Tuesday 16 March 2010

By George, I've got it!

Big news from the tatting excercises. I think I've got it! The double stitch was like this when I asked my sewing class teacher for help:


My red crochet yarn is the dark green one in the book, so it should be covered by the blue if the stitches were OK. The blue stitches seem to be made by Anne.

This weekend I took the shuttle out again and paid really good attention to the tension of the left hand thread, this time a thinner, white thread I bought with the book. Look:


   

I would call them perfect little stitches! And making them made me no longer twist and turn and drop the shuttle. At this point Mr. K. said that I seemed to be doing the same moves as he does for his flies. I immediately remembered how I taught him to use two silk threads in different colours, and a small crochet hook, to make his fishing fly have a dark back and light underside. They just have the row of caps on both sides.

My success made me rush to lesson 2 this morning, and like I thought, the next step was not that difficult:


My first attempt to make a ring, and I think I've really got it! It tightened without difficulty, and now I can start learning to follow a pattern, to make picots, make rows of rings ...

Yesterday I had mail from Ireland. Some time ago I won a consolation prize for Heckecty's doggerel poetry challenge, and now the prize arrived.



A big bag of Jelly Babies, a crocheted brooch with a sweet little yo-yo and a flower shaped button, and a bookmark. I was happy to notice that the delicious jelly babies were not sticky at all, so I could have my share of them in spite of the brackets on my teeth. (I'm going to see the orthodontist again today, with no damage to the wires this time.) Thank you, Heather, it was a very nice prize for scribbling a few rhyming lines. The purple of the brooch matches some of my shirts just perfectly.

12 comments:

  1. You have such patience. I know how exciting it must have been to have success. Looking forward to you sharing all of your tatting projects now. Ooo...orthodontist trips. I remember them. My mouth always hurt afterwards. Braces have really changed since I was a kid but it doesn't mean they hurt any less.

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  2. What a lovely win.
    Perserverance does pay.

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  3. Big congrats Ulla with your progress you must be so happy about it! I'll share a new craft in my next post. I think it is something you'd like too if you haven't already done it.

    What a lovely prize- there really are some nicepeople out there in Blogland.

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  4. The tatting is coming along so well! I admire your patience with something so fiddly :P

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  5. You go girl, you're my heroine!!!!

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  6. Congratulations...continueing like that and soon you'll be a tatting expert! Looking forward to seeing your future "art works".
    Spring greetings,
    Barbara

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  7. Hooray! I know that sense of accomplishment, Ulla! I also think it's wonderful that you were able to teach Mr. K. something about tying a fly! What lovely gifts from your poetry challenge - you are most definitely a multi-talented woman!
    Cheers!

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  8. Oh this is wonderful! It really looks good. I have to get back to trying it again once work lets up a little.

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  9. Hi Ulla your are doing so good doing this crocheting thing. Hmm you are very pacient indeed something i am not.

    Happy birthday tommorrow Ulla!!!!

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  10. Ulla,

    I am glad I came to your blog today! My sweet grandmother would tat away while I was growing up. I just sent what I had of her beautiful tatting to my mom to show at a meeting she has.
    I thought this was a lost art. I am looking forward to seeing what you make! :-)
    Do you live in Helsinki?

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  11. I have been asked so many times about tatting, what it is, how to do it. I really have never done it so now I can just send them all to you!

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  12. Your stitches are turning out very even now. Its odd but your tatting begins to look like traditional Irish Crochet, but they are each made with quite different tools. Its a very beautiful craft I know as a lady in East Africa used to do it and we always were in awe at her skill.

    I'm glad the jelly babies arrives and I'm glad you liked the package!!

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