New year, new-ish tatting and crochet

January 8, 2012 DW12 Comments

Hello, happy new year! I can’t believe new year was only last weekend. It seems like a lifetime ago already. It’s been a tricksy week this one… Two steps forward, and while not quite two steps back, not really the four steps forward I was hoping for.

I snapped this little pile while I was packing up. Look at the colour of the ecru thread on the white cotton! It looks so yellow. I know it sounds odd, but I love looking at little piles of tatting like this. I still can’t believe that my fingers can make something this delicate. I’m not a delicate person. I’m a jeans n’ trainers girl through and through – about as delicate as a herd of elephants.

Anyway. I digress.

I was hoping to be able to be able to present a finished baby blanket this weekend, but sadly I need a bit more yarn:

All I need is half a ball to finish the shells on two sides, but sadly, despite ordering from Texere on Tuesday and paying extra for first class post (and the fact that it’s listed as in stock) I’ve yet to receive a even a dispatch notice, let alone any yarn, which is really frustrating. I’m hoping it comes this week, as I need to give it to my friend next Saturday. Tempted to order another ball from someone else as a fall back…

That aside, the blanket came with me to my parents for the Christmas holidays and to friends for new year. With all the travelling, I put my billions of lavender bags to good use, and stuffed them in with the blanket each time I packed it in a bag. It smells great!

These are two I made but never blogged. They’re made from an old sheet, and I gave them an extra seam around the edges. I put less stuffing in than some of the previous ones, and they look quite different I think. (Still not that straight though, which is why I didn’t give them to anyone!)

I finished the other beaded posy I was making – just need to sew in the ends and block it:

These beads are TINY. I thought the red ones I’d used for the other one were small, but these are about half the size of those. They’re bronze, and actually only show up against certain backgrounds, but I really like them.

I’ve been back to work this week, and so back to commuter tatting. As ever, I didn’t have a pattern ready, so I thought I would make use of my ingenious pre-planned project.

Yeah. Not so ingenious when it’s in size 100 thread and you’re working in size 80! So I might have two ingenious pre-planned projects to carry with me in different sizes.

Incase you’re wondering, the ingenious part was that whenever I got stuck on a journey, I could work on a new square if I hadn’t had time to look up a new pattern. I know this pattern off by heart, and it’s a good travelling project. Foolproof, even. Or not, as it turns out.

Anyway. Onwards! I’ve just ordered a new tatting book from Susan Schwenke. There’s a snowflake in it that a lot of people have made recently, and I love it. I had a plan to make a load of snowflakes *now* so I don’t have a panic next Christmas. Will that actually work? Who knows. (It wont, will it?)

We shall see…

Conquering my sewing machine fear

December 29, 2011 DW6 Comments

I think this has been the year of the sewing machine, for me. I inherited a Singer from an elderly neighbour, and my parents gave it a bit of love and attention (it hadn’t been used for years) and so all together, it means rather a lot to me. I’ve always been a bit nervous of sewing machines, they have a habit of running away with you, but this one is perfect!

(All todays photos are terrible, incidentally. Camera only likes bright sunlight, and I haven’t got any.)

The machine isn’t complicated, it’s a 1930s Singer, and it only goes as fast as you want it to. Only does one stitch, and you can’t really change the tension. (Or you can try, but it doesn’t like it much). I’ve made a lot of lavender bags this year, but I also started my first patchwork quilt. It’s now at the quilting stage, and while it’s not *perfect* it’s going ok.

This is a corner of the quilt sandwich. I bought the batting from a shop I think I discovered through the local Ravelry group – Thread Bear. They were so helpful – showed me the different types of batting they had, made sure I got the right amount for my rather randomly sized quilt. They were also just… kind. They didn’t go ‘oh my god, what have you DONE?!’ which is what I was expecting, because I’ve just been teaching myself as I went along, nor were they patronising, which, I would imagine would be pretty easy looking at my, errr… skills. Even the other customers were nice. So, if you need anything, I would recommend them.

I’m about half way through the quilting – it’s not easy, as I don’t have a walking foot, so you kind of have to use your whole body to get the layers through the machine – but hey, I’m getting there!

