Learning, testing, tatting

Claudia Meza posted during the last week the Christmas Berry wreath of  LaRae Mikulecky and challeged us to make it.
Looked at the pattern, I admit, not to much at the text, mea culpa. Big mistake.
I tried to tat it, not that difficult. The first round came up pretty well, I got some pretty decent Josephine knots:

 

 

It was any way a test, only 8 rings and I did not pay to much attention at the picots (do not like them too much, anyway).  

After the first outer chain I stopped. Dit not like it at all. Instead of a nice, continuous chain I had 2 chains, both with own will. See? Clumsy!

What I did was turn the work to make the JK, it seemed logical to me. 

Some days later I got a precious hint from Ladytats (you really must  see her version!) : do not turn the work to tat the Josephine knots for the outer chain and some other small tricks. And IT HELPED! Thank you soo much!

Still a lot to improve, especially when making the picots before or after the JK, but it works: 

Tatted this time with Anchor (my order for Lizbeth got somehow lost in transition... some sticky hands in the customs, I guess). It is the same 12 Anchor, but obvioulsy the red thread is thicker than the green one. 

During the days I had to take my mind away from the first "tatting disaster" I fooled around and I came up with this little something. I think it will end as a medallion or a bell... Have to see. And definitelly, for the last ring I have to re-think... First the chain and then the ring, like this I will have a better symetry for a bell. Do not look too much at the center, it was a test of, let's say, "mixed media". 

And I played with the snowflake with bugles, have to work a bit more, re-think the ds count, because it needs help to lay flat. Added the green seed beads on the second shuttle and played: I rushed, of course, like for all my tests, and one bead remained without the outer chain: 

Snowflakes this time

I got into the Christmas fever. Last week I went to a small craft fair here, in Puerto de la Cruz and I found out the conditions to present there my work. Nothing so scarry. But I only need to tat some more little things at least as duplicates. This week end will not hapen, but the next ones I want to go... Unlike most of you, I never saw the reaction of actual people in front of a table full of tatting. Would they even stop in front of it?
Since Christmas is almost here, I really have to rush with this kind of pieces.
I will have to re-do some of the ones from last year. It is crazy how long they can take to make a decent amount of them!

  

 

The last ones you maybe know already. I am not quitet anymore about what I do.
For this one, you have the pattern here, in the blog:

While making a test with this pattern, with green thread this time, some more size 15 Toho beads, I decided that I can try to make some funny xmas earrings. They need some more pearls or cristals... But they look festive. 

For this one, there is my ETSY pattern:

 

As for this little one, I used a patchwork button, poinsettia flower... It misses a bit of red or some glitter thing, have to think about it. I thought even that is would have a nice apearence on an organza present bag. 

Snowflake pattern

Since some time I want to start to work some little thing for the holidays... The normal little stars, snowflakes, a small wreath. All good intentions, everything planned. And then I opened my beads box. Big mistake! I got the idea to use bugle beads. Never tatted with them before, so, why not?

First was the traditionl drawing... I was tempted to scan it but then I remember what my son told me: "Mom, you were good in geometry, but drawing it not your strenght." He gave me some ideas too. Funny how a tatting free mind can lead to nice tatting ideas. His idea will come too, because is quite nice and challenging.

I tatted in a hurry this:

I was really affraid that I copied at least partially the Ice Queen of Frivole, but no, I had the confirmation that I did not do it. So I can now post the pattern of this star... or snowflake... you tell me what it is. It is not difficult, the only thing wich can disturb a beginner are the paper clips to hold the beads. You can skip them, bu measuring correctly the very large picots you will have to make.

You will need 2 shuttles, 12 bugle beads, a paper clip and a fine hook.
First of all, this would the way you add the bugles. I hope it helps.

  

Then the pattern. It has 3 rounds. The first 2 rounds are here.

Round 1
Ring: 6 ds s times with 5 small picots in between.

Second round: 
Split ring: shuttle 1: 6 vlp (2 bugles) 3 ds. repeat the same with the second shuttle. Do not turn work.
Chain: 16 ds (you can adjust to 18). Turn work.
Start ring: 3 ds join to the bugle picot 6 ds join to the ring 6 ds vlp (2 bugles) 3 ds, close ring, turn work.

You have then to repeat this sequence. You will notice that the bugles are a bit longer than the chain. At least, with my thread, it was like this. So make sure the are all on the same side of the work.

After the last chain, you have the rosette done. Make lock join and move to the next round.

Third round
This one is also easy.
Chain 16 (you can add more or make less). Turn work.
Start ring with the core thread: 6ds join in between the 2 bugles 6 ds, close, turn work.
Take the other shuttle and work the trefoil.
Finish with chain 16 and make lock join.

Hope it is understandable.
You have to adjust the ds according to your thread (and the bugles!) I used Frecia 12 and 5mm long bugles. Try to make sure that the bugles have the same size. In my case I had to choose them... And do not rush like I did... If not, the trefoil will not be that nice and the second part of the chain has not a nice start.
The snowflake is stable due to the bugles. Formine, I just have to fix it a bit, because of the uneven small rings. The next one was already better.

Hope you will like it and you will have no problem to follow the pattern.

Virtual Showroom of Revista Promocionarte

She's keeping us buzy! Carmen from Revista promocionarte found a way to gather crafters from all Spain for 2 intense days of promotion. Not only she is hosting a lot of us in the blog, she's also keeping us moving. In these virtual showrooms like this one we meet, have a peak in the other one's closet, way to say it.

