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Vision Impaired Artist ~ Hand Spinner, Indie Dyer, Felter, Weaver, Lace Maker, Tatter, Crocheter, Knitter, Sewer, Writer, Cook, Farmer, Mother & Wife
Showing posts with label Tatting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tatting. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 August 2018
Monday, 6 April 2015
The Sale Lacemakers...
I have had another amazing day today with the Sale Lacemakers and I am pleased to announce that they have created their new blog! Please go and have a look and show your support to this wonderful little lace group.
Without the support of this amazing group of women, (and encouragement from some of the ravelry lacemakers), I wouldn't have been inspired to take my lacemaking to the level it is now after only a few months of learning to do bobbin lace.
Over the last couple of weeks, my eyes have been opened to the world of possibilities that the simple art of lace (bobbin lace and tatting) as a medium holds. Since the introduction of coloured threads to lacemaking, you can now make 3D coloured flowers, 2D & 3D pictures with textures and colours like a painting, as well as another means to make a free-form woven lace scarf.
Bobbin lace is actually quite simple to learn, with only 2 movements - cross and twist - very similar to the knit and purl of knitting. Like knitting, it is only the complexity of the pattern and combinations and expansion of these two simple movements that make bobbin lace look complicated, as in reality, you only use 2 pairs of bobbins at a time.
Now, I am by no means an expert at bobbin lace, having only been learning how to do it now for nearly 4 months, but even I have started to design my own lace patterns/prickings. I have been known to jump in the deep end when learning and exploring new crafts, and I guess bobbin lace is no exception. But if I can do bobbin lace with limited sight, you can too, and I really do encourage you to try this simple yet very enjoyable and rewarding handcraft that is lacemaking.
Tatting is also quite a simple lace to make too, with again two simple stitches or knots. One of the things that I, and other tatters I've talked to, love about tatting, is that it is very compact and easy to take with you anywhere you go. One of the Ladies at the Sale Lacemakers has recently shown me a new simple yet stunningly beautiful tatting motif, and I shall return in another post to show you how simple and inspiring this tatted motif is.
So much lace and designs going through my mind and hands, I shall leave you here to go and play with my lace bobbins and tatting shuttles some more.
Happy Lacemaking!
Liz :-)
Without the support of this amazing group of women, (and encouragement from some of the ravelry lacemakers), I wouldn't have been inspired to take my lacemaking to the level it is now after only a few months of learning to do bobbin lace.
Over the last couple of weeks, my eyes have been opened to the world of possibilities that the simple art of lace (bobbin lace and tatting) as a medium holds. Since the introduction of coloured threads to lacemaking, you can now make 3D coloured flowers, 2D & 3D pictures with textures and colours like a painting, as well as another means to make a free-form woven lace scarf.
Bobbin lace is actually quite simple to learn, with only 2 movements - cross and twist - very similar to the knit and purl of knitting. Like knitting, it is only the complexity of the pattern and combinations and expansion of these two simple movements that make bobbin lace look complicated, as in reality, you only use 2 pairs of bobbins at a time.
Now, I am by no means an expert at bobbin lace, having only been learning how to do it now for nearly 4 months, but even I have started to design my own lace patterns/prickings. I have been known to jump in the deep end when learning and exploring new crafts, and I guess bobbin lace is no exception. But if I can do bobbin lace with limited sight, you can too, and I really do encourage you to try this simple yet very enjoyable and rewarding handcraft that is lacemaking.
Tatting is also quite a simple lace to make too, with again two simple stitches or knots. One of the things that I, and other tatters I've talked to, love about tatting, is that it is very compact and easy to take with you anywhere you go. One of the Ladies at the Sale Lacemakers has recently shown me a new simple yet stunningly beautiful tatting motif, and I shall return in another post to show you how simple and inspiring this tatted motif is.
So much lace and designs going through my mind and hands, I shall leave you here to go and play with my lace bobbins and tatting shuttles some more.
Happy Lacemaking!
Liz :-)
Saturday, 4 April 2015
A Lace Weekend...
In my excitement yesterday in finaly being able to write a post, I totally forgot to tell you about the amazing Lace Weekend that the Sale Lacemakers held on the 21st & 22nd of March.
