Session Start: Wed Mar 14 17:50:39 2007 Session Ident: #tatchat * Now talking in #tatchat Hello Mimi!! Hi There, who's Tatter 011? It's Marilyn, how can I change the title? Do you see the white box in the lower right-hand corner of the chat screen? it says NICK next to it? Type Marilyn in that box yes, it's below the 'chnage nick to'? * Tatter011 is now known as Marilyn Bingo! Wahoo!! I'm using mIRC so my memory's a little bit faulty for where the box is mIRC doesn't have one. So Mimi, what do we do now, as I'm really new to this process, 1st. timer and all. We wait until the top of the hour to see if anyone else shows up. But before that I try to make sure everyone has looked at the lesson for the day and hopefully has even tried out some of the instructions/links I had a question about the pattern directions for Hen and Chicks . I can't read the length of thread to leave between each ring, it looks like 1/2 inch but that is too long Today is theoretically lesson 2 http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/lesson2.html but becuase we had no students last week, I'll be making sure you have lesson 1 down in the important details anyway I'll look Dawn thank you! Because I'm so new to this process, could you help in explaining what the process it, please? Hmm tough to read I'd guess 1/4" Thanks But bare thread length is one of the hardest things to get What looks good will vary from thread to thread And likely from tatter to tatter I agree, it is hard to keep even, my finger gets in the way Lesson 1 has a help for bare-thread tatting: gauges Mimi, are we using a shuttle? Once you learn to "juggle" that gauge (ie. keep it in position) it's a big help not only for picot sizes but also for bare thread lengths Which process Marilyn? HAve you tried tatting yet? Very little and with both the needle and the shuttle, albeit it a few years ago for the shuttle. Have you read through the main page http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/index.html and lesson 1 http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/lesson1.html Now that it's a little after the hour, let's first sign in No, but I've taken down the site info and will check it out. Sorry to be such a clutz.. Mimi Dillman, Snohomish, WA USA, ntrop@ix.netcom.com shuttle and needle tatter * Tatter has joined #tatchat No clutz Here's the way the class will go After sign in, I start the class "log" the "log" is the transcript of the class everything that's typed Dawn N, Maryland, shuttle tatter! janddn@comcast.net and I'll put it on the website on the lesson's page after we're done You can go print off the log (save it to your computer, whatever) and refer back to it. that way you don't have to worry about taking notes now you'll have a hard enough time juggling your needle, shuttle, thread and keyboard, no need to add pen and paper Please sign in Tatter and change your nick (white box under "change nick to") MArilyn you too, Dawn will be interested to see where you're from :) After all have signed in, we'll discuss the lesson http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/lesson2.html but first I have to get to know you all so that I can better tailor the lesson We had no students last week so I don't have background on any of you. Marilyn will most likely be needle tatting? Sounds good to me, thanks. Marilyn Campbell, Ripples, New Brunswick, Canada, needle and shuttle hopeful!! Dawn's shuttle and already doing patterns from the lesson Linda N., shuttle tatter, Chippewa falls wi, fiberlily@prodigy.net Welcome Linda! Have you had a chance to review the lesson for tonight? my email is campba2@nb.sympatico.ca No I have been working extra hours * Tatter is now known as Linda Have you tatted at all yet? Do you know rings? Chains? Yes I can do rings chains and simple edgings Same for you Dawn, I know you can do rings if you're doing H&C, but how about chains too? Great Linda! Hopefully this lesson will be a good place for you to start. Have a look at http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/lesson2.html I can do both, I have done some patterns, made a doily, snowflakes, I just want to make sure I am leaning correctly and I just learned SCMR What is SCMR? self closing mock ring Good I'm glad you have SCMR. It's tough to explain to shuttle tatters. For needle tatter's it's their normal way to make rings! Oh, I see. For needle tatters, our shuttle tatted standard ring is more problematic And it uses up tons of thread I just don't know when I might need to use it, do patterns call for it? but it looks a lot better when you're doing H&C SCMR? Bunches!! Now, what's H&C? I meant, do patterns say SCMR or do I need to recognize when it should be used on my own At the bottom of the instructions for scmr there are some pattern links http://www.geocities.com/gr8shuttles/scmrinstr2.html scroll down GR8 butterfly is one of a few the "boys" have (Gary and Randy Houtz, frequently called the Shuttle Brothers) Also, Jane Eborall uses SCMR frequently. She won't publish a book but always is putting new patterns on her website. I checked her website out this afternoon and WOW, tons of stuff!!! http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~nickeb/ Most are a bit advanced, but by the time you're up to Lesson 4 you'll have a good idea for how to do most H&C= Hens & Chicks, is one of the patterns from today's lesson Hens & Chicks is a very common pattern, you'll see it in a lot of places Got it!! http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes/henchicks.jpg Sorry it's a bit small The pattern is all ring but with