Round 10 Done

    I finally have finished round 10 on this doily. If you don't know, it is Renulek's 2014 Spring Napkin in Wedgwood Dark and Wedgwood Light, Lizbeth thread, size 20.

I happen to be in the hospital again, this time for an infection, It's going well. But I forgot to bring a needle to sew in tag ends. Luckily, (and one reason to learn it) I know how to use Marie Smith's "Fast and Easy" split chain method. I made the last ch12 using it, then spidered a split ring to the next round. It will start in a location in round 11 other than what her pattern shows, but admit it, we all make modifications to patterns as we need them. I think it is coming along well. Now for round 11.

 

Repairs Done

    Yesterday I showed you how I was taking out the stitches for the chain that was broken. I actually took out the rings on either side also. When I had backed up enough, I had 4 to 6 inches of thread for each, ball and core. That way I had enough to be able to join and sew in tag ends. Next, I joined new threads and tatted new rings and chains. I don't think it turned out too bad.

    After I got the new rings and chains I was able to continue working the round I am actually on. The left-most ring of the 3 is where the picot had broken. Now I am across the other two as well.  It took a little work, but I sure didn't want to have to tat that light blue round all over again!

    While I was making my repairs, my brother, who lives in West Virginia, was out on his motorcycle on a beautiful day. He stopped at Hawk's Nest State Park and took this photo of the New River. Just thought you might like to see it.

 

 

 

Repairs

     Don't you just hate it when you are cruising along, albeit slowly, and you find a major problem? I am finally feeling a bit better and so I went back to work on the blue doily. I was working the dark blue when I needed to join to the light blue. I tried to find the joining picot but had a little problem. Somehow, that picot thread was cut or split. Now I have to do a repair on the previous round, the light blue. 

    First things first. Undo the dark blue far back enough to give me good access to it, cut the chain where the light blue thread are already split and back up either side enough to be able to join new threads in, then re-tat that part. then I can go back to the dark blue and continue. This may take a while...

    I wonder how that got cut. Maybe while I was in the hospital? 

Critical Stitches

     Please ignore spelling errors at the present. I am not feeling too well at the moment. I am trying to tat, but it is a little difficult. My stitches look ok. The important ones are not in the photo. I just had a quadruple bypass Monday. The doc says I may go home Saturday. I still feel a bit run down so I'm tatting slowly. Still I had to have something to do here besides watching TV. I don't think I'm doing too bad.

 

Round 8 completed.

 

    This one took a little while. There are 25 "flowers" around this round similar to round 3. I had to load each shuttle 3 times. There is about half a bobbin left on each one. This is about 14 1/2 inches across. There are 5 more rounds to go. On to round 9! 

Latest Piece of Work

This one is Renulek's (I love her work) 2014 Spring Napkin. I am starting in on round 8. There are 13 rounds. At round 7, the doily is about 12" across. The colors I am using are Lizbeth 656, Wedgewood Dark, and 655, Wedgewood Light. 

    By the way, Wedgwood does not have the second "E" if you are talking about the ceramics. I do own one small piece of the ceramic. A small round tray. 

 I already have a home for this. One of the ladies at my doctor's office saw me working on it while waiting and mentioned it. I told her I would put her name on it, so it is going home with her when I get it done. I usually take a few photos and then give away the things I make. I tat for the process more than for the finished product. I already have a ton of doilies around the house so now I give them away. I mostly like to do doilies. They are useful, decorative and usually somewhat easy to make. I just enjoy the process.

Tatting Fantasia 10

 

    I got this book a month or so ago. I collect books and this one is the latest to complete my collection of Iris Niebach's work. I decided to start in on it with the first medallion. These are my thoughts on that and comments on working it.

Finished

    The first thing I would say is that this is not a book for beginners. Don't let that scare you, but you will need to know some techniques beyond chain and ring. You will also need to know when to use them. There are places in the pattern that do not specifically say how to hold your thread, when to reverse work, or not reverse work. There are times when there are optional methods. You will need to pay close attention to what element you are working and how it must be done. You should be familiar with using picot gauges.

    In this pattern  you will need to know how to make an SCMR (self closing mock ring). You will need to know when to use a thrown ring (ring on a chain)You will need to keep an eye on which way your tatting is turned. For instance, there are places that you are chaining, but it is easy to get the chain turned the wrong direction. One of these is at the basketweave area. You must pay attention! 

Basketweave

    All in all, this is a fun, interesting pattern. Iris always has fun things to try in her work. If you want something with a bit more challenge, I would say get this one.