The Sale Lacemakers hold this amazing Lace Weekend every year towards the end of March, and it a weekend not to be missed if you are interested in Bobbin Lace, Tatting or Lacemaking in general. If you are interested about the one next year, email the Sale Lacemakers at salelacemakers@gmail.com to go on the interested emailing list. Trust me, it is well worth going.
It was a truly inspiring weekend, and I spent most of it working on my first lace piece (that isn't a bookmark), a tape lace butterfly in some beautiful multicoloured pearl 8 thread. While I did spend most of the Saturday morning wondering, admiering and chatting to the other Lacemakers, I did managed to get most of the first wing done.
There were also supplies there, (which was very dangerous!), and I managed to pick up a few new bobbins for myself, as well as two new contemporary Lacemaking books and some rather yummy threads and a tatting shuttle. With so many beautiful coloured threads now available to Lacemakers, it was interesting to see that many of the other Lacemakers were still using the traditional white, cream and boney coloured fine threads. There were only a couple though, like myself, who were using these beautiful coloured threads.
The Sale Lacemakers meet Meet at the Gwen Webb Arts Activity Center, 116 Market St. Sale on the 1st, 3rd,(&5th) Mondays of each month, Feb-Nov, 10:00 am – 3:00pm. Visitors and new lacemakers are always Welcome. For directions and more information, please email the group at salelacemakers@gmail.com :)
Happy Lacemaking!
Liz :)
Days Spinning: 93/365 Days Missed: 0/365 Skeins Spun:6
Days Writing: 93/365 Days Missed: 0/365
Projects Completed: 13
The Sale Lacemakers hold this amazing Lace Weekend every year towards the end of March, and it a weekend not to be missed if you are interested in Bobbin Lace, Tatting or Lacemaking in general. If you are interested about the one next year, email the Sale Lacemakers at salelacemakers@gmail.com to go on the interested emailing list. Trust me, it is well worth going.
It was a truly inspiring weekend, and I spent most of it working on my first lace piece (that isn't a bookmark), a tape lace butterfly in some beautiful multicoloured pearl 8 thread. While I did spend most of the Saturday morning wondering, admiering and chatting to the other Lacemakers, I did managed to get most of the first wing done.
There were also supplies there, (which was very dangerous!), and I managed to pick up a few new bobbins for myself, as well as two new contemporary Lacemaking books and some rather yummy threads and a tatting shuttle. With so many beautiful coloured threads now available to Lacemakers, it was interesting to see that many of the other Lacemakers were still using the traditional white, cream and boney coloured fine threads. There were only a couple though, like myself, who were using these beautiful coloured threads.
The Sale Lacemakers meet Meet at the Gwen Webb Arts Activity Center, 116 Market St. Sale on the 1st, 3rd,(&5th) Mondays of each month, Feb-Nov, 10:00 am – 3:00pm. Visitors and new lacemakers are always Welcome. For directions and more information, please email the group at salelacemakers@gmail.com :)
Happy Lacemaking!
Liz :)
Days Spinning: 93/365 Days Missed: 0/365 Skeins Spun:6
Days Writing: 93/365 Days Missed: 0/365
Projects Completed: 13
- Chunky Crochet Bags x4
- Squares x3
- Face washers x6
Saturday, 3 January 2015
New Years "Craft" Resolution...
Every New Year marks the start of another year and a clean slate as far as goals go. I know we often look back and go "well that sure didn't happen" or "I still haven't finished that", but really, we get a chance to clean the slate and start again :)
So! My New Years Craft Resolution is to try and stick to and achieve these goals :)
So, these are my goals this year, simple yet massive, but I'm still going to give them a go :) And I have already started with 3 days of spinning and I've been working n my WIP's while I'm on holidays! Yay! So what are your NY's Crafting Resolutions?
Happy Crafting!
Days Spinning: 3/365 Days Missed: 0/365
Days Writing: 3/365 Days Missed: 0/365
WIP's Completed so far this year: 0
So! My New Years Craft Resolution is to try and stick to and achieve these goals :)
- Spin Every day this year, using my spindles and wheels and try and spin my stash in the process (I will be setting up a page to keep track of this personal challenge)
- Personally, Go "Cold Sheep" for the first 6 months (so no purchasing of fibre or yarn for my personal stash)
- Have a major Stash Down
- Have NO WIP's at the end of the year, as they are seriously starting to get out of control!
