joy of succumbing

Pin It now! The joy of succumbing to temptation - a temptation resisted for years! Well, a little guilt colours the joy, but the thread colours brush it aside!

This is what arrived on Sunday. Opening the carton and this is only the top of 2 layers, with a total of 52 balls of thread!!!

A gift from Madhur Dadlani of the Unending Doily fame - a master tatter and admin of an Indian whatsapp tatting group (of which Usha Shah is also an admin).

Madhur has been gifting threads to tatters for years and offered to send me several times. My refusals finally wore out and this time I succumbed because several of the shades/variegates are not for sale.

These are 16 balls of size 40 and 2 metallic in size 20 on the right. 

Love the variegates! And there's a grey too!

And these are the remaining in size 20.

Brands range from Red Rose to Gopal.

I still haven't tatted from this stash, but my first impressions -

1. There is no sheen to the threads - similar to Anchor threads which have lost their Egyptian cotton sheen.
2. The size 20 is thinner than the current size 20 from Anchor. This is a huge plus because the Anchor 20 now is more like Lizbeth size 10.
3. I like the feel of the threads - they appear soft.

More observations after my trials ....

My Unending or Scrappy Doily adorns my dining table and is visible in several recent pics.

Sorting and storing took up half a day but I managed to fit everything in clear boxes. But the size 20s,  got separated and are now lodged in 2 boxes - reds and yellows in one box and the rest in the original large box.

Thank you so very much, dearest Madhur! 💖 Hope I can do justice to the shades.

Hat's off to India Post, too.

scrappy doily and scmr

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For the last few days I hadn’t picked up a shuttle. Housework was partly to blame, leaving me too tired to continue with my Blossoms motifs (I was on a whirlwind spree and the count is now up to 20 - halfway mark reached!!!). So, I took up sewing the edging on the saree – somebody (meaning me) has to do it!

Last evening, I didn’t even have the concentration to sew. But Madhur Dadlani's Unending Doily had been at the back of my mind as a wonderful way to empty shuttles and use up all the scraps! Picked up a shuttle and started.

My rings are ( 4-3-3-4 ). I started with 3 normal rings (white), then switched to SCMR.

Why? With scmr, I can use up almost every last bit of scrap thread, since they will only form the stitches. Can you see where I have a part purple part blue ring? Easily possible with scmr.

And I can have a continuous core thread throughout, not having to refill the shuttle every time.

To secure the scmr, I made an unflipped half stitch at the base.

I had first thought of making it rectangular, but I think with random colours, it is best to go circular. Although, here I am aiming for an oval and will decide on how to fill the center later. Hope the shape will hold.

It’s still scappy, fresh off my shuttle, with no blocking.

So far these are Anchor size 20 scraps, and the 2 rounds measure 2”x1½”.

Do you see this turning into an Ice Drop?! A future project :-D

SCMR - self closing mock ring -

And on the topic of SCMRs, a Japanese tatter (kukka tatting) has been applying the scmr to small medallions and so far she has reached a count of 91 lovely medallions/motifs using scmr!!! I've been following her journey from the start, but it's a pity that I can't leave any comment on her blog. Do check it out. 91 scmr motifs !

Split SCMR
And Tim Kaylor has worked out a way to split the scmr in regular tatting (ie. when working with only 2 threads!). Randy Houtz’ split/scmr uses 3 threads. Tim has put up a video too. Now to try it out…

(added later in the day...) 

After some thought, this is the realisation I’ve come to –

Tim pulls open the scmr, exposing the core thread, then uses a split chain to cover and bridge the core thread.

Which is similar to what Dora Young did in her KM Ring (Knotless Method Ring). And Rachael Mohler did a slight modification by not closing the ring completely, then covering the open core thread with the knotless method (i.e., a split chain in modern terms).  

So it is basically the modified Dora Young’s Knotless Method Ring (a mock ring worked in 2 parts by anchoring with a lock join & doable with a single shuttle) on a SCMR! 

Clever, nevertheless, and opens up vast possibilities.

Happy Diwali

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I’m a day late (maybe not, it is a 5-day festival!) because I couldn’t decide whether to post this mangled piece or not. It is my very first trial with lots of mistakes. Also the shape of the diya (earthen lamp) is not exactly as I had visualised or sketched. Nevertheless, mistakes and all – here it is, with best wishes to all...remember it’s the thought that counts !

Made with size 40 & 50 threads. I worked the diya in one colour wound continuously. For the flame, I added 3 colours on tapestry needles to weave a 3-coloured Cluny flame. The stripes go from broad to narrow, and there are 2 yellow shades in there, along with the maroon. Don't look too closely, as a courtesy to me ;-P

I will work this again in size 20 at a more leisurely pace and reshape the diya, too. Diya is my favourite symbol of the festival. See my previous attempts here (tatting) and here (mixed media).
I also intend to use this and another flame idea on a tatted candle for a more universal appeal and application. Hoping for better results ...

And an update on the “unending” Scrappy Doily – Round 6 is completed and it now measures 5”x4”. Yes, the oval shape has held with graduated larger rings around the acute curves.

In a moment of ‘un’decisiveness, I snipped off the tails. I want to continue with a few chain rounds, but realised that there are odd number of rings on this round! Have to work out how to overcome this imbalance before I continue. Guess I'll just add another round of mock rings taking care to even out the number. It will be another confirmation of the doily keeping it's shape.

happy festivities J