Rose Cactus

I have this plant in my balcony but this one belongs to someone else. I have never seen the fruit so I had to take a photo. There is a pink flower variety but the one I have is this orange one (Pereskia bleo). It has some nasty thorns but the flower is really pretty.

Christmas 2011 Snowflake #26

There are some interesting angles here not usually seen in tatting. This pattern is from Susanne  Schwenke's Spitzen Kreationen book on pp26. It was fun tatting this. Using 2 shuttles and Size 40 threads, tatted in 2 rounds. 1m each for Round 1; 4m (S1) and 1m (S2) for Round 2.

Since I wanted some small snowflakes, I tatted Round 1 with beads.

Art Shutters

It was early and most shops were still closed. These are the shop shutters of this small art gallery. Most of the paintings are from South East Asian artists. I was there for an early appointment and was pleasantly surprised to see these shutters. A sampler of the art sold in this gallery.

Eleonore MK #54

Fox of Tat-ology tatted this pattern from Mary Konior (Tatting in Lace page 42) posted here.  It looks amazing in variegated thread. Here is mine in Milford Royal Blue Size 40 threads. I cheated and tatted a small frame.

Golden Chain Tree

This tree has yellow pendulum inflorescenses. This is the best I can do with my phone camera. I did not have my other camera with me on this ocassion. A road side tree called Golden Chain Tree. More info here.

Christmas 2011 Snowflake #25

This is from my new Susanne Schwenke's Spitzen Kreationen book. She has 8 snowflake patterns in this book. I think I will tat all 8. Love her patterns.

This one is on page 24. Tatted in one round using Size 40 thread. I used 2m on shuttle 1 and 7m on shuttle 2. Her joining picots were smaller so it looks more compact and the design outline more pronounced than mine. I think I prefer the one in the book.

Hedgerow MK #53

A frame tatted using Mary Konior's pattern Hedgerow on page 43 from her book Tatting in Lace. I used Milford Size 40 threads in Royal Blue. I was going to make it a rectangle but it ended up a square. It is more difficult to find a square photo frame than a rectangle but it could also be part of a large photo collage or maybe incorporated into a CQ.

Angeline's Travelling Book Adventure - Setting Small Doilies Together

I wanted to try this - 4 coasters joined with a small motif in the centre. The coaster pattern is called Edge of Triplet Coaster with Square (pp165) and the pattern for the small motif which joins all four together is on page 205. The tatting sequence suggested you tat the 3 coasters first, then the joining motif and last - the 4th coaster. I did just that but with an adaptation . . . as a result of misreading the pattern. Yup!! My coasters has only 12 instead of 16 rings in the 2nd round so the joining motif is also smaller by one round. I used Lizbeth Size 40 threads in #633 Dark Purple and #113 Jewels.

I also leave you with this other tip from Angeline Crichlow, which I wrote in my tatting note book.

Happy Tatting!

Angeline's Travelling Book Adventure - Edgings

 Sweetheart Edge (pp98)

 Hearts & Flowers (pp98)

Old Irish Edging (pp84)

Dainty Tatted Edge (pp86)

Scallop Edge (pp148)

last round of a coaster pattern

I chose a number of edgings which I liked and tatted samples for my tatting note book so that in future if I want to tat it, I could. I have sent this travelling book on to the next person in line and I hope Suneeti will enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you again Fox for this wonderful experience.

Angeline's Travelling Book Adventure - More Coasters

 Coaster with Duet Edging and Centre Ring

(pp153)

Lizbeth Size 20 in Seagreen (#688)

 Coaster with Small Squares Around

(pp 169)

Lizbeth Size 40 in Linen Medium (#693)

Coaster - Easy Insertion Around Centre Ring

(pp 152)

Lizbeth Size 40 in Spring Green (#680)

Easy-to-make Coaster

(pp 159)

Lizbeth Size 40 in Ocean Turquoise Dark (#657) and Country Side (#117)

More coasters from Angeline Crichlow's book Let's Tat. When I first received the book, I did not pay much attention to the Coaster patterns but after tatting one or two, I was hooked. Simple but really pretty designs.  Hope you like them. There are more coasters which I tatted, but I will post them next month.

Blooming Trellis

This pattern is from Eliz of Tatknot. I have wanted to tat this for some time now. It did not turn out as planned as I made mistakes here and there. When I made the split ring trellis (in green), I wanted it slightly longer as I was using Size 40 threads. I miscounted and ended up with 16 instead of 17. Only realised my mistake when I was finishing the 1st row of the blooms. As I was reading the pattern from a printed B & W copy, I also did not realised that all the blooms should be in one colour (mine are in 2). Anyway, I just decided to continue instead of undoing it. It is a very pretty pattern. I used Venus Size 40 threads. 

