Yesterday was a 'Girls Day', a day my friend and I spent crafting. BetBet had decided we would try to learn how to Tat. We had both fancied the idea of Tatting and she had bought the Tools of the Trade (a shuttle each) in readiness and we both had odd skeins of embroidery thread lying around waiting to be used for just such an occasion.
We watched a few tutorials on YouTube, then had a go.
It was a lot harder than we had imagined. One needed very nimble fingers and being women of a certain age, we found it painful to keep our fingers in the positions they needed to be in. We decided that, maybe, we should have tried this many years ago.
However, we persevered for a while longer and finally I 'got it'. Something clicked and I found my way of creating the stitch. I couldn't hold the thread how one was supposed to, but through trial and error, had found a way that suited me. It wasn't such good news for BetBet. However hard she tried, her fingers would just NOT do what she wanted them to. It was very disheartening.
This is what I managed after a couple of hours ...
around three inches of raggedy, uneven stitches.
This is what I managed after another hour or so, once it had 'clicked'...
I had something that was starting to resemble Tatting!
I love the way it automatically goes into circles. I can see endless possibilities for this; jewellery especially. However, I am not sure my fingers want to revisit Tatting any time soon, but my brain is telling me "Ooh, this is fabulous, lets have another go!"
After a tasty lunch, home-made crustless, spinach quiche if you're interested, BetBet showed me how to Macramé. She had taught herself many years ago and had made pot hangers and the like. I had always wanted to have a go, but could never quite understand the written instructions - no YouTube in those days! I must say this was much, much gentler on the hands. I took to it like a duck to water.
(hands courtesy of BetBet)
She also showed me how to add beads into the work. I did take several pictures of my Macramé, but as we were using dark wool they have not come out very clearly.
We had a look a several YouTube tutorials for both Tatting and Macramé, which helped us enormously. I have to sing YouTube's praises for Videos on how to do things. Fabulous invention if you ask me!
It's also fired up my imagination for all sorts of Macramé-d things. I can't wait to have another go. YouTube showed us lots of bracelet tutorials and I can see myself using finer embroidery threads, rather than the traditional hemp, and small beads to create Christmas gifts.
We also looked at Needle Tatting, where the shuttle is replaced by a very, long needle. It looks so much easier and more kind to one's hands. We are thinking of giving this a go. Maybe on our next 'Girls Day'.
We were not alone in our crafting.
We had a very special guest...
meet Poppy, a neighbour's cat who seems to prefer BetBet's company. She seemed to know that if she wanted to stay with us, she had to be Very, Very, Good. No chasing the balls of thread and wool!
And there I will leave you.
'Til next time.
Debs xxx
We watched a few tutorials on YouTube, then had a go.
It was a lot harder than we had imagined. One needed very nimble fingers and being women of a certain age, we found it painful to keep our fingers in the positions they needed to be in. We decided that, maybe, we should have tried this many years ago.
However, we persevered for a while longer and finally I 'got it'. Something clicked and I found my way of creating the stitch. I couldn't hold the thread how one was supposed to, but through trial and error, had found a way that suited me. It wasn't such good news for BetBet. However hard she tried, her fingers would just NOT do what she wanted them to. It was very disheartening.
This is what I managed after a couple of hours ...
around three inches of raggedy, uneven stitches.
This is what I managed after another hour or so, once it had 'clicked'...
I had something that was starting to resemble Tatting!
I love the way it automatically goes into circles. I can see endless possibilities for this; jewellery especially. However, I am not sure my fingers want to revisit Tatting any time soon, but my brain is telling me "Ooh, this is fabulous, lets have another go!"
After a tasty lunch, home-made crustless, spinach quiche if you're interested, BetBet showed me how to Macramé. She had taught herself many years ago and had made pot hangers and the like. I had always wanted to have a go, but could never quite understand the written instructions - no YouTube in those days! I must say this was much, much gentler on the hands. I took to it like a duck to water.
She also showed me how to add beads into the work. I did take several pictures of my Macramé, but as we were using dark wool they have not come out very clearly.
We had a look a several YouTube tutorials for both Tatting and Macramé, which helped us enormously. I have to sing YouTube's praises for Videos on how to do things. Fabulous invention if you ask me!
It's also fired up my imagination for all sorts of Macramé-d things. I can't wait to have another go. YouTube showed us lots of bracelet tutorials and I can see myself using finer embroidery threads, rather than the traditional hemp, and small beads to create Christmas gifts.
We also looked at Needle Tatting, where the shuttle is replaced by a very, long needle. It looks so much easier and more kind to one's hands. We are thinking of giving this a go. Maybe on our next 'Girls Day'.
We were not alone in our crafting.
We had a very special guest...
meet Poppy, a neighbour's cat who seems to prefer BetBet's company. She seemed to know that if she wanted to stay with us, she had to be Very, Very, Good. No chasing the balls of thread and wool!
And there I will leave you.
'Til next time.
Debs xxx
