For Ivy

Yes, I know I disappeared again. Sorry. I'm back now. :)

Anyways, here's a necklace I designed for a friend. I'm in love with this pattern.

It's done in Opera, one of my favorite threads ever. Which, of course, means it's discontinued. The beads are from Wal-Mart. I intend to write up the pattern using a more readily found thread. But I'm just not sure if it will be the same in any other thread. Sad.

Oh well. So what do you think?

Zombie Computer! And other announcements ...

It's back up and running! They keys are still wonky, I have no delete button and my space bar is very sensitive. But everything else seems to be working fine! So relieved. I'm still going to need to raise some money for a replacement keyboard and an external hard drive, so that I won't have this kind of scare again. Which brings me to my other news.

I will be reopening my Etsy shop! With tatting and other pieces this time. Today will be dedicated to making some pieces to put in it, so hopefully it will be up and running by Monday. I'll also be selling some of my patterns that I've got saved up. But don't worry, I'll still be posting free ones from time to time.

I'd really appreciate some feedback on what kinds of things you would like to see in the shop. I'm planning on starting out with some small things, stitch markers, jewelry, etc., to begin with.

Tradgedy

I killed my computer. *sobbing* All my patterns, my pictures, my files for the books I'm working on, everything. All through a simple act of momentary stupidity, when I set my just-made cup of coffee next to my laptop, and watched in horror as it spilled all across the keyboard. Thankfully my brother, who is a computer guy, was there, and knew to immediately remove the power cord and battery. He opened it up for me, and cleaned out the joe. [What a waste of a perfectly good cup of coffee, too.] He says it should survive. If it doesn't, it's going to take me a long while to save up the $1,500 for a new one. *sigh* I love my mac's, but I hate the price. Especially as a stay-at-home mom with no job. I guess this means I'll be reopening my Etsy shop. And I'll be borrowing time on my dh's pc until we find out for sure.

Beginner's Knitting Class

Lady Lace Gets a Makeover

In case you haven't noticed, I gave the blog a makeover to go with my all new logo. Lady Lace School of Crafts is now open, with new classes to start soon. More than just tatting will be offered, and I wanted the blog to reflect that.

Stay tuned for updates about classes coming very soon!

Something Old, Something New

Here's a few things I tatted awhile back.

This one is the first row of the Midnight Violets pattern, that was published in the AntiCraft, only done in the round. The only changes I made were to where I joined.

The thread is an HDT from Marilee Rockley, aka Yarnplayer. I believe this batch was called Summer Trail. Isn't it gorgeous?!

This is a new pattern that I have yet to write up. I intend to also work it out to be a five point star. I did this one as a Star of David for my bonus-sister, as per her request.

Hello, blog; we meet again...

Yes, I know it's been months since I posted something. Sorry, sorry. Life got kinda busy... it does that around here.

But. We moved! Into a house! Yay space! We have two bedrooms, two lovely porches, a room just for games (and classes!), and (get this) my very own craft room! Of course, in the frantic jumble of moving things got tossed around, lost, found, lost again, and generally thrown into chaos. So, in short, I have no idea where my shuttles are. Oops.

In the meantime, here's a little something to distract. Also my second reason for chaos.

Tatting On the AntiCraft!

For those of you who haven't checked out The AntiCraft yet, you really should. It's a online 'zine that caters to more alternative crafts. If there's any place online you'll be able to find me it's the forums there.

Anyways this issue is the first ever to include tatting, a pattern written by yours truly. The pattern is called Midnight Violets. It's a beginners edging pattern, but don't let that stop you if you're a more experienced tatter. There's a lot to be done with it. I look forward to seeing what other people can do with it! Have fun!

And the winner is....

The winner of the give away is Steph's (tat) Stuff! Congratulations! Please email me your address at LadyLaceTatting@gmail.com, and I will get your winnings in the mail to you shortly.

Thank you to everyone else who entered, and hopefully I can do something like this again. :)

Happy [belated] International Tatting Day!

So I totally intended to post this yesterday, but life got a little bit busy. Oh well.

So yesterday was International Tatting Day! Not like we need a special day to tat, but any excuse to celebrate, right? So, I'm having my first ever blog give-away!

Just leave a comment on this post to put your name into the hat. I'll randomly select the winner tomorrow night. The winner will get everything pictured here: some glass beads, a ball of Valdani pearl cotton in olive greens, some beaded flowers for springtime, and a tatted amulet bag.

Good luck to everyone!

Preparations

Aside from making an abysmal mess of string I haven't felt very productive lately as far as actual tatting goes. So today I spent some time just tatting up some little things to sell when I get my Etsy back up and running. It was good to just mindlessly tat for once. But as usual my overactive imagination took over, and now my head is bursting full of ideas. More ideas than I have time to try. Oh well. Look for more new things in the future I guess. It's better to over-inspired than under.

Dreams of Insanity

I have proof that I must be going crazy. I had a dream that I was tatting a wedding dress. And now I'm actually considering attempting it. Not a dress embellished with tatting. Oh no. That would be to easy. A dress made entirely of tatted lace.

