Larkspur and a lace bookmark

 

New hand dyed thread batch "Larkspur" is now listed in my Etsy shop. 

The colors were inspired by a delphinium (aka larkspur) flower in my garden.

Obviously not as vibrant as the beautiful, intensely saturated colors in that plant, but I did my best. I ordered new dye colors for this batch, choosing "Intense Blue" and "Blue Violet" from the Pro Chemical and Dye website. I always use fiber reactive dyes for my cotton threads.

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A bobbin lace project completed! The Caneground Bookmark pattern by Jenny Brandis. I really needed her clear, step-by-step instructions and excellent video demonstrations for every little bit of the process to get this done. I guess you could call it a "bucket list" wish to be able to learn bobbin lace. Some of my size 40 hand dyed thread is in this.

Tatting with gears and bobbin lace progress

 

From my "High Gear" pattern

This pair of earrings was tatted from Liz Metallic thread size 20, color number 311. I made several short videos while tatting this pair. Three of them are on my TikTok profile, and I just added a one minute video demonstrating a self-closing mock ring around a bead to YouTube as a short. The earrings have been listed in my Etsy Shop, and the pattern "High Gear" has been there awhile.

There has been some progress in my new hobby of bobbin lace. The pattern that I'm working on now is by Jenny Brandis. She has many instructional videos on YouTube and a lovely Etsy shop as well.

My first attempt at a Jenny Brandis bobbin lace pattern

I've removed some of the pins in the lace already completed to better see how the colors are interacting with the pattern. Mind you, I was really clueless about what would happen with the colors when I started. They didn't stay neatly in place like the simpler pattern that I tried in my previous post. But, now that I can see the color mixing it's like a painting! I love it! 

I'm using mainly size 40 Lizbeth and some of my hand dyed thread. This is thicker than the recommended thread for the pattern, so I enlarged the pattern to 115% and it seems that's about right. Jenny Brandis includes a lot of helpful information with her patterns, so that's how I learned about resizing the pattern to fit the thread.

Okay, so now I also do bobbin lace

 

Pattern is by GaliciaBee

The pattern is by GaliciaBee and it's so pretty and good for beginners. She also does videos! 

My current work under the pins is from one of her beautiful thread kits. I added some Lizbeth metallic size 20 to it, and I'm loving the combination.

I still do tatting also! Currently I'm in the process of writing up my version of the "Victory" necklace. Eventually I hope to offer my version of the pattern in my Etsy shop.

The jacket again, with clover edging

 

The clover edging that I'd been tatting has now made its way onto the front of the white jeans jacket. The edging pattern and my video demo tatting it is on YouTube HERE.

The back of the jacket features a pair of wings at the top, pattern is from FairyLaceAndMore.

 The circular pattern in the center surrounded by tatted leaves is from a public domain vintage book that's available as a free instant download from the Antique Pattern Library: Priscilla Tatting Book no. 3. 

The floral edgings on the sides are a "make it up as you go" design. I tatted one, then used what I'd done as a pattern for the 2nd side.

The triangular design at the bottom is from my own "Daylily Dance" pattern, which I have for sale as an instant download in my Etsy shop.

Tatted lace "Phoenix" necklace

 

Tatted lace necklace from "Phoenix" pattern in dark ecru and shaded greens.

For this necklace I chose size 20 Lizbeth thread in the color number 693 "Linen Medium", and some of my hand dyed from the "Pond" batch, also size 20. 

The 3 round center beads are size 4mm, and the seed beads size 15/0. The bottom center dangle is an 8mm bead. The tatted motif measures about 6 inches (15 cm) across. This is a smaller, more delicate lace necklace than the same pattern tatted in size 10 Lizbeth (see the bottom photo for a size comparison). With size 10, larger beads are required. 

The "Phoenix" pattern is my own original, and is available for purchase as an instant download from my Etsy shop HERE. The pattern also includes a smaller, slightly simpler version as well.

A join between beads in a tatted ring.

The "Phoenix" necklace in progress.

Size comparison:
"Phoenix" necklaces (blue on top, then the orange and red) tatted in size 10 Lizbeth thread.
Bottom necklace in size 20 Lizbeth from the same pattern. 

Vintage letter "B" made easier, or perhaps not!

 

The tatted alphabet in Priscilla Tatting Book No. 2, published 1915 has instructions in paragraphs so densely packed that it is hard to figure out. 

Here are my 21st Century "hacks" to make it easier... or perhaps I've made it worse! I'm only going to give instructions for the letter "B", but all the letters are combinations of similar elements. So here we go!

This project is mostly chains. For shuttle tatting only 1 to 2 yards on the shuttle and leave attached to the ball.

Begin at the top of the straight side of letter "B". R 2-2-2-2-2-2, close ring, RW.

Ch 7, 2 first halves, drop picot, 2 second halves. (It's simpler to write the same instructions this way: Ch 8, drop picot. The 2 second halves count as the first double stitch in the next set of Ch 8. I hope this makes sense.) The original instructions do not have a drop picot. They did a join at that area by wrapping the thread around the chain, like what we would call an "alligator join".  

Ch 8, drop picot, then normal picot.

Ch 10, drop picot, Ch 10. Tighten a little, but keep the chain straight. RW (turn work to go back).

Bottom ring: R 2-2-2-2-2-2, close ring.

[Ch 4-4-4. Lock join to next drop picot.] 2 times.

Ch 4-4. Lock join to next drop picot. Ch 4-4. Wrap thread below 1st ring, turning ring to face front side up.

Ch 9-9-10-8+(lock join to picot of 1st chain) 8+(normal join to previous chain) 11-12-12.

Wrap thread around bottom ring. RW. 

For front side, back side tatting, tat the following row "back side".

Ch 4-4-4. Lock join. Ch 4-4-4-4. Lock join.

Ch 4-4-4. Lock join to picot joining previous chain.

[Ch 4-4-4. Lock join.] 3 times.

Tie threads around top ring, hide ends, and cut.

Here is a sign I made using tatted letters. It says "Beach" to remind me that I live only a few miles from a beach!