Ninth Day of December!

24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn

This is the last of the 'how on earth am I going to tat this one' snowflakes. That's not to say there won't be any more, but they all look do-able from this distance!

This one took me 4 nights to get right, but I got there in the end. Tatted in one round, it goes in and out, up and down and round and about until you are dizzy!! Once you have figured out which direction you are going and where to join it's a doddle!!

I did start off on my first attempt going the wrong way as I came out of the inner ring and ended up with my block tat lines lying the wrong way round...which turned out to be useless...so that was abandoned...especially after I then noticed that there were direction arrows. silly me.

Once again the photo is the reverse of the diagram which doesn't help the confusion.
Nice big print out, flipped over had to be made.

The instructions are actually good with start arrow and follow up arrows.

Loaded up with Flora 20 in a minty green off I went....at speed...too much speed not enough thinking! using Jane/Julie's method as in the last snowflake...I was half way round before I stopped to take stock and realised that....the picot shown by arrow A should have been joined to point B.....ooops!



Looks simple doesn't it...just tie them together when I have finished...WRONG!! that would make one row of block tatting too many and I would end up at the outside instead of the inside!

Well I was b...... if I was going to unpick all that way...so I will tat as far as I can and see what can be done.

I cut out the offending chain and the first ring, stood on my head and tatted backwards to the beginning...or something like that. I did it anyway and it don't look half bad! Well apart from that blob of 4 ends tied off that you prob can't see and I won't look at!!



Yippeeeeeeeeee! it's finished...it was easy really on reflection! they always are..that's why I should tat it again and enjoy it this time. So what colour do you suggest.

Thread amounts it measures 10.5cm in Flora 20
This is just an approximation due to the mistake.....Sh1 9m, Sh2 8m...total 17m that's a lot of tatting!

Joy of joys, tomorrow's pattern looks easy and gorgeous.....now don't peep and it will be a suprise! See ya!

Eighth Day Of December!

Glad that so many of you enjoyed Fergeal's exploits....it you enjoyed it do please leave a comment...they do show me that my efforts haven't just disappeared into cyber space.
Only one guess as to which day of the week he held his interviews!!
There will more adventures of Fergeal to come as he is getting big ideas above his station now that he has his office.

Back to my adventure.......

24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn

This is the second of the snowflakes from hell that I was dreading. Sorry Lene...all your designs are superb.

The finished snowflake is beautiful.



But it had major trials and tribulations.

I began with a solid colour in Flora 20....loaded up a shuttle connected to the ball.The instructions tell me that it is made in two rounds continuously...and I understand what she means...miraculously! I am told where to start and given direction arrows and further instructions.... so all should go well!!

But it didn't... I chose to do Jane's method of block tatting..that is one row of flipped stitches, followed by one row of unflipped stitches. Very easy once you get the hang of it and so turning at the end of a row. Jane has just reminded me that Julie Patterson used this method first, though Jane arrived at it independently.

All went well until I suddenly realised that I had joined in the wrong place! Way to far back to unpick...and so I abandoned it...and learned!



I do have one complaint about the presentation tho'! The photo is the reverse of the diagram...making it very difficult to compare where you are, especially when you are right left challenged. This wouldn't normally be an issue as most designs are symmetrical, but block tatting is not!
So I had to flip it and print it out...big!

I also learned something else...NEVER, EVER try to do block tatting with a soft thread like Altin Basak. In block tatting there is a lot of joining thro' tiny spaces and inevitably the thread gets split at some point. With 6 cord thread you can usually smooth it back into a useable state, but with this the soft single pulled thread broke and became a lump of fluff!! Twice I had to join in a new thread next to the fluff....bet you can't spot it tho'!!

I would tat this pattern again. I can think of so many threads that it would look pretty in. Using the shoelace trick method, the colouring in the block tatting would be continuous. Jane/Julie's method and switching shuttles method both produce contrasting stripes.

Thread amounts
Altin Basak 50 measures 8cm
Sh 6.75m, ball 4m...using Jane/Julie's method, other methods will take a different amount.

I promised to show you what I bought in the Big Smoke on wednesday. This was my best find, something I had been looking for for ages...and there it was in a sale, half price!

