#25 Motif from Broadway China

Motif from Broadway China, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I made a motif from this book by MORIMOTO Kazuko. It's been just published about a week ago.
It shows three steps of tatting: a shuttle with a ball, two shuttles, and two shuttles with split ring technique. There are 27 works in it, small motif to something large like a doily, a shawl made with silk thread (very dainty and nice!), and a table center. The table center displayed on the face of the book is made with DMC 80. Some works are made with Lisbeth threads.

The two books prior to this one are mostly about small motifs and accessaries. This book is more comprehensive than the former two and I like that.

This motif is used in two doilies in the book. I like the way joining the motifs. I'd like to tat them.

This is the 25th motif. I sometimes thought I couldn't make it, but, I did. Yay.



Via Flickr:
Source: すてきなタティングレース by MORIMOTO Kazuko
Thread: Lisbeth#40 Col.641

#24 Pentagon Motif

A Tatted Motif, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

This winter, we have three tatting lace books published, two are already on sale and one to come next week.
I've made a motif from one of the new book, _Crochet and Tatting Lace_ by YOKOYAMA Kayomi.
As you can see from the title, there are accessaries made with crochet and tatting lace in this book: 11 accessaries and 40 motifs of crochet and 19 accessaries and 40 motifs of tatting lace. All the patterns have diagrams.

I made a motif out of the book.
I've been looking for a motif for joining each other and tat something large.
I expected that this motif would be the one, but I don't think so right now.
I must wait for the book coming soon.



Via Flickr:
Source: クロシェとタティングレースのアクセサリー
Designed by YOKOHAMA Kayomi
Thread: Lisbeth #40 Col.693

#23 Bag Charm

Bag Charm, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I totally forgot to blog about this.
I made a bag charm from Marilee Rockley's _Tatted Jewelry._ The name of this motif is Carnival.

I bought this bag last August.
It was a kind of love-at-first-sight, but in last spring, this bag went sold-out right after the sales began. I've waited for a while, and got one. It is so pretty in person, prettier than I have expected.
So I decided to tat a charm for it, but didn't start until last December.
I planned to go to see kabuki plays in Kyoto and I wanted to bring this bag with me. Then I thought I needed a charm and made it.

The 6mm bead doesn't fit well. I should have used 8mm.
I had hard time threading Delica Beads (you usually use them when you do bead-weaving) because holes of them were so small.
The colour of the bag and the charm go well, at least I think so.


Via Flickr:
Carnival Designed by Marilee Rockley
Thread: Lisbeth #20 Col.684
Beads: 6mm Swarovski Fern, 4mm Swarovski Province Violet, & MIYUKI Delica Beads

#17 - #22 Snowflakes, snowflakes, snowflakes

New Year Cards 2012, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

This is the year of dragon. I was supposed to tat something dragon like motif, such as a hippocampus, Occidental dragons, and so on.
Instead, I've made a lot of snowflakes out of Jon Yusoff's Tatted Snowflakes Collection.

I put each motif on a new year card.

This autumn and winter, we already have two tatting books published in Japan, and one more to come this month. I don't know about the latter book, but former two didn't make me motivated much.
But Jon's patterns! They made me tat a lot, sometimes too much, and it was very fun.
My favourite is 14. The Twirly. It's so pretty especially tatted with #40 thread.


#17 Milky Ways. They are too large for New Year Cards. Large one is made with Lisbeth #20, and small one is with #40.


#18 Sweet Rose. I love this motif because you can tat all three rows without cutting thread.
Thread: Lisbeth #40 Col.635.


#19 Alladin. It was a challenge to me to tat a SCMR on a split ring. Need more practice.
Thread: Lisbeth #40, Col.641


#20 Circle of Crowns. It's a kind of onion ring pattern, I think.
Thread: Lisbeth #20


#21 Floret. Love it! This motif is so pretty.
Thread: Lisbeth #20


#22 The Twirly. My favourite.
The left and right one are made with Lisbeth #40 and the middle is with #20.

Motif #16: 2 Shuttles? Or, SMCR?

Square Motifs, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I've picked up my shuttles all right, but have done nothing. Some were not neat enough; some were not fun to tat. That is, I've been overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with my work, overwhelmed with my house works, overwhelmed with myself.

No work has done, but still, I have my shuttle in my hand sometimes. That makes me so comfortable. I just love to tat. Completing something dainty makes me weary.

This weekend, I happened to find some lovely balls of Lisbeth #40 in Linen Md, and suddenly felt like tatting something.
So here are the results. Nina Libin's Square Motifs. You can find the pattern in her book _Tatted Lace with Beads._ Originally, this pattern is made with 2 shuttles, but first I've tried with a shuttle and a ball with SCMR. And I had the right motif. It became a bit awkward, so I made the left motif with 2 shuttles. Well, comparatively speaking, the left one is a bit better.

