My Good Wishes to You All

Wishing you all a wonderful and peaceful holiday and a great New Year 2012

See you again sometime in January.

Let it Snow...

I do wish it would!  This is one time of year when I miss my home and all the snow there...

Here are a few more snowflakes/ornaments from the same book as in the previous post

(DMC Tatting for Today)

Best wishes,

So Quiet...

I hope it's just because everyone is too busy?.... 

I've put the Christmas pudding to boil, it will be ready in five hours.  Meanwhile there's still a bit of time here and there for some more tatting.

Not sure I'm completely happy with this one.  I tatted many of the snowflakes out of this book last year (DMC "Tatting for Today") but there were still a few untried and this is one of them:

It's ok but not as interesting as I thought it might turn out.

Good enough to put in someone's Christmas card though?

Best wishes,

Stellar

Here is another pattern of a snowflake I showed you earlier which I hope some of you will like.  The pattern has not been test-tatted by someone else so if you find any mistakes, please do let me know so I can correct them as quickly as possible.  I finally got a ball of the new Blue Ice and I do like it, perfect for snowflakes!  Now I just want to re-tat this with a few beads for extra sparkle...

Clicking on the photo will take you to the pattern

or it's also available in the side bar under "My Free Patterns"

I hope everyone's Christmas preparations are going well.

Best wishes,

Regal

For those of you who kindly expressed interest in Le Flocon Royal, it is now available in my Etsy shop.  I have re-christened it with an English name keeping with the royal theme as was inspired by the crown-shaped points.

And this new pattern includes a DIAGRAM!

Here are three different versions of it, with more or fewer beads, all tatted in Lizbeth size 20.

This one has 4mm Swarovski crystal bicones,

a three-bead picot on the centre chains,

and a larger seed bead just below the trefoils.

This one has faceted 4mm crystal beads only.

This one has the Swarovskis again

and a Miyuki Delica bead below the trefoil.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas tatting.  All this testing of patterns has provided me with many ornaments to give away as well as fulfilling the purpose of getting my patterns ready!

Again, my appreciative thanks go to Carol Lepard for test-tatting this pattern and providing many useful comments.  She also made some pretty versions of this with even more beads which she will hopefully show on her blog soon.

Best wishes,

Learning to Make Diagrams

So here is a variation of Le Flocon Frivole which I have shown you in a previous post.  This is a simpler version which is tatted in one pass.  So I had a go at writing the briefest pattern ever!

The only thing I should have perhaps noted on there is that TR stands for thrown ring and it's a ring made with the left-hand shuttle whilst the chain is going on.

My thanks to Jane Eborall who kindly gave advice and pointed me in the right direction.  I felt diagrams were lacking from my patterns so I decided to take the bull by the horns... so to speak.

Hopefully the diagram above should give you the snowflake below:

Sorry about the wishy-washy colour, it's late here and

my camera's no good with evening lighting!

And am I right in thinking that Tatcrazy and Wodentoad still haven't claimed their free Criss-Cross Snowflake pattern?  Please do let me know if that's the case.

Best wishes,

And The Winner Is....

With all this flurry of activity with the pattern last night, I nearly forgot to do the draw for the shuttle!  Well, I did forget... and went to the random number generator at twenty past midnight!

With only 32 comments, the odds of winning were good and here is what the random number generator said:

And comment number 20 was written by.....

(and a lovely comment it was too!)

Creativasuculencia!

Please contact me with your address and I will send you the shuttle.

* * *

Here is a photo of Le Flocon Frivole on a bauble.

(Thanks Carol for showing me this worked with my pattern)

I added some crystal drops to weight the motif down and make it drape better.

Good point Tattin'Kat, I forgot to mention that it is tatted

in Lizbeth 20 and the bauble says size approx. 60mm on the box.

There are three people who still haven't claimed their free pattern from yesterday.  And I have to thank you all for the interest generated - many have purchased my first pattern already, I am delighted.  Now back to work for the next one!

Best wishes,

Criss-Cross Snowflake Pattern

Ok, after much soul searching (and I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing!), I decided to list this pattern in my Etsy shop.  In the hope that if I can earn a few pennies with my tatting, my husband and children will forgive the too-many-hours I spend with my shuttles!

This pattern also looks great with beads

either bugle or seed beads

(or both as in this one!)

My special thanks go to Carol Lepard who test-tatted this pattern for me.  You can see her versions of this snowflake here.

Now, so as to be forgiven (will I be?), I am offering the pattern for free to the first 10 people who comment.

Best wishes,

Ooh! I'm Chuffed With This One!

Looks like I'm still rolling!  

Started last night on this new idea and here is the result:

I know I shouldn't be congratulating myself, it's definitely not good manners and I apologise, but I really like this one.  I think I will call it "Flocon Royal" as there is something regal about it to me...  I don't know why, it's the shape above the crystals that makes me think of crowns...  I will be re-making it with a different thread and with Swarovsky crystal bicones but I was too impatient and had to make a post about it straight away!

I may have this as my first pattern "for sale" (when I get around to writing it up that is!).  I've been really encouraged by all your positive comments to my patterns so far.  Thank you!

Meanwhile I've been working on the pattern for the trellis/criss-cross one so this will be coming up soon. 

AND, just one more day for the shuttle giveaway.  Don't forget to leave a comment in the previous post if you want to be entered.

Best wishes,

My Christmas Gift to You

I said a few posts ago that I wanted to celebrate the fact that I have now more than 100 followers AND that my tatting video has been seen more than 10,000 times (still find that amazing!) so I want to thank you for your interest in what I do. I've always felt in my own little world when it comes to needlework, working in my own bubble, but with the web, I've enjoyed "meeting" many like-minded spirits!

