I was gifted this book. I do not speak Russian, nor have I learned the alphabet this language uses. I have learned to recognize how tatting patterns are notated…a bit. The book has both diagrams and written directions. I tried to puzzle out a couple of motifs in the first part. One was successful, the other not. I learned that I tat differently.

The motif that didn’t work up well is notated as though you tat the chains without flipping the stitches, what some have called “direct tatting” as is explained here by Ninetta Caruso “I'm tatting the chains in "direct method tatting", that is tatting reverse stitches, not flipped, like in the second side of a split ring.” There was nothing in the text to indicate such a method. I gave up. I set the book aside.

Then, a tatting friend made a wonderful scene including some tatted fish that won ribbons at the Fair. The piece makes you smile!! I remembered there are other pieces described in books. Notably, a wonderful cherry tree with blossoms in a meadow. I was privileged to see this piece  at Lacis in Berkeley many years ago. * It’s gorgeous.

I happened upon the Russian book last week and saw the scene included in the back of the text. There are sheep and horses and cows and a shepherd and sheep! The pattern for the sheep looked a little less cryptic, so I had a go. The red thread was on a shuttle that needed emptying. I think I’ll tat another one in a more appropriate color. I used chains with flipped stitches, small joining picots (except for the ears) and a SCMR with a TOR for the legs. I like it!!

* Anyone remember the artist who tatted the cherry tree picture? I have a photograph, but a quick search online didn’t reveal the image. I do not want to post without being able to credit the artist. Please help out??

 I always have a look out for tatting. I happen to enjoy period dramas, so I do occasionally see tatting as a part of costumes on TV. Sometimes the family will allow me to grab the remote and stop the video if I can. Sometimes they will do that for me…. especially when I’m tatting as we watch.

We were watching a newer series on PBS last night. Bookish is set in post-war London. The final scene of the 4^th episode grabbed my attention. The main character was wearing a striking white suit with black embellishments. The collar looked particularly nice. It is lace. Perhaps tatted?

My first reaction was surprise, then I had the thought that I wouldn’t want to tat the pattern in black thread. It looked intricate and made with thin thread.

Alas and anon, I took the time this morning to get back to that part of the episode using the trusty remote. As near as I can tell, the lace is just machine-made bits cut and sewn to make the collar. Sigh! Worth a second look. And I still like the costume!

This is another milestone post. I’ve been putting my thoughts down for over a decade. Some of my posts have been edited and changed and even removed. I’ve learned a lot and am not above correcting mistakes. If I have posted something you think is wrong or misinformed, please let me know. My brothers would tease me that English is my second language, I communicate in music much better.

I hope to continue to put my thoughts out there. When I can, I’ll include a photo of what I’ve been up to. I won’t promise it will all be tatting. The Keys side of the schedule is always full of interesting and fun things to do. I can promise I’ll not post recordings of my playing. I’m kinda past that. If other people post a recording I think is interesting, I may post a link.

Which brings up my final thought today: if you notice any links that are not working properly, please let me know. There are also several photos that need to be refreshed. Some I can figure out how to repost. Others are gone. Sometimes when flipping through a photo album, you come across a page with a blank spot. Those missed photos can represent very interesting stories. Could they be replaced?

 
I’ve gifted these booties, so I can share the picture. I really like how they came out. The color is perfect. I hope the size is right for the baby. I used size 40 Lizbeth thread in color # 179 Herbal Garden. To recap the journey:

I found a pattern in a vintage book. The way it was presented didn’t make complete sense. To add to the confusion, there isn’t a clear picture of the booties. No diagram and only “long-hand” word style written pattern.

I worked up a sample using some vintage size 30 thread. They worked up OK, but very, very small. Have babies’ feet gotten bigger?

As I tatted away, I made notes of some of the ideas I had to improve the pattern. After a trip to a local baby shop, I started a test version in size 20 thread. That gave me a stitch count for a larger size. All this fussing around took time. The baby shower date was looming. So, I abandoned the size 20 prototype and started with size40 thread using the updated stitch count. I didn’t complete them for the shower. With the Holidays, I just got them to the expectant parents last weekend. Now the waiting happens.

In the meantime, I’ll work on getting my version of a written out with diagram and a nice photo. Could take a while. I’ve already started on this year’s Bach Festival piece. I find it much more fun to tat lace and create art. But, just in case someone else wants a pair of pretty booties……

A common refrain you hear on our beaches is, “Don’t turn your back on the ocean. We have Sneaker Waves this time of year.” Sadly, over the last few months, several tourists did not heed the warning. Before anyone could respond a father and daughter drowned. The lifeguards and First Responders have protocols in place, but it still hits everyone hard.

I turned my back on the wave of activity over the past few days. This morning I got hit by the Sneaker Wave of Fatigue. I will be resting and doing the bare minimum today and probably tomorrow.

So, no tatting to share. Perhaps I’ll try to finish Round 6 of the 2025 Spring doily by Renulek.

I finished the pattern as written. I think the idea of anchoring the chains on the base of the rings in rd 1 is sound. I had to pay attention to the tension before and after the join. It looks nice on my tree.

This adventure started out with a book in a language I don’t read or speak. There is a diagram for this pattern that looks complete. But as I studied it, the math didn’t work. The diagram shows the beads nestled between the rings. There’s not enough DS in the rings for that. I worked it without beads. (No picture as I was using bits from shuttles and the colors don’t play nice.) So far, so good. The size thread and beads recommended didn’t make sense, but I went with my equivalent anyway. As I feared, the beads pop up to sit on top of the negative space. Not a bad piece of lace, just not what the diagram showed.

Now to work the outer round. This is shown poking through the space between chains and rings for a faux celtic style arrangement. Perhaps this will work also….although my hunch is no.