It's a tree about 18ins high, made out of silvery wire with crystals on each branch.
Even tho' the crystals are made of plastic they really sparkle. It's a good job they are not swarovski as they are destined to be taken off!



I put it in my hallway against a mirror so I will get to see two lots of tatting. I can see this with hearts or easter eggs too.

You can't see it very well in this photo so I have put a piece of card behind it.



Isn't that pretty.

See ya tomorrow!
Addendum...this is the same Altin Basak thread that I used for the first snowflake of 3rd December that I sent to Diane. Pretty colour.

Taking a break!

Necessity FORCES me to take a break from my challenge...that and tatting like a maniac to keep up!!

I had a wonderful shopping time yesterday in Dub's fair City! tatted a snowflake on the way up and another on the way home. The sun was shining and the sky was blue when we arrived having seen flooded fields all the way up in this sodden land,but within an hour the heavens opened and it poured down all day. I got some cool goodies tho'.

Ok back to business.

Now..you all know my Leprechaun Fergeal and his siblings.....well if you don't...where have you been living, obviously not in my corner of blogland!

You can catch up by either searching for Leprechaun in my side bar labels..I see there are 10 posts OR in the search engine at the top of the blog. This helps me enormously when I can't remember if I posted some tatting or not! It might help you if you want to know how much thread to use for a project and I might have made it!

Also and in addition you can go to the Leprechauns blog.......in my blog roll and read ALL the posts there......................................................................


sitting........................waiting for you to catch up.........................twiddling my thumbs.......................my hubby actually does this................while he is waiting at traffic lights.................who else does....................?

OK welcome back now I don't have to explain any more!



So lets start again.....

Fergeal has a list...(just like Santa Claus...only Fergeal checks his list every day). His list is all the tatters that he would like to have a Leprechaun.....

The problem is that he is such a gregarious little soul that his list gets longer and longer ...every day!!

I keep telling him "Fergeal, how do you think I can make all those Leprechauns, have you any idea how long it takes just to make one???"

Obviously he hasn't!

So I finally put my foot down and told him that I couldn't possibly make any this year.

He was not happy!

"If you stop that silly tatting you would have plenty of time!"

mmm I think I have heard that before!!

Well anyway, Fergeal decided that there was no option but to take matters into his own hands, handicapped as he is by his lucky Irish cent.

Nope, it's not what you think...he didn't borrow my felt, scissors, needles and thread.... he took the easy way out and he advertised in the Leprechaun Times....for Leprechauns willing to travel.... outside their homeland.....not afraid to learn new things...ambassadors for their country...and so on.

I didn't think that even one would apply..they are all so cosy at home....

But they must have been intrigued and so was I when he came and told me that he had seven applicants...seven!! (good job it wasn't the seven dwarves!!)

You might think that this was the end of the story...Oh no!

Fergeal decided that he had to interview them...to make sure that they were of good character and wouldn't let us down!!

There's more....

He said that he couldn't possibly interview them..where he normally lives...on top of the piano...watching me......Oh no!! he wanted his own office!!

I hope it keeps fine for him I thought!

Well it did..you may have noticed how the Leprechauns seem to get their own way...a lot. William has his own van and sets off whenever he feels the need....Oisin goes to college and let us not forget Brendan (the naviagator!) who was determined to see the world that he left his post and went AWOL! No we could never forget Brendan.

Fergeal didn't want a repeat of that.................and so I found myself in Leprechaun Office Supplies....with my credit card...bad move......

It seemed that not only did he want a desk and chair...but he wanted to upgrade his entire lifestyle!! He told me he wanted antique Irish furniture....solid mahogany circa 1850 ( he has been watching too many Antique Roadshows!

In yer dreams Fergeal!

Well to cut a long story short, he got ready for the interviews... I looked up and there was a line of Leprechauns waiting for their turn....pushing and shoving and nearly falling over each other, so eager were they.





A motley lot they look too!





Now there are no prizes...(but you can guess anyway)....for guessing which day Fergeal chose for his interviews???...think now think!.....or what he was going to ask them. All answers on a blank cheque please!

One by one they answered his gruelling questions, he even let them sit on his brand new rocking chair..... did they know what that mysterious object on his desk was?....



... the others relaxed on his new three piece suite!...and chatted amongst themselves...wonder what they were thinking...were they a teeny bit afraid of what they were letting themselves in for.



