Tatting an Eclipse

Not exactly but both are on my mind today. Early attention would have helped secure some of those special eclipse glasses. It has been so long coming; I guess I tuned out the hype and hysteria. My solution to the lack of protection is to spend the duration outside in my garden and enjoy the changing light without viewing the actual cause. It is a beautiful sunny day here. Eclipses come and go but my garden remains and after this there are a few tasks to accomplish.

Setting down my tea one morning, I managed to tilt the full cup just enough to splash a bit onto a ball of DMC Cebelia, size 30 cotton. It would figure it was a full ball of pure white, rather, formerly pure white, thread. What to do, what to do? Oh agony, I couldn’t see any way to remove the stain without making a tangled mess of it.

The only solution was to use the thread and wash the finished doily. Renulek’s 2017 Spring “Tat-Along” doily had been calling to me. So I began working with the tea-stained thread. The last one of Renulek’s doilies I attempted is not yet finished because I didn’t like the very long chains in the outer rounds. You may remember it; it is red. In any case, I set out not really expecting success. Tatting onion rings is not my favorite, either. The new doily sports several of those. I began without enthusiasm, not expecting much of the project.

If the colors were reversed - a black doily on a white table -
it would almost look like an eclipse 😉
Renulek's Spring 2017 Doily tatted by RepWeaver

The thread needed washing as soon as possible if I hoped to remove the stain. It was a race to finish quickly. Even so it took several months. Then it seemed there would not be enough thread to finish. As you can see, chains are blue in the final round. This was not in the plan but the result makes me happy.

Surprise, surprise! This was an enjoyable tat. When tatting was done I soaked the doily in OxyClean for several hours and “Voila!”, the stain was gone. I am one happy tatter.

Now I feel ready and anxious to revisit the red doily and figure out improvements in order to finish it. Before I do, there are rugs on my loom that need weaving.

But first there is a small eclipse . . .

Warp On/Weave Off,
RepWeaver

Loaded With Possibility

Box Loaded With Possibility

My friend Khris has been reorganizing his studio space and decided this box had to go. It came to him years ago from a friend who was an avid collector of any number of things, sewing thread among them. Now it has come to me in similar fashion and I couldn't be more pleased. It is difficult to say what will happen next. As both a sewer and a weaver, I will enjoy contemplating the possibilities.


By way of thanking Khris I tatted him a bookmark using some of the variegated thread from the collection. It isn't thanks enough for the huge box of beautiful threads but it does take up a lot less space and he appreciated the gesture. Thank you, Khris!

Two Tatted Bookmarks

Here you see the sewing thread bookmark beside one previously shown in progress. This white one is tatted using DMC Cecelia size 30. The pattern is a favorite designed by Jon Yusoff with an ingenious plaited center. These bookmarks are fun to make and fun to use. Here you see them posing atop my current read, Bleak House by Charles Dickens. This particular book is one of a complete Dickens set once owned by my mother who also loved his stories. When she moved to a retirement home, these books came to me. Reading from them makes me happy.

Youngest Grandchild Napping 'Neath Wee Swedish Coverlet

This is my youngest grandchild putting her Wee Swedish Coverlet to use. Though she lives too far away for arms to reach, she is wrapped in my love. I am a happy Grandmama.


Another Pine Tree warp is woven, off the loom and finished. Photos will have to wait for a bit while I prepare to lead a workshop this weekend. More about both later.

Warp On/Weave Off,

RepWeaver

This and Tat

Lately I have been busy at the shuttles. In between weaving and sewing projects and when I am out and about I always like to have a bit of handwork to do. Here are a few recent bits.

Small tatting projects by RepWeaver
Upper left and right: "Spinning Wheel" from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior
Upper center: "Christina" from Tatted Bookmarks by Lene Bjorn
Lower: "Large Cross" from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior

That photo isn't the greatest. At least it shows the relative sizes of these pieces. I don't have the white cross any more so I can't reshoot. Oops!

Cross bookmarks are lovely to have on hand for enclosure in greeting cards for any occasion: Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings, Sympathy. The best ones are made with the finest threads. The thinnest lace makes the smallest "bump" between the pages of a book. A long plied tassel is my favorite finish. Recently the white cross you see here went home inside a book when I returned it to the lender. It makes me happy to be able to share a reminder of my gratitude for the kindness of a friend.

