Happy Thanksgiving!

Wind Rose Fiber Studio wishes you a warm and woolly Thanksgiving!

Tatting ~ Bracelets & Earrings

I didn't write a blog post yesterday, but that doesn't mean I didn't tat. Quite the opposite. I have now become absolutely obsessed with tatting. I have this idea that I would like all the women in my family to receive something tatted for Christmas. I'd like to send them each a bracelet and a pair of earrings.

I'm having a great time coming up with simple designs. The bracelets are just a combination of split knots and Josephine chains. While this is hardly advanced tatting, I think they're cute and they're fun to make.

One of the things that I find myself devoting a lot of time to is yarn choice. I have a studio full of different yarns, many of them my own handspun. Every time I make something, I want to make five more just to see how it would look with different sorts of yarn.

The earrings on the far left may be the goofiest, but I love them because they are made from yarn I spun years ago when I was just getting into spinning. My husband came in and asked if anyone would wear earrings made from yarn besides me. I gave him the only answer I could, "I don't know, but I'm have fun making them!"

Tatting Little Shapes

This is beginning to look like a tatting blog! When I get into something new, I really get into it!

Yesterday I began to play with tatting small shapes. To get me started, I purchased a pattern book from a fellow Etsy seller, Heather A. Johnston. Her collection, Tatted Earrings & Things, looked just like the kind of little motifs I wanted to try.

This pair of earrings shows her pattern for side view butterflies. I love how delicate they look and the variegated, size 20 tatting thread worked out well. The do look a bit like hummingbirds though. She has another pattern for hummingbirds which is very similar and of course gives the birds tail feathers. I'll try that one next.

I've also been playing around with a few shapes of my own. Well, there's one more butterfly in there, but the rest are mine. So far, the silver earrings are my faves. I love making the Josephine Knot chains. The spirals make me happy.



I used both shuttles and needles when I was working on these. I found myself liking the shuttles better for the butterflies, but I used tatting needles to make the other earrings. I'm getting more and more comfortable as time goes on. I think what I need most now is just plenty of practice. I plan to keep picking out patterns so I can become comfortable with the way they are written. I think it's good to be able to follow a pattern even if my goal is to create my own designs.

Needle Tatting ~ Here I go!

Yesterday I made the transition from shuttle to needle. What I discovered took me by surprise. I thought that once I started needle tatting, I'd never look back. I knew I'd be able to create double knots faster and I figured that if all the same design elements could be created with a needle, then needle tatting would emerge as my favorite form. I didn't expect to be missing my shuttles almost right away.

It's true that the rings and chains moved along quickly, but my mind almost immediately began to see limitations to working with a needle. I felt like I had less control in a way. I think that my feelings in large part were affected by my choice in books. Learn Needle Tatting was falling a bit short for me. Since I've already practiced the basics, I was thinking ahead and wondering how split rings and chains would be possible with a needle. I flipped through the pages only to find that this particular book doesn't go that far. It includes rings and chains and adding on a new color, but that's it.

Now, in all fairness to Learn Needle Tatting, I should mention that I went from there to The Complete Book of Tatting by Rebecca Jones to find that she too had only gone so far as rings and chains where needle tatting is concerned. Of course the Complete Book of Tatting states in the subtitle that the focus is on Everything You Wanted to Know but Couldn't Find Out About Shuttle Tatting. So in my tatting shopping frenzy, I clearly failed to supply myself with a good needle tatting guide.

What now? YouTube, that's what! Hooray for YouTube! So I have some new favorite videos. This one: TotusMel Needle Tatting Spilt Rings & Josephine Chains.MPG clearly shows how to create a split ring and a Josephine chain with a needle. Split chains are well explained is this turoial: needle tatting - split chain and split ring (kinda). I know the word "kinda" doesn't inspire confidence, but she's referring to the fact that she kinda covers split rings as well as split chains. One more video link for fun: Needle Tatting Flower Pendant.MPG. In this video, the tatter creates a flower pendant from start to finish in 7 minutes.

So now my enthusiasm for needle tatting has been revived. I'm ready to go back in my studio and see what I can create with my tatting needles. By the way, I haven't been taking the time to block my pieces before photographing them. I'm too impatient to go on to the next project. The Pink and silver samplers up above are two separate pieces, but I thought they looked kind of cute layered on top of each other for their picture. The little silver one will probably become a Christmas tree ornament this year.

Tatting Class 8 ~ Split Chains!

I'm back today to show off my first split chain. You can see that I made things a little more interesting for myself by by my choice of yarn. When I say interesting I really mean difficult. I don't know why I can't stick with basic crochet or tatting thread. This lace weight yarn has a mild mohair quality that made it more challenging for me to see what I was doing. It also made it tough when I needed to frog a knot. Oh well, live and learn.

