Staycation Tatting

This little piece of tatting . . .

. . . took me the better part of the day yesterday. Well, on and off. That little 6-ring center took me about 5 tries. Every time I got to the end I didn't know how to join it together or hide the thread ends. I tried a looper in the first ring and a looper in the last ring, but when I got the threads pulled through, the center would fall apart. Hhhmmmmpphhh! Frustrating. I finally gave up using that 'magic thread trick' and sewed the threads into the caps.

I always know I can post a question on the InTatters website and get answers too, so I did that as well. Kind members left suggestions and a list of links for various tatting tips. An especially good link for me is this one on 'starting at the end'. One needs to think a little before diving into a tatting project and figure out how to end. (I am too impatient to do this most of the time - I just want to tat a project, not analyze it first.)

And then on to the second round of this doily. Same problem when I got to the end of the round. How to join the last chain to the first? I did it the second time, but didn't even consider the thread ends. I'll sew them in again. These are the little troubles I run into and wish I knew someone to run to and have them show me. Visual learning and impatience do not make me a good student!

Of course I found the pattern on the InTatters website as well. Another member posted this beautiful doily and the link to the pattern. Tatting this is one of my (too) many goals for the week while I'm on staycation.

Capturing the sunsets is a never-ending goal too. Appreciating the little things in life.