Mother's Day Bracelet

My oldest son married my wonderful daughter-in-love nine years ago!  Crystal is amazing in so many ways!  She has single parented during two deployments.  She is one of those people who always seem to know the "right thing to say."  She loves unconditionally and without judgement.  She is goal oriented--demonstrated by her cooking (When we met her when she was in high school "she couldn't boil water.") and in the decoration of their home.  One of the things that just astounds me is that she is a super-fantastic mother.  I am so grateful that she has chosen to stay home (for the present at least) and takes wonderful care of my three grandsons. 

I ordered these charms several months ago--I was shocked when I saw how small they were (I should have been paying more attention to the written description.)  They each have a tiny diamond in them.  The diamonds are colored and I bought the colors that match the grandboy's birthstones. I found the large hearts at Walmart on clearance after Valentine's Day.  The thread is Karey Solomon's handpainted thread, named "Sunrise, Sunset" and is a size 20 Cordonnet.  I adapted a pattern by Jon Yusoff called "Dimpled Chain Edging" for the bracelet.  It is found on her blog here http://tatsaway.blogspot.com/2008/08/dimpled-chain-edging.html She developed the pattern as an all chains project, however, I enjoy doing dimpled rings, so I worked the pattern with rings.  I also eliminated all the picots that were not joining picots. I left off the "dimple" on most of the connecting chains so that I could add the small heart beads.  The dimple did come in useful in holding the three hearts.

clover vs. Debbie A

Top and side view of Debbie A

On a different note, I have not had a lot of luck with clover shuttles.  I prefer a hook, and the clovers seem to jump out of my hands.  I had heard of a Debbie A Comfi shuttle that had raised edges and thought that they might be my solution to the "kamikaze" clover shuttles that always seem to fall where my two cats can grab them and play with my thread.  I could never find any of the shuttles where I regularly shop online.  Last weekend on one of my many "I can't sleep at all" nights,  I went online shopping and found Snowgoose Lace!  They carry a limiited amount of tatting items when you compare them to a large online store like Handy Hands, but staring out at me from one of the pages were the shuttles! https://www.snowgooselace.com/product/debbie-a-comfi/  
 I had some trouble with online ordering and the next morning emailed the company;  Shelly responded so quickly and nicely and before I knew it, two Debbie A Comfi shuttles were on their way to my mailbox!  I can't wait to try them out!

On Wednesday, I received my last order from Tatting Corner.  :(    It arrived damaged and damp.  However the products inside were safe and dry due to their packaging.  Everything was contained in plastic bags.  I will miss Jennifer's smiling face at Palmettos and Finger Lakes.  I so appreciate the help she has given me when I have contacted her.  I certainly understand the need to spend time with growing children and aging parents.  I will miss Jennifer and I wish her the best in her "new" life.   

Finger Lakes 2016 - Part 1

OUR TRIP BEGINS!

My husband in the weeks and days prior to our departure for Finger Lakes 2016, kept telling me “tell everyone to bring money for the bus, if she breaks down, just tell them to haul her to the scrap yard.”  What he was referring to was my little Blue Bunny (named by the CYIA’ers one year) which is a 1995 van with 307,000 miles.  With that inspiring statement ringing in our ears, On Wednesday, April 6, Cyn, Sue and I determined to have faith in our transportation and head off to New York from Oklahoma!  We knew the worst trouble we have ever had with her on our tatting trips has been an inability to shut the back window!

Cyn (Cynthia) as my readers know, and I have been tatting & traveling companions now for 6+ years.  Cyn is the teacher of the Beginners Online Tatting Class

It was so neat to see Sue again!  If I remember correctly, she taught the very first class I ever took at Finger Lakes!   I was so impressed at how “technically” she talked about tatting, explaining how certain types of stitches turned your work different directions.  You could tell at the time, that she had really had studied tatting as a “science” and “method” not just a hobby or a craft to fill her time.  Sue now shares her knowledge as she leads the Tuesday Online Tatting Designers Class.  Sue had the neatest gift for me, a lovely bag of beads—including a little bear bead in honor of the theme for Finger Lakes 2016-“The Teddy Bear’s Picnic.”