In spite of my slightly furry yarn, I made it through my first split chain. The most challenging part for me was remembering to hold my tension and keep my stitch placement close. On my first attempt, it looked like I had a picot right next to my joining loop and that was due to my failure to slide my tied-on knot into position and keep it there with a finger pinch. The interesting thing about learning to tat, is that your brain has to be focused on several new things at once. It's a good mental workout!

I'm now planning to move on in my tatting journey. Up to now, I've been using Learn to Tat by Janette Baker as my guide. This is probably the first time I've ever followed an instructional book from cover to cover, and in this case, it's been a good experience. I feel like this book has given me a strong foundation to build upon. There is actually one more lesson about front side tatting verses traditional, but there is such a minimal difference in technique between the two, that I'm not really going to worry about it for now. What I will do is keep this book on my shelf as a wonderful reference as I go forward.

Where to now? The next book in my lineup is Learn Needle Tatting by Barbara Foster. Just flipping through, it seems to use most of the same beginning designs only this time I'll be utilizing a tatting needle rather than a shuttle. I think having seen and tatted the patterns before will make the transition easier. My ultimate goal is to be able to move from shuttle to needle to crochet hook with relative ease. I love the idea of being able to incorporate lace elements into my future crochet projects.

Tatting Class 7 ~ Split Rings!

Yes! I love split rings! Class number 7 in my Learn to Tat book made me very happy. Well, first it confused me and then it made me happy.

I've been using the dvd that comes with the book quite a lot. Seeing and doing is my preferred way of learning. So I was watching the pretty manicured hands make a split ring and I thought, "No problem. I've got this." Then I tried to mimic what I had just seen only to to find that it wasn't working. It didn't look right and I couldn't close the ring.

Now if you haven't tatted, you are probably wondering what I'm talking about. If you have, you are probably giggling at my rookie mistake. I started over. I watched the video again looking and listening carefully for what I must have missed the first time around. "Wait, what's that? Did she say reverse the stitches? ...and don't transfer the stitches???"

I cottoned on to reversing the stitches fast enough. Over then under instead of the other way around. No problem, stitches reversed. What gave me pause was the don't transfer your stitches comment. The pretty tatting hands just kind of threw that in there like it was no big deal. I've just spent a week getting really comfortable doing classic double knots, transferring my stitches. Can I convince my hands to go back in time?

Seriously, I had a moment in which I wondered if it was even possible for me not to transfer my stitches! Then my brain caught back up and I figured out that if transferring stitches was all about loosening the tension, then not transferring had to be about maintaining tension. My light bulb turned on. I was home again!

After that, it was all downhill for me and split rings. I found a nice skein of orange cotton and split ringed my heart out. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had enough yarn on my spools to make a chain that would reach around my wrist. I found a couple copper findings and added a clasp. Hello new bracelet.

Class 8 will have me splitting chains. I'm ready!

Tatting Class 6 ~ Double Shuttles

Here's my little practice piece from tatting class number 6 in my Learn to Tat book. The new concepts were working with two shuttles and also making Josephine Knots for the first time.

I used size 8 tatting cotton and it was so nice to get back to a finer fiber after my class 5 project. Working with two shuttles was easy enough. I used two different colored plastic shuttles so I could tell them apart.

What I'm starting to realize after just over a week of tatting, is that I could end up with big shuttle collection. I wonder how many shuttles the average tatter owns? It's easy to have some thread left over after a project. I don't really want to unwind and waste all that thread, so I find myself looking for another shuttle to use.

I picked up a couple of these metal shuttles. They are nice because they have a bobbin that slides in and out. If you have thread left on a bobbin, you can just use a new bobbin. The extra bobbins are sold in four packs and both the shuttle and the bobbins are reasonably priced.

Another perk with this bobbin shuttle is that you can give it a little tug when you need more thread. You don't have to spin the whole shuttle around to unwind some length. A down side to using these might be double shuttle patterns. How would you tell one shuttle from the other? Maybe a cute little sticker on one of the shuttles or something like that.

Back to my sampler. The Josephine Knots are the little rings on the top of my edging. They really aren't hard to make. Now that I've gotten comfortable with the basic double knot and the handling of the shuttles and thread, the new concepts are coming easier. I'm actually really looking forward to the next lesson because it covers split rings. When I first decided to dive into this world of tatting, back when I discovered cro-tatting, one of the first things I wanted to make was a continuous chain of rings. Now I know that it's the split ring technique that will allow me to do that.

Tatting Class 5 ~ I'm Going Knotless!

That's right, knotless. There's not one knot in this whole piece! That's what lesson 5 in my Learn to Tat book was all about.

I started this exercise kind of late one evening. I chose a sport weight cotton mainly to be kind to my eyes. At about 9:00, my contacts want to call it a day and my glasses and I don't have a very good working relationship.

