Jane's Bookmark Cross with One Shuttle

     I made 2 of Jane's Bookmark Cross, adapted by Grace O. B. Tan from a bookmark pattern by Jane McLellan. Then I started thinking about it. It uses 2 shuttles, but is all rings. A ring only needs one shuttle, unless you are making a split ring. Then again, there are Single Shuttle Split Rings. There is a method by Matthew Takeda, easily found on Jane Eborall's techniques page. I decided to try to make the cross with one shuttle.

     This picture shows what I was able to do with one shuttle. The sssr is not difficult to do or deal with. The problem comes in with the other rings. You can see that at this point, I have 2 large rings, but only one thread. If I make the next sssr, it will be off center. The following is a possible solution to the problem.

    First, I pull a loop up through the opposite ring, then pass the shuttle through it. I pull it tight enough to pull the ring bases together. 

    This simply transfers the thread to the other ring, though, so it still is not centered.

    Next, I pulled a loop up behind the thread that is between the rings, more easily seen in the previous photo, then pass the shuttle through that loop and tighten. 

    Now I have the thread coming from a point in the middle of the two rings.

    I can go ahead and make my next single shuttle split ring. Don't forget to pass the loop over the ring and shuttle once the ring is closed. If you pull the shuttle thread through without it, the second half of the ring is undone. I know this from experience now.

 

    When I pull it closed, it is pretty well centered. Then next set of rings will connect to the small joining picots and stabilize the split ring.

 

    Is this worth doing? It seems to take a little longer to get the same effect as using two shuttles, but then, I was having a lot of problems with "gapsosis" at the split rings. This does seem to help with that problem. All in all, it is a matter of preference. I wanted to do it as a personal challenge. I am going to finish the cross using sssr's just to see the outcome. I think it will work ok.

A Bit of a Break

 

    I need a bit of a break from the doily. I am on round 13, the last round and I am about 1/3 the way around it. But I need to do something a little different.

    I found this pattern on Craftree. It is a cross by Grace O. B. Tan, based on a bookmark pattern by Jane McLellan.  What drew me to it is there are no chains in the pattern. The chain I made for the "tail and the ring on the end are not actually part of the pattern. I can make this easily in a day. Maybe I can make 2 in a day. I don't get in a hurry. It does use split rings, but that is easy enough. I think the hardest part is starting it. My big hands don't like to hold tiny objects and I keep dropping it until I get the first of the largest rings made.

    I will be giving these (I am making 4, at least) to the people at cardiac rehab. They are good enough to put up with me for my recovery. It's the least I can do to repay them.

    I am 3 months out from surgery and doing pretty well. Better than I was 2 months ago, for sure! The biggest problem is I got my appetite back. And after I lost all that weight...

Renulek's Spring Napkin Round 12

   Working on round 12 of Renulek's 2014 spring doily. There are 25 "points" on the doily. I have 15 done and I'm on to 16 as I type. I should have this round wrapped up in a day or two if I feel OK. This measures 18" across at the moment. I am using size 20 Lizbeth. I think it will go to 20". I have not yet blocked or ironed it. It does need it, but I want to get that last round (13) done and do it all at once. The Pop-A-Bobbin is pink ivory. Pretty wood. Feels nice.

    When I say feel OK, I still have a little discomfort from the surgery. It has been almost 3 months and I am doing much better, but I still have rehab at the gym and walking very far causes the irritation to flare up. I was able to go to Hobby Lobby a couple weeks ago and slowly walk the store, leaning on a buggy. I also went to Walmart a few days ago (2nd store attempt). It caused more irritation so I am just going slow. I will eventually be over it. Enough  crying. Back to the 16th "point".

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.