Konior crosses with Perfect Quilter thread tatted by RepWeaver

The white cross is made with very old DMC thread, so old in fact that the label does not list a size. The other bottom row crosses are all tatted with Perfect Quilter threads. Here is another image of the Konior cross bookmarks.

Next are three little pieces along side the threads used to tat them. The spinning wheel at the top uses the same thread (Perfect Quilter #090) as the cross on the left in the previous photo. Neither of these pieces is a favorite with me. The colors change so frequently that the beauty of the tatting itself is obscured. The cross on the right is far more effective if you ask me.

Konior spinning wheels and Lene Bjorn cross bookmark

My big red Spring Doily is still in progress. Since June I have done very little on it. Aside from being busy elsewhere, I am not thoroughly happy with the floppy chains of the two previous rows. This keeps me from wanting to finish while I mull over possible improvements after the fact. Watch for updates.

Meanwhile I am warping my loom to weave some Christmas gifts.

Hip Pocket for Mom

Mom's "Hip Pocket" by RepWeaver

My mom lives in a retirement center where she takes her meals in a central dining hall. Since she doesn't feel the need to drag a purse along to meals or to activities she needed a small handbag just to carry her keys, her meal card and a hanky. So she asked if she could have one of "My Hip Pockets".

My jeans pocket bags did not seem appropriate to her style. And I wondered if the fringe might prove troublesome for her. So I designed this one especially for her. Mom's favorite color is blue and she wears it a lot so her little bag goes with nearly every outfit she owns. She is very happy with it and receives regular compliments from fellow residents.

Mom's "Hip Pocket" by RepWeaver - reverse side

The bag is made from what was apparently a swatch of home interior fabric I picked up off the "free" shelf at my weavers' guild. I added tatting, beads and machine embroidery. The shoulder strap is one of my handwoven inkle bands. The bag is lined and sports two interior pockets.

Sometime when I can manage it, I'd like to make more like it.

Now for the Victory Lap

Spring Doily tatted by RepWeaver

Summertime arrived along with gardening, home improvement and house guests. Hence the long, distracted silence here.

It has been a slow next-to-last row on my "Spring Doily" designed by Renulek. The long chains are a bit vexing. Perhaps I ought to have pull them a tighter? So far, I enjoy the look of this. Now it's on to the final "victory lap" row. Wish me luck but don't hold your breath. This may take a while.

Spring Doily tatted by RepWeaver, detail

The detail shot clearly shows the row I decided to flip. It is the one with the small golden rings without picots. I like it this way except it would have been better to have added those picots. I will do it that way if I ever tat this doily again.

My latest Wee Coverlets are finished. Next I need to photograph them. After that you will see them here.

Warp On, Weave Off
RepWeaver

2014 Spring Doily

This doily was a tat-along type pattern by Renulek. I like her blog even though it is written in Polish and the translation could use translating. The photos are great though and the way Renulek shows the directions right on top of the photo works in any language. Guess that's how it goes with music and weaving drafts as well.

Since I am way behind the pack on this project, all 14 rows have already been published and many tatters have finished their doilies long since. Here I am just beginning row ten.

Renulek's Spring 2014  Doily tatted by RepWeaver

The thread is DMC Cebelia which used to be my favorite back in the day but not any more. I have been trying to use my stash of this and had been doing hearts for Valentine's Day. Since the shuttle was still full I decided to do a trial of this pattern to see if I would like it. Apparently I did because I just kept going. Now I wonder how much more I can get out of this ball of thread. I may have to work in more of the gold color.

If you know this pattern and perhaps have been working on it yourself you may notice that I flipped row number seven. After a lot of thought I made this decision because I wanted the gold colored rings to appear the way you see here. If I had it to do again, I'd still flip the row but would also add the picots to match the gold rings in the previous row. It's hard to see those details in this photo, guess I ought to take a close-up shot next time.

Also, for row ten I am leaving off the thrown ring which I will add in again in row eleven.

When the doily is finished it should fit nicely on this little round table. It stands between the sofa and my husband's easy chair. Not sure how well it will work because he likes to toss a lot of "stuff" on that table. Time will tell.