I needed to check I could actually get three layers through the machine, so I tested it with this fabric basket. It’s made of patchwork from two old sheets, and some linen. I was beside myself when I finished it – it stands up! I love it! No idea what I’ll use it for, but who cares! I made it using this very easy tutorial.

Once I’d finished that, and looked at the colours, I thought I would make one last gift for someone who likes motorsport – it’s a container really to put another gift inside, using the same sheets and some cream quilting cotton I had anyway:

We haven’t swapped presents yet, so he hasn’t seen it, but I hope he likes it. I used some iron-on interfacing for the bottom, as the cotton isn’t that thick. It’s lined with the grey cotton inside. I know… ridiculous, but I was pleased with it.

So, I still have the quilt to finish – need to finish the quilting itself, make the binding and then actually bind it. Having said all that, I’m starting to think about my next one! In the meantime, I’m about half way through crocheting the Tiramisu Baby Blanket for a pregnant-due-soon friend.

I should really stop writing this, and get on with it.

PS. Following the scarf conundrum, my mum liked them both, and so I gave her them both in the end!

Broomstick lace scarf no: 2

December 22, 2011 DW2 Comments

So, a while back, a Ravelry friend happened to mention that Kemps had a big sale on baby bamboo yarn. I have to admit, until that point, I’d remain blissfully aware of Kemps – but if you’re in the UK, and you don’t know them, keep an eye on their newsletters, as they have great deals for all kinds of yarn.

I bought 12 balls of blue baby bamboo and decided I’d make a broomstick lace scarf for my mum for Christmas. It’s been an ongoing project for a while – it’s a good TV making project, really. I’ve made one before – if you haven’t and you’re looking for a tutorial, I used this video – it was the first one I found when I searched!

Like the previous scarf I made, I decided to edge this, as I worry about the bare threads catching. (It’s unblocked in all the photos, incidentally). For this, I did one row of single crochet, one row of double, and finished off with a picot every 4 stitches. It’s a really chunky scarf – which I like, but actually, now I’m worried it’s too chunky for my Mum…

I really like the raised rows you get on one side of the scarf. I usually do the row of looped stitches, and then two rows of single crochet above that. I know some people don’t do the rows in between but I like the texture. Overall, this kind of crochet is great – it looks really clever, without being too over the top, and it’s very easy to do (and quite forgiving if you miss a stitch or two here and there).

In the meantime, I’ve also been making a scarf with laceweight yarn. Actually, it’s a bit thinner than lace weight. Stupidly, I decided to make quite a dense scarf:

Having said that, it looks really nice. For some reason the colour is really hard to get with my camera, but take it from me, it’s a beautiful mossy green – hand dyed, so different tones. It took forever to make this – to the point where I ended up sacrificing tatting on the train for a while to get it done. (I really missed the tatting, way more than I’d expected).

Frustratingly, the scarf looks so nice and delicate in real life and just rubbish in pictures. But anyway, after all this, I think this one will be the gift for my mum, with the option of swapping it for the other one. I have a feeling she’ll like the green one more… We shall see.

December snowflakes

December 20, 2011 DW2 Comments

How did it get to be December – and so close to deadline for Christmas post? Yes, it’s that time of year when you wish you’d started making things for Christmas in August. I’ve been a bit quiet on here recently, but I have been making things. I’ll try and get some pictures over the next day or two – if we actually get some decent light. For now though, a tatting update.

Just like everyone else, I’m manically making snowflakes. Well, more or less:

As it happened, I had some spare (size 80) thread on a lone shuttle that I needed to use up. So I *had* to make one of these really. And for the first time, I’ve used beads! I really like it actually. Looks a bit spiky in real life – like a snowy holly wreath. Umm, I also had another shuttle of thread to use up so I’ve got another one on the go, with different beads. They’re coppery, and really pretty. Next year though, must find an addiction for a different pattern, this is getting silly.

So this one, I started, or attempted to start at the local Ravelry group meet up. We met for breakfast (sensible breakfast, in a pub, at 10.30am not too early), and I just couldn’t get to grips with it. For a start, I hate leaving bare threads when I make small flowers like the one in the middle, and so it worked out at 5 rings, not 6. Then trying to chat and read the pattern proved impossible, as it’s not worked in the way I’d worked out in my head. So I came away with nothing done! Managed to get to grips with it at home, and then finish it on the commute.

