See? I *can* still tat :)

Since blogger won't let me read about half my follow list this morning, I'm forced to post! OH, what a terrible fate!! :) So, I thought I'd post some pictures of what I've been working on while I've been lurking around here in the computer world.

 I got this pattern from Ellen Lai (I believe that would be SingTatter, but I can't get a link to work!) a couple of months ago, but haven't tried it until the other night. It only took around 20 minutes for ME to tat, so that tells you how easy it was. It's almost exclusively chains, but it's suprisingly easy & enjoyable. I think I'll keep this one for me :)

 This is the center of MPD, already sewn to the purse I had to mutilate to get it on there. I'm having an issue with teal colored fuzz coming through into the thread as I sew it on, so I'm not sure if I want to continue with this project. It's laying on my counter "marinating" until I decide.

 The whole thing, not sewn on yet, just looking sad....

 THIS I am proud of. More proud of than just about anything I've done lately. It's YarnPlayer's "Arches" doily. It's so far pretty simple, but what I'm proud of is the size. I'm working it in some vintage #80 Star varigated thread. I love the purples. I have NO idea where I came up with all this thread. Probably Ebay when I bought something else. It usually comes with shuttles, so I imagine it came with my antique metal Boye...I have 2 1/2 balls of this color, some pink, & a whole ball of blue varigated that I can't come up with anything to use for. But I LOVE how it's working up! I've never been successful with DMC #80; maybe it's the thread, but most likely, it's that my tatting skills have improved since my last attempt at smallish thread.... It's been a couple of years so....

 Oh, how I'm going to miss this when its gone.... I love this thread, but it's Flora #20 so it won't be around forever :( This is a bobby pin flower. But I'm kinda burnt out.. So Hmm...

Do you think this looks like a pentagram?? I don't. But sometimes my eyes don't pic up shapes the way other people's do. My sister does. It's supposed to be a snowflake, but even I don't really see that. But I do like it. It's what Ive got going in my purse right now. I'll probably make earrings or something out of it, if I can figure out how to get that top ring to sit right :) It's Lizbeth #20. I think when I empty the shuttle I'll try it in some of my #80... oooo I'm feeling brave!
Ya'll have to understand I've had about 8 colors of DMC 80 ever since I figured out how to flip my stitches right. I always wanted to use it, but it #1 wouldn't tat well for me. I'm sure it was my technique. & #2, I would either break it trying to pull a ring closed, or break it trying to retro tat. I haven't tried to open a ring with it lately, but we shall see :) I truly hope my "skills" have just improved enough to let me use smaller threads.... I do love how truly "lacey" they look.
Enjoy your day!

Seems all it takes is a little complaining...

Woke up this morning to a terrible storm - so bad that my little area of the world was on the Weather Channel! That never happens! Tornadoes & the like everywhere.... So here I sit with my little laptop at my Daddy's house across the road. I live in a single wide mobile home so it's supposedly safer here for both myself & the Untatter.
Now, the title I wrote has to do with the allergies or cold or sinus infection or whatever it is I have. I complained yesterday & feel much better today. Not 100% yet, but I'm headed that way! Woohoo!
Haven't gotten much tatting done, as it hurt my eyes too. I did work a little while last night on finding the perfect edging for the hankie I'm going ot make. Think I found it. I worked just long enough on my Mom's Pink Doily to snag my thread on the bobbin & have a black mark. Just one black stitch. And because of where the ring was, I had to cut the whole round off & start over, with 2 rings left in the round. So I promptly took a toothbrush & dish soap to the old Boye shuttle & started the round again. Fortunately, I was only on the second round so it wasn't that big of a catastrophe. Irritating, but not terrible.
Why use a metal shuttle if I know that at some point this will happen? Because I have as of yet not found one I like as well. Both for tatting & in my hands it just feels right. I have wood, plastic, bone, metal, horn.... combinations of all of these materials. And for some reason the old metal Boye shuttle with a bobbin & hook is my favorite. I have 4 of them & wouldn't trade them for the world. I won't buy any new ones because they're no longer made in the USA, & I have my own opinions of the moving of factories to places outside this country that we won't go into today. I don't have problems with those countries, i have problems with the US government taking away from its own people. Anyway.... Where was I ??
 I keep plastic sew mates in my purse, & use clovers for smaller thread. I have one made by Rachel Moehler (sorry for the spelling) from teak wood, & one made of bone with leaves carved in it. I have one pop-a-bobbin by Jane Eborall that I like pretty well. But none of them measure up for making anything of any size & I'm not a continual small project kind of girl. So to me, it's worth the extra effort of having to clean them occasionally or risk black marks on my white thread. I don't tat with white thread that often anyway.
(stepping down off my soap box) Enjoy your Day!!