What I Did in Reality Land
Although knitting swam up and ate my brain several years ago, before that I tatted a lot for over a decade.
This is a little motif that I've tatted more than once and given away. I like to have a sample hanging around, but I gave my last one away to Franklin back in January this year.
Before that, I gave one away to Sharon in South Africa.
Finishing that little motif didn't seem to have satisfied the tatting impulse, so I went back to another motif in this book Tatting Patterns
This is a book that I both love and hate. There are a lot of great patterns in it, but sometimes the directions are just plain, flat wrong. I like the way the motif above looks (tiny illustration on page 15, at either end of the insertion).
But the directions on page 13 create a motif like the one shown below on page 18.
If you compare the two (I've been doing a lot of comparing the two), the centers are completely different. The sizes of the rings and chains in one don't match the other. The center rings don't join to the next round's chains in the same spots. The bottom one ends up squarish instead of round.
If only the first illustration were bigger, I could count stitches and write the pattern up from that, but it isn't! It's only 5/8ths of an inch wide, about 16 mm. Tiny!
So what I've been doing is squinting at the tiny illustration I like and attempting to tat something that more closely matches it. I've made at least two attempts over the years before this one.
Although on the one hand, I'd like to tat from a pattern that actually works first time, on the other hand, it's great brain exercise.
When my brain wants to relax, I take bird photos. I have at least three hummingbirds this year, two males that chase each other frequently, and at least one female.
One of the males perches on top of Mr. Stumpy, the big dead maple stub in our yard, to survey his domain and chase that usurper away.
Labels: birdwatching, tatting
posted by Alwen | 9:16 AM
8 Comments:
Can you enlarge the photo or does that make it too blurry or indistinct? The motif is pretty but it's definitely not the one in the photo.
And you must be very fast on the shutter to catch the hummingbirds like you do.
Fantastic work on the triangular motif. I agree with you about Pricilla #2 being wrong. If I read bother reading the pattern at all, it's a very loose interpretation and I can't stand the fact that a picture on page 23(for example)is for a motif on page 17. Grrr...
Nice shot of the hummingbird. While sitting on the balcony yesterday,one whizzed so closely by my head I could feel its feathers brush across my hair.
Boy, those tatting designs are sure helping you with the brain work, aren't they!
While having dinner at a restaurant one night, we happened to look out the window. And a hummingbird was sitting on a branch nearby. It's rare to see one sitting. And this one stayed there for at least ten minutes!
That doily is quite a haul!
tatting is just so amazing. I will one day revisit my lessons and try it again!
Imagine the poor blind followers who try to get something satisfactory from those patterns. At least you can figure the things out. Bravo!!
Aren't hummingbirds interesting (and loud)? I love seeing the tatting work you're doing, although I'm sorry you're facing the frustration/brain exercise of reverse engineering the one you like!
The tatting is utterly brilliant and looks awesome!
and your new doily is looking lovely too - I am envious of fiber fest and think I need to come and visit so you can teach me things!
What a beautiful motif! I am especially loving the pink triangle motif in the top photo! Lovely work! Your motifs from the Tatting Patterns book are lovely, too! Happy Tatting!
Oh, and I ♥ hummingbirds! You are so lucky to have been able to take a photo of one! I have a chandelier hummingbird feeder outside on my patio and I haven't been able to capture a picture of one of those tiny little birds yet! I'm most impressed!
Post a Comment
<< Home