Thursday, January 30, 2014

A Terrible Tatting Day (+ TIAS Day 9)

Oh hello.

To borrow a phrase from a book I never really liked when I was a kid, I'm having a "Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Tatting Day".

Seriously. Yikes.

I know it's only (way late) January, but seriously, time passes really quickly, we're looking at more travel later this spring (for those who are wondering, my husband is a diplomat with the US State Department, which is why we're in Russia and why we travel so much--you can follow that adventure here), and Fair entry time is just a few months away!

So, I need to get to work on some stuff. I've chosen what I want to be my next victim, loaded my shuttle with some beautiful ercu size 80 Lizbeth thread, and...promptly broke the thread two times in three starer motifs. Tension troubles or...??
 Seriously. Grrr.




Clearly that wasn't working out, so I decided to move on, for the time being. I saw on Facebook that Jane's Day 9 was posted (apparently we're halfway there, fellow TIASers!) so I decided to move back into the realm of size 20 thread.

Two words (well, letters, really). SS. GAH! :)

 Well, despite getting all "switched" around (bwahaha), and having to un-tat half of today's pattern more than once, my finished "motif" matches the diagram on today's pattern, but I'm still not at all sure what the heck this is going to turn out to be!

So. I'm a little done with tatting today, but to steal another phrase from somebody else, "Tomorrow is another day to tat." :)

8 comments:

  1. Hey thanks for the fair reminder :) I always miss those things must put one in the phone and check on when they are taking entries too I am too early or too late. some times I wonder with the size 80 thread some seems to slide better than others it's not you :) And I had a sewing teacher tell me that the way it is twisted up makes a difference with the slide like a "nap" ldon't know if that is spelled right kinda like petting an animal you can go backwards I often think on that when I mess up.
    Thanks for the reminder of what your hubby does I just couldn't remember.

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    1. No problem! It always sneaks up on me, so I thought I'd mention it for myself and others to keep in mind. :) It's quite possible that the knap is off on this ball of thread...I'm still having troubles, but it also might be because I make my double stitches too tight. Anyway, I've about had it with the tiny thread, I'm just waiting for my Handy Hands newsletter to come so I can order more size 40 thread! :)

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  2. Your hubby has a great job now I understand why you travel so much, by the time he retires you will have seen the world.
    We all have good days, bad days and days when nothing just goes right, it could be tension on the thread that made it break but it also could be bad thread, until you try using it, you don't know if you have a bad batch. Will it break easily if you just pull it, if it does then it's no good.
    Margaret

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    1. Seeing the world is the plan, Margaret, and we are in a great position to do it! :) I just tried your test, and my ecru Lizbeth broke fairly easily, but the same size and color in DMC didn't break at all...While I'm sure I am still dealing with my own tension issues, maybe I can feel a little better that it's not ALL my fault! :)

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    2. I dont think it is your fault, if it broke fairly easily then I think its the thread.

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    3. I feel your pain. I haven't been tatting long, about a year, and I only use Lizbeth and the occasional DMC thread. I got the most beautiful ball of red variegated size 80 a couple of weeks ago to make my valentine earrings, and it just keeps breaking, same thing, closing the rings. At first I thought I was being an idiot but then I remembered there were weird nubs here and there when I was winding it, and i think it's a bad ball. Never had a bad ball of Lizbeth before, but it happens.

      I don't figure it will help to go back to the local shop and get another ball of it, probably same lot, so I will soldier on and not make anything tremendously big with that one and order some from HH later on. :)

      Make it short, Grace: I think it's the thread not you.

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    4. Bwahahahaha Grace, this was my favorite comment of the week, if not longer. :) And thanks for the encouragement. I've decided to blame the thread and move on with my life. I love all you supportive tatting people! :)

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  3. IMO - contact Handy Hands & explain about the fiber. I had a particular ball of fiber that she not only replaced ... she added a few extra balls of fiber. So, she seemed like the kind of person that wanted to know about problems and went over and above what she needed to make it 'right'

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