Tuesday, February 12, 2008

I wanted to tat a bookmark for my daughter-in-law to-be whose birthday was last week. I only found out that day! I got her something else too, but this was to tuck in the card. I started with Sue Fuller's Heart's Desire heart, but I used a printout from the online class that I printed out a long time ago. It only gives directions for the first half of the heart. LOL! I kept thinking, "I don't remember it being this complicated." I had to reverse everything in the directions....sigh....THEN I pull out Sue's book and see she had it all written out there. I knew I didn't have to figure it all out before! I used size 50 Flora and when I blocked it, I was sure it was going to look terrible and out of proportion so as it was drying, I tatted Sue's smaller heart in the book which goes very quickly. I decided to go with it for the bookmark and continued on with a set-stitch or node-stitch tail and added a dimpled ring heart at the end of the tail. It turned out better than I thought it would. It doesn't look all that heart shaped from this angle, but that's ok. I love the shape for a bookmark. I also love the red heart.....not sure what I'll do with it yet. The smaller heart is tatted with Olympus, size 40, color M8 - whatever that means.

This is a vintage edging from a Needlecraft magazine that I also tatted last night. Well...it's a sample. I was trying out the pattern and emptying a shuttle so this is as far as I got before I was out of thread. I really like the way this looks and hope to tat one to attach to a linen circle...or square....or oval...pattern to come when I have more time.

And this is what I've been knitting. I cleaned out a tub of yarn last week when my sister and daughter were here. I was still left with lots of "fuzzy" yarn so I thought I'd start knitting it up. I was trying out a stitch (yeah - I like to test those stitch patterns) and have in mind a cowl or mobius type thing but I may run out of yarn. Only 1 skein of this one. If that's the case, I'll rip it out and make a hat. LOL! It's okay....it's not an effort going to waste. I'm getting a feel for the yarn and needles and learning lots.

3 comments:

  1. You are able to accomplish so much! I really admire the way you are able to try new patterns and make them work. You are an inspiration!

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  2. Thanks Diane! I love vintage patterns. When you see how much they did without split rings and split chains, you can't help but be in awe. I'm also trying to get their designs out there too - as so many people wonder if something has been done before and don't have access to these. Even in the antique pattern library, there are not many Needlecrafts because the magazine was so large, like a small newspaper, that it is hard to scan. And the print is tiny to boot. The patterns were before copyright so I can use them freely and share just as freely. VBG!

    :[-) Gina

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  3. Lovely bookmark! Maybe this will entice your daughter-to-be to tat.

    Wouldn't that be cool?

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