I feel I can say, once and for all, that shuttle tatting with Dk or sport weight cotton is ridiculous. Shuttles were just not made for such fat yarn. On the other hand, doing this exercise with a heavier weight fiber made for some good practice. I couldn't fit very much yarn on the shuttle which forced me to reload about five or six times. I now feel fully rehearsed in thread joins.

This piece is the Easy Bookmark pattern that the book provides. I decided to make it a little shorter and I may even sew on a clasp so I can wear it like a colorful cuff bracelet. I want to bond with my tatting.

The next lesson will have me tatting with two shuttles at once. Great googly moogly!

Tatting Class 4

I'm working my way through Learn to Tat by Janette Baker. This is a book that comes with a companion dvd. So far I'm impressed with the instructions. They are in a very sensible order and easy to follow. I feel like I'm getting a solid introduction into the world of tatting.

Class 4 focuses on ring and chain instructions. You can see that I am working with two threads now. It's more practice in making those close joins, reversing my work and also how to handle the second string. I used DMC size 8 Perle Cotton.

Now I'm working on the 5th lesson and I feel like I'm getting down to the nitty-gritty. I'm learning how to have my tatting contain as few knots as possible. I'm making a practice piece in which I have carried the beginning threads along with my work to weave them in. I'm also about to find out how to join a new thread when it's time to refresh my shuttle. I'll show you how that goes tomorrow.

Also today, I want to thank Gina for her comment on yesterday's tatting post. She writes a blog called Threads of a Tatting Goddess and was kind enough to recommend some good practice threads. Her blog is a wonderful place to find tatting patterns, guides and tutorials as well as a long list of resources. She also offers plenty of inspiration. I love the autumn leaves she shares in her Oct. 31st post!

The Skin Tone Samplers Are Back!

Okay, as promised, the Skin Tone Samplers are back in stock at Wind Rose. I carry two sizes. The small sampler has .25oz of each color and the large sampler has .5oz of each.

They both have all ten colors: Chestnut Brown, South Pacific, Golden Brown, Deeper Brown, Porcelain Fair, Sun Touched, Precious Peach, Pink Blush, Peach Glow and Mediterranean.

Tatting Class 3 With Size 80 Thread

Yesterday I shared my tatting progress in the form of a butterfly. Class 3 in my Learn to Tat book was all about making joined loops. The thing is, I've been teaching myself with size 10 crochet cotton and even some larger cottons. Technically, I haven't been tatting lace yet, not until today.

The last time I was near a Michaels, I ran in and purchased some size 80 tatting thread. I might have gone with a 60 or a 70, but Micheals didn't have a very good selection. It was size 8 or size 80 and nothing in between. I wanted to try my hands out on some real tatting thread. It doesn't get much finer than size 80, so I knew I was in for a challenge.

I decided to take a picture of my lacy little butterfly next to the larger size from yesterday. That way you can see just how great the difference is. Yesterday's butterfly was made from a DK mercerized cotton. It looks sort of bumbling and huge next to the teeny tiny butterfly made from the size 80 tatting thread.

I was pleased with how well I adjusted to the fine thread. My hands felt comfortable right away. I guess a double knot is a double knot. What was more challenging was getting the loops right next to each other. This little butterfly is actually my third try. The loops were okay in my first two, but even a tiny length of space between the them ruins the butterfly form. I had to keep trying until I got it nice and tight. I'm such a perfectionist even when I'm learning something new. I can be pretty hard on myself.

I'm sure I nearly went cross-eyed more than once this morning. I'm not really planning on making lots of really fine lace, but if I change my mind about that, a magnifying glass is in my future! For now, I'm just enjoying the learning process.

Tatting Class 3!

I just mastered tatting class number three. The class wasn't actually about making a butterfly. The butterfly pattern was used to practice making joined loops. This seems like it should be easy, but it took me a few tries.

When I was cro-tatting, this wasn't even an issue. It was simple to start the next loop where the last one left off. With the shuttle, you have to be aware of which string to hold tension on so that your first stitch of the new loop stays in place.

The other thing I'm finding as a new tatter is that the quality of thread really does make a difference. In particular, I think you need a tight and well set twist. I was practicing with one brand of size 10 cotton and I kept having to let my shuttle hang and unwind. The cotton kept trying to ply on me which was a nuisance, not to mention the fact that it can spoil a picot.

I hope you don't mind coming on this tatting journey with me. In the meantime, I'm doing my best to not neglect Wind Rose Fiber Studio. I have 2 1/2 pounds of Merino drying out in the sun right now. They are destined to become my next batch of skin tone samplers. I'll be able to list them back in the shop tomorrow and they'll be ready to ship out Tuesday morning.

Related Posts: Tatting Class, Me & My Shuttle