What was Fergeal holding in his hand and what was he going to use those books for that he had on his desk.....was he going to make them swear an oath....so many questions I was dying to ask...but i was going to have to wait...you can't afford to interrupt a Leprechaun doing his job.....remember that!



Every now and again he would get up and go over to his antique globe (note that it's an antique...well he thinks it is anyway!), give it twirl and peer into it and scratch his head.



Finally, finally the were all sent home, and I got to quiz him.

He was chuntering away to himself.

"What's up lad?" I dared to ask.

"One of them's a girl!!" was his reply.
"A girl, I ask you who has ever heard of girl leprechauns...no such thing!"

"mmmm!"I dared to reply, "if there are no girl leprechauns, where do you think you came from???"

Well if looks could kill!!

Looks to me like my brave little fellow fancies her, though he would never admit it.

I asked him how he knew it was a girl!!! He tapped the side of his nose knowingly and said that he knew all right, she may have been dressed like leprechaun but it was the little things that gave her away!!!

She was the first one that he called back and I did do a photo shoot while he wasn't looking.....but that's for another day.

As for the others he said they knew sod all about tatting, some of them had never heard of it.....but they were all keen....well wouldn't you be he said if you were offered the opportunity to travel the world.

I think he is jealous...he keeps on at me that I promised him a world tour!!

So anyway back to the job in hand....he has sent them away to the Lep Academy for their tatting/spy training and they just arrived back the other day.

I wonder where he has decided to send them.

I guess I will soon know.

Seventh day of December!

24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn

This is the first of three designs that I would have avoided if possible!



Before I start I have to say that this is the worst colour choice that I have ever made for tatting a snowflake. I personally think that it looks foul!

Another Altin Basak thread that I had never used...now I know why!

For starters,I don't like most threads that go from dark to white. Add to that the abrupt colour change from green to yellow and I know why I started dyeing my own threads!

It's yuk!

Now maybe I instinctively chose that colour because I wasn't going to like the pattern...now that's a thought!

I have to admit that in a better colour it would be lovely.

The pattern decrees 2 shuttles and it is made in 2 rounds according to the diagram. Now at this point I came unstuck trying to determine what was actually in each round. It's obvious now but it wasn't at the time.
What I would have like to have seen on the diagram was

1. A start arrow.
2. Direction arrows.
3. Numbered rings.
4. In what order should the onion rings be tatted. I have done them before and did actually remember, but it would help others.

In fact I just looked at the diagram and couldn't remember what was in round one.....that's how bad it was....I think I am into snowflake overload.

In order to figure it out....as I couldn't from the diagram...this is what I did.
Selected just the black square with the actual tatting photo from my scan, knocked out the black so it didn't take too much ink to print and printed it enlarged.
This helped me to see where the actual tatting seemed to go!......and wow her tatting is so neat.

I would like to make this again to see if I could do better.

Thread amounts it measures 9.5cm in Altin Basak 50
Round 1, Sh1 3.5m, Sh2 3.75m
Round 2, Sh1 @.5m, Sh2 5.5m

May not get a snowflake posted tomorrow as going to the big smoke. Hubby has a meeting at the zoo and I have no option but to shop!! Three bead shops and a ribbon shop, now what could I possibly want there, I already have enough bead for several lifetimes. Just hope it doesn't rain, last December when I went it sheeted down the entire day, but my spirits weren't dampened...made of sterner stuff!

Three hours tatting on the train each way....must go and wind some shuttles.

Sixth Day of December!

Only a day late so far, that's not bad!

Gosh! you really liked my Vanilla Sky and the snowflake, thanks for all the comments, very much needed encouragement.

I intended that it would be the thread that I would do all my snowflakes in this Christmas...but it took so long to get it done...and then I took on this challenge....and then I had the new batch of Rainbow Bright and the rest is history!

Here is my snowflake, the sixth one from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn.



Isn't that pretty. I tried to make my picots long to make it frilly.
This was tatted in another of my Altin Basak collection, very pretty colour. Soft and gentle. I need time to repeat this one in Vanilla Sky.

The pattern was pretty easy except that I decided to make it in one continuous go and make a split chain to go from the inner ring to the outer round.
I have made so many of Jon's designs on rings from her new book...which are great practice for split chains....that I thought that it might now be easier.....and to be honest it was....but I can still see where I made the split chain.