So again, thank you for your support and interest

and taking the time to write comments to my posts.

On top of that, it's now December so it's time for gifts!  Here is mine:  La Cossette has kindly donated one of the popular "Holly in the Snow" shuttles so that I could hold a giveaway.

Please leave a comment and you will be entered in the draw

to be held on... December 7th, sounds good?

I don't want to wait too long so there is time to ship it

wherever it may go.

AND... I'm still rolling!  And came up with another snowflake design:

I think le Flocon Frivole might still be my favourite so far

but I'm enjoying this bout of designing creativity!

Best wishes,

I'm on a roll!

This is ridiculous, two posts on the same day... but snowflake fever has overcome me!  I didn't know for a while whether it would come together but I just finished this and I felt like sharing it.  So here is another design I've come up with.  I started last night and it did take a little while to get the right tension on those long crossed picots so they crossed in the middle and were pulled into shape, just so!  It was an interesting challenge but I'm pleased with the result.

I like the way it kinda makes a snowflake within a snowflake...

Do you see what I mean?

If you squint while looking at it, 

you will loose the detail

and see the shapes.

I now need to find it a pretty name.  Any suggestions?

Best wishes,

Variations on a Theme

I've been experimenting with my snowflake design.  I wanted to make a simpler version that is tatted in one pass.

Here are two different versions.

The one on the right looks more like a star than a snowflake.

But the one on the left is simple and still retains it's "flake" qualities I think.

Best wishes,

Snowflake Pattern Ready

Thank you to all those who expressed an interest in getting the pattern for my snowflake.  So here it is.  The pattern requires you to know how to start on a chain, make a split ring and self-closing mock rings (I have made videos for two of these techniques, links in the side bar).

I would be most grateful to the first few who will wish to tat this, to let me know if they find mistakes (there are bound to be some!) so I can correct them as quickly as possible.

Yes!  Somebody has already found one and I have just reloaded the pattern!


IF YOU DOWNLOADED THIS PATTERN YESTERDAY, I HAVE NOW CORRECTED A FEW THINGS KINDLY POINTED OUT BY TATTERS, SO PLEASE RE-PRINT!  Thank you.

Here it is in size 20, 40 and 80 threads.

Best wishes,

Cardigan Finished!

Here it is for those who were interested in the knitting.  I finally finished my cardigan and wore it for the first time yesterday.  I'm particularly pleased as I improvised as I went, changing the sleeve shape and making up the collar as I knitted (had an idea of how I wanted it to look but just guessed at how I should knit to obtain the shape!).  So all things considered, not a bad outcome.

This cardigan looks mostly blue and green but is actually made up of many

colours (10 in fact).  I particularly like the shades of purple (which can 

be seen better in this bottom photo) 

and how they are incorporated into the design.

Call me crazy but I already know what I want to knit next.  Now you know why I keep saying there are just not enough hours in a day!

On another note, I feel I need to celebrate a milestone:  I am honoured to now count 100 followers of my blog - Thank you so much for your support!  AND I have now had over 10,000 views of my very short tatting video, the first video I ever made, amazing!  I shall have to find a way to celebrate, keep you posted!

Best wishes,

My Own Snowflake

Last night I was fiddling about with my shuttles, thinking I must get going on making a few snowflakes (as it's December already next week!) and then I thought... I really need to make one of my own!  So I had a look at some pictures of real snowflakes for inspiration and this is what I've come up with so far:

What do you think?

I might play around with it a bit more with slight adjustments

but I think I like the general shape.

Best wishes,

Orsi's Snowflake

A very pretty pattern by Orsi. 

I love the shape of this snowflake:  small but perfect.

Again I added beads for a little extra holiday sparkle.

Best wishes,

Cutting the Steek!

I made it to the top!  And have tonight cut the front steek so I can start picking up stitches to make the buttonhole bands.

I know most people would think scissors and knitting shouldn't be brought together, but I always find the cutting part very exciting.  It means you're nearly finished with a long-term project!

Here's just starting to cut at the bottom of the ribbing.

Halfway up...

All done!  I can now try it on.

Next it's picking up the stitches along the edge to make the button bands.

I feared at some point that I had been overly ambitious with this knit.  Because I decided to modify the pattern.  Instead of making a square sleeve (which I never particularly like the fit of), I decided to make it a raglan sleeve.  So it was a bit of trial and error.  I'm also improvising on the collar.  I have an idea in mind of how I'd like it to look.  But no pattern to follow!  We shall soon see if I've been foolish.

Best wishes,

Jon's Featherline Snowflake

I know a lot of people will be into snowflakes at the moment.  They make such a nice little gift and I think they look lovely on the Christmas tree.

So here is another:  it is Jon's Featherline Snowflake.  Another pattern I had printed ages ago but not tried yet.  I added some gold beads as I do like a bit of sparkle for tree decorations.

Not a very quick tat but mostly due to being slowed down

with adding beads.

These were all added as I went.  No beads strung onto the thread beforehand.

Photo with flash above, without flash below.  Again trying hard to catch

the sparkliness of the beads, always difficult!

I'm pleased with this.  Apart from a slightly mis-shapen center because I didn't do a very good job of sewing in ends (a job I very much dislike as many of you know!).  So the next time I tat this, I will use split rings and tat it all in one go.  The only problem would be adding the bead between the two split rings... I shall have to give that some thought.

I think it's nice to see things from a distance sometimes.
It makes you more aware of the negative spaces - don't you think?
See how pretty the negative spaces are in this snowflake?
Viewed from here, and because of the beads, it even
looks as if the center is not attached and is just floating there...

Thank you very much Jon for the lovely pattern.

Best wishes,