thread spaces between the alternation of the small-big-small on one side looked to one whimsical tatter like a hen between 2 chicks and the name has stuck Cute... I grew plants with that name.... Debbie Drake did a variation of that pattern to make an edging for a communion cloth that is just beautiful. Link is on the lesson at http://family.drakepacific.net/communion_cloth_pattern.htm Maybe she had the plant too? I've only seen the poultry :)) Let me quiz Linda and Dawn a bit and make sure they're OK with lesson 2. Then Marilyn we can concentrate on making sure you remember rings and chains and can understand the other lesson parts Do you have any directions for how to turn a corner with this pattern, for a hankie or something First of all, in Lesson 1 we did SCMR (not required work), picots, joins and gauges I couldn't find a corner for H&C but I did find this doily when I googled... wow, Gina did a great job, scroll down to Sept 23: http://threadsofatattinggoddess.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_threadsofatattinggoddess_archive.html We also did chains and there's a great pattern that combines rings and chains, the Awareness Ribbon that one has been very popular with students http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/6896/aribbon2.html Have any of you tried that one? Not me. Anyone who has done it has definitely mastered that lesson and is well on their way I've seen it but haven't tried it yet. It's a bit tricky becuase the rings and chains change in size to make the curve in the middle. So you really have to be awake Do you think you could do it Linda based on what you know? yes Great. Dawn, same for you? I think so Great! Now, t he other concept in Lesson 2 is using 2 colors in tatting Have either of you tried tying together 2 different threads and seeing how the colors line up? No Not me.. I haven't tried it but I used a variagated with dark purple and white so I could see how it would come together to tat with 2 colors you will need a shuttle/needle loaded with the color you will want your rings to be (your core thread) and your ball should be the color you will want your chains to be And you tie the 2 together (simple reef or square knot is fine) then off you go! It's actually pretty cool. Actually I was just looking at a mistake I made the other day and it's a white and an off white, and I can see the changes. Didn't know I did that! And what you thought was a mistake was actually a great lesson ! :) You can get some neat effects that way Sometimes mistakes work that way!!! some people combine a solid with a variegated thread some just do different colors Then there's Jane :) She's one colorful tatter But now you know the basis for getting the color to be where you want it. Ring will be the color of your shuttle thread verigated with solid in the same shades sounds exciting Chain will be the color of the thread over the top of your hand in the chain position When the colors harmonize it's very pretty Sorry I keep forgetting to find examples of color tatting to put on the lesson page but here's one that has an interesting extra element http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~nickeb/butterflyring.htm She's actually joined to a plastic ring in the middle as if it were a giant picot You can do the same with buttons too So while Dawn and Linda digest that and think of questions, I'll chat with Marilyn a bit Marilyn do you want to tat with needle or shuttle first? Okey-dokey.. Comfortable with etiher yet? needle tatter's version of 2-color but it works for shuttle conceptually too: http://groups.msn.com/NeedleTattingTwo/twocolortatting.msnw Well, I think that I would like to try the shuttle first, because I only have a very small needle and it bends when I handle it. I bend needles too :-( OK for shuttle I'd recommened trying a chain first * Tatter has joined #tatchat * Tatter has quit IRC (Quit: Tatter) And if you have 2 different colors of thread it's really helpful for you to see that you've transferred the knot from shuttle thread to the ball thread Do you have 2 colors of about the same size thread? OR do you already know how to "flip" the knot? OK. Remember I have forgotten what I do after I have the thread positioned on my hand. My left hand, that is...really a newbie..... Ok, so we need to review the steps to take with the shuttle There are 2 different shuttle paths "over" and "under" ok. The double stitch (double because it consists of those 2 parts) is the combination of 1 over and 1 under ok back in 5 A great website for still photos of these motions is http://www.geocities.com/tatrasutra/how2tat3.html great, I'll check it out.. She shows holding the shuttle in the right hanad letting the thread droop (an excellent way to make sure the thread's not getting all twisty on you -drop the shuttle and let it dangle if twisting is a problem) Maybe I should just keep watching the chatter and learn some thing from you ladies, rather than holding the group up unnecessarily. Linda's away, and Dawn is digesting I think (or maybe tatting :)) ok. Picking up the shuttle thread with the fingers of your right hand to get it ouyt of the way is an important help Yup ok. that way you can get the shuttel under the left-hand thread, then back over that thread but under the shuttle thread That move is the under (sorry I named the halves backwards, under is first) once you've completed that move, you tension the stitch that's the tricky part you have to pull on the shuttle thread of course to make it straight (shuttle thread is in the middle of the stitch once