Quick Post...

Sorry, feel a bit bad, but no new tatting to show you!  Instead spare time is taken up with knitting a waistcoat for my mother-in-law for her birthday coming up.

As mentioned in previous post, she loves green... so this is green too!

I hope to find time for tatting again very soon.  It's been so busy since the return from holidays.  I hope 2016 is off to a great start for all of you.  January can be a bit dreary... it certainly is weather-wise here!  So it's nice to have new projects and ideas to keep us cheerful.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Little Green Bag & Tatted Necklace

My mother-in-law really liked the blue bag I made for myself sometime last year.  Perfect - I could make her one as a Christmas present.  I took photos before giving it to her.  She loves green so it had to be green.  I found a really nice matching fabric to line it.  I'm also pleased with the straps:  I used my faithful old Prym Knitting Mill to make a long strap into which I inserted a cotton cord to give it body and prevent it stretching.  It's worked out well.

Prym Knitting Mill

My children and I have loved playing

with this over the years.

And I've been looking back at some of my designs that I have not published and decided to re-visit this necklace pattern.  Can't think of a good name for it yet.... Ideas anyone?   This design makes a nice frame for any pretty flat stone or bead... or you can even add a dangly ornament as in the apple version.  I'm going to make one for a friend whose birthday is coming up so that was a good excuse to re-work it.

I like to add beads to tatting for jewellery because it gives a bit of weight to the lace and helps keep it in place.  This is tatted in one round, so the whole necklace in one go... just the way I like it!

How about you?  What are your new projects for 2016?  

Best wishes,

Frivole

First Post of the Year

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a fabulous holiday!  It all goes by too quickly though, doesn't it?Now it's time to get back to work, get organised, children to school, etc...

Whilst away I re-visited a pattern:  "Twinkle Twinkle".  After Bentley, I fancied trying it with crystals.  Although I first made Twinkle Twinkle as a star pattern (with five points), on this occasion,  I preferred the snowflake version with six points, which gives a better shape to the centre chains, more curved.  I made variations.

Apologies for the lesser quality photos from my phone

(I didn't have my camera with me)

Below is the version with crystals.  I added a stitch to the chain on each side of the crystal (so 6 ds instead of 5 as in the pattern).  The one in the photo above, 2nd row, left, has 5 ds each side of the crystals.  The photo doesn't do it justice.  The crystals and added filament do look lovely and sparkly IRL.

Then I tried it with a pointy chain instead, using my 1SSCMR technique and I do like that version too.  This one doesn't have the added sparkly filament that I used in the version above.  I think the 1SSCMR on the inside round combined with the SCMR above on the points gives it a nice shape.

This is a quick motif to tat and the pattern is available for free under the "Patterns" tab above.   That was about all the tatting I made during our holiday.  The rest of the time was spent knitting socks!

I hope 2016 will be a creative one for every one.  I have ideas already and patterns I want to write up.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Last Post of the Year

Merry Christmas everyone!  Thank you so much for another wonderful year of blogging and sharing with all of you.  Your contributions are invaluable and I so appreciate all your comments.

For a bit of fun, I made a collage of 2015 in tatting. This is not everything by any means but I chose just one photo from each month of the year.

And here is 2015 in "other crafts"

again just one photo from each month

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!

With all my best wishes to all of you as always,
Frivole

I Still Love Squares!

…so when Sophie from "La Navette aux Bijoux" contacted me to ask if I'd test-tat her pattern, I was happy to oblige.  Isn't it nice?  I like the play of chains in this celtic design and how they wind in and out of each other.  She has made even prettier versions with beads but as I am very short on time, I tatted mine without and also to see how the size would work out as I didn't have the thread she recommends in the pattern.  You should go see the beaded versions on her blog, they're beautiful.

Not sure what made me choose two shades of grey… I should have gone for something a bit more cheerful!!  I definitely plan on trying it with beads too…. but when I have my Christmas presents done!

I wish Sophie all the best of success with this lovely design.

As always,
Frivole

And the Random Number Generator Says….

Comment number 43 is Kathy Niklewicz!

Congratulations!

I'm very pleased to be sending you the shuttle.  

The church clock is striking midnight as I write this.  I really wanted to do the draw on Sunday as I'd said and I worried I'd run out of time!  Phew.  Where did the day go??  But we have a winner and thank you to everyone for taking part.

I'm making progress with my GIPs and have now completely finished the owl blanket (eyes, beaks and all) and have also today finished a pair of nice thick hiking socks and started another yesterday.

Going back to the tiny snowflakes of two posts ago, I'm really enjoying them and have made more.  I particularly like this version (the regular rings and chains one) with one Swarovski crystal in the middle.  Looks just great and a perfect tiny snowflake… especially when stiffened with a bit of diluted Sparkle Mod Podge.  The 4mm crystal is just the right size for the snowflake and I do like the extra sparkle too.

Rather sweet, aren't they?

So if you're looking for a really quick little snowflake to make for cards or to decorate gifts, I hope you'll enjoy making this one.  You do have to block it to get the nice snowflake shape:  I pin mine to a little piece of cardboard with a blocking guide on it and leave it on the radiator for a short while.  It doesn't take long really and the result is well worth it in my opinion.

Best wishes,
Frivole

My Gift….

… to you!  Yes, it's that time of year again, time to share joy and happiness with family and friends.  Well, I try to do that all year round but now is a good excuse for a little extra.  I'm having a draw for one of my shuttles.  All you need to do is to leave a comment to be entered.

I've chosen Holly & Wild Rose.   I hope the winner will like it.

I think I will leave it a whole week and hold the draw on Sunday the 13th of December.  

Then I can ship straight away on the following Monday,

hoping the winner will receive it in time for Christmas!

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who visits my blog for your comments throughout the year, I really appreciate it and all that I learn through our interactions.  

I have started decorating the house and playing Christmas carols on the piano (I like to play the first one  on the 1st of December)… I have also made our "Stollen" (a quarkstollen based on a recipe inherited from my mother-in-law who had it from a German friend a long long time ago).  It's a favourite in our family and I always particularly get pleasure in seeing all the lovely ingredients in my huge Mason bowl.. all the fruits and nuts and lemon, and vanilla, and rhum…  Mmmmm!  Smells great even before you bake it.

On a last note, I'm starting to feel rushed now as I have many unfinished GIPs!  (gifts-in-progress).  Some of them are very nearly done but some I am just starting… how many days are there left??

I'm sure I'm not the only one and many of you are in the same boat, furiously knitting, crocheting or tatting away!

Here are some of my GIPs… plus some that are not even started yet!

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday preparations… and don't forget to leave a comment to be entered for the shuttle draw!

Best wishes,

Frivole