Shipping and More Tatting Practice

As you may or may not know, as of today, new shipping rules have gone into effect at the USPS. So I am working on changing my shipping in my Etsy shop to reflect the higher prices. I still haven't quite figured it out so I haven't changed any of my listings as of now. (I also want to add international shipping prices at the same time since it will take quite a while to change all of my listings. And I'm not quite sure of the pricing on that right now either--or what countries I want to list in each listing.) These shipping changes are even more confusing than I originally thought they were. I am pretty sure I won't be able to ship my items as large envelopes any more because they are too thick and I am completely befuddled by the non-machinable surcharge. Ugh. And my SO works at the Post Office, but since he's a mail carrier and not a clerk, he knows nothing at all that's useful to me right now. So hopefully I will have that done soon.

More tatting practice last night... I have now learned how to tat a split ring and chains.


(I don't have a picture of the chains because they aren't really much different than rings, so I didn't practice them much.) I love split rings--I think I could make jewelry that I like out of just them. Once I get a little better at it, that is.

More Promos

I just finished more promos to go in swag bags at the Michigan Indie Crafters of Etsy Craft Extravaganza, which is at the Main Art Theatre (Chris, my SO, used to work there when we lived in Royal Oak) in Royal Oak on May 19th.


The show is being organized and run by Danielle of PreciousPups and Heidi of DesignChic, both of who seem to be really nice people (and make cool stuff). It sounds like it's going to be a great show, so you should definitely check it out if you are in the area. I won't be a vendor, but I will be going to meet people and maybe buy some stuff.

I've also been doing some more tatting--gotta keep on practicing. (Besides, I'm getting fast enough that it's actually fun to do it now.)


I've been having a bit of trouble with the thread I'm using--it seems very splitty and I don't know if that's me or the thread. I haven't been working on a pattern like I intended because all the free beginner patterns seem to be for really large things (like doilies) and I don't know that I'm ready to devote that kind of time to something I don't really want to make. So I will keep practicing little things until I get good enough to attempt something I actually want to do. I just don't have any use for a doily--I'm not really a doily person. I'll probably make tatted jewelry when I finally get the hang of this.

More Tatting

I've been practicing tatting today--learning to make picots.


I think I'm doing much better, although it may not look that way. (I really hope it doesn't look as grubby in the picture as it does in reality--I had no idea I was so dirty. Maybe I should stop using white thread.) It's much easier and smoother for me to make the double stitch now. The picots aren't exactly even, but I'm getting it, I think. Up next in the tatting front will be a pattern so I can learn how to follow one before I start disregarding them altogether. I'm quite enjoying tatting now that I've stopped wanting to throw it across the room.

Learning to Tat and Reshoots

I've been trying to learn to tat for a few weeks now. Every time I got too frustrated, I just put it down and went back to it later. I couldn't manage to get the stitch to flip, which is supposed to be the hardest part of tatting. And then yesterday, it all clicked and now I can tat. Yay me!


I have only learned the double stitch so far and I'm really not very good at it yet, but I am so thrilled that I finally managed. I was starting to think I was never going to get it, but of course, I always think that. I was so convinced I would never be able to knit that I was on the verge of quitting forever when that clicked for me. (Not that I'm a great knitter now--which is why you don't see any of my projects on this blog. :) ) At least I don't actually give up.

When I was taking the picture of my tatting, I finally decided to reshoot one of my hairpins from my Etsy shop.


I always take all my pictures on a white background and when I did this one--since it wouldn't really show up on white--I just grabbed a piece of cardstock and took it on that. The cardstock was purple and very glaring. I think blue suits it much better--it is a cloud after all.