BoB The Bike

And like Alice it just grow'd

2009-02-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

Got some nice variegated green, and decided to expand on my last piece. Much smaller thread this time so it is about the same size.

All rings and chains are 6ds between picots, with not a ruffle or cup occurring.

2009-02-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

This took absolutely ages. I was trying to "translate" a pattern into something I could understand at a glance from a book by Julia E Saunders. Only just managed it due to a good picture, where I could relate what was going on. There's some beautiful stuff in it but I can't make head nor tail of most of it. Shame really. I still got lost but made up one of the first stars, then did my own thing with it, The book was still under the sofa when I went to find it just now.

It is made from Cronit rayon thread, it is a pig to work with, but the colours are smashing. Unfortunately the lady who sells it in Shrewsbury has only got 3 colours Ecru, a salmon pink and this green. It is about a foot across.

Each separate motif uses the best part of 20 yards of this thread

2008-12-28T14:06:00.001-08:00

I seem to get something wrong with every snowflake I do. They all end up with 7 facets. Wierd.

This is a near miss at Darlene Pilachic's Ice Crystals Snowflake.

It's in DMC cordonet special size 70 and is 1 and a quarter inches across.

The Owl

2008-12-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

I was doodling about , dropped it and picked it up the "wrong" way up, and thought it looked a bit owlish. Fiddled about a bit more and here he is......

When I get a couple of shuttles free, (limited supply), I'll do him again and post the pattern.

I do remember the thread is Finka pearle size 12.

Halloween Masks

2008-10-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Couple (well 1) of evil faces for the end of the Month

The second one is similar to the first but with the top of the head cut off and the ends teased out.

Is it a coily ? Is it a doaster?

2008-10-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Made a new round thing! Dont know what to call it. According to a recent discusion on HBT it would appear to be toobig for a coaster ot too small for a doily!!

Just spent 2 hours writing out pattern and adding photo, previewed it and guess what. All gone. not happy I hate this blogger thing. unwieldy What You See is Certainly NOT What You Get.

Have to keep regigging it.

Pattern follows. I havn't put when to reverse work or not to as I had trouble working it out at the time. May come back to this, as I think it may expand. However, I have 2 difficulties.

1 Any bigger than this and I can't work out how to balance the pattern, stitch count etc. and literealy use miles of thread doing it.

2 Still can't get my head round hiding ends other than cut and tie.

Round 1 R 3-5-5-3, R 3+5-5-3, R 3+5-5-3, R 3+5-5-3, SR 3+5/3+5

SR 3-3/3-3, Ch 3-3-3-3, R3+3-3-3, Ch 3-3-3-3, R 3+3+3-3

Carry on round to completion of round, Finish with preferred method.

Round 2 R 3-3-3-3, Ch 10+10, R 3-3-3-3, Ch 10+10. Repeat all way round finish with prefered method

Round 3 R 3-3-3-3, Ch 5, R 3+3-3-3, Ch 5, R 3+3-3-3, Ch 5, SR 5-3/5-3, R 3+5-5-3, R 3+5+5-3, R3+5-5-3 SR 3+5/3+5, CH 5 Repeat all way round. Finish with prefered method.

25 finished but slightly overdue

2008-08-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Had some family issues to deal with lately, so not done much tatting. Anyway here thay are.

A small coaster in DMC size 50

Sort of slightly clover DMC 50

Finished off the DMC50 with an attempt at a ric rac outer ring.

A tiny circle in DMC 80

The centre of Roger aka Friedman's oval doily.

Had lots of trouble working out where it went from here.

DMC 80

And finaly the doily Which went to Riet as Christmas in July

Christmas in July

2008-08-01T10:11:00.001-07:00

I've hardly got words to say about the bike, brilliant. Am now looking for a good frame to put it in. Thankyou Martha.

The chocolate was lovely, the tea is a realy grand delicate flavoursome drink. My granddaughter took one look at the mouse and after a couple of goes at either hedge mouse and mouse hog. plumped for the latter!!

Thanks again

Last Round robin piece (and 22/25)

2008-07-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

Due to severe polution this snowflake turned green and grew an extra leg.

It is the Elegant Snowflake from Rozella F Linden's book Easy Tatting. I could not get the length of thread correct between the 5 rings of the points, so substituted a 3 ds chain instead.
It is now on it's way to Margaret in Canada.

2008-04-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

21/25 and Third round robin bookmark

Patern

Left leg

R 5-5-5-5, (Ric rac 5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5, S/R 5-5/5-5)*

*repeat x 4

Ric rac 5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5 S/R 5-5-5/5

Centre Leg

S/R 5-5-5/5 , Copy left leg Joining S/R to opposite picot.

