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!

Snowflake time again!

This year I have given myself another challenge!!!
To tat every snowflake in Lene Bjorn's book 24 Snowflakes in tatting.



I bought this book before last Christmas and just looked at it. It's a great little book, for a very small outlay you get 24 great designs....not a lot of instruction so you need to be confident just tatting from diagrams.

The other bit to my challenge is to tat them in order...not just pick out the ones that I like best...give them all a chance to shine!

Now note this well... I didn't give myself a deadline!!!! so it may take several Christmasses!!!

As it's December the 1st today ( and I am going into Christmas panic...impossible at this late stage to make all my cards and gifts and get them in the post in time)...it is a good idea to start showing my progress.

I started with Altin Basak a 3 ply soft thread that is a ... to unpick. This is a very pretty delicate colourway.



Several others have said that this is the one design that nobody wants to tat...and they are right...those little lengths of thread between the rings are a pain. But trying to get it right is great practice.

So I made it again in White, 'cos I love snowflakes in white....almost as much as I now love them in colour!!



It actually looks better in this scan than it does in real life as it is in size 20 and is too big. 4.5inches at it's widest point.

The next one , yup there is another one...is in Floretta 20 in a rich pink varig', slightly smaller than the Coats 20.



Now isn't this getting more exciting as I get a feel for this pattern???? Not sure that the varigation shows up the design best.

But i can't resist one final tat in my favourite thread of all time...you guessed it Rainbow Bright. Coats 30, add some beads and let's see what that looks like.



Now this in yer face conglomeration of colours really works for me in this design. What do you think...all comments welcome...I need your input to this blog.

Thread amounts
Coats 20 Sh1 13.5m, Sh2 75cm...
Coats 30 Sh1 11.75m and 18 beads, Sh2 70cm...
Floretta 20 Sh1 11m, Sh 2 60cm.

Don't forget that you may need more, especially if you make longer picots.

One last look at them all to compare the sizes.



See ya tomorrow...if I get it finished!!!

My stash and my sweetheart!

IsDihara asked us What's in your stash? of HDT...we addicts know exactly what that means!

Now I dye my own thread so you wouldn't expect me to have a stash....except the enormous stash of my own threads, favourites and lots of trials.......but I do have and it's getting bigger.

Dyeing takes such a long time (my way anyway!)that I just can't dye all the colour combos that are spinning around in my head. I have tried to develop my own style of dyed thread and not copy anyone else.....so that leaves me free.......TO BUY and not feel guilty!!

Here then is my stash....



....I do use it...honest....there are some bits left on card....but mainly I just take it out and adore the wonderful colours.....making the great mistake of saving it for something special!!

IsDihara has been tatting with my Rainbow Bright thread. She posted a long time ago a picture of Birgit Phelps Sweetheart design....



...she needed extra thread to complete an idea she had to add more rounds to this pattern.....well she has finished it and posted about it today...



...isn't that just stunning?

She set me off wanting to tat that pattern...so I did...months ago...didn't get round to posting it.

First in a boring pale pink Flora 20....with a spiral tail ending in a trefoil...



...then in Altin Basak exactly the same as Birgit used....with a lock stitch chain tail ending in split rings...



...and finally in my Raspberry Sorbet in size 20 Coats Mercer


...I actually like this one the best because the subtle varigation does not overpower the design as with the Altin Basak.

It's a pretty easy pattern to tat once you get the hang of what joins to what.
In Flora 20 it took a total of 5m, 3.5m on the shuttle and 1.5m on the ball. It measures 6cm, (2.25in) across. add about 1m on two shuttles to make the tail.
Altin basak would take slightly less. It measures 5cm across.

Fun Day!

The fun day was.....FUN!

I wonder if it could possibly have anything to do with AGE.....and a decided lack of enthusiasm for standing in a field all day queuing up to do the different activities. There are never enough to occupy us all of the time,.....maybe it had something to do with November and rain....which gradually seeps into your bones!!

I just don't know!!

We had the use of our Community Hall and the Youth Club leader very kindly said that we could use their new hall as well.

In true Girl Guide fashion we left the place as we found it. The organisation was superb...all the children were checked in by their parents on arrival and checked out before they left. All coats and bags went into gigantic plastic sacks...It's the first time ever that we haven't had belongings left behind.


I promised to show you the turkeys made from tights....



...some of them look pretty scary...some of them look just plain scared!!.....

....there were more but these were the cutest!

This day was also great because there were only ourselves and the other town in our District....2 Brownie packs, 2 Ladybird groups and 2 lots of Guides plus Ranger Guides.
About 90 youngsters and 22 Leaders/Rangers....manageable.
At some regional fundays we might get 600 children!!
This is just half of the hall!




We started our craft challenges by making Friendship Sticks...



The theme for the day was Thanksgiving so every activity (almost) had some tenuous American association and each was explained to them.
The Friendship sticks they were to decorate and then swap at the end of the day.
They had to include 3 spots, red green and yellow like traffic lights.
Let me explain the thinking.

When the first settlers left for America there was great danger and difficulties on the way....red....they had to STOP and think.....
AS they overcame these difficulties they got the all clear...green...GO....
When all was well the sun came out....yellow...for Sunny Brownies.

they liked this...but we had to string it out a bit....before we could move on.
These are their sticks...



...who thought up all this....well not me this time!

On to making head dresses to remember the native Americans who already lived there.

Feathers, beads, corrugated paper (colour coded for each group!), staples and string!





Next the ages and groups were mixed up and we had to do 10 out of 16 challenges...vaguely related to America...we threw the turkeys thro hoops into a bucket, dressed up and were pulled in a box across the ocean, were pulled on a skateboard across the ocean, crawled thro tunnels, made stick men, threw wet sponges at photos of....and stuff. Plenty to keep us occupied in our 5 mins allowed.




Then it was snacks and drinks, followed by a fabulous campfire....a large foil tray filled with night lights...and the lights out.





We sang and we wiggled and jiggled until it was time to go home, swapped sticks.....sang our closing songs....

.....a big tidy up and we all agreed that it was the best ever and we should do it again.....and it was only a 10 minute drive home!!!!

.........HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!.....