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

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.☺

Celery but a different project already in progress

 

A new batch of "Celery" has been added to my Etsy shop. I have wrapped a sample onto a spool and I like it, though I already have another project in yellows in progress. Hmm, maybe I'll decide to add some green!☺ What, exactly, is the project? Actually, I am not sure yet but I've started with triangles from my own "Amoeba Triangle" pattern and we'll see.

"Celery" hand dyed thread

The "Celery" batch being painted with dye - the colors always look darker when wet.

By the way, one of my artworks has been featured in another exhibition!

My "Leaves of Lace Garland" has been showcased in the Earth - 2026 exhibition organized by Exhibizone distributed by Biafarin 

My current method for the Vision earrings

 Since my tatting has "evolved" the reverse work directions in the original "Vision Earrings" pattern found in my book Boutique Tatting do not match what I do now. I hope these step by step pictures help.

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(Instead of joining the top ring to a jump ring while in progress I just tat the ring and add the jump ring later. I've also added one more double stitch to the top ring.)

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(I've tied the threads before tatting the final ring, and tatted over one tail in part of that ring. The tail that remains I sew under some stitches in the previous chain.)

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Vision pattern necklace and earrings sets

 

The necklaces are from my "Vision" necklace pattern which is found on the Free Patterns page of this blog. It's one of my very early patterns and recommended for experienced tatters. I recently updated it with some in-progress photos but the pattern is still difficult. What can I say? I love the design! 

The earrings pattern is also called "Vision" and is found in the "Boutique Tatting" book. 

But I have a confession to make :-O

Back in the day (early 2000s) my tatting technique was different (less sophisticated) in that I always started a split ring with shuttle 1. That resulted in the split ring "turning itself over" after it was made. I haven't done it that way for years, but back when I wrote that book I still did. 

Even worse, many of the "reverse work" instructions in the written directions for that earring pattern don't make sense to my current method of tatting. The numbers and where to join are all correct, though. The photo diagram is correct. It's a cute design, just tricky!

One each month 2025

 

Some creatives have been posting online about their projects completed in 2025, so here is my collection of one photo from each month.

January: Bobbin lace bookmark, pattern designed by Jenny Brandis.

February: Earrings in progress from "Tourmaline" hand dyed thread. (Actually, I don't remember finishing the pair, so I'll look for them!)

March: Heart Ukraine, pattern designed by FairyLaceAndMore

April: Commemorative shuttle displayed over my hand dyed thread, a happy memory from my trip to the Finger Lakes Tatting Conference for their 25th anniversary gathering.

May: Crocus in needle lace, my own design and a learning experience in trying needle lace.

June: Bag with tatted letters which accompanied me to several protest rallies. The tatting pattern for this alphabet style was designed by FairyLaceAndMore.

July: I opened an online shop on Goimagine, originally as a protest against some of Etsy's violations of their own policy guidelines, and now just enjoying having a 2nd shop with lower fees. I wish Goimagine would expand beyond the USA, maybe someday they will.

August: Shell earrings from a pattern I teach in a Craftsy class.

September: So exciting to see my own tatting displayed in Tiny Studio magazine, issue 28.

October: A lovely autumn day walking past all sorts of wild aster flowers inspired the dye batch "Asters".

November: My fiber art "Exuberance" was displayed in Artistonish magazine by Biafarin.

December: My free original pattern "One Small Candle" as a tree ornament.

One Small Candle tatting pattern

 

"One Small Candle" is one of my original FREE patterns (see the free patterns tab at the top of this blog) or click this link: https://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com/p/my-free-patterns.html 

To help show some of the trickier parts of the pattern, I made a short video and posted it on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Link to the YouTube https://youtube.com/shorts/RyNqfnSTzV4?si=mcNcMGhbN5gymVIs  

For the example in the video I used size 20 Liz metallic gold for the base, Lizbeth size 20 in white for the "candle" and a vintage Flora thread for the red "flame". The finished motif measured 2 and 1/2 inches tall (6.35cm). I strung a fine thread through the tip of the flame for hanging.

