I had a brief email from Jeff saying he received his package but had to leave for work right away and wouldn't be able to open it until he got off work. LOL! Poor guy!

But now I can write this entry - and publish it AFTER he opens his package. (package now opened!!)

I try to do a little research before I make something for the winner and in the process, there are usually a few things that stand out for me. Jeff mentioned in his original entry that he liked blues...and green..a LOT. And it became evident that he really did favor blue a LOT. Kinda reminds me of the way Erin Holloway makes everything (almost) PINK.

Another thing I picked up on while reading Jeff's blog was that he rather liked his fishy friends and had tatted a very nice red one. I thought it needed some pals so I dug up one of the few packages I ordered from Christel Weidmann, the Band 4 Aquarium.

I really have a hard time following the directions in those patterns. I'm still struggling with a buffalo and a kangaroo that I started ...umm...several years ago now. Even with a sheet that gives the English translation of some terms, it leaves a lot out. There are diagrams, fortunately, but even those aren't as precise as I would like. I often referred to the black and white xerox copy of the motif to clarify what was where.

The challenge of "getting it" was quite fun, however, and as you can see, I managed to get them tatted. I also thought a few other colors were a necessity. The gold is the same gold variegated that I've used for giraffes in the past and some orange/gold flowers. The purple one was the hardest....I knew the picots were huge and I used cardboard picot gauges, but making so many was disconcerting at times.

Back to blue again....I used to make this spiral bookmark a lot. I got one in one of the early exchanges I was in. The person who made it for me used an edging in one of the older publications at the time and made it look like it was spiraling with the use of two colors. I don't remember anymore what the original edging was but I've tatted several variations. I've decided to post the pattern as I've made it on esnips and you'll find the link over at the right under "Patterns and Tutorials".

Later...I found the original edging in Tatting Doilies & Edgings, edited by Rita Weiss. This book is a collection of patterns from various other publications and it does not say exactly which one the edging came from. It's a simple clover and chain arrangment with two sides mirroring each other. It's the use of 2 colors that sets it off. Edging #1 on page 23 if you have the book. I also found similar edgings in some of the House of White Birches reprints of old publications. The clover and chain arrangement is not unique.