Lately, my focus has been on tatting and specifically on writing up a tatting pattern. In December, I receive a nice note about my Oversized Tatted Necklaces. The writer remarked on their uniqueness and expressed an interest in making one herself. This presented me with a challenge. First, writing a tatting pattern which is something I have never done and second, writing a pattern that could be followed by a non-tatter. I'm assuming this is the case as an experienced tatter could probably look at my necklaces and replicate them. Still, I love the spirit of seeing something you like and wanting to make it even if you're not sure how. It is the fuel of creativity.
Yesterday afternoon, with this on my mind, I spread a blanket in the sunny grass and spent two hours working on what I hope will soon become a fun tatting project for the non-tatter. Whenever I find time to focus like this, something else always happens. Another design or idea will emerge and become an irresistible distraction. This necklace was yesterday's mental space invader.
This will sound odd, but I think it was also inspired by an article I read this week called A Toast Story. It had me thinking of connections, how important they are and how even a seemingly insignificant one can change a person's path. This abstraction became an abstract shape, one with it's symmetry broken and it's connections off-kilter.
When you look at it, do you see an abstract shape? Do you see something that looks incomplete? I put the necklace on this morning and walked into our loft where my son is usually waiting to greet me. After our good mornings I asked, "How do you like my new necklace?" "It's nice," he said and then paused to consider, "but you need to continue the humps to go all the way around." I love that it gained enough of his attention for a closer look.
I'm supposed to be working on a tatting pattern. That's what I said I was going to do, but instead I took a little detour on The Longstitch Express!
I was having one of those afternoons in which I felt like making something, but I didn't want to have to concentrate hard or spend all day. Quick and easy is what my mind demanded and as a result, I started thinking about long stitches. Before I knew it, a pattern was starting to form in my head and I grabbed a nice big hook and a skein of yarn. Within a few minutes, The Longstitch Express pattern was born!
I love having a high-speed pattern for those times when your hands just want something to do and this one is perfect for showcasing pretty yarns. The top photograph is Fiesta Starburst La Boheme. It's a sparkling blend of brushed mohair, wool, rayon and nylon. It's soft and airy and the longstitch shows off the beautifully contrasting colors. The second scarf pictured is made with some of my own handspun yarn. This is a light worsted weight singles spun from mixed Blufaced Leicester and dyed in shades of crimson, cherry and green. I think this pattern would also be fun in thick & thin or novelty yarn.
Whether you like to crochet for charity, whip up quick gifts or just crochet for fun, I think you're going to love this pattern. The long chains created by the lengthy stitches give it a laid-back, deconstructed look. The pattern creates a scarf that is over six feet, but you can make it longer if you like to wrap your scarves around your neck two or three times. It can easily go from being a light accessory to a cozy bundle of warmth.
The pattern is already listed on Etsy and Ravelry and available for instant download. The next time you're in the mood for a fast and fun project, I highly recommend taking a ride on The Longstitch Express!
Happy New Year! This is the beginning of the 7th year for the Wind Rose Fiber Studio Blog. My very first post was on January 5th, 2008. Back then blogging was new and strange, at least for me, but now it feels like part of my everyday life. It's comforting like a journal sitting on a bedside table. It's always here, waiting and available, just in case I have something to share.
I happy to be able to begin the new year with a new pattern. The Talkin' Revolution Circular Scarf Pattern is complete and available for instant download either on Etsy or Ravelry. I already blogged about it on December 19th, so today I'll just say how happy I am to have another pattern written and ready!
My next project takes me out of my comfort zone. I had a follower on Etsy ask me about how to make my Oversized Tatted Necklaces. I started to teach myself how to tat in 2010, and though I've made a fair number of projects, I have never written a tatting pattern. Because tatting is less widespread than knitting and crochet, I'm considering writing it up in more of a longhand for people who have never tatted. I am also studying up so I can write it up as a true tatting pattern, but that is also challenging as there is more than one way to say the same thing in tatting. It's a knew language for me to learn and I am sure to make some novice mistakes.
Well, that's what I'm up to in this new year. I this post finds you happy and hopeful for a 2014 full of inspiration and creativity!
