Still needs sleeves

The sweater that I've been knitting since October, 2021 has reached the stage of starting the sleeves! They start with a band of the lace edging, then the rest is plain knitting, and I'll be quite glad at this time to do some simple knitting without constantly watching a chart. 

The pattern is "Spring Leaf" designed by Bronagh Miskelly, found in Knitting Magazine, April 2017. It's not the sweater on the cover.

Tatting a Clover Edging

Someone requested that I do a video demo of a simple edging in tatting. So, that video has been posted to YouTube Clover Edging. It also shows adding a new thread.

Hand dyed thread "Seaside"

 

New batch of hand dyed thread "Seaside" is now listed on Etsy. I played with some of it already so you see the new thread made into shell earrings. This pattern is part of my Craftsy Next Steps class. The shell facing the opposite way was made by tatting back side, then turning it over. I don't demonstrate the opposite facing shell in the class, but I do have a YouTube video showing Catherine Wheel Join from the back side.

Seaside colors coming in New Year

 

Mermaid vibes, perhaps? 

This is my "Fairest" bracelet pattern tatted in size 10 Lizbeth No.715 "Maple Butter" which I think makes a nice warm, sandy beach color. Paired with aqua colored beads, it reminds me of summer days. I took a green screen shot with my smartphone against a video of Lake Michigan taken last summer. (There's an app for that!)

For this bracelet I decided to use a sliding knot closure in nylon macramé cord, laced up corset style. In my Etsy listing there is a short video showing how to put on and tighten the sliding knot by yourself.

Also recently listed a Star Capella pendant in hand dyed aqua accented with some of the Lizbeth thread. 

A new hand dyed thread batch has occurred to me, and I'll be working on that within the next few days, to be listed in the new year! I'll probably call it "Seaside" since I already have a batch with beach in the title (Beach Café). My goal is to have it gently shading from aqua to a sandy beach color. We will see how it turns out!

Wishing you all a very happy New Year!  

Tatted star in pink and knitting goes on

In 2 shades of pink from my stash of hand dyed threads, the "Star Capella" finished as a pendant. Actually the camera couldn't capture the true color of the darker pink, which is really a boysenberry shade. 

The sweater project is still in progress. I've finished the lacy edging on the right, and am at my second try of starting the left side, which is knitted from what I call the "back side" of the work. I've had to learn a new-to-me knitting technique called "purl 2 together through back loop" and it is even trickier than it sounds. I don't know why people carry on about tatting being hard - knitting is much harder, in my humble opinion - and I learned to knit much earlier in my life than I learned tatting.

After several tries "Holly's Heart"

 

When I saw the original vintage photo on Ribbonwinners and the lovely pattern redesign by Lily Morales I decided to give it a try.

Although both the written pattern and diagrams are extremely well done, for some reason I just couldn't wrap my little brain around it enough to be able to follow it. I was ready to give up, but then took a look at the vintage original another way. 

The center is simply square blocks stacked up. 

They're turned at an angle to form the basic shape. 

Additional triangles fill in the gaps to make the heart shape. 

Since I do understand how to "climb out" using split rings, I decided to tat a row of blocks. And then "climbed out" to tat another row of blocks. I was able to finish the heart by taking a section at a time, in 3 sections. So, 3 sets of tails to sew in, not as clever as Lily's method which leaves only 1 set of tails, but I'm happy just to have been able to finish the heart! ♥