Right Leg

S/R 5-5-5/5, Copy left leg joining S/R to opposite centre S/R

R 5-5-5-5. Use prefered method of finish.

Key:-

R= Ring 5-5 etc

S/R-Split ring 5/5,

Ric Rac (1st half double stitch x 5. 2nd half double stitch x 5. 1st half double stich x 5

= 5.5.5

This bookmark now on it's way to Margaret.

20/25 and second Round Robin

2008-03-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Here be Jane's Sleeping cat, in Rubi thread. I wanted to try and make a ginger tom, not quit but never mind. 74,000 split rings . Enjoyed making it.

There is a comment on my blog from
barb michelen. If you are a Tatter, shame on you, If not bog off and keep your adverts to yourself.

And just in case someone thinks I'm absolutely brilliant. I did't tat this ginger tom!!!!!

19/25 and 1st round robin effort

2008-03-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

1st round robin thing sent off after me e-mails went wobbly on me.

Round 1 R 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 Close

Round 2 CH 1 join to picot of ring 5-5-5-5 join to next picot, CH 2 5+5-5-5 join to next picot. Repeat all way round, joining last picot of last chain to chain 1

Round 3 Ch join to top picot of chain on previouse round. 5-5+5-5+5-5+5-5+5-5+5-5+5-5+5-5+

Round 4 R 6-6+6-6 Close. SR 6+6/6-6 close. Ch 6-6-6-6+6+6-6-6. SR 6-6/6-6 close. R 6+6+6-6 Close Repeat x 3.

Round 5 R 6-6+6-6 close. Ch 6-6. R6+6+6-6 close. Ch 6-6. R 6+6+6-6 close. Ch 6-6.

R 6+6+6-6 close. Ch 12. SR 12/6-6. CH 12. Repeat all way round.

I hope that lots clear I got confused!!

16/17 and 18

2008-01-29T16:24:00.000-08:00

Started on an edging but messed it up so many times I ran out of thread. Looks like I will have to visit Mother in law and Sister in law. They are only five minutes from Roseground.
Finca perle size 16, strange variagation the white shows up every few feet but omly for a few inches.

I hope this is not classed as cheating!! Its No 1 revisited once again Finca perle 16. Can anyone tell me how to get the last chain interwoven with the other two. might look a bit Celtic that way.

BJ strikes again!! She sent me some King Tut Quilting thread. By heck that is so fine. So I doubled it up for this Pentagram? Enjoyed working with it. I break threads a lot because I play a guitar and have long nails on my right hand and particularly strong ones on my thumbs.

No 15/25 and my tatting kit

2008-01-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

Above is my tattiong kit. goes wherever I go. Glasses case, silent tatter, aero shuttle, Scissors, dowell for winding on to the silent, and the tangled mess of whatever i'm working on at the moment. There's normally a 0.6mm crochet hook as well but I think it's down the back of the sofa at the moment!!

My first Heart, which on looking at it in a photo seems a bit unbalanced may do again.

25 challenge 13 and 14

2008-01-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

13/25

Round 1

R 10 quarter inch picot 10, RW Ch 5-5-5-5, RW R 10 + picot R1 10, RW Ch 5-5-5-5, Repeat for total of 4 rings and chains.

Round 2

Ch1 + to 1st picot of a chain. 5-5-5-5 + to 3rd picot. Ch2 5-5 + to 1st picot next chain Repeat all way round.

Round 3

SR + to picot on small chain. 5-5/5-5, Chain 10-5-5-10, RW R 5+ 2nd picot larger chain, 5

RW Ch 10-5-5-10 RW, R 5-5+5-5 RW. Repeat all way round

Round 4

Ch +to 3rd picot of chain 5-5-5+ to first picot next chain. 5+ to 2nd picot 5+ to 3rd picot.

Repeat all way round.

Finish each round in desired pattern (I'm still stuck on anything more complicated than cut and tie!!)

25/14

Slightly Maltese cross

Round 1

SR 5-5/5-5, Ch 5-5-5+5-5-5+5-5-5+5-5-5+ to base of SR, SR5+5/5+5, Ch 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5, RW

R 5+10+5, RW Ch 5+5-5-5-5-5-5-5. Repeat all way round

Last Ch 5+5-5-5-5-5-5+5+ to base of SR

HAPPY NEW YEAR

12/25

2007-12-21T14:49:00.000-08:00

The original intention was to try to do Roger Freedmans Babies Breath. Should have read the destructions first!! I haven't got a clue what Mignonette Tatting is, and I can't Needle tat either!! So after round two I did me own thing Man. The original was in a variagated pink, and called babies breath. I didn't have any so used this, Decided on second thoughts not to call it frogs breath, on the grounds thaty if I had used brown it would have to be called dogs breath.

