Learning a New Technique

    Ah, retirement has it's perks. One of them, and probably the one I like most, is more time to do what I want instead of what the company wants. Freedom to choose. Time at home with family.
    One of the things I am doing with the time is trying to learn new methods and techniques in my tatting. I have time to practice now. At Tat Days last year I took Randy Houtz's class on Alternate Threads. I am using size 20 for this, not King Tut!
    The first thing I see I have to come to grips with is not the concept, it is the hand position. I have now done the first 2 pages of examples he gives. I just separated most of them by chains of some sort to see them easier. I think I am starting to get used to the hand position pretty well, though occasionally I do drop one of the threads.

    Here are a couple of scans of the samples I have done. I see that I need to work on tension, but that will be later, when I am more comfortable with process. I think the front/back difference is interesting too.  These two pictures are the same thing, just flipped over. I really want to get the hang of this. It has a lot of possibilities. For some reason, this is reminding me a bit of pearl tatting. It is probably in how the thread is carried around each set of stitches.
    In other news, no, I have not finished blocking out the crown. Judith Connors suggested that I put a ring in base to help hold the circle. I looked in my drawer of "tatting supplies" and found a 4" ring that will fit. I just have to decide how I want to attach it. I could wrap with ribbon, wrap with thread, not use it at all, or re-tat the crown and use it like a cabone ring project. At least I have time to decide.