Dalek or maybe a lighthouse

Someone mentioned to me that by leaving off the appendages the Dalek design would make a nice lighthouse. Brilliant! At this point in time I really would prefer a lovely lighthouse to a wicked enemy from outer space anyway. 

I still need to tat one more Dalek to get some in-progress photos and then I will post my free pattern as a PDF. I'm not going to put a lot of work in, it's just for fun!

New hand dyed thread in my Etsy shop this week is "Bright Greens". I also tried to dye a blue and yellow thread but since in the dye method I use the thread is wet while the dye is painted on, there is unavoidably some blending of the 2 colors into green where they meet. I did try leaving white space but the white disappeared very quickly. The result has been named "Sky and Field".

Stonehill Wine and Dalek progress

New batch of "Stonehill Wine" is dyed and listed in my Etsy shop today. Funny thing about this dye batch (which I have made before with the same results) is the grayish green part looks really olive green when painted on, but turns gray when rinsed and dry. One of the mysteries of hand dyeing!

Hand dyeing in progress

My new tatted Dalek (inspired by Doctor Who) isn't yet finished, but I want to show that I've made some progress. Only the "dome" on top with the eye stalk and communication indicators need to be added. So far it looks like an improvement over my first attempt (the brown Dalek) from 2017. Writing up the pattern is still on the "to do" list! Be forewarned it's a tricky tat. Daleks always cause trouble! ☺

2017 Dalek on left, 2022 Dalek (unfinished) on right.

The Daleks Will Return

(In Dalek voice) Procrastinate!!! EX-PLAIN!!!

Okay, in 2017 I tatted a lace Dalek and took it to the Maker Faire in Milwaukee to meet the big Daleks. (Daleks are fictional extraterrestrial cyborgs in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.)  My little Dalek got a lot of attention and people asked for the pattern. Well, I'd made it up in a hurry and hadn't written it down. Forgot all about it until now!

I've made a start, figuring it out and making improvements as they occur to me. Just so you know, this 3 dimensional pattern will use tricky techniques such a a bead inside a ring and block tatting. 

Also - IMPORTANT - the tatted Dalek is not a toy. It has many small parts that could be hazardous to young children.

The one I'm currently working on is inspired by the original gray and blue colors of a Dalek in 1964. But these days, Daleks come in all colors. This should by fun! Just ignore their shouts of "Exterminate!" ☺