Doily is finished

 

The pattern is my original "Daylily Dance". I added another motif at each end to make the elongated diamond shape. I really love the vibrant colors that I chose but they're difficult to get a good photograph of. I used size 20 Lizbeth cream color 612 and the bright pinkish red and dark green are vintage Flora threads. The shaded colors are my hand dyed "Rhubarb Pie".

I took a picture when the doily was still a round shape next to the original model for the pattern.

I have another picture of the finished piece on a white background that I won't show here yet, the reason being I decided to be very bold and enter it in a juried competition for an artist magazine as fiber art. Well, I don't know how that will go over (smile) but for sure it is my original design. I needed to give the piece to be entered a title, so I called it "Exuberance". 

Doily in progress

 

In my stash of thread I selected some colors that made me feel happy - sort of a Marshall Fields 1972 happy!☺ The vivid magenta red and dark green are both vintage Flora threads, the shaded pink to green is my own hand dyed, and the cream is Lizbeth color 612. All size 20, although the Flora 20 is very slightly thicker than Lizbeth they are working well together.

The pattern is my own "Daylily Dance". Many thread ends to hide, but playing with the colors is fun so it seems worth the trouble.

Oops! I made a mistake that needed to be cut out in the second triangular motif. So, I  rewound the shuttle with continuous thread from the ball to continue the tatting. While cutting out the mistake I made sure to cut far enough out to leave at least a short core thread tail along with the ball thread tail to hide under some double stitches in the following chain, staggering the abandonment of each tail to give a gradual thickness reduction. I cut the tails off after finishing that motif.

The motifs need to be joined at the correct picots in order for everything to fit. In the pattern there are diagrams and photos to show where to join.

Almost halfway there! By the way, the "Daylily Dance" pattern is available as an instant download on both Goimagine and Etsy.

Both shops now

Oops!

I really thought that anyone from anywhere could buy an instant download on Goimagine and checkout as a guest. I was mistaken! Only USA customers can purchase there, even as a guest.

So, my Etsy shop is reactivated with my instant downloadable patterns (the same ones also available on Goimagine).

Now that's sorted, back to tatting.

Ginkgo Leaf

 

Last week I made a "short" (brief video in vertical format) of tatting this Ginkgo Leaf pattern and uploaded it to YouTube. It's also on Instagram and a slightly longer version is on TikTok. 

Since it's a short, it's not a complete how-to, but only a quick peek to get people interested. Although... surprisingly it contains a nice demo of the Catherine Wheel Join. 

My original, longer video of a Catherine Wheel Join is still on YouTube, uploaded 14 years ago. Wow, that old one looks so blurry! Amazing how far technology has come in 14 years. :-)

Almost Celtic, sort of

 

I couldn't find my shamrock, so I wore this - and received a compliment! This is one of my free patterns called "Vision Necklace" which you can find on my free patterns page here: https://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com/p/my-free-patterns.html

You'll find shamrock patterns there, too!

An Irish Blessing ♥

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

A pretty good year

2 necklaces from the "Duchess" pattern in my "Boutique Tatting" book. The green is the original from 2008 in a size 10 thread of a brand I can no longer get. The black is Lizbeth size 10 tatted in 2024. I've learned the difference!

Bobbin lace Dragon designed by GaliciaBee. In 2024 I made progress in learning bobbin lace, which I had been curious about since the 1970s!

Peace symbol in tatting and wire wrapping. We always have hope! 

In 2024 I finally wrote up the pattern for this tatted belt, which I experimented with since 2014.

In 2024 I heard a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City! 

Someone asked for a Menorah tatting pattern, so I designed this one, inspired by the branched candlestick by Elgiva Nicholls.

My watermelon pattern came next, either a symbol of summer picnics or support for Palestine.

My largest project in 2024 is the "Leaves of Lace Garland". Currently in round 1 of the jurying process for an exhibition. I'm hoping it gets in!

Brought out my pattern for a "Dissent Collar" again. Yes, I'm a liberal, as most artists are.

I love this bobbin lace pattern by GaliciaBee for which I used thread purchased from her Etsy shop!

Wishing you all a very happy, safe, and creative 2025!