A new Challenge

I feel I have wasted a lot of opportunities to make bobbin lace this summer, but despite the ribbings for going to work with LOML, I have managed to get quite a lot of tatting done while rattling around in Dobbin the Garbage Truck!

1st of all, here is my Lizbeth mat ...

hmmmmmmm,

what do you call a 'mat' that is 50 cm (or 20 inches) wide??

Someone in an earlier post suggested I have a give away for the person who could guess the number of rings in this project.

Last night, LOML enquired as to how many knots?!?!?

I worked out both!

Me thinks I have too much time on my hands and it is definately time to go back to work,

but if you too have too much time on your hands, or just wish to hazard a guess

- go for it in the comments section!

Ok, so what will I give away?

Let me think about it for a few minutes!

As I completed 25 snowflakes for the 25 motif challenge in 2009,

and Sharon *did* drop by and throw out the challenge again, how could I resist?!?

Soooo, this time, definately not 25 of the same pattern!

Bookmarks! I LOVE bookmarks!!

Lets go!

Number 1 - Using Coats 40 crotchet thread in ecru -

design adapted from Tatting in Lace by Mary Konior

Left to right - All using Lizbeth 20 in Country Turquiose Lt -

Number 2 and 3- Adapted from The Complete Book of tatting by Rebecca Jones,

Number 4 - Adapted from Tatting in Lace by Mary Konior

Numbers 5 and 6 - using DMC 20 Cordonnet Special

These are joined motifs from the book Tatting by Myra Piper.

I finally got there Diane - a beautiful book with many more designs to play with :)

Finally, Number 7!

Lizbeth 20 thread in Mocha and another Myra Piper design.


Number 8 is on the way!

Do you like them?

What if I include 1 of these bookmarks in the give away?

February 14th is a sweet day, soooo
leave a comment stating an estimate of rings or knots. The closest guess posted for either catagory will win a bookmark of choice and a mystery prize :)

Here is the restart to my Beds mat (I don't think I will turn it into a ring pillow).

I have now used Finca 80 and like it much better.

This is 1.1 meters of the bucks point trim I have made for my grandson, Travis. Now I have to mount it onto a hankie, make it into a bonnet and then print up the verse and instructions.

I am not sure if Beds or Bucks is going to be my most favorite lace - I love them both!
Hooray, hooray - motifs 23, 24 and 25! They were completed on Boxing Day, and looked fabulous after they were blocked, but that pic did not work and will not be manipulated :(

My Mousey pin cushion was happy too - now I could get back to bobbin lace :)

Last weekend, we took Wind Dancer out for a run - (lots of) friends came along and LOML panicked that Wind Dancer would not behave herself.

4 1/2 hours and a dozen trips up the beach proved that Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

The cost - just 2 small tears in the skirt - 1 at the front and 1 at the back! Yayyyyyy!!!!!!!

My Lizbeth mat is almost finished - yes, no more rounds to go! Pic soon :)

Now I am off to play wth my Storybook - they are on special for January - 20% off!!

And a party tonight too!!

Drop a comment, before you go, I love reading what my bloggy friends think.

Hugs, hugs and more hugs

Happy New Year

I hope that this year will be everything you want it to be!

Here is a pic of the completed fan, mounted on sticks and sunning itself in the pansies.

I have to admit that I am charmed at the end result, and the recipient was happy too.

25 motif challenge

We will call this one no 19 - sorry about the photo - camera is not happy at the moment :(
(actually completed Christmas morning at its new home - phew, I leave things til the last minute!)

Numbers 20, 21 and 22

Numbers 23, 24 and 25 are complete, but photo is not recognisable, so will try again later.

Now for the New Year Project!

My aim this Summer is to make the ring pillow (lessons 7-10) from Barbara Underwood's Floral Beds in 20 Lessons book.

I hope it is not true that what starts the new year will continue as I cut this off this morning!

I started it a couple of days ago in finca 60 (labelled as equivellent to tanne 50 as called for in the pattern), but having unpinned the first repeat this morning, and wanting to complete the whole pillow, I think I will like it much better in finca 80. Life is just too short to make the whole thing in a thread I am not happy with!

Hmmmm...shades of Barbara's workshop there as the same thing happened - lesson not learned!

