Some Little Nothings

Sometimes I'm too busy to tat, to blog, or both...recently it's been kind of both, but (besides my birthday cupcake) I have been pegging away at a few projects:

This is an antique motif (Snowflake) from the most recent Handy Hands newsletter, tatted in size 20 and kind of fun to execute:

And here are my attempts to learn interlocking SCMR rings (a BIG thanks to all of you with online tutorials for these techniques!!!! SCMR: Jane E and the Shuttle Brothers; Interlocking Rings: Umi & Tsuru, Muskaan, Kathy and God's Kid) in anticipation of joining the challenge to make Jane McLellan's magnificent "Under an African Sky" doily...

Size 20 (ecru), then size 30 Cebelia

Here is my best so far (for the first time all the rings interlock correctly, but of course I ran out of thread on the VERY LAST RING!!!):

Oh well...more practice :)

I have also been plugging away at a flowery Jan Stawasz pattern, one which made the rounds of Facebook a few months ago (and unfortunately seems to be readily available online in illegal .jpgs...boo to that.) Buy the book, people, it's totally worth it!

I'm actually having a bit of trouble with this pattern--tension trouble. Le sigh. I thought I was past this!

So, what's a girl to do but wet the offending doily down and pin it into submission!?

Bad doily! Stop cupping!!!

So, we'll see...

I did double-check, and I'm pretty sure I executed the pattern correctly, so it's probably more of an "I tat too tightly" issue rather than a pattern problem...??

Two rows to go, and hopefully no more tension troubles. *Hopefully.*

Finally...here's a really cool tatting-esque shirt I saw the other day--I didn't buy it (but I kind of wish I had...it's really cool!) Maybe I can figure out the pattern and make myself something similar instead...maybe!

Eh, we'll see! :)

First Incarnation of the Carpet is Finished, Diagramming Begins!

Finally! It's done!

When we last checked in, the inside motifs of the carpet had been completed, but the outside ring was only halfway complete, due to the "kissing curls" found on all four corners.

I tried to continue the pattern on the short side after completing the first long side, but after many failed attempts decided to continue with the second long side first:

The problem is shown by the orange arrow below:

If you look at the rest of the pattern, it makes sense to re-create the triangle from the inside, to make the bulk of the outside edge, but that can't be done and then also connect with the chain next to it...

See, the connection doesn't work:

Another chain/ring/chain pattern has to be added (left side) to complete the side:

So it is no longer a 12-piece pattern, but a 16-piece pattern, as shown below:

And here it is completed!

Hooray!

So, what did I do but start it over, so that I can write out the pattern. I'm going to use different colored thread to show each part...

...and will publish the pattern once it's all written out. Also, perfectionist that I am, I might tweak it a bit...there are other ring/chain/ring elements that could be added, if one chose to... :)

Also, as a break from the green, I have continued work on this mat; 5 down, 4 more to go! :)

Taking a "Sick Day" to Find More Tatting

"Sniffle" "Snuck" "Snort"

Don't you hate being sick!?

I have been down all this week with a nasty cold...I told my husband earlier in the week we should have taken out stock in the Kleenex company, I've used so many...

Of course, I can't really take a sick day, since classes for русский язык (Russian language) are a full time job and missing a day due to a cold is not worth the headache of catching up (especially when you already have a nasty headache!), but I sure have been taking it easy in my "off hours"...mostly because I haven't had the energy to do much other than finish my homework and lay prone on the couch!

Since tonight is Friday and I have ALL WEEKEND! to do my homework, I decided to really take the night off and watch a movie...

I have been a sucker for old-Hollywood cowboy musicals since I was a kid...for example, I used to love babysitting for a certain family because they had a copy of "Calamity Jane," a great western musical starring Doris Day and the dreamy Howard Keel...

I also love to read about the "Wild Wild West," and one of the books on my reading short list is about the Harvey Girls, a movement led by Fred Harvey, restauranteur of the old West.

Unfortunately, my copy of the book is currently chilling in storage, so I will have to wait until I get to Russia to read it...but the 1946 movie version of the story (also called "The Harvey Girls") is available on iTunes, and so I decided to buy it and indulge in a little Hollywood musical romance with не толка (not only) Judy Garland, но и (but also) моя любимая актриса (my favorite actress) Angela Lansbury!!

Seriously, I love her! "Murder She Wrote" is my favorite TV show! I own all the seasons...

Anyway, why I am I telling you about all this?

Because there is tatting in "The Harvey Girls," that's why!

As I mentioned in my last post,  I have been on the lookout for tatting, just because it seems so little-known compared to knitting and crochet, but it pops up when you least expect it (and if you know what you're looking for)...

Anyway, even though in one song a girl sings about knitting, there are a few lovely examples of tatting in "The Harvey Girls," especially in this song, "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," which I found for your viewing pleasure on YouTube. Be sure to enjoy the tatting on the blue-dressed girl starting at the 2:00 mark!

That same girl has another dress with similar tatting in an earlier scene...it's wonderful!

I have also noticed something that looks a lot like tatting in Season 1 of Downton Abbey...see if you can spot it in this promo from PBS:

Watch Downton Abbey Season 1 Episode 4 Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

So the moral of this post is, tatting is out there! All you have to do is look! :)

Here's hoping you can avoid the ick this winter, and find more tatting!
KF

PS: In case you were wondering, I have added another row+ to my frilling doily but have stalled out due to lack of time and desire to keep snot away from my lace! Hopefully I'll get back to business sooner rather than later...I have 17 motifs to go to reach my second 25! :)