The one sort of centre in this shot, everyone who tats/blogs has made recently, and so I decided I should make it too. It’s a lovely pattern. From the look of it, this is size 80 thread though (I’ve forgotten), which makes it a bit weeny. Having said that, I’m still tempted to make another one, but with beads added. The beads for that size are too small to thread any way than on the thread at the beginning though, so I can’t do anything too tricksy. Also if you’re adding beads to your tatting, this is very useful to read. It talks about the difference between adding beads to the core vs shuttle thread. (Sadly, on the posy with one shuttle, both threads are the same!)

And finally, I bit the bullet and bought some size 40 Lisbeth thread. I noticed Fox saying she liked it, and recently I’ve been thinking some of the things I tat are a bit tiny to use.

This is one of Jon’s patterns. The left is size 80 and the right is size 40. (I made another of Jon’s patterns in size 40 too, but I’ve sent it out already). I dunno. I’m just not sure about tatting with thick thread. For some reason I just don’t enjoy the feel of it so much. Everything just looks gigantic! I’ve got a few things in mind to try next (like clunys, which always get twisted at size 80), but on the whole, while my eyes are able to cope with it, I think I’ll stick with smaller thread, I’ve got used to it now.

A pig called Sunday

October 24, 2011 DW2 Comments

After the tatting in the previous post, I’ve been crocheting a lot this week. I still need to finish the green scarf I mentioned a few posts ago—mainly because it’s getting cold and I’d like to wear it! So I’ve been taking that on the commute instead recently. Being such thin yarn it’s still really light and portable.

Then, on Wednesday I saw such a cute little pattern I decided I should drop everything and make that instead. I had to wait until the weekend though, and so yesterday was spent making this wee chap:

Believe it or not, I actually forced myself to start with the ears – usually I sew ears on to heads as I go, so it does make sense. As it happens, this was so small it was easier to sew them to the completed head..

The pattern is amazing actually—the head is all one piece (ie, the nose is crocheted as part of the head, not sewn on). It was great to watch it take shape, and for once in my life I counted every stitch very carefully.

The body is made from the feet up. Personally, I think if I made it again, I’d do it from the neck down, as it feels like it might be neater. Instead of the waist being decreases they’d be increases and I think it could look better, also I’m used to working that way for the sock monkeys.

I did also sew little chain stitch rings around the arms and waist for the edges of the jumper. I was quite impressed with myself for remembering how to do it after all these years! The head was so difficult to attach at that size that I did sit there for 5 minutes having a panic about whether it was even possible, but I got there in the end!

Blocked and unblocked

October 16, 2011 DW6 Comments

I finished the little piece I was working on before. I was pleased with it actually – it blocked really nicely.

It’s size 100 thread, and the pattern is from a beautiful Japanese book I bought via etsy. Look at the patten on the cover! It’s so nice. The whole book is beautifully photographed, and they’ve actually managed to make tatting look stylish, rather than like some kind of 70’s interior design horror, which is what most UK books seem to favour.

As ever with tatting, once you’ve made one, you might aswell make two:

This is one blocked and one unblocked — and I still need to sort the ends out. The second one I started on a week off, and finished on the train & bus when I got back. Once you know the pattern it’s not bad for commuting. (I sat next to a man on the bus who didn’t appear to look in my direction, but as I stood up for him to leave, he said ‘I just want you to know I think what you’re doing is very clever’. It confused me for a second, as i wasn’t sure what he was talking about!).

Anyway. I need a new pattern I think. Back to the books.

Tatting with quilting thread

October 11, 2011October 11, 2011 DW3 Comments

I went to the Knitting & Stitching show at the weekend, in North London. I had a great time – and an unexpected companion. Originally I’d planned to go with my mum, but various things conspired against us, and so I ended up thinking I’d be going alone.

I seem to be one of a small number who actually ends up talking to people on public transport. Over the last 5 years or so I’ve acquired a few ‘bus stop friends’ and a ‘tram friend’. We’re a bit of a gang at times – there can be up to 5 of us on the way to work in the mornings. After a chance conversation I found out a while ago that my tram friend makes lace! Odd thing to find out on a tram. So, after another chance conversation last week, in which I found out my tram friend wanted to go to the show but not alone, we made a hot date and went on Sunday.