- Master Bobbin and finish a large Lace project
- Learn Card Weaving
- Master Tatting and Finish my large Tatting pieces
- Attempt to finish my Queen Size Crochet Blanket (This one is a huge goal! So I will be happy to get most of it done, if it happens to be the ONLY WIP I have at the end of the year :)
- Finish my big rug Tapestry Weaving :)
- Write everyday :)
So, these are my goals this year, simple yet massive, but I'm still going to give them a go :) And I have already started with 3 days of spinning and I've been working n my WIP's while I'm on holidays! Yay! So what are your NY's Crafting Resolutions?
Happy Crafting!
Days Spinning: 3/365 Days Missed: 0/365
Days Writing: 3/365 Days Missed: 0/365
WIP's Completed so far this year: 0
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Time for some serious crafting!
Now that that Christmas madness had been and gone for another year it is time to enjoy the sun, break out the dye pots and get busy designing and crafting! It has been a little hectic but with the beginning of the new year it is time for some serious crafting!
I do apologise for the long gap between posts, needless to say Christmas is a crazy time of year, not helped by the fact that I wasn't as organised as I normally am. We also decided to go on a holiday, one I was hoping to get some crafting done on it, but again, not as much as I would have liked got done. So I have a bit of catching up to do :)
Just before Christmas I decided that I didn't have enough drop spindles, as I always wanted to be spinning something different on the few I had. So, as my Christmas present to me, along with some exotic fibers to play with, I purchased around 12 new drop spindles. I love having the extra spindles to be able to spin something different should the need arise :) I will share them as I do some spinning on them.
This spindle is the first of my new spindles that I started to spin on while I was traveling back on the train. It is a Ken Ledbetter mini modula. It is 22.5gms and has a Maple Burl whorl with a Burbinga hook piece. The three different shafts that came with it are made from various woods. I am spinning a blend of Tussah Silk and Merino Wool on it and I am loving the finished singles.
I did manage to do some weaving while I was away on holidays and had a go at making some shoulder bags. I liked the results, even if they were a bit rough, with one more complicated than the other.
I also managed to do some tatting on a new piece I started a while back. I had done the first round and left it at that, unsure if I should continue it. As we drove around a bit, tatting proved to be the ideal project to do in the car, so I expanded on the first row and I am on the way to finishing the third row of rosetts.
I hope you are having fun crafting this holidays :)
I do apologise for the long gap between posts, needless to say Christmas is a crazy time of year, not helped by the fact that I wasn't as organised as I normally am. We also decided to go on a holiday, one I was hoping to get some crafting done on it, but again, not as much as I would have liked got done. So I have a bit of catching up to do :)
Just before Christmas I decided that I didn't have enough drop spindles, as I always wanted to be spinning something different on the few I had. So, as my Christmas present to me, along with some exotic fibers to play with, I purchased around 12 new drop spindles. I love having the extra spindles to be able to spin something different should the need arise :) I will share them as I do some spinning on them.
I did manage to do some weaving while I was away on holidays and had a go at making some shoulder bags. I liked the results, even if they were a bit rough, with one more complicated than the other.
Saturday, 16 November 2013
Tatting some more...
After an inspiring session on tatting at craft group last month, again and again my mind has turned back to tatting and my current projects there of. Now as you can imagine, the nature of lace making is generally fine and intricate in nature. Being vision impaired definitely makes this intricate art even more challenging. So, I adapted the craft and its techniques to suit, producing some surprising results.
I have purchased over the years and found in various op-shops the traditional small tatting shuttles and have a few in my collection. However, while I can painstakingly work with the traditional fine No.20 thread, it takes a massive amount of time and concentration, feeling each tiny knot with my fingers. But if I was to continue with my tatting, I had to go back to the drawing board and re-assess how to make it easier, quicker and more enjoyable.
The concept of enlarging the whole craft isn't an entirely new one to me. As demonstrated previously I have and do work with large crochet hooks and knitting needles in my various projects to make things easier. So I searched for larger tatting shuttles and finding none, I made my own.
With my own large tatting shuttles in hand, I up-scaled my work with a thicker 4, 5, 6 even 8 ply thread and I have had fun creating quick and large pieces. I have also experimented with other types of threads and yarns with some interesting, even if undesired, results.
It just goes to show that if there is a barrier preventing you from doing something, or if something is proving to get the better of you, don't give up. A simple adaption to the process might be the only thing needed that could make things that little bit simpler and easier to undertake.