It is the size of a sheet of A4.

Christmas tree (11/25)

2007-12-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

Found a skein of red sparkly stuff on my wife's embroidery box. So I nicked it!!

Mistake. It was really thick and very metallic. I was using a silent tatter shuttle. which has a very generous capacity. Filled it back up 4 times to complete this monstrosity, ( it stands 5 inches tall. I have scanned and photographed it because the scan didn't show the sparkle but the photo quality is not good enough.

The Christmas tree is Elaine Scott's design, from the latest issue of the Ring of Tatters newsletter.

Into double figures (10/25)

2007-12-08T02:46:00.000-08:00

Boy did I tie myself up in knots trying to remember when to reverse work and when not too. The amount of thread I got through trying to get it right (ish) beggars belief.

The Pattern

Round 1

R 10 - 5 - 10. Ch 5 - 5. RW. R 10 + 5 - 10. RW. Repeat for total 10 rings and chains

Round 2

R 10 - 10. R 10 + (to chain of last round) 10. R 10 - 10. RW. Ch 15 - 15. RW.

R 10 + (to last ring made) 10. R 10 + 10. R 10 - 10 Repeat

Round 3

Join to picot on chain of last ring CH 15. RW. R 10 - 8 - 2. R 2 + ( to last ring ) 8 - 8 - 2.

R 2 + 8 - 10. RW. Ch 15 + ( to next chain of last round ) 15. Repeat.

DNC Cebelia 50. Ecru

I hope that makes sense.

2007-11-20T14:11:00.001-08:00

Autumn (9/25)

I had some difficulty here trying to make something similar to the Bonsai Tree, (which was done completely randomly). Trying to do random deliberately, did my head in!!

Butterfly 8/25

2007-11-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

Here be Sherry Pences Butterfly. Had trouble getting to grips with the patern, so not 100% as written. And as butterflys bodies tend to be hairy, I tried a thicker thread ( Crochetta size 8 (yuky stuff) ) and made the body using half the amount of stiches. Almost but not quite. It'll come. Wings made with DMC 80. Once again with many thanks to BJ for the thread.

Coaster 25/7

2007-11-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

Just made me first "round thing". trying it again with a couple of changes in the hope of stopping the "wavy edges" which have caused it to fold slightly on the left. Can anyone help to sort the problem please. Is it stitch count or inconsistant tension?

Managed to get round 18 holes for the first time in 4 weeks. maybe things is looking up.

I been tagged

2007-10-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 3 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Savagely attacked by Marty. However not too much blood lost.

1. 22 Years in the Army
2. I am probably the only golfing, tatting, and biking archer in the world!!.
3. I play golf to a handicap of 14 and my archery is infinately worse!!
4. I don't go anywhere without a book. Novel or historical I don't care.
5. More contrasts. I like traditional British Folk music and heavy metal (70's 80's big hair bands)
6. I play a guitar and perform folk music and monologues. can't play rock to save me life
7. The best job I've had since leaving the army is as an undertaker.

Cherry Tree (25/6)

2007-10-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

Last Spring looking out into the Garden, there is a lovely Flowering Cherry tree. It looks nothing like this, but gave me the idea, along with with many failed attempts to grow Bonsai trees. Might try this again in variagated Blue for Willow Pattern effect.

Helix Asperta Variagata (25/5)

2007-10-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

Helix Asperta Variagata .

( very roughly the variagated snail!!)

I started off trying to make a heart. Made the first 3 rings, and had to stop for dinner. Finished dinner, picked up the "heart", and thought this looks more like a beastie, and so a snail was born.

Not sure of the size but very many thanks to BJ in NM for the thread.

R1 3-3-3
R2 3+12-3
R3 3+3-3

Cut and tie (Several knots to form tail)

S/R1 Join to Picot on 1st ring 6 join to next picot /6
S/R 2 6 join to picot on 3rd ring/ 6
S/R 3 6 join to next picot on 3rd ring / 6
S/R4 10 very long picot 12
cut and tie
Cut very long picot and knot ends for eye stalks

Mother and child!! (It was an absolute pig to do!!)
Little one DMC 80 Once again Many thanks to BJ for the thread.

2007-09-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

HARLEQUIN

-----------------

25/4 Next entry for 25 motif challenge.