It would be nice to tat something large with this thread, such as a scarf or a shawl. At first I was thinking of joining a lot of motifs, but now I'm thinking of joining some doilies.


Via Flickr:
Designed by Nina Libin
Thread: Lisbeth #40 Linen
Left: w/ 2 shuttles
Right: a shuttle & a ball, SMCR

Motif #15: Pentagon Motif

Pentagon Motif, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

Another motif from Chicchierino 16.
I've been having some trouble with DMC Cordonett Special #40 and this motif also shows how badly I tatted. Stitches aren't even at all.
I love this motif, though. It would fit in a soccer ball.




Via Flickr:
Thread: DMC Cordonett Special #40
From Chicchierino 16

Motif #14: Flower Motif

Flower Motif, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I've got some cool-looking colour threads from Handy Hand and this is made of them: Lisbeth #40 Denim Blue Light. It was a delight to work with this thread in humid and hot afternoon.
This motif is from Il Lavoro's Chicchierino 16. In the magazine, this motif is connected one after another and form an insertion.



Via Flickr:
Thread: Lisbeth #40 Denim Blue Lt.
From Chicchierino 16

Motif #13: Patchwork

Patchwork, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

Haven't been using white thread for tatting, I suddenly want to tat with it. Maybe because I saw some wonderful photos of white tatting lace motifs in a beadwork book at our local bookstore. At first, I thought it was a book of tatting lace. It wasn't. Sad.
I was about to use a ball of thread up, but I didn't. I had some problems with constant size of rings, chains, and stitches.
Practice, practice, practice...



Via Flickr:
Designe by Mary Konior
Thread: DMC cordonnet 40

Motif #12: Spinning Wheel

Spinning Wheel, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

This colour makes me positively active. It's called Lime Green; to me, it's vitamin green.
I added a bead on each corner. They are silver and look so cool. It's 33 to 35 degrees Celsius (about 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) these days. And humid.



Via Flickr:
Designed by Mary Konior
Thread: Lisbeth #40 Lime Green
Beads: TOHO No.21

Motif #11: Tatted Necklace

Tatted Necklace, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I've seen a lot of plastic rings wrapped with tatting stitches. They are all so fabulous. I love them.
So, I just tried to tat some. And here's the result.

I used a kind of crochet technique. You can crochet without cutting thread when you crochet on rings. You wrap a ring with single crochet (double crochet in UK) stitches, and when you wrap half of it, take up another ring and do the same thing until use up all the rings. And then, wrap the other half.

I did the same thing with this necklace: wrapped half of a ring with double stitches one after another, and wrapped the other half.

I made this for an experiment. I would tat another one with more embelishments.

Motif #10: Too Large for a Book

Large Cross, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

On Saturday, I've received the POP-A-BOBBIN Tatting Shuttle. It's made from Purpleheart.
Right after opened the envelope, I started to tat this, a Large Cross designed by Mary Konior. The pattern is in her book, _Tatting with Visual Patterns._
I've made this bookmark once with Olympus #40 and it became too large for a size of books I usually read.
This time, I've made it with Lisbeth #40, finer than Olympus #40.
As you can see, it's still a bit large for a book under that.
Maybe I should try for a Small Cross.

The shuttle is beautiful and I had really wonderful time tatting with it. So, the awkward chains are on me. I've tried to tat every chain evenly as possible. But, well, I'll try that later.



Via Flickr:
Designed by Mary Konior, from the book "Tatting with Visual Patterns"
Thread: Lisbeth #40 col.681

Motif #9: Tatted Motifs

Tatted Motifs, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

Three years ago, I made the motif on the left. I believe this is Genevieve by Kersti Anear. I tatted with Olympus #40. The pattern calls for #80 thread and at that time, I was thinking of tatting with finer thread than #40.

Time has passed. I've found the left one and tried tatting another motif with DMC Special dentelles. It took me for a while to get to used to handling the fine thread. I haven't tatted with dainty thread for a long time.
It is so much fun to see the stitches got formed. It feels good to know I can tat with this delicate thread. Not very well, though.

Below is a photo taken three years ago.

Motif #8 Birthday Card with Edging

Birthday Card with Edging, a photo by Garyou on Flickr.

I made this card for one of my friends born in June. This is my first time using a tatted edging for a card.
I tatted with Daruma's Murasakino Lace thread. It is called for in the book Tatting Lace for Beginners. I'd rather prefer crochet with it.
I should have written words more neatly. I used an Italic writing pen, though.




