OH look look! An Grianán. A friend from Cork took some courses here and told me about it...the sort of thing I've envisioned for years! A school for all the crafts! I love knowing it exists. I had this link in drafts and nearly forgot about it. Pam said she had a wonderful time there.


My sister and I visted Helio's Tearoom in Carmel, Indiana at the weekend. The rooms were filled with PINK. There were 8 or 10 Red Hat Ladies in their red hats and purple clothes. Sorry...it hurt my eyes to see so much red and purple together. I understand the concept, but no thanks. I'll wear the red hat or the purple suit, but not together. Afterwards, we walked down Main Street and shopped. We also had to chat up the locals, as you can see. She bought a few things in The Addendum....the clerk being someone from Lafayette who recognized her name but didn't know where from. I bought some linens in the antique mall. There was actually some tatting there - very well made and starched and pressed. Also in one booth, there was a T-shaped piece of cloth with tatting in the open blocks. Big thread, not pressed...the label said "unusual" and it was, but I didn't buy it. Just didn't like that big thread.




He's done! And I don't want to make another one. I would like to make a bookmark sized one but not another mat like this. I enjoyed doing it...once. LOL! Okay...maybe later, but not for several months.



After the filet crochet, I was nearly out of thread on the ball - or thought I was, so I thought I'd tat something small and be done with it. I was also going through a storage bin, trying to figure out what to get rid of and what to keep. There are some very early Workbaskets I bought this year that were a disappointment. I was going by the picture on the outside of the mailing envelope and thought I was getting something I didn't have. It turned out the picture on the envelope was a pattern you got when you subscribed. I already have most of these, but there were a few I didn't have. These are the fold out versions of Workbasket when they first started. I decided to make this little hexagonal doily. I had to add one stitch to the count and I used split rings and split chains to do it all in one pass. It turned out nicely. I'll probably put it on Ebay later, with an updated pattern notation and diagram.

Now here's the next one I tried. Different Workbasket, same kind of foldout. They are exceptionally preserved and this is one I did not have. I think most people who tat know about the Maple Leaf pattern in the February, 1975 issue. I wonder how many people know there is an even earlier one?

I tatted this exactly the way the instructions said to. They suggested using 2 colors and they said it was for a handkerchief corner but that it made a fine edging when the leaves are attached together. I made it in size 50 Altin Basak and you can see it turned out on the smallish side. I haven't compared it with the 1975 pattern to see what the difference is but I know they are slightly different. I don't know why but I was surprised to see they actually said RW (reverse work).

Tammy Rodgers has yet another version. Hers has all rings the same size and all chains the same size. The one I've tatted here has a larger center ring in the clover and the chains between the clovers and rings below are shorter. No stem. If you remember the mask I embellished last Spring, it was from Tammy's version. I think. LOL! I don't remember if I used my printout or if I pulled out the 1975 Workbasket.