Testing

I wanted to start off today by saying thank you for yesterday's well wishes. The sale went fairly well with a couple of people taking advantage of the deal and the remake necklace sold fairly early in the morning. I didn't spend much time promoting, just here ans there throughout the day, but I was still tired of it myself by the evening.

The one interesting thing I did yesterday was my first test tatting adventure. Sure, I've tatted patterns written in a ridiculous number of ways, but I've never been asked to test tat a designers pattern, so when Kelly of Tatfully Yours asked, I was pleased as punch to give it a go. What I was really surprised at was how hard it was for me to pay attention to the pattern at first. It seems I tend to just look at the picture and scan the pattern for stitch counts and then fully ignore most written instruction. I think I got that habit from working antique patterns. I really had to stop and focus to work it as written so I could catch any mistakes or you, know be useful at all with notes. I worked it up once without beads to get the feel for it and then with as it was intended and I thought it came out quite nice.

It was done with size 20 thread which I don't have much of on hand, thus the mauve. I don't tat much with my size 7 needle so it was also hard for me not to man handle it like I do with my 5. The thinner metal likes to bend and my aggressive style does not help. I did have fun and I quite enjoyed feeling useful, so if anyone else out there ever needs a needle tatter for test tatting, do ask.

Since I did sell a couple of things yesterday, I do have some remaking to get on with today. Other than that and schooling of course, I don't have many plans. Maybe I will get up to some design work this weekend, I think that feeling is returning in my gut.