Wednesday 6 May 2015

Revisiting Some Crafts

With terrible weather I have spent the past couple of days  playing around revisiting some crafts that's I haven't touch for a couple of years.

First up was Tatting
I like tatting, you don't need lots of stuff, just a shuttle and some thread, I spent years trying to learn tatting but just couldn't get it, then one year at a craft show I came across a group of ladies called the Ring of Tatters, I was admiring there work and explained that I just couldn't get the knack of tatting, so they set me a challenge if I couldn't get the hang of it with there kit and instructions they would give me a double refund, I bought the kit it was £5 that evening I sat down with it and followed the instructions to the letter and miracles of miracles I could do it, within days I was reading patterns and tatting like there was no tomorrow, yesterday I came across a simple pattern for trees and fancied giving it a go, I needed to refresh myself with the techniques it all came flooding back.
Its not perfect but its a tree. I shall add some more to it to make a small woodland.

The next craft I dipped back into was

my knitting machine it hadn't been unpacked since the move, I came across a blog yesterday that inspired me to get it out and set up again, I haven't used it for a couple of years, it works like a dream, I have had my Toyota 901 from new 1985, 30 years Martin bought it for me and a couple of years later he bought me the ribber attachment, I used to take orders for knitwear I also did outwork for a knitwear company and I have designed some patterns myself, 
I use to enjoy doing Intarsia (picture knitting) I still have all my books and knitting machine magazines, it all seems in good working order and it was lovely sitting in the cabin playing with my old friend, I have dug out a pattern for some socks, I spent the afternoon doing a refresher on it so I am ready to go. I do also have a chunky knit machine that I bought new a couple of years ago but much prefer my Toyota.

8 comments:

  1. I have a Toyota KR506, bit older than your, the ribber makes the designs much nicer.

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  2. I've always fancied tatting too and am sure I have the little spool? amongst my crafting bits and bobs (it was in a box of sewing odds I acquired at a car boot sale I think).

    You definitely have many skills at your fingertips.

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    1. if you would like to learn I am happy to show you, tatting is great because you can just pop it in your pocket takes up very little space :-)

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  3. I've never heard of tatting. Looks interesting.

    RMan wanted to purchase a knitting machine for our alpaca fibre, but we ended up with a loom. Now, all we have to do is process our fibre (sigh) and get it spun (sigh) which is proving more difficult that RMan and I imagined...

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    1. I still have last years fleeces to process yet and it will soon be shearing time again, I have been teaching myself to spin :-)

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    2. How???? I'm battling - any tips?

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  4. I have a bulky machine too but the standard machine is my favourite. Plus I have a ribber for it. Looking forward to see what you have knitted.

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