Round 9 Done

 

 

    It took a while, but I finally got round 9 done on Renulek's 2017 Spring Napkin. There are 3888 double stitches in this round. I don't work on it as diligently as things in the past anymore.

    I am still getting over that surgery and trying to get the house in order, the yard cleaned up and so on. If I go at working for very long, I start to hurt. I am told it will take a year or so for it to stop. I hope not. I need to get the leaves raked up and bagged. I can finally walk around the block, but it hurts my chest. I am also ADD. I do something 30 minutes and lose interest.

    So, there are 4 more rounds to go. This is for Ann, at my doctor's office. I have an appointment coming up this week, but I won't be done. I should be able to give it to her in July. Actually, if I get done sooner, I will just take it up to her office and give it to her.

    I have also decided that my next one will be Renulek's 2026 Spring Napkin. I already bought the pattern and I really like it. 20 rounds, about 24" (60 cm.) diameter. But I have to finish this one first. And, yes, I have bought all her Spring Napkin patterns. I like to support designers.

Round 8 Finished.

     Round 8 of 13 for Renulek's 2017 Spring Napkin is done. Slower than I expected, but I got it done last night. I thought it would be faster. It is only make 2 rings, then a chain, then 2 rings, then a chain, over and over. 48 of them is really quite a bit. There were only 1536 stitches. But now I am going to round 9. There are only 3888 stitches in that round. I have to pick up the pace. I keep letting things like housework and cooking get in the way.

    To be quite honest, I have started another doily. I like the one on the cover of a book by Hy-oon Lee. It is made in medallions. I have started on that, but I need 61 medallions for the center, then there are edge rounds to bring it all together. I will post photos of that later, after I get a few more of the medallions made. 

Renulek 2017 Round 7 Done

     Now I have round 7 done on the Renulek's 2017 Spring Napkin. It was not a bad round at all and it felt like I was finishing quickly. 

    Once again I used the gauge, even though there are only 2 picots on the rings on the round. This is the first time, however, that I ever used a gauge on the "back" side of a split ring. I little fiddly, but I got it. And once again the round lends itself quite well to using a split chain and split ring to transition to the next round. Easy peasy. Now for round 8.

    On another note, Iris Niebach has a couple more books out. Yeah, I ordered them. So far I have everything from her. I like her work so I collect them. Actually I collect tatting books. These will make my collection count 360 books. What am I going to do with them if I drop dead? I hope someone will get them that can use them, And WILL use them, not just sitting on a dusty old shelf in some library.

Round 6 Done

 

    Round 6 of the 2017 Spring Napkin is now done. It was not a bad round. I still used the gauge on it so the picots all look the same. I lost my gauge the other day, but I finally found it. I put it on a lanyard and wear it so I can keep track of it. Actually, with the lanyard attached, it is a lot harder to lose.

    On to round 7. It has fewer picots, but I am going to keep using the gauge. I'm using a #5 by Clover, if you are wondering at all. 

Getting Along With It

 

    For some reason, the last round didn't seem to take that long. Of course, it was make a ring, make a chain, repeat 25 times. But it still went quickly. At the end I checked the pattern for the next round and found it started exactly where I wanted to end. A short split chain, a split ring and now I am getting along with it. 

    Starting round six. Probably wont take too long for it, either. One thing for sure. This is good practice using a picot gauge. (is it gauge or gage? I've seen both.) I'm using a 5mm and I get 2.5mm high picots. It looks better when they are somewhat even. I hope Ann will like it. I have an appointment at the doctor's on Wednesday so I will take it and show it to her. I will also deliver the blue doily to Kelley. I think they will smile.

 

Next!

 

    I got Kelley's 2014 doily done. Now I have to make one for Ann. This will be hers. It is Renulek's 2017 Spring Napkin. I have 4 rounds done. You don't think I am stuck on doing Renulek's doilys, do you?

 

    I finally have finished tatting Renulek's Spring Napkin, 2014 in size 20 Lizbeth, 655 Wedgwood Lt and 656 Wedgwood Dk. Took a while, but I had other things going on along the way. As is often said, life happens. It doesn't look to bad, but I need to block it now. I counted the stitches. There are just under 39,000 stitches in this work. It came out to be about 20" across.

    Ok, I hit it with the steam iron. That's usually all I do. I did pin it so it would lay better. Top photo is ironed. I just measured it with a tape. 20"1/2. Had to torture a few chains into place, but that's normal.

    I have my doctor appointment (general quarterly checkup) around the 17th and will give it to her then. She works in that office. I think she will like it.