Via Flickr:
Designed by sumie
From a book (ISBN978-4-8347-3215-3)
Thread: Daruma Murasakino

Motif #7 & New Product: Silk Lace Thread by Daikoku Shigyou

Bead-Tatted Motif
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

I bought the new Silk Lace Thread by Daikoku Shigyou at Japan Hobby Show. Daikoku Shigyou provides threads, mainly for sewing.
I usually use silk thread for button holes when I tat with beads and Daikoku Shigyou's thread is my favourite. This new thread is much better than that for tatting. It's kind of slippery as compared to cotton thread; it's so smooth when you pull it to make rings. Stitches seem neat, too.
I believe I've seen this motif in a book by FUJITO Teiko but not quite sure.
I'm thinking of putting this motif at the end of a bookmark I'll tat.

Via Flickr:
Thread: Silk Lace Thread, Daikoku Limited
Beads: TOHO CR508

Motif #6 Tatted Marche Bag

Tatted Marche Bag
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

This is from another book I bought at Japan Hobby Show, _Hajimete no Tatting Lace_, _Tatting Lace for Beginners_, by sumie.
There are many pretty motifs and edgings in the book. No doilies and biggie stuffs.
I used Lisbeth #40 in Sherbet Delight.

In the book, there are three bags and they are made with solid colours, ecru, sand, and brown. I think I would make this again with solid colour thread. Maybe it would be much prettier.

Motif #5 Tatted Heart Motif

Tatted Heart Motif
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

I went to Japan Hobby Show on Friday. There I bought two tatting books just published.
This motif is from one of the books, _Tatting Lace Lesson Book_ by FUJISHIGE Sumi.
There are many motifs, edgings, some doilies, necklaces and some more. FUJISHIGE is famous for flowers and clitters, but those are not much in the book.
I used Lisbeth #40, instead of Olympus Emmy Grande which is instruction calls for.
The book shows a doily made with eight of this motifs.

Motif #4 Tatted Bookmark

Tatted Bookmark
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

Another issue is split rings. I've tried it for a while recently, and I think I've got it.
This bookmark is one of those exercises. Jane's bookmark.

I used Olympus #40. It is strange but this green thread makes stitches crisp. It seems turquoise thread does, too. I think that's because of dyes. I love this colour and its crispness.

Motif #3: Diamond Motif

Diamond Motif
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

SCMR, Self Closing Mock Ring, has been an issue to me.
I just can't tat it neatly. It easily becomes a mess.
I've been practicing, and, well, it looks better than before. At least I think so.

I've tried this motif of Jane once. The motif turned out as something completely different from the original.

This motif is one of my favourite. So, this would be a nice opportunity to try again since I started my 25 motifs challenge.

The result is much better than before, yet there is still large room for improving.

I used Olympus #40 in 731 and 455. I should have used darker colour for inside.

Pattern: Diamond Motif by Jane Ebrall.

Motif #2 Floral Bookmark

Floral Bookmark
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

I don't usually use bookmarks when I'm reading. I just remember the page number.
At the same time, I love to tat bookmarks. They are small, pretty, and make me experience finishing.
In knitting (and maybe crochet, too), you do cast-on, and knit. But finishing, you don't do as much as casting-on. At least, I haven't. There are too many unfinished objects around me.
I've made this bookmark of Kersti a lot and still I have some difficulty at the end. It is hard for me to join the final petal to a picot on the third petal of the previous flower.
Maybe I'll tat this more and find out more comfortable way to join.
I used Lisbeth #40 Sherbet Delight. It's my favourite colourway and it looks pretty in this bookmark. But #40 is a bit finer. #20 would look nice.

#1 Dragon Wing Doily

Dragon Wing Doily
Originally uploaded by Garyou.

Ever since I found 25 Motif Challenge, I've wanted to participate. I even wrote it down as my New Year Resolution once.
But I haven't. I've been procrastinating. Just because it would be too much for me to tat 25 motifs in a year.

I've changed my mind.
What I need is a challenge.
I may not tat 25 motifs, but it's ok for me. Challenging means much more to me.
Of course, my aim is to tat all 25 motifs.

And this one has been procrastinated, too.
Ever since I saw a Dragon Wing Doily by Anne Bruvold, I've wanted to make it myself. It looks so close-tatted and that's my favourite.
I downloaded the pattern and found out it requires a shuttle and a ball. It is easier than it looked.
Still, I just put the pattern in a "someday" folder, not a "next" folder in my memory.

Finally, I've made it. I used Lisbeth #40. It took me some time, so rings are in different sizes.
But I did it.
That's important.

I really love this pattern. It's fun to work with, and the result is so nice. This one is about a size of a coaster, so I'll put it under my glass.