And a very nice time we had too. We walked our legs off. Me and a lady I’d never spent longer than 15 minutes with before.

Anyway. All that aside, I bought some quilting thread, which I assumed was around size 100. It looked like very shiny Valdani thread – especially as there was nothing else on the stall to compare it to.

When I took off the wrapper I couldn’t wait to get started and see if it was tattable – and so, as ever I started on the train on the way to work. (I have no train friend – the trains are too irregular, so the people are rarely the same!)

Needless to say, starting on the train doesn’t leave you with a ton of pattern options available, so I tatted a pattern that was already in my head – good thing about that being that I have alternate thread versions available for comparison..

So the white you see here is size 100. Looks huge by comparison.

After holding my breath and being very careful all the way round, the thread snapped on the last ring, so I had to join in new thread. It’s very shiny, so slips along easy-ish, but very thin, so breakable. You can also see the thread separating on the picots, which is annoying – and another problem is making the picot big enough to get a hook through.

Still, I enjoyed making it, and it’s nice to see it finished. I have a ton of this thread (it’s rayon) so if you want to try it for yourself, leave a message in the comments and I’ll send you some in the post.

—
ps – I did finish the piece in the previous post, will blog it next time!

A bumpy picot ride

September 22, 2011 DWLeave a comment

Well – it’s getting there slowly. Actually, they’re digging up the road so my bus journey is very bumpy. A little too bumpy for tiny picots, if you ask me, so I did a bit of this at home tonight. I’m really tired though, so quitting while I’m ahead!

Threadbare

September 22, 2011 DW2 Comments

Look! I actually managed to make a flat one this time. It’s not finished, there’s another round to go, but I was rather pleased with getting this far.

As always, I made it on the bus & train to work – a few different journeys. It’s size 100 thread. It still needs blocking and the ends sewing in, but I thought I’d post it now incase I manage to wreck it in round two.

Lets hear it for small creative triumphs for the commuter! It kept me calm while the bus was being diverted.

Everything at once

September 18, 2011 DW5 Comments

I should be doing the garden. I’ve been saying that since around 11am, and it’s just gone 4pm. I started making a pinwheel quilt this morning, and I must admit, I’ve been having a lovely time. Doesn’t mean I haven’t gone wrong and unpicked things, or that all my edges match up the way they should, but never mind.

I mentioned before that I treated myself to a rotary blade and a Hera marker – I also bought some fabric at the same time. I’m *very* new to sewing machines, so thought a pinwheel quilt would be a nice place to start. All straight lines, and if it ends up a bit wonky, well it’s not the end of the world.

I’ve made about 9 pieces so far (with breaks for a bacon sarnie, a quick watch of instructional Youtube video and a phone call). I’m using my hand-cranked Singer – and today I actually managed to work out how to get it to wind thread on to the bobbin too! Very exciting. Such a lovely machine – and it makes the most beautiful sound as you sew.

I’ve also been crocheting in the last week or so. I finished a scarf I was making – the pattern is on Ravelry.

In the end I added 2 rows of single crochet and a round of picots, as it felt a bit unfinished without. It’s very warm – the yarn is Debbie Bliss Andes – which is baby alpaca and silk. Had I realised I’d need 6 skeins I’d’ve chosen something a bit cheaper! (Luckily Kemps has a sale right on time.)

(The above shot is the scarf unblocked – I don’t think I’ll block it…)

I actually made it long enough to wrap around my neck twice. I had an internal battle over wanting to get it finished and wanting to make it long enough to wear the way I’d rather wear scarves. In the end, it took a little longer but I’m looking forward to wearing it.

I never took finished photos of the broomstick lace scarf either. For some reason, it doesn’t photograph well – but this is a shot of the edging. I added picots to that too – for a couple of reasons actually. Again, it felt more finished to me (less like a stitch swatch), but also, there are longish single bare threads on the edges, due to the nature of the stitch. I was worried that I’d end up catching them, so this was partly for protection too.

I love this scarf (my first) but I should’ve forced myself to make it longer. It’s a wee bit short.

Anyway – the garden calls. First though, I just need to cut some fabric for another tatted lavender bag, before I put stuff away… Lets hope it’s not started getting dark before the time I step outside.

Occasional Crafter

Crafting, occasionally.

Author: DW