Sunday, February 27, 2011

Cross My Heart!


In progress - not happy with
the bottom part.

I found another cross pattern in Mary Konior's work - Tatting in Lace has two lovely crosses, one of which I really like: Rockingham.  It's a very easy pattern - and quick to tat - and it works well in one color, two colors, or even more (think variegated or double-bobbin shuttle).  The only thing I don't like about it that she designed it to be tatted in two passes.

I prefer to start at the top, work my way around, and end at the top - then I can tat a lock-stitch cord and finish in any number of ways.  I'm still working out the bottom part - I'm just not happy with it yet.  I have a couple of other ideas to try - maybe one of them will be exactly what I want!
In other news, I found a lovely David Reed Smith shuttle on eBay, which I bid on and won.  It's exactly what I wanted!  Judging by the "00" engraved on the inside of one of the blades, it's an "oldie but goodie" - and I'm using it now (on a cross, of course) and it tats very nicely.

Last week was a tough week - we had a Monday holiday, so we had five days of work to do in four days.  As I have said before, any week that begins on Tuesday is already ruined, might as well take the rest of the week and be done with it! 

6 comments:

  1. I love David Reed Smith's shuttles! His were the first nice shuttles I purchased. They're so light weight and smooth.

    I just looked at the Rockingham Cross pattern. Maybe when I finish my current projects, I'll give that one a try! I really like the thread you used.

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  2. Thanks, Diane! I've got one in progress that uses the same variegated but swaps the green for turquoise. I like it even better!

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  3. Love the thread you're using on the cross. I guess I need to keep an eye on ebay for shuttles - you have great success!

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  4. I've been very lucky with what I've won - but, like fishermen, I've also got plenty of stories about "the ones that got away!"

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  5. I work this cross in one pass. I've been meaning to blog about it, but just can't get organized. I begin with the ring just below the center (it's solid pink in your piece)and work around counter clockwise. Then when I come around to the chain that will join to the first ring, that's a split chain 18/2. Then make a split ring into the bottom section. So, you can make it in one pass, but unfortunately doesn't end in a place to add on a cord with the loose ends.

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