Angeline's Travelling Book Adventure - Butterflies

 Small Butterfly (pp 293)

 Larger Double Wing Butterfly (pp294)

Lacy Butterfly (pp295)

I tried all 3 small butterflies in Angeline Crichlow's book. I like the shape of the first one. The second one has the shape of the first but has an added wing. The third one has the same body but lacier wings.

Railway Bridge

How often do you walk under the railway bridge.

This is going to be a thing of the past soon. The railway tracks run from West Malaysia into Singapore from the North. The main station in Singapore has always been Tanjong Pagar station located in the south of the island. Soon the Tanjong Pagar station will be closed and declared a heritage site. Train passengers to and from Malaysia would have to embark and disembark at Woodlands Station in the North.

I arrived in Singapore on one of these trains. Twenty eight years later, I still wonder if I will stay . . .

Angeline's Travelling Book Adventure - Coaster

This pattern is called Tight Coaster with solid chain edge (pp 151). I tatted this in a golden yellow Venus Size 40 thread (#525). Simple to tat but I had to struggle with closing the small rings due to the extra spirally Venus threads. Also this pattern was done in 4 rounds but I like how it turned out. Simple but pretty with tiny scallop edges. 

Slip and Ride

It is difficult to carry a racquet without a proper bag but no worries, he still gets to enjoy his sport. That is a badminton racquet on his back. What better way to prevent it from slipping. Caught this on my camera on a Sunday morning waiting for the traffic lights to change.

Angeline's Travelling Book Adventure - The Spoked Diamond

The spoked diamond looked interesting in the book but mine turned out looking nothing like the book. My fault, . . . as I tatted too many rings and only realized my mistake after tatting half the diamond. So this isn't a diamond, more like an pointed oval. I will try to do better second time round.

Another page of Angeline's book that caught my attention was page 230 titled Placemat Made in China. I have seen this type of tatting in other books before, but just last month I saw such tatting being sold in a shop in Singapore. I recognized the crocheted picots in the doily. They are brand new and made in China. These pieces in various sizes (round doilies - small, medium and large) were sold in packs of half a dozen. Rather inexpensive, some were white, some in ecru.

Aluminium Can Rose Earrings

These earrings are cool. They are made from aluminium cans. Came across these from a 'green' designer - Kim. Her shop is called 'Cans Can Be Beautiful' and she has a cart (near the POSB ATM) at Vivocity every 1st and last weekend of the month. It came in this recycled paper origami box. The box is a very well made and sturdy.

Christmas 2011 Snowflake #24

Before I tat from Susanne Schwenke's book, I have one more Myra Piper's pattern to show - No. 43 on page 16 of her book. I have not even tatted half of the patterns in this book. I think this snowflake turned out really pretty.

What about some beads to add a little sparkle? I tatted this snowflake for the PTG 2011 Quilt Fundraiser here. I hope they received it before the deadline.

Sit a While by the Yellow Flame Tree

Fallen yellow blooms on the ground by a wrought iron garden chair. If only the weather was cool and breezy, one could sit and enjoy the outdoors. I captured this one morning as I was waiting for the car.

Sometimes, I would see young mothers sitting there with their children waiting for the school bus to arrive to pick up the kids. The tree is called yellow flame.

Here are more photos I took of another tree which was in full bloom. More information on the yellow flame here.

Angeline 's Travelling Book Adventure - All-In-One Square

This pattern is called All-in-One-Square of Easy Insertion found on page 190 of the book. I started with the black square then decided on the white one. Unfortunately I ran out of the Milford Size 40 white so I have to get more to continue. . . . or I could tat them in other colours.

This was tatted in one round using only shuttle thread. I think I left too large a gap in between the rings but I did try to keep it consistent throughout so it does look less compact than the picture in the book. Do you see the 'four-leaf clover' in the negative space in the centre?

Magazine Ad

I saw this ad in a magazine. Just had to show you or perhaps you have seen it. It is not a brand of jewellery we have here but I love the quote. The rock is nice too.

Angeline's Travelling Book Adventure - Centipede Edging

Fox of Tat-ology organized this to share her book. This book is on an adventure, travelling the world visiting tatters. Thank you Fox for your kind generosity. Read about it here.

I received the book last Thursday from Arty Lady in Australia and immediately started reading it. By that night I had identified something to tat.

It was the story that Angeline wrote accompanying this pattern on page 91 that drew me to it. I have had similar experiences with centipedes when I was young and I remember grandma telling my sister and I to stay away from them. We had quite a number of them crawling into our house in those days.

Blocking this required a whole lot of pins but it is definitely necessary. I used Coats Size 40 Shade 700 for this. I was contemplating cutting the picots but decided not to.

My Princess

Umi has not been feeling well. She is having problems with her food. I think she is developing a sensitive stomach. She keeps throwing up after eating. I don't think it is a hairball problem either. AAA thinks she is bulimic. Tsuru has the same food and has had no problems. I need to find something else for her. Umi now weighs 4.4kg and Tsuru 3.4kg compared to last August here.