Tatting with ChocoLime

It's looking a lot like Autumn in my part of the world! We always hate the words 'Autumn Chill' uttered by the weather forecast people on TV...usually in August!!

We have had beautiful Indian summer weather for most of September but I seem to have missed it all...who wants to travel in September!!

So my thoughts have turned to tatting leaves...something that I have never done before.

The pattern that I have been intending to tat for a long time is the Maple Leaf from the February 1975 Workbasket which has been adapted by Tammy Rodgers to include a stem.

I tatted it first in a deep lime green Coats 20 thread...the one I used for the heart with the blue beads that everyone liked! It's quite a dull green. The leaf took a total of 8.5 metres, 6m on the shuttle and 2.25m on the ball. It measures 8.5cm (3.5in) across.



Next I tried a fawn colour also Coats 20....



...another dull colour. Not a lot of life in these leaves, now what shall I tat them in next to add a bit of life.....Now I know that it seems obvious now, knowing what you know.....but it suddenly hit me...ChocoLime of course...I had been wondering what the role of this thread was going to me...silly me it was obvious even to a nit wit!!


Now this was the point when I fell in love with ChocoLime...for certain!



In size 30 this took 7.25m, 5.25 on the shuttle and 2m on the ball and measures 7.5cm(3in).

Tried another leaf..this one is a five point Canadian Sugar Leaf Maple designed by Gale Marshall. Another great and easy pattern.



In size 30 this took a total of 13m, 9m on the shuttle and 4m on the ball. It measures 8.5cm(3.25in). I have only tatted this once so far but i should go back and make different versions.

It was at this point that I went to Germany armed with thread and shuttles!

I couldn't stop looking up at the trees. So many of the streets were lined with Plane trees...Platanus..so very like Maples.









It's not an urban tree that we see a lot of.
If I wasn't looking up at the trees, then I was looking at the ground...more about that next time.

So did they look like my leaves...the answer was ..not a lot!

So maybe I should try tatting with a solid colour for the veins.



This is ChocoLime with Key Lime for the veins, isn't that gorgeous.



They make beautiful bookmarks, I left a long tail and added deep brown silver lined beads to each thread. One of the great things about this pattern is that you don't need to hide the ends. Adding an extra doubled thread at the end and tatting it into the tail,will give a tail with 6 threads.

I have yet to try using Chocolate Sauce for the veins...just not enough time.

When I got home I tried another different version along the ChocoLime theme. Dyeing as come to a halt while I wait for the disruption of installing a new fridge/freezer and tumble dryer in my 'Dyeing Studio'. I think keeping my dyes cold helps as when I got home and my fridge has died! I used up some dye from the week before (couldn't bear to throw it away) to make solid key lime and it washed out to a beautiful unrepeatable apple green!!!

Had the most fabulous trip to County Sligo for my birthday...(not with good weather!), if I ever get time I will blog about it.