vested interest

Last weekend I went to some yard sales. It's always fun to come upon vintage fiber arts books .... mainly because the photos are usually just so dated that they are absolutely awesome! I came upon this book of "big needle"knit and crochet patterns. I'm not sure when it was published, but I'm figuring by the styles it's probably from the 70s.

here's the cover ... hey, who gave that baby those huge knitting needles to play with!!

Here's my favorite picture of them all ... a man's vest:

The picture is black and white, but I think you get the idea.... I would love to see my husband in this one! The checkered shirt was a nice touch to the whole ensemble too.

books now in!

Yay! We received a new shipment of crochet books this week, have a look at just a selection in this pic:

Got in several books on amigurumi - very cute stuff! There are now several different books just for beginners that take you through all the steps in learning how to crochet. Also a few copies of Margaret Hubert's gorgeous new book, The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet. Stop in and have a look!

Also ... we got our new carpet installed this past week!

Thinking of Rose DeSoto

Some years ago I happened onto a rummage sale at a youth center. My husband had been volunteering there, and they were having the sale to raise funds. Now, far be it from me to pass up a rummage sale, you never know what you might find, but I never go into a sale like that with many expectations. It's much more satisfying to come out feeling very excited with a unexpected treasured purchased at a great price!

So I scanned the various knick knacks and such and found my way over to the piles of books. I noticed a book about crochet, and figured I'd start there, with the crafty looking books. They were standing on a table, leaning against the wall behind. As I started flipping through them, I noticed that behind the bigger books, closer to the wall, were some smaller pamphlet type books and a plastic bag with a couple balls of crochet thread and some tools in it. I had only recently started tatting, and I suddenly realized I had hit a jackpot. Well, a jackpot for me, anyway. There, beneath the plastic bag of goodies, were three older books , two of them dedicated completely to tatting, and the other a smaller version of a needlework how-to book that I can remember my mother having when I was a child.

Each of the books had written on it in the name of the original owner, Rose DeSoto, and although I'll never really know for sure, I've always felt that bag of goodies, which consisted of a couple balls of crochet cotton, a couple tatting shuttles, various crochet hooks and a few other odds and ends that I can no longer remember, belonged to her too.

I don't know who Rose was. I've no idea the kind of person she was or how she lived her life. I don't know how these things of hers ended up at the sale. Of course it's fun to imagine.... Did she get tired of tatting and figure... out of sight, out of mind? Or, more likely, did she pass away and these things, not of interest to anyone else, put in a donation box in hopes of finding a new home?

Everytime I pick up one of these books to see if they might spawn some new idea for me I think of Rose. Then I think of who might pick up one of my books one day, one of my shuttles, one of my crochet hooks. Will they look over all the shades of orange thread I seem to collect and wonder what I was going to do with them? Will they wonder who the heck I was?

I hope they don't tat up a bunch of orange doilies!

Tatting Tomes

I was asked recently what some of my favorite books on tatting were. Since I tend to prefer those with good diagrams and smaller projects, these are the winners for me:

Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior is beautifully illustrated and charted. A must have for any tatter. A friend pointed out that the book seems to be out of print (I noticed a used one on Amazon for over $100!) so if you come across one, be sure to snap it up.

A little tome that I often return to get ideas for those bits of thread left on my shuttle is Tatting Collage by Lindsay Rogers. Nicely charted very small projects that can used in a variety of ways... and her collages are beautiful!

I have to put in a plug for probably what were the first two books on tatting I ever purchased. The first was Learn Needle Tatting Step By Step by Barbara Foster. Yes, in the beginning I was a needle tatter! I think I produced one of the motifs in this book about 10 times before I got it right. Although not long after my foray into needle tatting I got the hang of the flip and went completely on be a shuttle tatter, however, I am not by any means a shuttle tatting snob and I'm sure there are those of you out there who know exactly what I mean. Why is it some people get some kind of superiority kick out of knocking other's crafting ... so silly. I've seen gorgeous needle tatting and poor shuttle tatting.. it's not the tool, it's the crafter.

The second book I ever bought, but my first on shuttle tatting was The DMC Book of Charted Tatting Designs by Kirstine Nickolajsen and Inge Lise Nikolajsen. I still have the very first doily I tatted from this book ... what an example of uneven tension it is, but great to look at and see where I once was.

I would be amiss not to mention, Easy Tatting and Celtic Tatting by Rozella Linden (aka Ruth Perry). In fact, any of her books are keepers! I've had the pleasure of being her student at several classes given at the Finger Lakes Tatting Guild's Lace Days in Hector, NY and I always learn something new.

A couple books worth mention, not for their patterns, but for the information they contain about the history and art of tatting are Tatting: Technique and History by Elgiva Nicholls and The Complete Book of Tatting: Everything You Wanted to Know but Couldn't Find Out About Shuttle Lace by Rebecca Jones. Books like this offer us more in depth knowledge about this beautiful craft that's important for any hobbyist, professional or teacher.

I just realized this is turning into a top ten of favorite tatting tomes! Here are the two that round out that top ten. Perhaps not a book for beginners (it is well charted, but has minimal directions), but 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjørn is a joy. One day I will challenge myself and tat all 24 in order! My last mention today, Tatting Basic Patterns by Rosemarie Peel, is great for beginners and I believe out of print already (and it just came out in January 2009!). Again, lovely simple designs for anyone and well charted.

I'm sure others have favorites too. Let me know what yours are! I'll take a look another time at my favorite web sites for tatting.