Another Snowflake from Jon's Challenge

I have finally finished tatting up Frakira's (from InTatters) version of Jon's Snowflake Challenge.  I SO love Celtic Tatting!  I tatted this one up with 3 different colors of size 30 thread.  White for the first row, Variegated Blues for the 1st 1/2 of the second row and Blue for the 2nd 1/2 of the second row. 

I really LOVE how many wonderful patterns are coming out of Jon's Snowflake Challenge! Keep your eyes out as I will be tatting Tatknot's version as soon as I get done with another of Yarnplayer's doilies that I am tatting.

Thread Experiment

I have over 60 spools of Machine embroidery floss from when I was doing Embroidery on Cards.  I don't do so much of that anymore, so am trying to find something else to use that thread for so it wasn't a wasted investment.  I have mostly thread from Thread Art but I have a few spools of Gutermann Sulky, Gutermann Metallic and Mettlar, so wanted to see how they all tatted up in comparison to the smallest tatting thread I have on hand, which is a size 70.  I'm not exactly sure what size the other threads work out to be, but I think the Thread Art thread is a 120, based on a 120D/2 on the spools.  Here are my results.

I think that the Mettlar and the Thread Art threads need a finer needle to use these without combining them with another thread.  The Double Stitches are a bit looser than I like them to be, but they both tat up very nicely, so I will be able to combine these threads with some of my plain tatting threads for LOTS of possibilities now.  The biggest surprise for me was how easy the Gutermann Metallic tatted up!  My surprise comes from the fact that the thread is not smooth.  I do have some Gutermann Metallic that IS smooth and that did NOT tat up very nicely at all!  Completely opposite to my expectations!

Now, I'm off to see if they make a finer needle than the #8 Extra Fine that Handy Hands has.  If not, then I am going to try tatting the Mettlar and the Thread Art thread using one of my Beading Needles.  Will just have to watch my fingers as they are Sharps!

Strivers (Stitch Place Holders)

Have you ever run into a pattern that calls for a Paperclip but when you get back around to the paperclip and join to the held stitch you find that your piece doesn't "look" quite right?  Paperclips are just TOO bulky!  One of the lady's over at InTatters showed us these Strivers and I just HAD to make my own!

All you need to make your very own Striver is an Earring Finding (I used a French Hook here, but other styles can be used too...I just added more "curl" to my hook), a small length of wire to hold a few beads on, some beads, a charm and a pair of Needle Nose or Jewelers Pliers.  How easy is that?  Much more elegant looking than a Paperclip as well!  I've used this Striver with thread all the way down to size 30 with great success and think it will even go down to smaller thread just fine.

Hope you all make some pretties for your tatting box now. ;-)

Life Has a Bad Habit

Life has a bad habit of getting in the way fo the Creative Process...or at least the sharing of that process with my friends here.  I'm very sorry it has been so long since my last post.  I've been fighting some major depression brought on by some things that are going on in my life right now.  Hopefully, soon these will be over and I can get back on an even keel and get back to posting regularly.
Now, our Tatting Design Course is over, and I have done all but the last 2 lessons....yup, I even fell behind in that as well, but I have a LOT to share with you today.  Gonna catch you all up with my tatting work since I last posted at least.  Tatting brings me peace, so I do it a LOT!  ;->
Lesson 6:  We drew out the Pattern for Lesson 5 and my version can be found here: http://www.4shared.com/document/WEn0zCxb/Lesson_6_Drawing.html


Lesson 7 and 8 were more working with the Graphic's Program that we were learning, so nothing to show for it, but Lesson 9 was (in my opinion) the MOST fun Lesson of all!  We got to take a clip art drawing of a Snowflake and, using the Graphic's Software, create a pattern for a Snowflake using Tatting.  Well, I really enjoyed doing this one!  Here is my pattern for Lesson 9:

There is nothing to show for the next Lesson and I haven't finished the last 2 Lessons.

However, I have done more tatting and another design project as well.  I took a Design Challenge by one of the members of InTatters and came up with this lovely Snowflake Pattern.

This one was a very fun one to work!  I showed the first row finished, because I think that would also make a great looking ornament on its own as well.

I've also done some Motifs for a Summer Challenge on InTatters.  Here they are:

And a Doily designed by Yarnplayer.  I simply LOVED working up this lovely!

Well, that is all of the completed work I have to share with you today.  I hope to start posting more regularly again very soon.  Thank you all for being patient with me and sorry for taking so long to catch you all up with me.  My "head" knows that a problem shared is a problem lightened, but when it actually came down to coming here and posting, I just couldn't find the "umph"  Hopefully, I have broken that cycle with this post! :->