Do you ever absolutely cringe when you show up at someone’s house late—very late?  Tamie very generously opened her home in Kentucky as a free stopping place on our trip.  Well, we were supposed to arrive there “in the evening.”  Due to a very late start, evening turned into approximately 3:00 in the morning, accompanied by dragging her husband Dennis out into the (rainy!) night to pilot us through the city to their house.  Let’s face it!   Tatting people are for the most part—just good people!  We took a few minutes to talk.  Tamie had the neatest gifts for us.  I got a lovely coffee mug filled with Dove chocolates.  (The thread in the picture was given to me by Tamie on our return trip.)

Then she brought out a really neat 

wooden double shuttle with a celtic motif on the front--what a gift!!  (I have the "Tatting with the Double Bobbin Shuttle Made Easy" book by Sheron Goldin. But. I think this shuttle may take a different approach to use, since you can’t remove the bobbins -it is a post shuttle.)

How about this!  Tamie had a six-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper waiting for me—she remembered my drink from the year before!!  That is something that is just not in my personality to even think of!-- but it sure made me feel welcome!!  After sleeping late and lingering over breakfast, we got a glimpse at Tamie’s new craft area (they have moved since last year.)  What?  You recognize Tamie’s voice and craft table?  That is because Tamie is the teacher for the Online Video Series that goes along with the Beginner and the Ongoing (Advanced) Online Tatting Classes!

We loaded back up (always a game of tetris—which Cyn says she has never played, but if she did, she would be awesome at it!)  We started off again—only to return in less than a mile!  Sue had inadvertently mixed up phones with Tamie and found out that her “new” phone didn’t quite work!  (I’m so glad the switch was discovered early.)  It was, I think, our first big thing we could laugh about on the trip—and anytime anything went missing, we laughingly accused Sue of swiping it!  (I am so glad this lady has a lovely sense of humor!) 

Our next stop was at the Ohio home of Cyn’s in-laws.  They happened to be away, but had so kindly offered to let us stay there.  We stopped at a Kmart there in Ashtabula the next morning, to pick up a few items we were missing…and a short stop became a rather long—shop the sales.  Sue was able to pick up bargains galore in the clothing area.  I went in resolved to only pick up the necessities that were on the list, but was swayed by the BOGO bin of warm gloves and then I just couldn’t pass up three gorgeous scarves at $2.47 each!!  Sue and I also found some wonderful Easter eggs to put tatting onto sometime in the future.  (I also picked up some cute animal plastic eggs for the grandboys.)

We had hoped to make it to the “special event” for early arrivers--Karey Solomon opens her Fiber Arts Studio as a stopping place.  She usually has a warm stew and a variety of hot teas, plus an interesting craft for your eyes and hands to dive into.  We had all also, signed up for the pot-luck on Friday night….we had made it to the Finger Lakes area by this time—but were stopped at another store to pick up more “forgotten things.” 

At long last, before the food was put away (!) we got to Lodi.  Oh what a warm feeling I get when I see that little fire station/community building!  It is a special world for 48 hours, filled with almost a “family reunion” of people who are so loving, and sharing.Everyone has projects to share, and ooh and aah over!  There doesn’t seem to be any jealousy—just instruction and encouragement. Vendors are setting up and some of the guild members are doing last minute preparations for the conference--it is a wonderful time, just for fellowshipping with other tatters.

 Right away I got a hug from one of my favorite tatters Monica Braxton.  She also delivered  my commemorative 2016 Finger Lakes Shutttles which my husband ordered for me.  She did a special engraving on them for me!  A turtle on the backside of one of them....and the word "teacher" after my name!  Since this is the first time I will have ever taught tatting in more than a one-on-one situation, this year is special.  My tatting shuttle will remind me of this incredible experience every time I use it.  I am so grateful to Monica. 

