Needle Tatting. Bee Happy.

I worked on some needle tatting yesterday. What do you think? The motifs aren't finished (threads hidden, blocked, starched, etc.). I think they turned out pretty nice and neat. I used size 80 for both of them, with the smallest tatting needle. They don't look that tiny though. Well, maybe they do and I'm just used to size 80. They seem more like 50 to me. 

Needle tatting is actually pretty nice. It's more enjoyable than shuttle tatting in some aspects. There's no winding and unwinding. It's very easy to un-tat, even if it's already off the needle. It's pleasant. Not for big pieces though. And not for pieces involving lots of chains. The chains tend to be loose and you have to add thread a lottt. So, the shuttle is definitely good for a lot. Maybe the needle and the shuttle can live happily together? 

Fin. :) 

Bikini, Thread, Tiny Houses, and Hopeless Love.

I was going through my things and found a ton of thread that I had prepared to dye. Mostly size 10. I never really kept any size 10 HDT because I didn't use it. Now that I've been crocheting, I decided it might be nice to dye some of the 10.

I was trying to use unconventional colors, textures, or patterns. The dyes weren't new. They were some vintage dyes that my mom found. They aren't as vivid as new stuff. But I like how they came out.

In crochet news, I finished my bikini top. It fits really nicely, I just don't know how it would hold up in water. That's to be determined.

I did the strap a little too long, but thankfully it can pretty much hook anywhere. The bottom is still a work in progress as I got bored of it. Rows and rows and rows of pink.... It's driving me crazy. Almost done though!

Polymer clay news:

Itty bitty house. It took a really long time. I didn't quite get the roof right. Still cute.

It looks like there's a ton of lint on it in the photo. I don't know why.

Some shuttles that are re-blinged. I had a bad painting day a while back and they turned out looking weird. So I stripped the paint and redid them.

I like how the swirls came out. Not a big fan of the glitter. Next time will be better I hope.

Lastly, this is something that confused me. If you've gone to several garage sales or thrift shops, you've seen the ugly knitted or crocheted blankets from the 80s. They aren't something that a sane person would buy. A few days ago I was looking around in a Christian thrift shop and a knitted mess caught my eye. It's the type of thing you ignore and figure no one is going to buy. I touched it and it was surprisingly nice and soft and lovely. The colors aren't too bad. And not even that old. Made within the past couple years by what I think was a knitting machine. The kind that I have (and still takes hours to make anything). I'm guessing the workers didn't think highly of it as it cost $1. Not bad. I took it home and asked my grandma how to wash it. My fears were relieved when it came out of the dryer in perfect condition (I've never washed anything knitted or crocheted). Voila!

Pretty good. And the weird colors grew on me. That was my tale of finding love in a... hopeless place? Rihanna?

Mmmm Thread

I've never crocheted using HDT, so I was pretty happy to find a spare skein of Harvest Moon in size 10 (Spare as in not a full skein). Also a size 10 skein of a variation I didn't like. I dyed a full set of it a while ago and decided it wasn't store quality. So I've just been including it as an extra with purchases of a similar size. The little windy things are from Joann.

So I have those two wound up and ready to crochet at some point. I'm just not one to keep starting projects when there's already one on the shuttle/hook. 

Oh and if you want to check out my HDT on eBay, it's here. Free shipping after $15. :) 

I went to Joann yesterday because I had some stuff to return and some COUPONSS. So I got a set of tatting needles because, surprisingly, they carry them! It's a set of all the smaller ones. I wish there was a yarn one too. 

I don't know why it says "3 needles" There are 4 in there. #8, 7, 5-0 and 3-0. Just in time, being as my other little needle broke. 

Surprisingly, that's it! Have a nice day. :) 

eBay thread listings!

So I have a ton of leftover HDT from my Etsy days and the listings on eBay are currently free, so I put it all up on my eBay.

Here are some pictures:

It's mostly size 80 and 10. There are a few 20s and a couple 50s too. Shipping is free after $15. :)

I forgot to add the link! Agh! http://www.ebay.com/sch/Needlecrafts-Yarn-/160706/i.html?_ipg=&_from=&_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ssn=bodyjewelryeveryday

Failed crochet, lovely doily, and itsy bitsy bikini

My third doily of the crochet doily book didn't go so well. I didn't do the middle ring tight enough, so it just looked weird. And I made a few mistakes too. So I just cut it and now it's a little, strange looking doily. I might just skip to a different doily, but I do plan on going back to this one at some point, when I have a fresher, more experienced mind. 

See how lovely it was supposed to be? SIGH... 

My snowflake turned out to be a star since I made the middle rings way too big. 

It was supposed to have 6 points, but that's okay. My block tatting is so MESSY. How do I make it look neater? :( This little star was also the victim of my Worst Thread Adding Ever. What an honor! Silly me, I ran out of thread before a ring, and thus had to add thread in the middle of a chain. It went horribly wrong. Poor star. 

This, however, is turning out awesome! 

I'm attempting a doily after hardly tatting for months, and it's going well. I think it's that this is just a wonderful doily. Really, I can't describe how much I like it. It's so simple and elegant. One of my first doilies was made with this pattern. 

Here's a pic:

It was done in size 10 and I was really proud of myself. 

So I'm doing this doily again in size 20. Alternating Lizbeth baby pink and ecru (I don't know if those are actually the names). I'm surprised at how tiny it is. I'm on the second to last row. It's looking really nice and neat. I see it possibly going into the county fair this year. Oh and those little threads are already sewn in, but I figured I'd leave a little bit to pull on while blocking it, just in case it came loose while still tatting. 

Another project I have going right now is a BIKINIIII! WOO! I've never done any clothing for myself. It was inspired by crocheting blogs. The one I'm doing is pretty simple. There's no pattern or anything. The yarn looks orange almost on here, but it's hot pink. HOT, Barbie pink. My favorite! 

Lastly, some scrap clay creations: 

Fin

Shiny...

You might be thinking "What is this madness, Anika?! You never do anything remotely challenging!!" Well, yes, concerned reader. I am indeed trying a new tatting technique. Also, that's not how you pronounce my name.... This is out of my comfort zone. Block tatting, that is. It's a snowflake from this book. Oh and that thread (Lizbeth #122) is SO smooth and shiny. It's weird how some of their threads are dull and some nice and smooth. If you really dig that, the color #142 (it's a dark blue/light blue variation) is ridiculously smooth. And (to talk some MORE. Sheesh.) I have to use a crochet hook with every single join. Wah. I feel fancy and sophisticated, but it's much more fun being lazy and using the point. 

24 snowflakes? I don't know what it's called. It has brilliant diagrams though. I'm doing a 6 pointed star. Does it look right? The block tatting, I mean. It looks all messy. But when I press it down (I do this after every few chains to reassure myself) it looks alright. So maybe when I iron it it'll look fine. Also, I did way too many stitches in the first ring. Which means all the rings will have extra stitches, and I pray that maybe, just maybe, it will look alright in the end. 

Polymer Clay Time: 

I added some gloss to the snake and the leaf. I knew it was missing something. Matte isn't my favorite thing. And on that note, matte nail polish is a crime! 

He looks much better shiny.

This is something I worked on all last night. It's a doughnut charm bracelet!

The picture isn't very good. But it's the only one I'll ever have. It is no longer in my possession. I really like how it came out. I just wish I did a little better texturing on the twisted donuts.

Fin! :)