Rye Crumbs and Hip Pockets

My Hip Pocket #10

By now that rye bread has been more than sampled. In fact only one slice, the last heel, remains. Baking is on my mind.

But first as promised here are a few additional Hip Pocket photos. There are more photos to share later. And yes, all colors of jeans work well.

RepWeaver

My Hip Pocket #8 made for my friend, Marjy, using pockets and the zipper from her own pair of jeans.

These are some of the Inkle bands I wove to use as the sides, bottom tassels and shoulder straps for "My Hip Pockets"

My Hip Pocket

One side of "My Hip Pocket" #4

Remember all those jeans pockets I've been saving? Recently it occurred to me that even though two pockets from a single pair of pants may not be symmetrical, they are mirror images of one another. I suddenly saw that they would make the front and back of a bag. So I combined the pockets with the zipper from a pair of jeans, added an inkle band, some tatting and beads. Voila! Here you see one of my creations, a tiny shoulder bag. I am having a load of fun with these and will post more photos later, perhaps when the rye bread I'm baking comes out of the oven. Or after I have sampled said rye bread.

The reverse side of "My Hip Pocket" #4

RepWeaver

Helpers in the Weaving Studio

Scottish Folds, Dot (left) and Crinkle (right) enjoy helping out in the studio.

This is the kind of help I have in my weaving studio. Crinkle and Dot are both Scottish Folds. Crinkle belongs to our son and daughter-in-law. We love having him visit when his owners are away. The one on the left is our little Dot. She is Crinkle's half sister and is quite an accomplished weaver for one so young. Tatting and sewing also come naturally to her. Scottish Folds are sweet, vocal and simply amazing, lovable cats.

Towel from Warp #90

Weaving and weaving right up until Christmas Eve I finally finished the second color version of my towels just in time for gift giving. This blue one was a particular favorite. Wish I'd done more like it. The third iteration of this design is now on my loom. On this warp I took care to place the variegated ends at regular intervals instead of going random. We'll see how it goes. Five of the nine towels are woven. Can't wait to see them off the loom and finished.

In the meantime, I am tatting up a storm. Just ordered a bunch of Lizbeth tatting thread. The variegated colors are tough to resist, especially when they go on special. Variegated is the equivalent of having a new box of 64 Crayola Crayons. As much as I longed for them, I wasn't ever allowed to have that sized box of crayons as a child because my mother did not like the built-in sharpener on the back. She was sure her carpeting would be stained by errant crayon bits. Color was extremely important to me then as it is now. Only now I tend to look for "the 64 pack" in threads!

Tatting by RepWeaver

One Down, One to Go

It has been awhile. Guess I should be more patient when the bloggers I follow fall silent for a time.

Anyway, the little pouches have been finished for a week but my pinwheel scarves are going on and on and on. This warp seems infinite probably because it is a two-shuttle weave which means it tends toward the tedious. Plus they are all the same color which means no playing with new color-ways. Alas . . . And scarves are so very long. I'm weaving them 76 inches long. Not being much of a scarf weaver, it's hard to know if they will be a good length after washing/finishing/shrinkage. Right now I am about half-way through the fifth scarf and still can't see the end of my warp. It got so bad I took a break today and baked bread. But that wasn't such a bad thing, was it? So enough of the whining already! Stay tuned.

Here are my little pouches. They are from scraps left over from a quilt my daughter made. Her favorite colors are yellow and blue - together. The pattern is "Little Wallet" by Valori Wells. These are fun to sew and especially fun to embellish which I did with my own beaded tatting. Each one is different. Variety is "The Spice of Life," isn't it?

Weave off,
RepWeaver

Pinwheels and Pouches

This morning brings pounding rain - a perfect reason to stay in and weave.

Today will see continued work weaving an 8H pinwheel twill scarf. If I weave fast enough and long enough maybe I will begin weaving the second scarf with a different treadling. This draft has intrigued me for some time. Once I began the project the latest edition of Handwoven Magazine arrived in my mailbox. Included in this, the Jan./Feb. 2012 issue, on page 48, are project details for a scarf using the same draft as mine and very similar overall.

Finishing work is nearly done on my "Little Wallet" pouches with beaded tatting trim. I've had a whale of a time sewing these and am most pleased with the results. Once I take a few snapshots and learn how to post them here, I'll show you what I mean.

Weave off,

RepWeaver