Tatting

As I was unpacking and rearranging my crafting room/guest room I came across some things that I tatted when we first moved to Korea. Yes, I tat and no, it’s not a dying art. I remember an episode of the show “Homefront” called “the Lacemakers” and being intrigued by the thought of actually making lace. Lace can be made my knitting, crocheting, using bobbins or by tatting. Tatting uses a shuttle and a ball of thread to make knots. Years and years after the “Homefront” episdoe, I learned to tat. I am completely self taught and have never met another tatter in person. Right before moving to Korea, I wanted to make a baby bonnet for the baby I was expecting . The problem was, all the patterns I could find called for a very fine size thread. The finer the thread, the harder it is to tat and I was a beginner. So I systematically set out making projects, each one using a progressively finer thread. I started with this doily:

I couldn’t fit the whole thing on my scanner.

I also made a hanky:

Then I went to work on a bunch of snowflakes. The one with the strings hanging out gave me such trouble that I never finished it.

Then I was ready for the baby bonnet. I used a varigated thread with mostly yellows, some blues and pinks because I didn’t know if the baby was a boy or a girl. Working on the bonnet was very satisfying at a very emotional time. The rythmic, repetitive motion was calming and being able to do some crafting helped me feel more at home in a strange place. I remember sitting in our living room in Korea, filled with functional government furniture, longing for all my stuff. I had tried to bring with us the things that made our house a home, but we had a weight limit to adhere to and many things stayed behind. A lot of what I gave up was my crafting supplies. But the sum total of all my tatting supplies fits into one medium basket and any currant project will fit entirely into a makeup bag. So the tatting came along. I remember sitting in a camp chair, watching Boo and Pumpkin Girl play, happily working on the bonnet.

Then Rebecca arrived. I had promised to knit Boo a hat, so the bonnet was put aside and then the tasks of everyday life with 2 small children and a baby just got in the way. I picked the bonnet back up in the Spring of 2004 when Becca was about 4 or 5 months old. Now I happen to tat even slower than I knit and this bonnet was supposed to fit a 6 month old. I had visions of Rebecca wearing it to church during the summer. I worked on it during the older children’s nap time while Becca sat and played with her toys. The only problem was that she preferred to play WITH me, not just near me. I realized then that I was not going to finish the bonnet while she was still small enough to wear it, so I put it aside. I figured I would finish it another time and give it to her first baby. I would tell her how I was making it for her, but knew she needed me more than she needed it so I put it aside – but now here it is, all ready for her baby to wear. I felt no regret about it. (This isn’t a sad story, by the way.) Well, now our sweet Becca is hanging out with Jesus in heaven, just waiting for the rest of us to join her in our own time. I am glad I chose to spend my time with her.

I brought the bonnet with me during our move back to the States. I was pregnant again (because it’s no fun to move if I’m not pregnant!) and needed something small to bring on the plane and keep my mind off how uncomfortable I was getting. I worked on it all summer until fatigue and stress took over and I chose to nap during my free time. You know, that bonnet is still not finished! I’m not sure which child will get it now, but that’s a decision for another time. I have every intention of finishing it someday. I’ve been trying very hard not to have more than one work in progress (per craft!!!) at a time. But it has to get in line behind Pumpkin Girl’s poncho, Boo’s sweater and Bip’s sweater. And I’d like to learn to knit socks. Plus there are the 22 Easter cards and 4 birthday cards I’m making this week for 2 different exchanges I’m in.

I do need to take a picture of the bonnet on our lifesize doll. I’d put it on Bip, but he’d pull it right off.

So there is the story of the bonnet and how I taught myself to tat. By the way, this is actually not the work in progress that I mentioned in my earlier entry called “Knitting.” That’s something else entirely, which I finished last night. I’m washing and blocking it tonight then sending it off as a gift. When it is received, I’ll post pictures and the story here. Some of the people who read this blog know the person it’s going to and I want her to see it first.

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