Once again I feel that I am not afraid of it!

Thread amounts...snowflake measures 8cm in Altin Basak 50

Sh1 5.25m, Sh2 4.75m...total 10m...more if I could do even longer picots.

It would look nice in two colours but no time to do it.

My only criticism of this book....like most of the others in this series...is the insufficient amount of written instruction and often the diagrams would be easier to follow with more info on them. This pattern was ok as is is labelled with A,B,C..to help tackle to outer round.

I am now coming up to three patterns that I have not been looking forward to. I would have skipped them and gone on to the next ones that look easy.

But life can't always be easy and that is the point of this challenge...to tat them all...in order.

So look for me tomorrow to see if I have been able to do it...without exploding or imploding.

Dec 5th...again and a new thread!

I promised you another December 5th snowflake.....so here it is...




This is tatted in size 40 of my brand new thread Vanilla Sky. I have been working on this colourway for so long...for months..that I am glad to say that I am finally more or less satisfied that I have achieved what I wanted.

It all started when my good friend Sandra sent me some photos that she had taken with her mobile phone during a holiday. Great photos for a mobile phone.



It's a very soft and gentle colourway, going from mid Indigo, to pale pink to vanilla. I intended having a hint of gold on the sky line but finally decided not to go with that.

Here are two pieces that I tatted with it while it was in it's test stages, months ago.They have much more vanilla and less indigo to pink gradation than the finished thread.






Dec 6th snowflake delayed.....coming tomorrow!

Fifth Day of December!

Christmas starts here for me. Bit late checking in today's snowflake. It's 7pm and I have just got home from taking the Brownies to the pantomime...oh I loves the panto.

It was raining when we went in soaked and still raining when we came out. There is a minor flood warning for the city for high tide tonight in about half an hour. there are going to be a lot of people not in their own homes for Christmas.

We have a beautiful Victorian Theatre. It opened it's door in 1897 and today is elegantly restored with it's ornate gold and red boxes and plush seating.

There were over 650 children and leaders from Ladybirds, Brownies, Guides, Beavers and Cubs, on the ground floor and balcony.





We were only 5 rows from the stage, so close that a couple of Brownies caught sweets thrown from the stage.

It was the best pantomime ever, the acting and the singing were great. Aladdin gave a wonderful performance and so many actors were familiar including our fabulous dame who has entertained up for so many years.

There is always such a lot of audience participation and I came home with 'Oh no it isn't!' ringing in my ears.

Every year I plan to retire. In Feb 2010 I will have been a Brownie leader for 30 years! That's a good time to quit...while I am ahead and still standing....but....the kids are lovely and it will be like shutting a door on a part of my life.....so I can't bring myself to carry out my decision!!

Back to the snowflake! from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn



This is a very pretty snowflake and easy to tat. So pretty that I did tat it twice, but I will show you the second one tomorrow...when I have more time.

this one was tatted in Altin Basak another little used one from my stash.
It measures 9cm

Thread amounts
Altin Basak 50 (like a 30) Sh 3.25m, Ball 5.75, total used 9m.

To make up for not showing you the second snowflake yet...here is another Day 3 for your enjoyment...I hope.



See ya tomorrow!

Fourth Day of December!

Another day, and yet another snowflake....from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn.

The response to yesterday's snowflake in it's glorious colours was stupendeous. I will get around to answering all of the comments. Please keep them coming they are making my fingers fly! Without them I will give up...so if you are enjoying this and have never left a comment before...now is the time.

Today's snowflake....here it is.....



......bears such a striking resemblance to yesterday's that it only got tatted once!!

.....but yesterday's got tatted again to make up for it!!!



....so what do you think of this one with it's brighter than bright Rainbow Orange center...jeepers!! My fingers flew a little too fast and as I was 'refining' the stitches and picots didn't I see a glaring mistake. Oh well, nobody is perfect!!

So Day 4 is the same as my favourite but with the fluffy center replaced by simple rings and chains. I have been spoilt!

The pattern says that it is done in two rounds continuously! yeah that was ok!

