Opposite sides of the earth!

So there's roughly 10, 000 miles between where I am and where Umintsuru is. The circumference of the earth is about 25,000 miles.  So, it's pretty safe to safe to say that we are on opposite sides of the world.

It's pretty amazing really!

Anyway, back to my original purpose for this blog...

A few weeks ago, I went to Knoxville, right? (just agree) Anyway, right before I left, I ordered a couple of tatting books. One was Mary Maynard's Tatting a 4 square ring, and the other was Iris Neibach's Tatting Together square motifs.
Now, while I was out of town and before the books arrived, Umintusuru received her new copy of the same book (Tatting Together) and posted a motif from it! So, I sent her an email saying that I was so excited to be tatting through this book with her!  So she so wonderfully suggested that I pick a pattern and we actually tat one together. So fun!! (Which is so appropriate right? With a book named "Tatting Together")
So, when I got back in town and had my book in hand I picked Lis Christiansen's pattern (it's on page 10)
It's a very lovely pattern.
BUT, the rings are very large and the chains are very long.

Frankly, I got bored. That does not make for fun tatting or for a project that will get done quickly.

So, after fighting with myself and changing colors a couple of times.

I decided to scale the entire pattern down by only doing half the prescribed stitches.

I'll just say this... it worked like a charm!!

I used my own Mindanao Gum size 80 with Lizbeth Fudge Dk size 80.

It's sitting on top of a cotton hanky that I got from Handy Hands that is 4 inches in diameter.  (which I dyed myself) So, I would guess, that makes this motif about 2" X 2".  Which makes each square about 1" X 1"

Also, I didn't do a very good job at it, but I actually blocked this one! Why?  It didn't necessary need blocking since I only did half the stitches. I did so because I was tatting with Umintsuru.  I love how she blocks her work!  I even tried putting the pins in the picots so I could pull them out (so I too could have spiky elegance).. it just didn't work for me.  Go figure. :o(

This is my first time to actually block something with pins though.  I wish I had taken a before picture.  But, I'll do that next time! :o)

Thanks for tatting along with me, Umintsuru! 

It was fun!!

<3<3<3

On another note however, and as a result of thinking about this cotton doily that I have dyed:

Would anyone be interested in a matching set of dyed doily and thread?

Maybe that could be a custom order type thing.  

I was thinking the same of baby onesies.  Wouldn't it be cute to put an edging on a baby onesie, and the thread match beautifully to the onesie, because the onesie would be a shade thats in the thread. 

Or even an adult shirt.  

or socks

or anything else that's made of cotton.

:o)