I actually spent most of my work day thinking over what sort of thread I would use, what shape and stye of dress, what kind of pattern I would need for the tatting, whether to bead or not, etc. If I were to start this project it would probably take me a number of years to complete. YEARS. And we all now how horrible I am with time management. What am I thinking?

Ideally, I'd like the overall look to be something like this dress by Claire Pettibone.

It would require a kind of ingenuity I've never before attempted. A real challenge. I think that's the reason the whole idea has such an attraction for me. It would definitely take tatting to a whole new level.

Yup. I must be crazy. I think I'll try it.

Moving forward

Amazingly, now that I have less time I am getting more done. Or at least it seems that way. The good news is that I think I have solved the issue I was having with the images for the Beginner's Handbook. If all goes well I will have these ready for purchase [both hard copies and download] by next month.

Along with the completion of the Beginner's Handbook, I will begin offering beginner's kits for shuttle tatting that will contain everything a beginner needs to get started, including the Handbook. And along the same lines, I will soon be selling patterns, lessons, and bits of tatting in my soon-to-be-revamped Etsy shop.

Exciting stuff! Hopefully this productivity will continue. :D

Flutterflakes

Butterflies and snow flakes; winter and spring. That's what the weather here is like, so this edging pattern is appropriate.

Flutter Flake

R: 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [5 picots]

*Ch: 4 - 2

R: 4 + 2 - 4

Ch: 3 - 2

R: 3 + 4 - 4 - 3

Ch: 4

R: 3 + 6 - 6 - 3

Ch: 3

R [shuttle 2]: 4 + 3 - 3 - 4

Ch: 3

R: 3 + 6 - 6 - 3

Ch: 4

R: 3 + 4 - 4 - 3

Ch: 2 + 3

R: 4 + 2 - 4

Ch: 4 - 2

R: 4 + 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [4 picots]

Ch: 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [4 picots] + 4

R: 4 + 4 - 2

R: 3 + 4 - 4 - 4 - 3

R: 4 + 4 - 2

Ch: 4

R: 4 + 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [4 picots]

Ch: 4 + 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 [3 picots]

Repeat from *

Progress

Dissatisfied

I've decided that I don't like how the piece for Wrath is turning out. The contrast between the black and the red isn't quite what I was looking for. But instead of scraping the piece, I'm going to complete it. I can use it to complete one of my other projects on my list, a gothic cross for my sister.

I made her one before [you can see it here], but it got lost. I think I'll make the same cross motif as before, but put it on this piece instead. It'll be a little more elaborate than the last one, but that's ok.

As for the wrath piece... well, I guess this just gives me an excuse to buy more thread! :D

Resurrecting old projects

Last year at some point I started a major tatting project, a series of collar style necklaces based after the seven deadly sins. I finished two of them, and then the project got lost. Now I'm resurrecting it. I'm still excited about the project, even if it's not necessarily something truly innovative. I've enjoyed being able to experiment with these designs.

So the first one I completed, that started the whole idea, is Envy.

The second is Vanity, also known as pride.

And the third that I'm now working on is Wrath.

Resolutions

So, I know it's a little late to be talking about New Year's resolutions. I don't usually go for that sort of thing. But this year, I think I will. My resolution? To FINISH things! I am notoriously horrible at finishing projects. I start something, get distracted or bored and it ends up languishing in a drawer or closet or at the bottom of a tub for a few years. No more!

So here's my list of projects to finish this year:

Tatting:

Seven Deadly sins collection

Beginner's Handbook- instructional manual

The King and the Dragon - tatting pattern book [started almost THREE years ago!]

Gothic cross necklace - to replace one lost- for my sister

Write up the pattern for tatted feathers

Knitting/crochet [my Ravelry page] :

Change purse for m-i-l

Dragon face balaclava for bonus-nephew

Baby blanket for Rhydian

Los Pequeños Relojos de la Arena socks [I have one done...]

2010 yarn block swap [4 blocks/month]

Winter arm warmers

Dragon plushie

Other crafts:

Sewn cloak for brother

Chain maille dice bag for friend R

And I'm sure there's a few things I'm forgetting. Oh my, what a list! I'd better get started...

Free Pattern: As seen on RogueKnits

I recently got a request for a pattern of a tatted motif that my sister posted pictures of in her blog, RogueKnits. So here it is; the small square motif.

R: 6 - 6 - 3

R: 3 + 6 - 6 - 3

R: 3 + 6 - 6

Ch: 10

[R: 6 + 6 - 3

R: 3 + 6 - 6 - 3

R: 3 + 6 - 6

Ch: 10] X 2

R: 6 + 6 - 3

R: 3 + 6 - 6 - 3

R: 3 + 6 + 6

Ch:10

This motif is very simple. Have fun and play around; you'd be surprised how many other designs can be made from variations of this motif.

Back to the shuttles

Look, I actually got some tatting done! Granted, I started this piece in October. But hey, something is better than nothing.

Coming soon, a requested pattern.