Motif 6 - Butterfly & Coincidence

In the spirit of my current 25 Motif Challenge, I told myself to pull one of those books off the shelf I had always been meaning to use someday, and just pick something to make. By sheer coincidence, I picked up Tatted Butterflies by Adelheid Dangela, and was astounded to find this butterfly, "Elise," with a block tatted wedge that reminds me a great deal of the edging in the previous post. (It's a simple geometric shape, which she could have easily come up with, without ever seeing the edging, I am sure.) I think it's a great pattern; I got to do both block tatting, and practice one of my weak points--tension in long chains. The colorful one is Lizbeth Autumn Spice plus a Manuela orange. The pale green is Opera, can't remember where I got it.

I had forgotten how many great patterns were in this little book, as well as variety of techniques. There are block tatting, onion rings, cluny, josephine rings, twisted picots, as well as simple ring and chain patterns.

This is one in a series of books from Akacia Press in Denmark, available in English translations. The patterns in these books have a brief description and a hand drawn diagram. Since you must deduce from the diagram when to reverse work, switch shuttles, etc, these may be difficult for new beginners, but not so for the more experienced tatter.

Another of these is one of my favorite books, Tatted Animals, by Inga Madsen. That one I have both the English translation, and the original signed by the author! And another is Tatted Easter Eggs by Kirsten Wind Hansen. I don't have that one yet, but I know it is full of great designs because Tatskool worked all the patterns as one of her personal challenges.

By the way... Where is Mary's Travelling Book? I have lost track, since I apparently didn't save the lase email I got.

My Neglected Challenge

I started this blog to participate in the 25 Motif Challenge, but I've really been neglecting my current challenge. Life has been a bit crazy this year.

My personal requirement this time around was to count only patterns from books, since I have so many books on the shelf I seldom use. I think I've made a few things and not blogged about them, so I'll have to stir through my stuff and see what I have. I know I've mailed some away without taking pictures :(

To get back on track, here is my new favorite bookmark, actually a piece of Edging No. 21 from Die Schiffchen-Spitzen by Eleonore Endrucks-Leichtenstern. Don't you love the block tatting? All the tricks I came up with for shaping block tatting for my critter patterns were just re-discoveries of techniques she used decades ago, and I have only just discovered her.

I have rewritten this pattern in the modern style to be shared soon in the Online Tatting Class.

So, since I can claim an edging posted last July as also part of the challenge, this brings me to number 5 of my challenge.

New Year, New Blog

Dear Friends, I've always been interested in tatting history and really old patterns, so I've decided to make a separate blog devoted to those topics. I'll still be using this blog for other tatting and everything else.

Join me there at Tatting Origins.

Another Handkerchief Sighting

Remember this handkerchief?



Here is it is again in a Japanese collection:

http://www.tattinglace.com/antique/collection8.html

They think theirs was made in France in the late 1800's. What fun! And what a popular pattern, apparently. This could become a new hobby for me -- handkerchief spotting :)



Thank you to Ann W. who pointed out the site to the Here Be Tatters group.

First Christmas in our New House

No tree for us this year, but I am fortunate to have a hearth for Christmas decorations. Decorating was both sweet and sad as I remembered loved ones who have gone on before.

The Christmas Village houses had come from John's mother.

And these are angels which I had crocheted for my own mother...

...and her tatted Nativity set.

Best wishes to you all, whichever holiday you celebrate. May your new year bring joy.

This Year's Christmas Ornament

I traditionally give my coworkers a Christmas ornament. I was looking for something a bit quicker than usual, and decided my Big Sister Angel from Playing with Picots would just about fit the bangles if worked in size 30. I added a few beads and some picots to use for attaching. I felt just a little guilty that I did not make one of Jane's beautiful bead intensive ornaments like usual, but they seemed grateful anyway.

Strangely enough, I'm the only one who has remembered to bring in Christmas CDs, so they have to listen to what I like :)
I recommend Connie Dover's The Holly and the Ivy (Lovely folk singer/music historian, one of my favorite musicians) and
Mary Chapin Carpenter's Come Darkness, Come Light and
Cherish the Ladies' On Christmas Night --Christmas carols interspersed with Irish jigs and reels.

Polar Bear Revisited

Some folks have reported having trouble understanding the directions for my crocheted polar bear from 2008. I've gone back to the original post and added some text and pictures for working the legs. Hope this helps!