While waiting for pics to download, I made the first ring on the final round of the Lizbeth doily, and have now cut that off too :(

I am going to go focus on the first pattern repeat on the tatting, then wind bobbins and start the ring pillow again! There WILL be progress today!!

Happy New Year everyone, thanks for the friendship and kind words throughout 2009, and I really look forward to the continued friendships and sharing in 2010.

25 motifs and leftovers

It's not christmas yet, but the fan is complete and mounted on sticks!!

Here is the lace (completed pic tomorrow in real daylight)

The leftover thread made 6 bookmarks for friends! Yes they are all the same, but time was of the essence :)

The cards show the first 12 of my Jon's Quanti Snowflake, as seen in previous posts counting down the 25 motif challenge.

The attached snowflakes are 13 and 14...
...15 and 16...
...and 17 and 18 :)

19 is complete but for the pic and 20 almost done! Only 5 to go - tomorrow!!

Take a moment to hug someone, afterall that is what this crazy time of the year is all about!!

Bits and bobs

A few bits are starting to happen - slowly!

Here is a fan I designed last Christmas - this one is a gift for this Christmas, but I have to get a wriggle on to finish it :)

These bookmarks and tags are part of gifts I have made for friends. The bookmark is from Jon's pattern pages made with hdt size 20 hakelgarn in Rain Forest by Lady Shuttle Maker.

The tags are made from Creative Memories papers using the tag maker, heart maker and meadow maker shape cutters.

These tags also use the sweetheart maker and scollop circle and were made for my Joey Scouts.

Travis is Not growing slowly! Here he is chatting with Grandma, and he gets more hansome everytime I see him :)
Enough for now! I am off to think about dinner and then probably more sleep!

Hugs and best wishes.

Key Ring Instructions

The following is posted for one of my students - ready to have a go at one of my designs for the first time on her own! I may work out how to do a separate page and include a pricking for others over the summer

Cut 5 passive lengths approx 1 meter, 1 worker (can be metallic) approx 3 meters and wind as pairs.

Using a small gold ring for a Christmas decoration, or a split ring for a key chain, pass the centre of each passive through the ring and then thread the bobbins though the loop, pull down evenly. Ensure threads are in the order you wish your stripes to run.

Pin to picking so that the bottom of the ring is touching the first pin.

Place the 1st pin and hang the worker over it.

Pins 1-2: cross, twist, cross all pairs, extra twist on worker pair, place pin.

Pins 3-6: cross, twist, cross, twist 1st pair,

cross, twist, cross centre 3 pairs,

twist worker pair only, cross, twist, cross, twist 5th pair,

extra twist on worker pair, place the pin.

Pins 7-10: cross, twist, cross, twist 1st pair, extra twist on worker pair,
cross, twist, cross centre 3 pairs,
2 twists worker pair only, cross, twist, cross, twist 5th pair,
extra twist on worker pair, place pin.

Pins 11-32: cross, twist, cross, twist 1st pair, 2 extra twists on worker pair only,
cross, twist, cross centre 3 pairs,
3 twists worker pair only, cross, twist, cross, twist 5th pair,
extra twist on worker pair, place pin.

Pins 33-35: cross, twist, cross, twist 1st pair, extra twist on worker pair,
cross, twist, cross centre 3 pairs,
2 twists on worker pair only, cross, twist, cross, twist 5th pair,
extra twist on worker pair, place pin.

Pins 36-38: cross, twist, cross, twist 1st pair,
cross, twist, cross centre 3 pairs,
twist worker pair only, cross, twist, cross, twist 5th pair,
extra twist on worker pair, place pin.

Pins 39-40: Cross, twist, cross all pairs, extra twist on worker pair, place pin.

Wrap worker around all passives 2 times, and then tie off with a reef knot (like the snake). Leave a fringe and trim all threads.

Good luck :)

It's a boy!!

I've been working for weeks (at least that's what it feels like)

This is a very quick post to let you know my 1st grandchild arrived safely on Thursday afternoon. Travis John is now at home getting to know friends, family and discovering a big wonderful world, wrapping his mum and dad around his little finger very sweetly!

Pics later...gotta fly - work to be done!

BTW - work is full time for another 4 weeks, so please don't expect too much :)