tensioned) but you have to loosen your tension on the left-hand thread so that when you pull the shuttle thread, the loop transfers from the left-hand thread to the shuttle thread I'm back The difficult part is putting just enough tension on the left-hand thread to get the stitch tightened up next to your pinch yet not flip it back that takes some practice and that's why I suggested 2 colors of thread that way you can visually see what color the stitch is if the stitch is the same color as the left-hand thread, you've done it correctly if it's the same color as the shuttle thread, it's incorrect So that's the under The 2nd half is the over this one is easier I should be able to move the thread right? Are the top of the loops toward the right hand? the shuttle thread dangles and stays dangling while you pass your shuttle over the left hand thread, then back under the left hand thread and through the loop left by the dangling shuttle thread the tensioning is the same, though - loosen the left, tighten the right, then tighted the left enough to pull up the stitch but not so much that it flips back to the shuttle thread Move when ANd move which thread? The piece that is on the left hand and is dangling? Ah, Jen is using 2 shuttles 2?? that sounds like fun!!! ignore the one on her left hand, it is passive, a substitute for the ball 2 shuttles open up a lot of possibilities I guess!! but we leave that for another lesson until you can use one :) OK! The left-hand thread only moves to tension the stitch what will happen is that the shuttle thread will become like a drawstring to pull the stitches together once you've made several into a nice arc chains are arcs and not straight becuase the stitches are wider at the top than at the bottom I have made a snowflake with 2 shuttles but I have another pattern that I don't know how to read for use with 2 shuttles did you notice that? Is that pattern on line where I can look at it Dawn? If you'd like help that is :) Anyway Marilyn please practice making stitches in a chain then try a ring and see if you can close it Ok.. Will do.. There are lots of videos on the lesson so if you're having trouble with using only stills, you can see the shuttle in motion too Really, where? http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/lesson1.html It is from Tatting Patterns and designs by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy persson I have that book, it's upstairs. Which pattern the pattern is cascade brb 2 sec Hello Linda!!! Hi was looking at the lesson page Cascade on what page? 84 and 85 Wow you're ambitiou ambitious I am half way through lucky clover, it is really straightforward I have that book Mimi, did you say that this tatchat and all the links will be on the lesson site? Tried to do the medallions for the mobile, but have problems joining first ring to last Yes they will be after we sign off - give me 1/2 hour. Great, thanks. Linda we'll solve your difficulty in Lesson 3 I think Do you get a twisted join when you try? Avoiding the twist is in lesson 3 Yes MEantime Dawn I'm a bit twisted up in CAscade too thats good Thank goodness, I sometimes have to take a while to read a pattern to "get it" but that one, I've looked for a while! It appears they start in the middle of the doily one of the cloverleafs that have chains going in and out every which way Only rings I see that are big enough to match the description in the pattern But it's still a little strange Ah it's the cover pattern that's easier to look at while typing :) I guess I may just have to try it and see if I get lost! but it/ it's still not quite right because they have that next chain joining a whole lot This is why I prefer diagrams! I wanted to make it for my mother-in-law, it may be a long time coming Or even a wordier pattern that tells mroe about where to start, and where the heck those joins are supposed to go anyway I like diagrams for the most part but kind of like a little of both True, some of each is helpful when the diagram just can't be clear Hopefully you can develop the ability to "read" tatting so that way you can use a photo as your diagram diagrams are easier but a good one is the chatalaine pattern book I haven't heard of that Is that Linda Driskell's pattenr Linda yes it works very well. I I haven't doen it myself but I've seen the chatelaines people have made from it, very pretty am on the neckpiece only but it works out nice a good practice piece for chains and rings It is very good for ring/chain practice! I need a goal so I made the neckpiece for the practice and the farther I go the better I get at tension and such Thanks for all the help, I am a Lost fan so I have to run, and I need to fold some laundry too! See you next week Finally a photo: http://www.velona.com/items/021/B02102.html See you next week Dawn, preservere with Cascade - multiples of 3's between picots except those long chains! Thanks for coming! Glad to have students Any other questions Marilyn and Linda ? No. I'm looking forward to next week Great, please read lesson 3 and give some of the patternsr a try http://www.angelfire.com/planet/newtatters/lesson3.html I am good for now, but I will check out those sites you mentioned, and many thanks, see you all next week.. I will "join" you then He he Bye Thanks again, and if you run into problems Marilyn you know where to write to me... give me a day to reply :) Do we sound likt the Waltons or what?? Wait until the big on-line class where there are 15-20 students! Goodnight all Happy tatting! Log going up now... * Disconnected Session Close: Wed Mar 14 19:03:56 2007