Off the Needles: "Happy Dots" Doubleknit Scarf

This is what I've been working on for the past 3 weeks. The pattern is "Happy Dots" and the technique is double-knitting. I took a 3-week class at Warm 'n Fuzzy in Cary, NC, to learn how to do it. The multicolored yarn is  Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball Stärke 6 and the hand-dyed silver is SweetGeorgia's  CashLuxe Fine. The length is 60 inches, but, since it's double-knitting, it's really like knitting two 60-inch-long scarves. My next double-knitting project will probably be a coaster!

Front side of scarf:

Reverse side of scarf:

Vintage Textiles at June Twisted Threads Book Club Meeting

The topic for this month's Twisted Threads Book Club meeting was vintage textiles. I brought (and wore) my vintage embroidered butterfly apron. Maker unknown, but I think she must have been a woman who enjoyed whimsy.

Off the Shuttle: Tatted Edging for Yellow & Brown Handkerchief

Another vintage handkerchief with vintage thread tatted edging:

The pattern is the first round of Mary Konior's "Bridesmaids" edging from Tatting with Visual Patterns.
The thread is size 70 or 80 brown and yellow variegated. There was no label on the ball so I don't know the brand, but it's probably another no longer available.

 Closeup of the edging:

Off the Loom (a long time ago): Bookmarks

These are some bookmarks that I wove many years ago. I came across them recently and finally got around to cutting them apart and hemming them.

They're woven using an ecru cotton thread which is a little thicker than sewing thread with a sett of 30 ends per inch. The weft includes various embroidery flosses, mostly linen thread; the shiny blue one has a rayon thread in the weft. The width of the final piece is approx. 6.5 cm. Lengths of the individual bookmarks vary from 14 cm. to 20 cm.

Off the Shuttle: Teal Tatted Handkerchief Edging

Here's another vintage handkerchief from my collection with a just-finished tatted edging:

The pattern is "Asters" from Mary Konior's Tatting with Visual Patterns. The teal thread is size 70 made in Thailand. I bought it many years ago from Lacis back when there were very few sources for colorful tatting threads. I'm not sure what the brand is since I can't read Thai script, but the thread is very smooth and strong and held up to multiple (many, many multiple) unpickings and unknottings before I finished. Like a lot of the threads in my stash, I'm sure this brand is no longer available.

Here's a closeup of the edging before pinning and blocking:

Off the Shuttle (FINALLY!): Beaded Tatted Edging for Scarf

My friend and fellow tatter Jane gave me this scarf a few years ago and I decided to add an edging to it. I've been working on this project on and off for a couple of years, but this year I finally decided to make a big effort to finish it. My original plan was to do one of the long sides and the 2 ends, but my daughter convinced me to do the entire circumference. The scarf is 70" by 12" so I needed 164 inches of edging or over 4 yards.

The pattern is "Edging No. 10" from Tatting with Anne Orr (Dover Publications, 1989), a reprint of two tatting books from the 1930s. I substituted beads for 5 of the picots in each motif repeat.

I already had the Delica-type beads in aqua that matched well with the scarf. I used white thread from my collection of size 70 vintage thread and went through several balls of thread of different brands. Luckily, I had enough that matched close enough to finish the project.

Here's a closeup of the edging:

Although I have a lot of patience to do handkerchief edgings, this project pushed the limit of my tolerance for repetitious work. I just got another scarf that I plan to put an edging on, but this time it will be only the ends!

Off the Shuttle: Simple Tatted Flower Edging with Beads

This is an edging that I came up with this week. It's a very simple pattern, but my first attempt at creating a design on my own. I've had the hand-dyed variegated purple thread for years and finally found a way to use it. I'm still fiddling with my camera...this photo doesn't really do justice to the finished piece. The pattern is available at the link above.