"But, really, why does anyone create? You feel a... a restlessness inside, a need to make something new, something no one has ever seen before. You want to add to the beauty and the richness of the world with a gift, an offering that is uniquely yours. It's an act of selfishness and generosity, all rolled into one."

-- Bruce Coville,
The Last Hunt

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Bookmarks, Part 2

I finished the Overlapping Chains Bookmark and took it off the blocking board this morning.


It's Lizbeth size 20, colors 129 (Purple Splendor), 632 (which is called Medium Purple, but is really lavender), and 633 (Dark Purple). The pattern is by Jon Yusoff.

This bookmark was much easier to make than it looks. You just tat normally, and at the end of round 1, twist the chains around each other before you join the end back to the beginning. The proportions of the thing make the chains want to twist around each other anyway. Then the rings of round 2 join in between the rings of round 1 to stabilize it, and round 3 is just an outline. I am of the opinion that a bookmark needs some kind of tail to stick out of the book, so I added a row of split rings the same size as the rings in the pattern, and finished it off with a little doo-bob (that's a technical term) at the end.

I absolutely love Jon's patterns. They are always unique and fresh-looking, the proportions are perfect, and her diagrams are clear and easy to follow.

With the leftover thread, I made another of Lady Shuttle Maker's treble clefs.

It went much faster this time, partly because I had enough thread to use shuttles, and partly because I knew what to expect.

And finally, I've started the next bookmark.


See that knot I've got coming up in the ball thread? Since the ball thread is always the ball thread in this pattern, it will be easy enough to work around. It's not just an accidental tangle, it's actually two ends of thread tied together. I guess it happens from time to time. This is, of course, Anniversary from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior and will serve as my tribute to her.

4 comments:

  1. WOW, WOW, WOW, I LURVE that first bookmark. Stunning colours.

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  2. Thanks, Jane, although the people at Lizbeth get the credit for the colors. I love it that they have solids to match all their variegated colors. I wonder why more thread manufacturers don't do that?

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  3. Beautiful bookmark! I'd try it out, but I'm really in doily mode right now! ; )

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  4. The bookmark came out so well, the treble is gorgeous...I hope to make 80! for my son's wedding, maybe I will, maybe not!
    Yes pesky knots crop up from time to time and are such a nuisance.

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