Almost another ‘coming home’, was our hotel in Geneva—Cyn and I have stayed there two times before.  This little place has changed hands every time we have been there!  The ladies at the check-in desk must have thought we were moving in, we made so many trips back and forth to get things.  I have got to make a point to emphasize the “we” was really Cyn and Sue!  They protected me and my health every chance they possibly could this trip—from them moving all the luggage  (every time), to Sue taking the back seat so I would have more room for my legs in the front—all the way from Oklahoma to New York and back!  My gratitude is so great to these giving ladies!

*If you want to the end of the Blue Bunny story….She now has 311,000 miles, and made it to New York and back with only a few adjustments on the part of the drivers. Will she be able to make it to Palmettos Tat Days 2016?  (Class Teachers, Projects and Class Schedule are up now!  Registration will be in late May or early June.  Check out http://palmettotatters.org/index.shtml

CLICK HERE for more information about the Beginners Online Tatting Class, The Online (Advanced) Tatting Class, The Online Tatting Designers Class or the Online Video Series..

Watch for my next post about Finger Lakes memories!

Finger Lakes Road Trip in Five Days

Five Days!

Sonya, my wonderful tatting friend from the Oklahoma City area is coming to spend the weekend with me!  She is going to lace guild with me tomorrow, morning church on Sunday and then will pick up her beef and head home.  (Her real business in coming to our town is not spending time with me, but to pick up her hormone free - hamburger, roasts and steaks from the butcher who handles that part of the life-cycle of the cattle for my husband's herd out on the family farm.--haha!)  I LOVE spending time with my friends tatting.  I really think in this fast paced world that we as women, need to find these special, slow paced activities that allow us to learn from each other, and lean on each other.

Monday will be my father's 82nd Birthday!  WooHoo!  Congratulations Daddy!

Tuesday I am going to the grocery store to pick up the ice chest food for our trip.  I told Cynthia and Sue that I would "shop and chop" for us.  I have one of those big ice chests that you can plug in to your car's cigarette lighter or into the wall outlet when you are inside (we have to remember to bring it inside, one time we didn't and the van's battery was dead the next morning!)  Eating most of our meals out of the ice chest, really helps make the cost of the trip much more reasonable, but lets us plan food in advance that fits our particular needs as far as allergies and "trigger foods".

Wednesday morning....we climb in the van and head for New York!!!!.
 
I've been working on things for the scholarship raffle and auction at Finger Lakes.  These are a few of the things that I'm taking.  If you see something you would like to bid on let me know and I will place your bid or raffle tickets for you.

Several years ago I bought three of Angeline Hardwick Crinchlow's books.  They were not original first editions (I thought they were when I bought them)) but is a reprint by her daughter.  They have a soft cover, and are ribbon tied--similar to the original books.  This book, A Challenge to Tatters is not a book I will use, and I am going to donate it.  I'm not sure how rare the reprints are...I know at the present time, I could not find any of the originals or the reprints in any of the used book stores online. 

Here are three articles about this early publisher of tatting books--.  

http://teridusenburystattletales.blogspot.com/2014/08/tatters-archive-angeline-crichlow.htmlhttp:

www.bellaonline.com/articles/art16413.asp

http://www.somethingunderthebed.com/CURTAIN/REVIEWStat/CRICHLOW1.html

 I've tried my hand for the last several years at decorating shuttles....They sort of worked, but I wasn't entirely happy with them.  I think I may finally have found a process that I like the results of.  I got a little tired of giving the same thing to the auction every year--a bag filled with tatting tools.  So this year, I decorated a tin and a small mints container--in snowflakes (it got REALLY cold at the Teddy Bear's Picnic!).  Then I decorated two shuttles--I found the neatest little snowflake stickers that almost match the paper on the tins!  I really like the way these turned out.  One of the things that I like to do is to use the Scotch Self-Seal

laminating pouches--(the little ones that are for small photos) to put patterns in that I use a lot, or if I'm working on something that has the same motif many times, I might laminate it.... Well, I decided to put some patterns into this little tin.  Jane Eborall is the best!!!  She actually sent me the original jpg's for three of her patterns, so that my copies would look really clear.  So I shrunk 3 of her patterns for snowflakes and stars to keep with this tin.  I also put in two 10 yard samples of thread.  I really like this "set"....I may bid on them myself!   ]