And sometimes I find stunning pieces like this bag from Belum Complementos:

The more I look at it, the more I want to make a tatted bag, clutch, something. Thing is I never did something like this, I know how to attach the mechanism... But knowing and doing are too far away a part.

What you have to do is to post a picture of your work, the links (ok, of course be fun of the page) and then share, share, share. Not only your post, but the other ones too. This is actually the trick wich puts us toghether.

Fun fact: I always wonder, every time I see a nice, neat piece, how much time, work, hope and energy is invested in it.
Funnier fact: There is no tatting to see in there.
Sad fact: that there is no right price for such a work. At least not in Spain. But I know I am not the only one complaining about it.

This time I had this as promotional picture. My last pieces could not miss.

I tell you, I still have one an half days of fun: sharing, sharing, sharing. 

Thank you again, Carmen. 

Simple pattern for the bracelet white and silver

This is what I like with tatting: thre is always something to discover, to test, to try. It is not only the calming effect. How many times did I curse when I did a mistake I could not undo??
The word would be challenging. And rewarding. You know, that moment when you make the last double stich and your eyes are searching for the scissors? And then the little pice of some centimeters square (your worked for it some good 40 mins if not longer) lays in your hand and you say to your self: "Yup! I made it!"

So back to the bracelet I posted yesterday in Facebook... I played this time with a very basic edging, (what else?). Experimenting, tweaking, testing threads... It gave this: the white one were the first attemps, the black one has no picots for the exterior rings... It looks nicer, in my eyes. Both done in poliester thread Brildor 15.

Then I thought, what would it be if I make it in 2 colors? I had, after all, a rest of some silver thread already on my bobbin (strand of 3) so I used as second color a thread from Brildor, the 40, strand of 3.

Since the threads have different consistency, they behave differently and the effect surprised me: the lace has the stiffness I need and the white waves give a nice line.

The result :

  

I worked it with 2 shuttles. 

The pattern is easy to follow: 

All rings are 6-5-6, done with the silver metallic thread. 

All chains: 14, except the ends, white thread. 

Ring : 6-5-6, close, turn work 

Chain 14, turn work 

Ring 6 + 5 - 6, close, do not turn work

Ring: 11 - 6, close, turn work

Chain: 14, turn work... 

The only thing you have to take care of is to thake the right color for each element you will do. And, of course, not to rush, in order the make a neat colour transition. In my piece, I tried to carefully place the silver thread on the right side or on the wrong side of the lace when I started the next element. 

When you reached the needed lenght, then you use the following pattern: 

Chain 14 - 3 turn work

Ring 6 + 6 (join to the join picot from the braid). 

Ring: 3 + 14 - 3, do not turn work

Chain 3 +14. 

Of course, you may consider starting from the small 6-6 ring. Like this you can finish the lace with  the 3+ 14 + 3 ring and hide the thread you will not need anymore.

This would be it. Easy pattern for a newby... 

Just enjoy if you decide to work it and please let me know if there is something to improve. 

Pattern for the green necklace "Spring"

Long pause here... I did not have too much time to put my ideas on paper (sort of). And I could not have the time to make the pattern with pictures, as I promised it in FB...
But I tried to make the pattern for the lateral sides of this green necklace:

This necklace has 3 tatted parts: the lateral ones, they are the same, the central one (it will come in a next post), the pearls strand and the clasps. 

It is a 2 shuttle pattern. I used a 120 tiny thread, strand of 3, this allowed me to use the pearls I had available around (white facetted oval Bohemian cristals, 4 mm green acryl pearls, the 11 size seed beads). Also the ring on ring knowledge is required and you should be able to work it from both sides (right and wrong side). 

I would suggest to use a fine thread or, at least, to make a test before you start the real thing. Like this you will have an idea about the finished size of the chain and the beads you will need. 

Fill the shuttles with a decent amount of thread. The ring on ring requires it.  String on each shuttle as much seed beads as the amount of bigger elements you will have for your chain. Actually you need half of it on each shuttle, but better save than sorry. 

Start ring: 18 - 6 close, turn work. 

Chain: 16 ds, turn work

Start ring: 16 + 16 - 16, close, do not turn work. 

Start ring: 16 + 16 close, do not turn work. Make sure that this ring lays below the bigger ring you worked before. 

Start ring: 16 + 16 - 16, close, turn work. Make sure this ring is in top of your smaller ring, the same level as the previous bigger ring. 

Bring one seed bead from the second shuttle. This makes a nicer transition and hides the thread. 

Start chain: 16 ds. 

Split ring: 6 + 6 /6 - 6, close, do not turn work. 

Chain 16 ds, turn work. 

Now you will have to work the next bigger element. This time, you must make sure that the smaller rings (the 16 - 16 from the middle) are at the same side as for the previous element. For this, you will have to make the joins from below. Place the thread on the left side of the work, pass the crochet hook from bottom  through the picots, take the thread and pass the shuttle in the loop from the upper side. I think I have somewhere a picture about it in a  previous post. 

This part should look like this: 

When the desired lenght is reached, comes the assembly and the sewing the pearls part. 

This was what I used, the small lines indicate how I sewed the pearls. To prevent that the sharp edges of the beads cut the thread, you can always use seed beads near the lace. 

About the beads... You have 2 possiblities: you have them already, then you must make some thread tests before. Or you just tat the lace and then buy the beads. 

You have a lot of freedom. This is nice part of Ankars. One takes a pattern and, depending of your beads choice, this same pattern mutates every single time. 

Please let me know if there is something you cannot follow and tell me if there is something to correct. I am always here to help, if I can.