2013 25 Motif Challenge #2 And Give-Away!! :)

Ok....I realized this week I now have 100 followers in this my 4th year on the blog.  I am stunned!!!

I tatted this in the past couple of days and really like how it turned out!!  It's Small Round #11 from the Ultimate Book of Tatted Doilies.  It's tatted in size 40 Lizbeth Island Breeze and Raspberry Pink Med.  I hope to be able to tat this again in the reverse(the Raspberry for the chains and the Island breeze for the rings).  It's a great pattern for someone who is looking for something a little fancy with just rings and chains. In the size 40 thread it measures only 4 1/2 inches across(it's small, but sweet).  :)

As for the Give-Away.  I am planning on this doily and some "goodies" to be given to one of my followers.  Please leave a comment on this post if you are interested and next Friday May 3, I will use a random number generator to choose the winner.  I wish you all the best and have a great weekend!!  :)

Just playing with a doodad

Playing with one of the doodads from that last post.  It's a square.  My tatting started square and ended up round and with some dimension.  I like it, but am now trying to figure out what to do with it.  :)

These are the best pictures I could get.  The threads are Lizbeth size 40 Fruit Fizz and Raspberry.  And the beads were from Jon at Tat-A-Renda.

Just random bits....

In the middle of all my craziness lately I have not had time to show you all the goodies that have come in the last month.  My hubby got gift cards for Bass Pro Shops, so I got gift cards for Amazon.  Well, I spent them well(at least I think so).  My tatting library has grown!!  

As you can see, I have 5 new(or used) tatting books, and the goodies at the bottom I picked up at Hobby Lobby while waiting on my daughter one day(she was getting her hair done).

 The first 2 packages are buttons which caught my eye, but I still can't understand how 2 or 3 buttons for 80-90 cents is a clearance(oh well-they were too awesome to pass up).  And the doodads were so cool I just had to get them(and they are in colors instead of metals).

 Oops, when taking the picture of the books I missed one, so....I actually have 6 new books(this one was a total rip-off though.  It looked like a large thick book in the picture and they charged me $14.99 plus $3.99 shipping for a book that is clearly marked $8.96.  But, it's a nice book and the picture on the front is what I would like to tat sometime.  :)

 I started a pattern called Blue Doily because I thought the center would make an awesome suncatcher.  Here is what I have done.

 I am working with the antique triangle pattern I used wayyyyyy back, and coming up with my own design out of all those triangles.  I really like the way it's turning out!!!  It's done in size 20 Lizbeth Lilac Dk., and Snow White-which has been "hand-dyed" by me with permanent fabric markers: this is Confetti.

 Below is the picture of the antique triangle pattern.

 And, I wanted something else to take my mind away from many things I have been doing, and this beautiful butterfly did it.  My butterfly is not right, but quite cute!!  I want to do it over and hopefully get the picot sizes right so it looks like the picture.  :)

Picture Tutorial for Interlocking SCMRs

***Please forgive me if this isn't good.  I have never taught by pictures before.  :)

First, I would prefer to use one thread instead of 2 connected, but I think it is better for teaching some things.  Sorry about the extra brightness in this picture.

 I have my pinkie wrapped to make my chains, and then I take my shuttle thread and make a loop around my ring finger which will be used to close the SCMR.

I make my chain(this is 20 double stitches).

 Then, I put the shuttle through the loop which was on the ring finger.

And I draw that shuttle thread through the loop, doing my best to hold each end of the "chain" and keeping it's shape nice,

 until it resembles a ring.

Next, I start another "chain" leaving a small bit of the thread(purple here).  Don't forget to have your closing loop(I have to constantly restart because I forget).

 Here it is just before interlocking.

Take your loop for your scmr and the beginning of your "chain" and bring them to the back of the first ring and carefully pull them through the center of the ring.

 Straighten out your look and your chain.

 Bring shuttle through loop to make SCMR.

 And carefully close SCMR.  Now you have 2 interlocked SCMRs.

A little clearer picture here.

 Continue making the SCMRs till you have the number you need until just before the last one.
This is my 3rd one.

 Closing the 3rd SCMR.

 Here are 3 interlocked SCMRs.

This picture shows 4 done and the fifth one being added(which is the last SCMR for this motif).
I have tatted the "chain" and brought the loop and end of the "chain" through the center of the 4th SCMR(ring).

 Next, I bring that same loop around the back of the first SCMR(ring), and then out through the center to the front of it.

 I then put my shuttle through the loop and carefully close that last SCMR(ring).

I then cut the threads and use a crochet hook to pull them through to the back side(try to the "purple" one back through the ring, and the "white"one through the center of the motif).

Then tie.












I made this one with 5 interlocking SCMRs today for this tutorial.

Here is the 6 interlocking SCMR I made last night, and the 5 interlocking SCMR I made this morning for this tutorial.
I sure hope this helps those who are interested.
One thing I must say, this really isn't too hard nor does it take too long.  :)
**This coming from a beginner.  :)

Interlocking SCMRs

I have long watched the awesome interlocking rings designs and even tried them a couple of times which never ended up with very good results, but I have pondered the idea of it being possible to achieve the same look with an easier(maybe) technique.  So, when I should have been busy doing something else tonight, I tried my idea and here it is.  If I had used the purple thread on the shuttle as well as on the ball, you wouldn't see those white thread pieces in the center, but I was able to get this done and I think it worked well.  I don't have much time to work more on it right now, but....probably this autumn(hopefully!!).  :)

For some reason it looks a bit sparkly here, but it's just plain Lizbeth Lilac Dk. thread so I guess the light on the scanner was a bit bright.  :)

Green project finished and revealed!! :)

This is my green project-a large green suncatcher.  It is 8 inches across.  The center is the first 5 rounds from a pattern called Exquisite Luncheon Set in the book Tatting Doilies & Edgings edited by Rita Weiss.  

It's tatted in Yarnplayer's HDT Celery size 10 and 4mm Peridot Bicone beads.  

This will be gifted to a friend at the end of June.  I can't wait to see her response!!!  :)