PTG Lesson - Betty Magill's Heart of Gold Earrings

While I'm still working on Sue's charm bracelet (with fat wrists, I needed to make some more charms), I did finish a pair of earrings from our lesson the 17th at our Guild meeting. The prime purpose of the lesson was to share Sue Hanson's dimpled ring method. This method uses true dimples but the manner of working and closing them makes it very easy. Jane Eborall has posted the technique at http://www.e.n.e.btinternet.co.uk/dimplerings.htm. The primary difference appears to pay omage to Gary and Randy Houtz (The Shuttle Brothers) use of self-closing mock rings.

The pattern is a variation of Kim Millar's Basic Earring pattern that she posted to the web in 2000 (URL: http://www.geocities.com/kimmtats/basicearring/basicearpat.html). I love this pattern and the variations are practically unlimited ... of course, imaginative people use it unlimted, I need help. The change that Ms. Betty asked us to incorporate was on the center ring (where the jewelry findings are attached). We used a dimpled ring without any beads on it.

I used kidney wires for my jewelry findings as that is my personal preference. The thread is Flora 20 in a light to medium value grey and the beads are from some that I picked up YEARS and YEARS ago at the Hook, Shuttle and Needle shop in Cary, NC. If I remember correctly, one or the other of our sons was playing in a soccer (football to the rest of the world) tournament in the Raleigh area. I say the shop, an old house converted to a reatail shop, and the name intrigued me. I did a quick U-turn and spent a couple of hours exploring. I picked up 5 hanks of beads, the ones used here, some milky-white, translucent beads and some really sparkly, royal/emeral/purple beads.

Vist with Yorkie Sue!

Just got home from a wonderful day with Sue Hanson. She is such a trip with her purple hair and cape! Really enjoyed her lesson ... she has a wonderful way to manipulate a dimple ring. Her method really makes it so easy to close a dimpled ring. I hope she'll share it on either her blog or the HBT list on Yahoo.

There were nine of us and we laughed, shared goodies, tatted a bit, laughed some more, had soup together. When I had left, Karen L. had taken Sue, Erin, and Anitra on a shopping expedition to AC Moore's in Lexington. The store was having a sale.

When I get my charm bracelet completed (Sue's pattern), I'll post a picture. In the meantime, Happy Tatting to all.

PTG lessons

I'm really trying to complete some small projects this year, especially the lessons our members at Palmetto Tatters are willing to share. The above picture is a bracelet pattern designed by Deb Strickland, one of our newer members. She's had some health problems which have prevented her from tatting. Deb gave everyone kits with thread, rice beads, jump rings and a size 5 tatting needle.

Sharren Morgan from Greenwood, SC (one of the super teachers scheduled for Tat Days 2008 in September) helped demonstrate and most of us learned to needle-tat. I hadn't pick up a needle in a long, long time and had to have Sharren give me a personal tutorial.

When I first did the pattern, fifteen split rings to add the beads just wasn't long enough to go around my fat wrists, so I dug into my bead stash and decided to "stack" 3 size 8 beads. The center bead in each group of three doesn't show very well in the scan above, but it is a smoky, translucent bead that really sets all the color variations well. The finished piece is just under 8 inches (20 cm); I just have to get some silver-toned jewelry findings to add to the jump rings and I'll be ready to wear it.

Mystery Medallion #1

After doing this one three times, I finally have one that I am happy to post. Of course, the other two versions weren't bad either ... they just fell into puppy antics or rather the curiousity of our new puppy, BJ, who chewed the knots in several places.

I did make one major change in doing the first portion of the medallion. The initial instructions had the first ring being made of 12 double stitches, a LONG picot, 12 double stitches, then the remaining 7 rings being made as 12 ds, + (into the long picot of the first ring), 12 ds. I opted to have the rings being 10 - 4 - 10 for the first ring, 6 rings of 10 + 4 - 10 and last ring of 10 + 4 + 10. I really like this look. The medallion still needs to be blocked but I'm happy with the overall effect and plan to make a larger mat using these medallions and some GORGEOUS vintage, ecru DMC cordonnet, size 30.

Tat It and See - Solid colored version

Here is the second version of the Hippo. His name is "Happy" and he is the perfect companion for "Flora." Because of the background, he appears to be a cream color but the thread is camel-colored Cebelia 30.

Tat It and See

Here is my first rendition of Jane E's wonderful hippo pattern! I've named her FLORA since she's dressed in her best to find the best waterhole! I hope to do a friend for her, dressed all in a brown suit tomorrow.

I loved doing this and hope Jane ... possibly others as well ... will do more. ?????-a-Longs are always a lot of fun regardless of the craft involved. Thank you, Jane. See the link to the Tat It and See under "Some of My Favorite Links."

A New Heart Design

Please note the changes/corrections to the end of Rows 2 and 3. THANKS, Katie Verna for catching my goofs in writing the pattern. That's what I get for throwing it together during lunch and not taking the time to re-tat from the instructions after I'd slept a night or two.

I haven't been inspired to do a new heart design since 2001. While waiting on my car to be serviced last Saturday, I sat down and sketched out a heart. Not sure why the center inspiration was block tatting but here is a scan of the 3rd heart I tatted. The one I actually tatted during our Guild meeting in Lexington met its demise with our new pup and his need to chew ... just as well as it really, really needed some help. Maybe I'll try that one later.

This one is simple enough. Using whatever style of block tatting you prefer (I used Jane E's braid method) and two shuttles CTM:

Row 1 Ch 4 sp 4 (odd rows have flipped stitches while even rows are unflipped).
Row 2 Ch 1 sp 4 + (core thread to picot on Row 1) 4 +
Row 3 Ch 1 sp 4 + (lj with core thread) 4 +
repeat 2nd and 3rd rows once more
Row 6 Ch 1 sp 4 +
Row 7 Ch 1 sp 4 +
repeat row 6

SR 4/4
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (last picot on Row 8) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (same picot as prev ring) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (picot between 5th & 6th row) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 vsp 1
R 6 + (picot from row 1) 6 SS
R 1 + (adjacent chain) 4 - 1 lp 1 - 4 vsp 1 SS
Ch 1 +(adjacent ring) 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (core thread at halfway point on first row) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (start point of block tatting) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (same picot as prev ring) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 4 + (turning picot on row 5) 4

Securely tie, cut and hide ends. Of course if you thought ahead, magic thread loops can be put into the last chain and within the last ring.