Weaving and Sugar Maple

 

Occasionally I weave, on an 8 shaft table loom. I recently signed up for a membership in Wisconsin Handweavers and hope to eventually get to a meeting. The towels I'm currently weaving are based on a pattern found in Handwoven Magazine May 2003.

I finished hand dyeing a batch of my favorite autumn colors called "Sugar Maple" and listed them in my Etsy shop.

Back side of the "Primal" necklace.

Someone asked to see the back side of my Primal necklace, so the photo above shows the back side.

I also decided to list the green/brown Primal necklace for sale in my Etsy shop.

Autumn glory at Greenfield park in Milwaukee County

Primal pattern is done

 

Primal is one of my most difficult patterns! Well, there was a lot to write and I practiced to be able to make a "loop tatted ring" over a bead over a floating ring in progress video - but I did it! 

There are 3 links to videos in the pattern. The one for "Catherine Wheel Join" goes to my Celtic Triangle video because it is a good demo of the technique. But, I made a new video for a bead inside a floating ring as well as the loop tatted ring already mentioned. These videos are not exclusive to the pattern, so here's the links: 

Catherine Wheel Join

Bead inside ring

Loop tatted ring over a bead 

Tatting techniques used in the pattern: ring, picot, chain, join, lock join, Catherine Wheel join, floating ring, bead picot, bead placed onto a picot, bead inside a ring, split ring, bead inside a split ring, loop tatted ring over a bead, Josephine chain.

The 7 page pattern is written in English, has a photo diagram with stitch counts, and in-progress photos. For sale as an instant download PDF on Etsy in this listing.

Primal, an archaic style necklace in tatting

Work in progress on Primal pattern coming soon

In my original "Primal" pattern that I'm still preparing, there's a ring encircling a previously tatted chain. Plan for it by wrapping the thread around the chain twice before winding the shuttle. 

Wind the shuttle and then tat the ring.

The closed ring encircles the chain, giving an interesting effect. 

The "Primal" pattern will have many advanced techniques in it, so it is a real challenge! I will post again when the pattern is finished. 

Hand dyed thread "Lake Country" and a peek at a pattern in progress

 

"Lake Country" size 10

"Lake Country" hand embroidery floss

 It reminds me of a colorful autumn day next to a lake. Sort of a rainbow, but without violet.

"Primal" pattern with loop tatted ring in progress

"Primal" pattern with Catherine Wheel join in progress

The original "Primal" necklace from 2013 with a current sample started

I'd totally forgotten about my "Primal" design from this post in 2013 and just found the necklace in my stash recently. Apparently I'd called it "Primal Pods" for a while, but my plan now it to simply call it "Primal", to avoid confusion with my other pattern "Milkweed Pod".

I think one reason I never got around to writing it up is because of the "loop tatted ring"  technique used on the bottom of the necklace. It's tricky (difficult for me!) and so I figured that many people would consider it a turnoff. 

So, my solutions: 

• To practice the technique until I'm competent enough with it to do a demo 
• To include an easier option that gives a similar look with less effort

So, this is the project that I'm working on now. When the pattern is done I plan to add it to my Etsy shop.

New tatting pattern Trixie

 

My new design "Trixie" is done! I've written the pattern for this necklace and earrings set and it's now listed on Etsy as an instant download.

The inspiration for this pattern is from one of my earlier designs "Beatrice" (still available in the book Tatting with Beads Jewelry at Barnes and Noble) which was a more complex design that involved pearl tatting and Catherine Wheel joins. Both of those techniques do not exist in "Trixie", so it is an easier tat. I put in some "front side, back side" directions in the pattern but of course those are a personal choice.

So, there is my first new pattern of the year 2026! I'm happy to have done it.☺

Island Breeze

 

New hand dyed thread batch "Island Breeze" is now listed in my Etsy shop! I'm really pleased how the colors turned out, giving a happy feeling of relaxing in a tropical paradise near a beach while a cool gentle breeze whispers past.

I'm also in the process of writing up a new tatting pattern to add to my shop! It will be a necklace and earring set. Actually inspired by one of my previous designs but changed and simplified from the original, so it is really a new pattern. Hoping to finish it before the end of this month. I'm going to call it "Trixie". ☺