TIAS Day 3 and more of the Spiderweb

Yay! Day 3!

I have to say, the pattern for Day 3 was fun in and of itself, but was made extra-special because I was able to complete it while watching my dad coach our high school football team (he's in charge of the offense) over the Internet...and it's homecoming! And, right now at least, we're winning! Tatting + football? Who could ask for anything more? I love technology (when it works!)

Anyway, here's Day 3 progress:

It was especially fun to learn about the lock join--thanks for the easy to understand tutorial, Jane!

 In the lull waiting for Day 3 to be posted I also kept working on the spiderweb...

I tried to spread it out for you so you can get an idea of what size it is...I'm interested to see, when it's done (3 more rows!), how well it lays down with a bit of blocking and pressing...we'll see...

Spiderweb Continues + TIAS Day 2

Howdy!

I'm anxiously awaiting TIAS Day 3 (it's 11:42 pm here so I doubt I see it until Day 4, but... oh well... :) I was one of the first to see Day 2, so I can't complain too much! :)

Speaking of Day 2...if you didn't see my post on the TIAS Blog, here are my Day 2 pictures:

 I think it looks like a chicken!

 Pip wishes it was chicken! :)

I've also added a row or two to the spiderweb doily, although you can't really tell:

The spaces are getting bigger...but it's still pretty "squished" if you don't spread them out...

I'm really digging this thread...it matches my favorite shuttle! :)

Also I am gaining a new appreciation for ring-only tatting...although I could tell my chain-making skills have taken a dive when I worked on the Day 2 pattern! :) Those darn holes where the chains and rings connect came back on the middle two rings, but I beat them back by the time I got to the fourth one, just in time to stop for the day...

Ah well, something to strive for in Day 3 (providing there are chains, that is!)

Sherry's TIAS: Day 1

So, I started Sherry's TIAS today and...

I already messed up!

I'm using Size 20 Coats Cadena Chain Mercer Crochet

Can you believe it?

I was so excited to do my first real-time TAIS and it's already WRONG!

Le sigh...

Can you spot the problem? The "climbing out" picot is two times too long!

Each of the picots are 1/2", and the pattern specifically says to "[make] sure it is the same length as previous picots", which I took to mean to use the 1/2" measurement again...

WRONG.

Of course the thread that makes up the picot is 1/2", but picots fold themselves "in half" when they are finished...the mock climbing picot doesn't fold, and so it was two times too long. Darn.

And of course I didn't want to cut the thread, not knowing what to expect in tomorrow's TIAS (Sherry specifically said it wouldn't work out well if it didn't start with a continuous wind..)

So of course I re-wound the thread on two different shuttles and re-did it. Perfectionism at its best... :)

And I made sure to use the 1/4" size when climbing out this time!

 So, here you go: The first (error) is on the left and the (I hope!) correctly tatted second chance is on the right...

So far I have absolutely no idea what this is going to be.

My best guess is that the first ring (on the bottom) is an eye...why? Why not!

I have no idea! :)

Spiderweb Progress and Waiting for a TIAS!

It's funny how, when you know you should be doing something else, all you want to do is the opposite of what you should be doing...

I should be lesson planning. I've been teaching for ONE WEEK and I'm already avoiding lesson planning, something, by the way, I actually enjoy...

I just enjoy tatting more. :)

Also I'm into this Spiderweb doily...

It's hard to really see progress at this stage, but here is what I finished last night:

And here is what I finished tonight:

I actually made a fairly decent boo boo tonight; while attempting to cut off a recently-hidden tail I accidentally snipped the space instead...oops!

Luckily, I kept my head, hid the tails and added in a totally new thread...hopefully that doesn't come back to haunt me later:

My husband, who usually studiously ignores the tatting craze (and multiplying tatting book and thread piles) actually commented on how much he liked this pattern...I count that as a win...although I can tell this doily is going to need A LOT of blocking to lay nicely...

Probably I'll be taking a bit of a pause on the spiderweb over the next few days because a) I teach on Wednesdays and Thursdays and b) I am going to do my first real-time TIAS! (If you haven't signed up or don't know about it, follow this link.)

I have my size 20 continuously wound shuttles ready to go...it's hard to be 16 hours ahead of US Central time...all the dates are wrong! ;)

Also, I thought I would show you the "beverage" I had with my lunch at an Uzbek restuarant today...

I figure any members of a group whose International Holiday encourages eating chocolate as much as actually doing the craft that inspired the holiday would appreciate this as much as I did... :)

 It was called hot chocolate on the menu, but it basically reminded me of a melted chocolate bar pudding with a bit of milk added in...it was soooooooo amazingly good!

The packet next to it was a mixture of cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper...I could have added it in, but why spoil something so perfect?

Really Back this Time...+Motif #25 (and #s 26 and 27!)

Well.

Sorry.

That was a long hiatus, but it's been a busy month full of fun things like:

Meeting celebrities (Michael Madsen)

 
Traveling around Russia (and posing with stuffed Amur tigers)

 Competing in Dragon Boat races...

...And winning! :)

 and talking (and dressing) like a pirate

 I also read my way through the entire "Stephanie Plum" book series (it's like book candy, once you start you can't stop consuming!)

Oh, and I tatted, a bit. :)

I give you...Motif #25!! (About time!)

This is Nancy Tracy's "Tatted Square Motif"

And here is Motif 26, small but mighty:

It's the beginning of the round doily of the Spiderweb Dresser Set from "The Tatter's Treasure Chest"

which quickly grew to this:

 And currently looks like this:

That's size 80 DMC thread...shuttle tatted. I'm getting the hang of this thing, I think...

The whole ring-only tatting thing is quite a pain when you are needle tatting, but is actually decently easy (especially with the use of a picot gauge) when you are shuttle tatting...also it's a nice way to use up the last of the thread on a shuttle:

Motif #27, practicing the ring-only technique and using up extra thread...two for the price of one!

So. That's that...

I'm enjoying this Spiderweb doily (and ran out of Stephanie Plum books to read) so hopefully the next round (and accompanying blog post) will come soon!