What to tat.... Part two

As I stated in my last post I am tatting my way through tatting books.  I started on one book, but the patterns required too much cutting, tying and hiding of ends.  Blehch!!!  Who likes to do that all the time?  I did one pattern that required me to hide ends 6 times for just 6 inches of edging.  It would take a long time to make a useful length of edging hiding ends that frequently.  Additionally, I do not like how chopped up that type of pattern looks.  They lack continuity - start, stop, start, stop...  So I switched to Ann Orr's Classic Tatting Patterns. 

I find some of her patterns hard to follow as they are written in paragraph form so I rewrite them in symbol form first.  I will mount my samples on something and then post pictures.  I probably will not do the large doilies as I am not much of a doily person, but I will do all the edgings and the medalians.

TIAS 2016 Day 9

I am participating in Jane Eboral's Tat it and See.  She has totally throw me for a loop.  I was convinced it was a frog, but it most definitely is not a frog after today's piece of the puzzle!!  Now I am totally baffled.  My frog had developed a strange appendage.  However, living in Oklahoma we have creatures called horny toads.  They actually have horns.  Maybe I was not off by so much after all.  Yeah, right!! Jane has a really good trick up her sleeve.

My husband suggested a jester's hat or a scorpion.  Oh, how I hope it is not a scorpion!!  I am terrified of arachnids, and scorpions are arachnids. I do like the jester hat idea though.  Maybe it is a girl with a pony tails? Jane has out done herself this time, but she thinks we should all get it with today's bit of pattern.  Hmmm... Maybe I was too stuck on the frog idea to see anything else right a way.  It is kind of funny how at least my brain works that way.  I have to let go of one idea before I can see another take shape.  

I have continued knitting my way through the pattern book I started last time as well, but I did get a tad bit distracted.  My daughter went away to school and she needs a bright scarf to wear with her black coat.  Here is what I am working on for her.  I will also make me one in red.

Sarah's Scarf

What to Tat?

I have been struggling to tat for the last few weeks.  I guess I have been feeling a bit uninspired.  I have some Christmas projects in the works, but they are long term projects.  Maybe I am feeling worn out after tatting over three yards of lace for my daughter's dress and not feeling up to taking on another big project!  The Christmas projects also require designing and I am struggling with a couple of my ideas.

So the tatting shuttles had lost their allure for a few days.  Since I am NOT one to sit idle and I found a gorgeous (and luscious and toasty) pair of purple leather gloves on Amazon for $20.00 plus shipping that I just had to have them!  Honestly, I already owned a brown pair from this manufacturer and love them.  They are so very soft and snuggly.  I also got my mother a pair and she has already ordered two more in brown and red.

In my way of thinking, gloves need a matching scarf.  Right?  Of course I am right!!  Well, I do not crochet!  And I WAS limited to the knit stitch in knitting.  I knew how to purl, but it drove me crazy to move the working yarn from side to side when switching from knit to purl or visa versa.  ARG!!! There had to be a better way to knit.  There just had to be a better way to knit...

The scarf is a little more "plummy" than the gloves.  I had not received the gloves yet, so I was not sure of the exact color.  The scarf is a simple knit-purl stitch.  I used Lion Brand Homespun Grape.  The texture within the yarn makes it a very forgiving yarn for new kniters.

Hello YouTube!!  Have I told you that I learned to tat off of YouTube?  That is a story for another time if I have not told you about that yet.  I guess I will check previous blogs before I repeat myself.

Anyway, YouTube revealed the most wonderful thing to me.  I knew American knitting.  There is another form of knitting called Continental knitting!  It is amazingly simple.  Just switch the working thread from the right hand to the left (left hand to right hand if you are left handed).  A truly amazing thing happens -- the working thread falls to the side you want it on for your next stitch.  If it does not fall to the correct side,it is very easy to move with a flick of the needles.  Continental knitting also eliminates the  need to wrap the working thread around the needle to pull it through the stitch. Another flick of the needles and like magic... the thread wrapped itself around the needle!!
After learning that knitting is not nearly as bad as I thought, I decided to work through a knitting stitch book to practice the new techniques and maybe learn a few new things.

Here is the link to Knitting Help by Amy Finley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tff3ng-djtk

Moss Stitch

Divided Boxes View 1

Divided Boxes View 2 reverse side

Six Stitch Cable

This reminded me of another project I have wanted to start for a long time.  I have been planning on working through all my tatting pattern books (even the Kindle versions) and tatting everything in them.  That project is now under way!  I chose Traditional Tatting Patterns edited by Rita Weiss as my first book.  I only plan on tatting up the edgings and maybe medallions creating a sampler.  I probably not do the doilies and other larger projects in them.