Thread amounts for Day 4 using Coats Floretta 20. The flake measures 9.5cm.
Sh1 6m making smallish picots, Sh2 3.75.
Bigger picots would be nice but I find it hard to make them bigger without using a gauge! they just naturally come a certain size!!

Third Day of December!

Another day, another snowflake....from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn,but this time it's my absolute favourite in the book, so I tatted this lots of times and will tat it even more when I get the chance...why did I ever start this challenge!!! This is what I love to do, explore a pattern to the utmost!

I started with a varig Altin Basak to see how much thread it would take. I have quite a selection of Altin Basak/Oren Bayen varig's that I rarely use as they are soft 3 cord threads.



This was so pretty that I had to tat it again to send to a friend. It spurred her on to tat some herself!

I felt that it would look good with a different thread for the middle, rather like a flower with fluffy stamens.





These were made with Coats Floretta 20 in ivory and indigo, the first scan was with the scanner lid closed flat, and the second one with the lid propped up with pencils so that it didn't squash the fluffy center. The shadows really let you see the 3D effect.
The thing that I like best about this design is the lovely 3D center. I also bought the book of Snowflake Roses by Denise Munoz, but not a single one has a fluffy center. That's a job for next Christmas to adapt those designs.

Another one with a Floretta center in appley green with my Raspberry and Chocolate Mousse for the second round. Lovely subtle colouring.



I didn't know if I was going to like this one until I got to the very end, and I do.
It reminds me of a spring flowering Hellebore. I would like to try it using a slightly darker green for the outer round, even more Hellebor-ish.

OK!! so you have all missed Rainbow Bright (well one of you anyway!) and so have I.



This ABSOLUTE PERFECTION to me!

One more tho'.....



...of course you know me well enough by now to know what I am think...what would it look like with centers in all my Rainbow solid colours...yup you got it!

I showed them to my friends to see if they liked the yellow center, as I was not sure it it was just too much. The white center is very classy I think. they thought that it tied in so well with the colours in rainbow Bright that it was a definate yes.

Thread amounts
Altin Basak 50(like 30) measures 8cm, whole motif Sh1 3m, Sh2 8.5m

Coats Floretta 20 measures 9cm, center Sh 1.25m, Ball 5.25m
outer round Sh1 3m, Sh2 4m

Coats mercer 20 measures 9cm, outer round Sh1 3.5m, SAh2 4.5m

Coats mercer 30 measures 8cm, center Sh 1.0m, Ball 4.75m
Outer round Sh1 2.10m, Sh2 4.25m

That should keep you going! Now I know that there will be some tatters out there who think that it is OK to look at my tatting and figure out the stitch count so that they can tat it themselves. This NOT my intention and I thoroughly disapprove of this. It is not the way to encourage designers to keep designing for us. This book is such good value that the author deserves your support for all her hard work.

If you like the designs, please buy the book, no I don't have any connection with the author or publisher, I just like fair play.

See ya tomorrow!! or will I!

One last image before I go...

Second Day Of December!

I am spurred on by your enthusiasm!

I am still working on 24 snowflakes in tatting by Lene Bjorn.

So I present to you the Second day of December snowflake .
I had and still have great ideas for this one as it is a very simple pretty design.
I tatted it in two rounds...but I could have used a split chain to go from round one to round two.

First in Floretta 20 in that gorgeous deep pinks mix.



I really like this one, I also like the ones that Diane tatted. Steph has also been tatting from this book. she has done Dec 1st and may be going to join me in this challenge!

Next I tatted it in traditional white. At one time all my snowflakes were white and they still look stunning in white....but nowadays white has become raw HDT and is crying out to be dyed!!
It reminds me of when I first met hubby, he seemed to live on toast and bread became known as raw toast!



Now if I only tatted one of each snowflake I would get through the challenge a lot quicker.....can I do that!!....and so I am abandoning my ideas for this flake...at the moment.

Thread amounts Floretta..it measures 4inches,
Round 1 Sh 1.75m, ball 1.4m
Round 2 Sh 6.5m, ball 3.5m.....maybe I should make bigger picots...I do try!

Coats Artist 20, ...it measures very slightly more than the Floretta
Round 1 Sh 2.15m, ball 1.80m
Round 2 Sh 7.5m, ball 4.0m

That's all..see you tomorrow...with a bit of luck!