Spokane Shuttlebirds Tatting Workshop

I just returned from Spokane Shuttlebirds Tatting Workshop and am about recovered now, so I can post about it. I had a great time, of course. Normally I take a lot of pictures at events, but this time I only took a few, and they weren't really tatting-related, so I won't post them here -- I'll put them into my photo album asap.

But although I didn't take pictures of the tatting from the Workshop THERE, I can still take pictures here, of the things I made. In Mimi Dillman's classes, I made the following:

A zipper pull (or it could be used as a striver, too):

A refrigerator magnet. Note there are no 'magnets' glued onto the back. This is because the beads themselves are magnetized! Such a simple idea -- so why didn't anyone think of this before? Here it is attached to my fridge:

In Patti Duff's classes ('make it and take it'), I received a lot of patterns and bought a lot of kits to make the following (and then some):

As many already know, Patti Duff made these wonderful name-tag lanyards for all the teachers. She shared the pattern with everyone in her class, and then EVERYONE found a copy of the pattern at their place in the lunchroom! So here's my attempt -- well, at least the beginnings of it). But I'm not entirely sure I like the stitch count around the beads. Patti wrote the pattern for size 20 thread and I had size 10 with me, in this color, so I decided to try that. I think I should reduce the number of stitches in those rings around the beads. What do you think? I could cut off what I have already done, and use it for a fob (or two), and begin again. I'd like some feedback on this before I do anything more, please...

A 3-D Christmas Tree. This is made with 5 simple motifs, strung onto a finding, with beads between.

Here's a pic of a couple of darling little pins I made in the first 'make it and take it' class. They are just simple motifs with a novelty button (shank cut off) glued to the front and a pin-back glued to the back:

I've begun making several adorable little flowers from the patterns Patti supplied, but I think I'll wait until I get the entire arrangement finished before taking a picture of the whole thing. More on that soon...

I don't know of anyone who didn't have a wonderful time at the Spokane Shuttlebirds Workshop, and most of us can't wait till the next one! : - )

Marlinspike Skills II

Speaking of Marlinspike Skills, that's the trip from which I returned in mid-March. Here's what I made there:

This first one is a simple fob. Two strands are folded over the ring, and tied into a MWK. Then 10 or 12 crown knots, in one direction, then the same number, in the other direction. Then it's finished off with a manrope knot.

This one is a bit more complicated. Four strands (two of each color) are braided flat, then the braid folded over the ring. Then an 8-strand MWK is tied, then the four strands of one color are tied into a diamond sinnet. Then an 8-strand MWK is tied in the opposite direction. Then the four strands of the other color are tied into diamond sinnet. Then it's finished off with an 8-strand crowned star knot.

Here is a lanyard made to be used two different ways. You can use it around your wrist by slipping the snap through the loop ...

... or wear it around your belt, by slipping the loop around the star-knot 'button'

This was just a little bit of fooling around and 'improvising' in some spare time. I tied 3 strands into a flat braid and folded it over the ring. Then a MWK, then wall-crown-wall-crown...sinnet. Then a MWK in the opposite direction, then a star knot, then another MWK. It is finished off with a manrope knot.

This is an experiment with multiple snake knots, in magenta rat-tail cord. I thought I could try taking the strands from one snake knot through the corresponding adjacent knot, to form a fob, sort of in the style of macrame. The result is pretty, imho. I finished it off with a carrick bend. Then I added metallic beads to the ends of the fringe and tied figure-8 knots as stoppers for the beads.

More to follow, as soon as I can get some more written. I just returned from Spokane and am still getting back to reality. Happy to be finished traveling for a few months. : - )

IGKT-NAB Meeting, 2007, Orlando, FL

There are so many things I could write about, but I guess I'll leave the past behind and just catch everyone up with the things I haven't posted about on the lists. The next trip I took that I haven't posted about was to the IGKT-NAB meeting in Orange City, Florida. It was a lot of fun and great to see everyone again, and meet new people, too. Conspicuous in his absence was Steve Coats. I missed you, Steve -- but I'm sure you're having fun...