 

The last thing, is something "brand new"--I think....they were was brand new in the catalog I bought them from....It is the hex shaped box, that opens out into three layers--isn't that cool?.  I filled this one with all kinds of little tatting  tools, including the cutest little scissors and a needle case with a couple of self-threading needles.

I think I am more excited this year than I've ever been!  Finger Lakes was the first place where I really met other tatters - people who "spoke my language."  I know when I walk in the door who the ladies at the registration desk will be.  The ladies in the kitchen, know me, and go out of their way to have food available for me that will not trigger my migraines or my fibromyalgia.  When I attend each class, I will usually meet someone new, but will also get to "catch up" with someone I've met in the past!  Will I see you at Finger Lakes?  Please come let me put a face on your name!!

A Catherine Wheel Join Allegory

For a printable pdf of this tutorial CLICK HERE

Tutorials for the Celtic Knotted Picot

Here are the two tutorials I put together while

 working on my pattern,

 Their Five Year Mission. 

(Posted 3/14/15)

The Celtic Knotted Picot was created by Bina Madden and is taught here: http://paradisetreasures.com/ckp.html I was very grateful to be one of her students one year when she taught at the Finger Lakes Tatting Conference as she shared her technique. 
For a printable pdf of the tutorial "How to put two (or more) Celtic Knotted Picots in a Ring" CLICK HERE 
For a printable pdf of the tutorial "Using a Picot Gauge on a Celtic Knotted Picot" CLICK HERE

Their Five Year Mission

As I tried to think of ways to teach the techniques in the edging pattern I will be teaching at Finger Lakes in April, this little pattern emerged!  Georgia Seitz is introduced it in the online Tatting Class today (Monday, 3/14/16).


One of the techniques used in my edging and this pattern is the Celtic Knotted Picot, created by Bina Madden.  It is taught here: http://paradisetreasures.com/ckp.html  I have put together two photographic tutorials--one on  Measuring a Celtic Knotted Picot and the other on Adding Multiple Celtic Knotted Picots in a Single Ring.  They will be available in the next blog post.  In the following post, I will have a tutorial on the Catherine Wheel Join.

For a printable pdf of this pattern CLICK HERE

I did do the project in size 20.  The size 20 project fits on a 1.25 diameter

Their Five Year Mission--size 20

ring (measuring the inside of the ring.)  I had a lot of trouble finding a ring to put it on....I finally found this 'Oval Pendant Finding" at Hobby Lobby.    I finally had to adapt it, using my "button shank removers" to cut off the outside ring, and my "bead reamers" to file the ring smooth--(you make do with what you have!)  The stitch count was adapted slightly on Round 3 to accommodate the oval shape.

Tatting with Metallic Kreinik Threads

Kreinik donated enough spools of their metallic braid for each lady at the get-together at Sonya's house to have one.  (See post on 12/13/15)  Recently Mr. Doug Kreinik contacted me (I got thanked for a thank you note!) and asked if any of the ladies had photos of their tatted projects with the Kreinik thread.  I haven't been able to contact all the ladies yet, but I sent him a photo of my creative effort with their metallic braid.  Mine was color 5805, and was a Tapestry Braid#12.  The jewelry finding in the center came from Hobby Lobby.  I did not follow a pattern, but was inspired by some rounds out of a pattern by Marilee Rockley called Arches Doily ( http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com/2009/01/arches-doily.html ).