - Margaret, Modified Again

Today's tatting is for Fox who commented that she would like to see the modified "Margaret" motif in white, yellow and green.

Hurray! I remembered to try out Jane's "blipless" joining technique for the first join.

Boo! I forgot to throw off a green ring from petals two and four of the smaller, five-petal posy. *face.palm*

The ring was intended to connect the outer posies for added strength.

Journey commented that she would consider further modifying this pattern to connect the flowers. Sharon Briggs also mused about not leaving those posies to wave in the wind.

I agree! So the experiment continues.

(Can't help wondering, though, if a six-petal flower would align the rings and petals more judiciously.) ッ

The outer round of posies reminds me of Western Springbeauty or Pear blossoms.

Easter Socks

The Nelson edgings for Easter socks were completed on time and given to my niece Jalice. Can you believe that is the first pair of socks to which I have ever attached tatting?

Another observation: two 12 1/2-inch lengths of edging (31.8 cm) are roughly halfway around a handkerchief.  Hmmm...

As for tea, I sipped my first seasonal glass of sun tea. It was a refreshing blend of decaf green, pomegranate and wild berry plum. (It sounds complicated, but tastes delicious on ice!)

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

Motif 23 - Margaret, Adapted

An adaptation of Lyn Morton's "Margaret"
into a nine-sided motif

A UFO that began as a design experiment in 2009 is finally done.

This piece was intended to be part of my first 25 motif challenge so, in a weird way, it is good that I hadn't yet completed the challenge. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.)

Here is the post that started it all. Snowed in Under a Cherry Moon

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?

The proof: Yes, it can.

I did make one more change to Lyn Morton's pattern. I threw off a ring from the connecting chains in round two in order to create a bit more negative space. The rings create an inner circle that I find quite pleasing.

Lyn Morton's "Margaret" includes a third round of chains with single rings to connect the flowers. Round three adds strength and gives the motif a polished finish.

Doesn't Tatskool's luscious ChocoRaspberry HDT make this piece look sweet as a gumdrop? (It is size 40 thread, I think.)

I would love to tat this again using her Apple Blossom HDT. And again in three solid colors (white, yellow and green).

I will count this motif as number 23 in my 25 motif challenge.

Boy does it feel good to finish this motif!

NPR takes on The Celery Question

As I was writing up my next tatting post, I stumbled upon this story from NPR columnists Robert Krulwich and OddTodd.

If you have ever had to give up chocolate (*gasp*) in favor of celery, their views will be of particular interest.

Chewing on Carbon: The Celery Question

Just one more reason to eat chocolate, if you ask me.

Spumone + Macarons = YUM?

Check out this Flikr photo of a Spumoni Macaroon:
Spumoni Macaron Sandwich (In Italy, spelled Spumone)
I'm off and running to try this flavor combination!

If the taste doesn't live up to the imagery, I will fall back on either pumpkin filling, orange curd or salted caramel.

The foodie in me is dancing with glee. Wheee!

UPDATE: The Spumoni ice cream samples are resting in the freezer. The pumpkin filling samples are resting in the refrigerator.

As for the salted caramel filling I turned to a no-fail foodie blog: Smitten Kitchen - Deep, Dark, Salted Butter Caramel

Test Filling #1: Pumpkin Curd

Just looking at the photo, I can hardly believe I made such a tasty-looking mac in my own kitchen!

The lighting in following two photos isn't nearly as good but show the fillings adequately enough to make my mouth water.

Test Filling #2a: Spumoni - Cherry/Pistachio

Test Filling #2b: Spumoni - Pistachio

Had to stop taking photos for the blog, as I kept eating samples! Sadly the salted caramel samples didn't get made because of health issues.

Do I intend to savor this baking victory? You bet your sweet bippy!

The results are in!

1. Spumoni (Pistachio, then Cherry, then Chocolate)
2. lemon curd (strong lemon flavor, only a hint of pistachio)
3. pumpkin curd (totally overwhelmed the pistachio flavor)

After all is said and done, I'm sure that a pistachio buttercream would top this list. Salted caramel would rank second(if not first). Dark chocolate ganache probably number three.

As for the curds, they have their merits, but are best paired with macs of the same flavor. At least until my mac palate matures.

Little Pistachio Sins

Remember when I posted about macaroons to celebrate Macaroon Day?

Today I achieved my first macaroon baking success. Here are a few photos.

First successful meringue

Piped shells resting for 30 minutes

Here is what shells look like when you slide them straight into the oven without letting them rest first.

Now for a confession: I haven't yet assembled the macaroons. Every filling recipe calls for butter and heavy cream or whipping cream and I just don't want that kind of temptation during Lent.

Some macaroons are filled with jam or curd (as in lemon curd) but what flavor goes best with pistachio macaroons?

The recipes in Mad About Macarons suggest a pistachio buttercream or a dark chocolate ganache. Both sound sinfully delicious. But I need something else.

So I ponder (apricot? orange?) and nibble pistachio-and-air confections that are "little sins" in their own right.

We Now Return You to Your Regularly Scheduled Program