Size 12 Finca perle ( got it at Stourbridge tatting day).

Colours 3670 and 1072.

Round 1

R1. 5-5-5-5
R2. 5+5-5-5

RW. Change colour (ring thread now becomes core thread)

Ch1. 5-5.

Colours alternate all way round.

RW Rpt for total of 10

Round 2

Join to 2nd Picot of a ring. (opposite colour)

ch. 5

Split ring. 5-5/10

Ch. 5 Join to 2nd picot next ring

Ch. 3 Join to 2nd picot next ring.

Swap colours. repeat all way round.

I hope that makes sense. Must write things down as I go along.

AND NOW!!!

THE NORTH WALES FORMATION BEGGING TEAM

Victor just needs to raise his forelegs a little and push his head slightly forward to make a top class formation begger.

25/3

2007-09-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Not sure about the "flowery" bits.

Had a "divil" of a job trying to get the leaves done right. Finally managed it by making a 1/2 stitch back over the leaf so that the next piece of the branch could carry on from the original base of the leaf.

Looks like it will go well on a pair of Jeans or something like Sharons' bag

Beasties in my house

2007-09-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my best freinds

First up we have Victor.

Seen here in his bed after kicking his bedding out.

Part Staffie part Boxer.

Other name. "The great orange worm".

From his habit of crawling along the floor dragging his back legs behind him.

Mad eye.

Another of his quirks is to show large ammounts of eye white. His better efforts make him look completely mad.

See I told you there was a radiator sneaking up behind me.

Next is Wilf.

Part Sheepdog part Labrador.

Labs tend to be lazy, Sheepdogs tend to be very energetic.

Please meet the worlds first hyper active sloth

Most pictures of Wilf are of his back . Because he can't stay still enough, for long enough for a picture to be taken. In the half second delay of the button being pressed and the thing going off, he's gone.

His favourite and most spectacular trick is catching frisbees. This is not Victors forte as he is incapable of thinking in three dimesions. He runs like a maniac swinging his head from side to side looking for it, until he hears it hit the ground. He then whips round spots it, runs like stink, grabs and misses it, generaly rolling along the ground in a cloud of dust and little pebbles.

Victor and Wilf.

A moments peace.

Zak. Built like a fifteen week old kitten. Is actually 7 years old.

Has never been known to use the floor, or to walk.

Slash.

( my daughter was into Gun's 'n Roses when he arrived)

19 years experience of nicking or mooching food.

Has never been known to scratch even when he doesn't want a cuddle.

A typical pose.

25/2

2007-09-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

New entry for 25 motif challenge.

It was supposed to be Sue Hansons pattern, but I messed up the ammount of picots on the chain , and didn't notice till third one, So decided to carry on and see what happened.

Pin loom Idea seems to work ok.

2007-09-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Been trying to do cluny leaves. but these nadgered fingers of mine won't stay in place with out getting severe cramp.

SOLUTION

Pro's:-

Cost's nothing.

Con's:-

See equipment source!!

Equipment and method of procurement.

1 Steal wifes cork, pricking board ( she does Maltese style bobbin lace ) .

Here are a couple of examples.

2 Raid wifes needlework box for pins.
Thats it.

I hope that the folowing pictures are clear enough

I just need to work on how the leaf is shaped now and hopefully things should be fine

First Try

2007-09-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Finaly managed to do something without loosing my rag and chopping it up since this heart problem started.
Messing about while waiting for my wife to finish work.

- = Picot
+ = Join

R1 2ds - (repeat 8 times)
R2 2ds + 1st picot ring 1, 2ds - (repeat x 7)
R3 As ring 2 but join to ring 2
Ch 2ds + 1st picot R3, 2ds - (repeat x 7)
R4 2ds + last picot on chain, 2ds - (repeat x 7)
R5 as R2
R6 as R 3
ch2 + R6

Repeat for third set of rings and last chain.

Not sure how I got the finished article to this form as I have repeated it a few times got 1 result completly different to this, the rest were tangled messes!!

Done in Pink Crochetta size 10 (ruddy awful stuff splits frays and breaks without provocation), but is all that was available locally.

Oh to find some decent cotton.

Better Day

2007-08-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Much better today.
Half decent round of golf yesterday. managed 8 holes before turning into a jelly!
Restarted the Tatting.
Smoked, BAD.

hacked off

2007-08-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Totaly hacked off.

Bbeen off work with chest pains since 8th June.

Realy bad day today.

Can't concentrate on anything.

Lost count of how many times i've beggared up my tatting.

Ended up cutting it up in temper.

Daft that, achieved nothing.