Yet another New Year's Resolution to be ignored!

 I resolved at the end of 2021 to post more frequently on my blog but as you can tell I've not done so. I'll start out (at least in January) in 2023 and try to post more frequently here as opposed to spending so much time on other social media sites.

The photo on the right is of the three entries in JaneE's "Tat It and See" for 2023 and is through the pattern to Day Two. More information about this fun activity for 2023 as well as previous TIAS, click on the link above. It's really fun to see all the entries from around the tatting world and everyone's guess what the TIAS will be up to the last day when Jane releases the final pattern portion for the year. 

The thread I've chose to use is all Lizbeth size 20 although the white is a cone that I bought from Debbie Arnold back in 2014 when she still had her DS9 Designs business. It is nicely mercerized and doesn't twist too much. Unlike Lizbeth 20 #601 - Snow White which has a white dye added before the gauzing step in the process. The cone thread has a slightly softer hand than the Snow White so I like it for testing as well as small angels and a cone makes a LOT of snowflakes, angels, and some beautiful doilies!

The brown thread is Lizbeth 20 #692 - Mocha Brown. This one is visibly smaller in diameter than the other two threads that I am using. As I have shared earlier with a number of folks, to get the deeper colors (blacks, purples, browns, navy blue, etc), the "cuticle" in the cotton substrate is opened and the deep dyeing process will damage the substrate. When the thread comes out of the dyeing process, it is further processed in a dyebath that sets the color and closes the cuticle before the thread is sent through the mercerizing process (the strands are twisted together, gas singed, and then wound onto balls). The information about dyeing comes from a long-time career where I was a Product Stewardship Assistant to a major global specialty chemical company.

The pink colorway is Lizbeth size 20 #176 - Pink Blossom which Handy Hands website describes as being Azalea Pink Medium to Very Light (coordinating with #620 - Azalea Medium and #629 - Azalea Light). I do see at least three pink values with the lightest value being nearly white. I like the monochromatic colorways (like the Pink Blossoms) as opposed to variegated ones (like Lizbeth #103 - Tutti Fruitti) as I find the repeat length more pleasing to my own eyes but using variegation where there are separate colors "bleeding" into one another to be garish, but that's just my own personal preference.

I'll post in a day or so some of my thoughts and hints about tatting front-side/back-side (FS/BS), which is my personal preference. There are special considerations whenever colorways, two colors, and even the shape of rings. These thoughts can even be pertinent to a tatter who does not tat using FS/BS.

Another update on SB1

I've also received orders for the small handouts from the following:

Marty from Salt Lake City, UT
Donna from Garnett, KS

Thanks, ladies.

Also had a new update on Gary on one of my other addies and I don't think he will mind if I share. Considering everything I think it's positively MARVELOUS!!

"Hello All,
I tied my shoes today!!!!!!!!
Gary"

Getting a little tatting done but not much. Just working on some bookmarks ... one of my favorite patterns. I am using a lot of my vintage Star threads with newer DMC Tatting Cotton. By winding each thread TOGETHER onto my shuttle, I can create some very interesting colorways. I'll try to get a picture later to show what the way a single, colorway of lavender, white and lime can look when combined with a solid color thread of white, lavender, kelly or black. They are very interesting!!

As October is breast cancer awareness month, I'm currently tatting a bookmark in two shades of pink, pastel and hot. Once I get it finished, I try to post that picture as well. DS#1 is coming home this weekend ... maybe he'll remember his digital camera since it is so much better than mine.

Take care and happy Tatting!!

Bookmarks Sold!

I received an e-mail from one of my co-workers last week. She and I, along with ~30 other fellow employees, had worked together on our company's Arts & Science Council fundraising project. She had purchased one of the bookmarks I had tatted and presented it to her mother. Her mother wanted three more booksmarks to give to her sisters.

Over the long weekend, I was playing with some of my vintage threads and come up with the three bookmarks here. They were made by winding two different threads onto a shuttle and treating them as a single thread. All three bookmarks have a solid pink and a variegated (colorway) thread with green, pink and white. The variations in hue for the bookmarks overall is from the solid colored pink thread. The lightest shade is shown on the left (DMC) with mid-range in the center (Coats&Clark from Jodi) and the darkest pink on the right (Star from my stash). Each of the solid colors matches one of the pink hues in the colorway thread.

The color numbers are:

• Colorway of Green and Pink - Coats & Clark #159 (Size 70)
• Light value Pink - DMC Special Dentelles #776 (Size 80)
• Medium value Pink - Coats & Clark #65 (Size 70)
• Dark value Pink - Star Tatting Cotton # 108 (Size ~80)

These colors just looked like Spring flowers and I was really wanting some spring weather. It definitely wasn't spring temperatures with our highs Easter Sunday ~52F.