I hadn't made these in a while and I enjoyed choosing bead colours to match threads and making a few pairs. I particularly like this combination of olive green thread with bronze pearls and cream beads. It made me think it's time for a new earring pattern.  I love tatted earrings, to wear and to gift.  I hope I can get my little grey cells working on that soon.  But maybe it will have to be a New Year project as December always ends up being so busy! Is your house already all decorated?  Mine isn't but it's planned for next week. From the last post:  Tatterjil an ..read more

The winners of the pattern are numbers 5, 1, 13, 8 and 4.  There were only 14 comments in the end so chances of winning were high for everyone! Tatterjil, Angie K., Lelia, Pam and Anonymous!  If there is an email linked to your comment, I will send the pattern there, but if there is not, please contact me to let me know where to send the pattern (especially the anonymous comment!). Here is another variation of Alba I made today.  For fun I decided to add lots of picots!  I stretched it a bit when blocking it too and I rather like how it turned out.  So there you go, yo ..read more

First of all I would like to thank my test-tatters, I always appreciate people taking the time and energy to try patterns and give feedback, their work is essential in getting a pattern ready - Thank you so much! I hope some of you will be interested in tatting Alba so I am having a draw for 5 copies of the pattern.  All you have to do is leave a comment on this blogpost and I will draw 5 names at random from the comments. I'll make the draw on the 1st of December. Good luck! Best wishes, Frivole ..read more

I realise no doubt not every tatter is comfortable with using split rings, split chains and self-closing mock rings!  So I'm thinking of also offering a "simpler" variation of Alba which would look like this (and also because someone told me they liked a version with picots better!).   In this variation, I have removed all the self-closing mock rings, 1SSCMR and self-closing Josephine Knots!  There is still one split ring to move from round 1 to round 2 but you can always cut and tie if you do not wish to use a split ring. If it makes this design accessible to more tatters ..read more

Yes. I think I'm stopping here for this one.  I'm going to call it "Alba" which comes from the latin "Albus" and means white. It unusually has no decorative picots but I think this brings it closer in look and shape to the original image of the real snowflake which inspired the design (see below).  It also just makes a change! Real Snowflake photo by Wilson Bentley For now I have put the other option I was working on to the side, firstly because I felt the first one was more interesting/original and - and this is the big one - I couldn't find a way to make it in one pas ..read more

Oh no!  It's already November and I'm only just getting around to thinking about and working on a new snowflake for 2024!  I had my daughter flick through the pages of my favourite book of snowflake photographs and make a pre-selection for me and from those I decided to work on the one below. This is where I'm at so far.  It's not that close to the original but it gave me a good starting point.  Let's say that my snowflake this year is "loosely" (rather than closely) inspired by a real snowflake.  I've said before how it can be difficult to closely mimic a snowflake ..read more

Here is the Christmas tree with red baubles!  This should be my last post on the little tree but I wanted to show it to you one more time with its tatted snow and baubles.  I strung some red beads on each shuttle and placed them randomly as I was tatting the tree.  I also went fancy and did the trunk in brown instead of carrying on with the same thread throughout. Oh, and I nearly forgot to say that I also started a series of videos on how to make the tree, you can find the videos on my channel (link in right side bar). It's currently more the season for pumpkins ..read more

I was looking at one of my trees last night and all of a sudden wondered... "why not make the snow with tatting instead of crochet?" So here is a version with tatted snow. Little Christmas Tree Pattern In fact, I think I prefer the tatted snow as it's a little firmer and is perhaps even better at helping give the branches their shape.  I have now amended the pattern and added the information on tatting the snow so if anyone wants to re-download it, you'll now get the most recent version. Here's trying to give you a better look at the tatted snow. As I mentioned in the pattern, I used ..read more

Well here it is at last!  It's more than 10 years since I first talked about it so hopefully it was worth the wait! Again I'd like to thank the designer, Mrs. Roesti-Holenstein, for generously giving permission for me to share her pattern on my blog. I also want to thank my German friend for being the intermediary and for her help in making this happen. I really felt this one would be enjoyed by many tatters. And now is a perfect time of year to share it too! Little Christmas Tree Pattern I've uploaded the pdf on Google Drive and set permission to "everyone with the link" so I hope it w ..read more

I can't believe I'm talking about the "C Word" on a 1st of October but I was eager to share my news and also this will give more time to people who may want to tat this for Christmas. Several years ago now, I made a blogpost about a lovely Christmas tree pattern designed by Edith Roesti-Holenstein which a friend from Germany had helped me obtain.  I had several comments and enquiries by tatters who wanted to make it but the designer was not online and only sold paper copies locally or by post if I remember correctly. However, I am delighted to say that after exchanges and with help from m ..read more