Happy Tatting! :)
I have purchased over the years and found in various op-shops the traditional small tatting shuttles and have a few in my collection. However, while I can painstakingly work with the traditional fine No.20 thread, it takes a massive amount of time and concentration, feeling each tiny knot with my fingers. But if I was to continue with my tatting, I had to go back to the drawing board and re-assess how to make it easier, quicker and more enjoyable.
It just goes to show that if there is a barrier preventing you from doing something, or if something is proving to get the better of you, don't give up. A simple adaption to the process might be the only thing needed that could make things that little bit simpler and easier to undertake.
Happy Tatting! :)
Monday, 14 October 2013
Productive week ahead ...
It has been another busy few weeks but finally there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. A long awaited and major crafting session has finally arrived and the last couple of days has been a good start to a promising week of craft.
Teaching tatting lessons at Craft Group on Saturday was great fun and it was nice to share some crafting techniques with other people. There is nothing like watching the excitement and joy of others when they learn to do something for the first time.
It has really inspired me to take my tatting up a notch to the next level, and also to finish the tatting project I started but have not yet finished. I must say I love tatting for it's simplicity. It is fairly inexpensive too, just time consuming, and makes a good traveling craft due to it's compact size.
A wool dyeing session yesterday produced some very interesting colours. I am just waiting for the last batch to dry and then I will add some photos. I must admit, it is hard sometime when I do a dye run to not keep all of the lovely coloured wool for myself, as they are sometimes so very yummy. But then again, that would mean more projects to design and finish ... and a heap of fun doing it!
Until then, Happy Crafting! :)
Teaching tatting lessons at Craft Group on Saturday was great fun and it was nice to share some crafting techniques with other people. There is nothing like watching the excitement and joy of others when they learn to do something for the first time.
It has really inspired me to take my tatting up a notch to the next level, and also to finish the tatting project I started but have not yet finished. I must say I love tatting for it's simplicity. It is fairly inexpensive too, just time consuming, and makes a good traveling craft due to it's compact size.
Until then, Happy Crafting! :)
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Lots done but no time to Post
I have to apologise for not posting in nearly a month. It is surprising how much less time one has when they undertake a little part-time work as a fill in. Needless to say, the couple of crafting session that I have had, didn't quite make it to the blog.
August was an interesting month with the end showing that while I didn't complete a great deal of my unfinished projects, I did finish more than I started. I like the idea of finishing off projects as my monthly task and while I know September has just about been and gone, I have decided that that is what I am going to do for the rest of this year.
But I know you want to see what I have been up to in my craft sessions so I will stop babbling and show you some photos. This is what I have been spinning on my new Turkish spindle.
This is a sampler square on some different patterns that I am thinking of using to make a Ruana.
This is a project that I have been working on with some of my hand dyed, hand spun singles. I think it will be a shawl when it is finished, but then again sometimes things have a mind of their own.
This project is one I have been working on in my spare time. It is a large scale Tatting project and as you can imagine, it takes a while for all the simple knots to add up.
I have finished the first ball on my baby Turkish spindle and have started spinning the second ball. I'm not sure what i am going to make with it yet.
And another magic square project that I have designed and now working on. I have found a few little snares but that is what making a sample is all about.
I have also done a dyeing session and I will post a photo once the wool is dry :) Untill then, Happy Crafting! :)
August was an interesting month with the end showing that while I didn't complete a great deal of my unfinished projects, I did finish more than I started. I like the idea of finishing off projects as my monthly task and while I know September has just about been and gone, I have decided that that is what I am going to do for the rest of this year.
But I know you want to see what I have been up to in my craft sessions so I will stop babbling and show you some photos. This is what I have been spinning on my new Turkish spindle.
This is a sampler square on some different patterns that I am thinking of using to make a Ruana.
This is a project that I have been working on with some of my hand dyed, hand spun singles. I think it will be a shawl when it is finished, but then again sometimes things have a mind of their own.
This project is one I have been working on in my spare time. It is a large scale Tatting project and as you can imagine, it takes a while for all the simple knots to add up.
I have finished the first ball on my baby Turkish spindle and have started spinning the second ball. I'm not sure what i am going to make with it yet.
And another magic square project that I have designed and now working on. I have found a few little snares but that is what making a sample is all about.
I have also done a dyeing session and I will post a photo once the wool is dry :) Untill then, Happy Crafting! :)
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