The Yoke's Really Long Piece

Next up is "Yoke Section 9," the really long strip across the front (or back, I hope).  This is a milestone in my progress, as it is the last of the large pieces, and all the secions are now joined together.  And also too big to fit on the scanner.

It's very pretty and dainty.  It would make a good edging or insertion.

The diagram shows only the ends, and I take exception to the way the diagram parts are displayed on the page.  If you ever make this, remember, next to the end trefoils, the longer chains need to be on the outer side of the curve on both ends.

Meanwhile, in the garden, there have been good times and bad times.  Here's a picture from a week or so ago. 

A deer got through the fence and ate a bunch of tomatoes, both fruit and vines.  The squash plants didn't bear much and died an early death.  On the up side, the deer didn't get all the tomatoes, and the vines are starting to put out new branches and blooms.  I'm trying to grow some more squash from seed, and the young plants are looking good so far.  I'm getting more cucumbers than ever before and I already made a batch of bread-and-butter pickles. (No idea why they are named that.) The peppers are starting to bear as well.  

One plant that was supposed to be a jalapeno turned out to be this instead.  I picked one when it was 6 inches long.  I'll have to figure out what I can make with these.

Back to the Yoke

 I'll put the mignonette rose doily on hold while I work on writing up the pattern.  Meanwhile, I'll go back to the yoke I was working on when I got distracted by the doily.

The yoke comes from "Practical Tatting" by Phyllis Sparks.  Used copies aren't too hard to find.  It has quite a lot of edgings, some doilies, a few nice collars, and this exquisite yoke.  Patterns are diagrammed in a style different from the norm, but easy enough to follow once you get used to them.  Patterns have more cut and ties than preferred by the modern tatter, but usually not too hard to get around by substituting split rings etc.

Here is the entire yoke as pictured in the book.  There are (I think) 86 individual motifs made from 17 patterns.  This was to be more than just a project for me, but more of a tatting meditation.  Is "centering" the right word?  I wanted something old fashioned and elaborate.  First, I must make each section correctly, which is sometimes as much about matching the designer's tension and picots as well as following the pattern.  Next, all the pieces must fit together. Lastly, I must have the perseverence to complete the project.

Mrs. Sparks writes that you make make the motifs in any order you wish.  She began with the large circle near the top and then the bow shaped strip around it.  I decided to begin with the large oblongs that go over the shoulders. I thought working a large section would tell me if I could follow her patterns and enjoy them.

So far, so good.

I didn't make a scan with a black background way back then, but since then I found out some of you preferred the dark background, so I tried to photoshop it.

Meanwhile, DS3 and I visited the Sarah Duke Gardens in Durham.

There are several sections, with different themes.

We didn't see it all.

Highly recommended, we will be back.

In the Garden

It was a harsher winter than usual, and some of my perennials did not survive.  But still, most of the garden is there, and there continue to be surprises.  An unidentified bit of greenery I had been tolerating in the back yard has turned out to be a Lenten Rose, pale violet in the beginning, now fading to yellow.

The concept of change is one of the joys of flower gardens.  One day, just stems and vines, and suddenly, iris in all their glory,

and the clematis on the trellis blooming all at once.  Too bad the picture doesn't show them better.

I was a little concerned about the gardern while I was away at the beach, but when I returned, everything was still alive, and the tomatoes were blooming.

Life is Good

Here in North Carolina, dogwoods and azaleas are in bloom.  It's one of my favorite times of year.

The front yard flower garden continues to delight.  The creeping phlox in the middle didn't bloom much this year.  I wonder if it needs thinning or feeding.  The pansies are still happy and the Sweet Williams are starting nicely.

I know the pansies will die when the weather turns hot, but I wonder if the violas will survive.  I love them so much .

Last year, most of what I planted didn't come up, or died, or got eaten.  (Luckily I am blessed with the many perennials left by the previous owner.)  Here is one of my few survivors, last year a modest bit of greenery, this year a handsome flower.

Meanwhile, after weeks of effort, I think I have this pattern tweaked to my satisfaction.  Progress on the new  book, though slow, continues.

Needing a Break -- Athalia

I was working on a involved project for so long that I was desperate for a change of pace. Fox's Athalia pattern provided an excellent diversion. Both of these are with size 20 thread, the upper one is Tat-ilicious' Harvest and the other is some Lizbeth. I didn't have any filigree doo-dads like the pattern, so I substituted buttons. The upper one is 1/2 inch and the white one is 3/4 inch. Diane at Lace Lovin' Librarian just happens to be having a give-away of just that sort of finding. Better hurry, it's first come,first serve. Many thanks to Fox for sharing the pattern and Diane for giving away doo-dads.

Meanwhile, in the garden, can anyone identify this plant?  The standing up one, not the crabgrass beside it.  A few of these came up by themselves in awkward locations so I might try to move them.

Also, in the garden, or NOT in the garden, I don't have any tomatoes.  I had some just starting to ripen, but one morning they were all gone, except one on the ground with teeth marks in it.  Deer I suppose.  I see do-it- yourself recipes for Deer-Be-Gone, but they all seem to include raw eggs.  Has anyone tried this?  Does it work? Just how bad does it smell and how long does the smell last?

Meanwhile, on the spinning front, the roving I once showed you has been

spun,

plied,

and skeined.  Now to select a pattern.....

Let's Play "What is it?" in the Garden

I am blessed (and sometimes cursed) with the many flowers and plants left by the people we bought our house from last year. I am still trying to figure out what some of them are.

These 2 pictures are of a little plant, only a few inches high.  I have a larger one of the same, but it's in the shade and not blooming.  Sorry these pictures are so poor.  The flowers were a deeper pink in real life, and looked better before a really heavy rain.

These yellow flowers must be either perennials or enthusiastic self seeding annuals.  I think I've got a lot more of them now than last year.  The plants are in the 12-16 inch high range, and the blooms are slightly cupped.

This one looks sort of like the four-o'clock pictures in my flower book, but the blooms are open by the time I get up in the late morning.  The size and foliage are very similar to the yellow flowers.

Any guesses?  Next time I get to a garden center, I'll be looking to see if I can recognize them there.

Next time, more tatting, I promise.