Okay, most people know that I've become obsessed with making jewelry out of snake knots. I have a lot of pictures of them in my Flickr album, so I won't duplicate them here. Suffice it to say that I've made quite a few, so I donated a couple of the more special ones for raffle prizes. I can't remember who won the black one with the ceramic beads that look like Turk's Head Knots, but I do remember that the other one was won by our Dear Barbara Sessions.

I did learn one thing (well, besides the fact that I should not go shopping when I need to get everything back into my suitcases to fly back home)! Jeff Wyatt showed me how to make the braided grommet. It's a lot of fun and I think it turned out great. It does fit on my wrist, too! Imagine that...

When I got home, I knew I would have trouble making this again, because Jeff did a lot of it to 'show me' how to do it. I 'sort of' followed him, but I truly needed a refresher. So I got out my The Complete Book of Decorative Knots (Budworth) and followed Geoffrey's instructions. Here's what I came up with from there:

I will eventually be brave enough to tackle a one-color braided grommet on my own...

Before I went to Florida, I discovered the Instructables Tutorial for Stormdrane's Snake Knot Lanyard (well, I didn't actually discover it -- it was sent to the list) and I've had a bit of fun with that:

The first one I made is the one attached to this knife. The knife is very special, too. My brother, Bill, got it for me as a birthday gift. He knew I wanted one and found it on ebay for me. It's the Boy Scouts of America 75th Anniversary knife.

Well, two can play the knife gift game. I found two of these on ebay and Camillus is Bill's favorite brand (they also made the knife above), so I got each of us one of these knives, with a 'spike' on it, for when we go to Marlinspike Skills weekends together. Gary, please do let us know if you get MS-III set up!

Here's another one I made to hold a very special spike. This was a raffle prize from the IGKT-PAB Tenth Anniversary AGM, donated by our Dear Bud Brewer! It's the only one I have with a ring on the end of it, for attaching to a lanyard, and it's WONDERFUL!

Just getting started...

Hi, everyone:

I've never done a blog before, so it may take me a while to get the hang of it. I've been reading a number of blogs recently, which have been very inspiring, and have decided that I want to begin my own. I am very much into knot-tying, both practical and decorative, but mostly decorative. I also tat, which of course is a form of knot-tying. I decided that I would just use one blog and put whatever comes to mind on it, like a journal. I will just put pictures of whatever I'm making at the time, whether it be knot-tying, tatting, knitting, whatever...

So bear with me while I get used to how this works (figure out how to add photos, links, etc.) and I hope I will be able to include things that people want to see. I am a bit behind on posting to the many Yahoo groups to which I belong, so I will probably just start with the stuff I should be sending to the groups, so that I can remember what I have been wanting to post about. It's been a long time, and quite a few places I have visited -- and I'm not finished traveling yet! I'll be leaving in less than a week for Spokane, to attend the Spokane Shuttlebirds Tatting Days. I look forward to seeing everyone I know there, and meeting a few new friends, too.

I just recently returned from Indianapolis, where I attended the Marlinspike Skills II, and have a few items that I made there, but I still need to take some pictures, so that I can post them. I also made my first wicker basket at Zig-Zag Corner, a wonderful quilt shop in Greenfield, IN, and had a great visit with the people there, whom I visit whenever I go to Indianapolis.

I also go to as many IGKT events that I can, including the Silver Jubilee of the IGKT in England, held at Fareham, last May, the Tenth Anniversary Celebration of the IGKT-PAB, held in San Pedro, CA, in July, as well as the IGKT-NAB's AGM, held in Central Florida, in late November/early December. I won't post all the pictures that I take at all these places here -- I'll put those into my photo albums. But I will probably put pictures of what I make at these events on this blog.

I look forward to including links to my favorite blogs here, as well as some of my favorite books, websites, and other sources of information on the hobbies I enjoy.

Thanx for taking a look and be sure to come back often, because I will be updating as often as I can. : - )

Lily