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.