1. You find yourself strangely drawn to thicker and thicker threads. Currently I am fascinated by size 10 - when I started I would never have touched anything thicker than a size 30. Of course, I still like size 80-100 but when I tat with it I have to...
2. Depend on a magnifying glass, bifocals, or develop ways to see up close like pushing your glasses so far up on your nose that you can actually look out from under your glasses and see the thread. Yes, I need bifocals. But it's been tax season, you know, and I haven't had any time to get a new prescription. So instead, I either use my magnifying glass or do the peeking under the bottom of my glasses thing (it really does work!).
I am still really annoyed that I am having this problem at my age - I'm only 40! Isn't that too young??
Here's a little spring earring pattern for you. It's nice for using up leftover thread on a shuttle (these are in Yarnplayer's gorgeous "Roses" thread and some DMC Cebelia in olive green.) You will need two shuttles and some seed beads. Thread 1 bead on Sh #1 and 8 beads on Sh #2.
R = ring
Ch = chain
- or p = picot
vsp = very small picot
bp = beaded picot
Sh #1. R 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 vsp 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1. RW. Ch 14. Do not RW.
Sh #2. Bring 3 beads off the shuttle and keep them on the thread you wrap around your fingers to make the ring. R 8 bp (place the three beads in the picot and pull a 4th bead from the shuttle, place it next to the last ds made, and finish the picot) 8. Again, bring 3 beads off the shuttle and keep them on the thread you wrap around your fingers to make the next ring. Duplicate the ring you just did, but make this one 6 bp 6. Do not RW.
Sh #1. Pull the bead off the shuttle and place it next to the last ds of the first half of this chain. Ch 14.
Cut and tie ends to vsp. Finish off by hiding ends. Add earwires!
My next post will be about how I achieve flat, even rings in my tatting - if you are interested, check back in next week.
Here's a little spring earring pattern for you. It's nice for using up leftover thread on a shuttle (these are in Yarnplayer's gorgeous "Roses" thread and some DMC Cebelia in olive green.) You will need two shuttles and some seed beads. Thread 1 bead on Sh #1 and 8 beads on Sh #2.R = ring
Ch = chain
- or p = picot
vsp = very small picot
bp = beaded picot
Sh #1. R 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 vsp 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1. RW. Ch 14. Do not RW.
Sh #2. Bring 3 beads off the shuttle and keep them on the thread you wrap around your fingers to make the ring. R 8 bp (place the three beads in the picot and pull a 4th bead from the shuttle, place it next to the last ds made, and finish the picot) 8. Again, bring 3 beads off the shuttle and keep them on the thread you wrap around your fingers to make the next ring. Duplicate the ring you just did, but make this one 6 bp 6. Do not RW.
Sh #1. Pull the bead off the shuttle and place it next to the last ds of the first half of this chain. Ch 14.
Cut and tie ends to vsp. Finish off by hiding ends. Add earwires!
My next post will be about how I achieve flat, even rings in my tatting - if you are interested, check back in next week.
17 comments:
Your pattern is so cute! Thanks for sharing!
Well, Ummm...let's see? 40? That's about the right age for presbyopia to start so you're keeping up with everyone else just fine! LOL!
Your earrings are adorable! Thanks for sharing the pattern!
I'm not sure about the eyes. I've been wearing glasses since I was three. Once eye fatigue sets in, I give up tatting for the day and do something else. I guess we have to be happy that there are thicker threads available! Hang in there!
Thank you for the pattern!
The predicted age for the vision changes you describe is "40". I pretty much avoided it until my mid-50's. I wear reading glasses with my contacts for the computer and reading. When I'm home and tatting, I just wear my regular glasses which I can take off to see the stitches close up. Bifocals were not particularly helpful for me in that. I chose not to have lasik surgery simply because I would lose the close up vision I have to accommodate the distance vision I don't have. Priorities, you know. LOL!
Thank you for your pretty earring pattern.
No, 40 is not too young. I started wearing bifocals at 40 for working with seed beads. Now, I wear trifocals and use this fabulous tool I received for Christmas: http://www.dazor.com/lighted-magnifiers.html
Now, I am totally dependent upon the magnifier lamp for quality control!
I have to say that I am really relieved to hear that 40 is a normal age for this to be happening. I was a little concerned I had caused the problems myself with all of my close work over the last 20+ years.
Hmm, I wonder if bifocals are going to work for me or not? Oh well, I still have my magnifying lamps (I have two in different locations). I could not live without them!
I'm glad everyone likes the pattern :-) Enjoy making and wearing the earrings.
I think you will thoroughly enjoy bifocals and probably wonder why you hesitated. For me, they extended the period in which I was comfortable working with size 16 - 20 seed beads by a couple of years. Many people prefer progressive lenses because there is no line. However, because some amount of sharpness is sacrificed, I have yet to meet a craftsperson who does fine detail work who prefers them. After a couple of weeks, you don't even know the line is there, the brain tunes it out completely.
On the matter of the age at which one begins to need some help, that is entirely a matter of genes. Some lucky folk can go all the way to 60 before needing vision correction, but they are few and far between.
Thanks for the pattern. Love it!
I was surprised to hear that the bifocals with the line are better than the progressives that I have always worn. When I tried the lined ones, I fell UP the stairs all the time!
Fox, you want to be the exception to my every rule! Yes, with bifocals and trifocals there is a tendency to miss steps (both up and down) but, if you stop to take a good long look at the step you missed, it will be in sharper focus :) Actually, I tend to remove my specs when moving about the house.
I'm really glad for this discussion because it would not have occurred to me that bifocals would actually be better than progressive lenses for craftspeople. I am planning on getting new glasses within the next month or so and will definitely keep that in mind.
Thanks for the pattern -- I even want to do it in just those colors (gotta go through my stash).
Like lots of other folks, I started wearing bifocals in my 40s. I can's wear the progressive lenses, though -- I've got the real thing. I look very granny-like. But, hey! I can see the thread!
No, Elizabeth, it's not your close work. It's definately the age. 40 and up is right when that sets in. I guess I'm fortunate in that I'm near sighted so I HAVE to hold things close up or I can see them, LOL!
I am thinking of getting one of those huge round magifying glasses that either stand up or go around your neck and stick out from your chest...(ew) so I can see the 120 and 160 sized thread better that I'm getting! Hee hee! :)
Your earrings are cute! Thanks for sharing the pattern.
I think I was about 40 when I got my first "multifocal" eyeglasses. Then a few years ago I had to get special "music glasses" just for seeing the sheet music distance. Anyhow, none of my fancy eyeglasses help me much with tatting - I just use my natural "extremely near-sighted" eyesight for that. We all find ways to work around our limitations to get the job done, LOL!
BTW, great job on the earring pattern, it's cute!
Lovely pattern, thanks.
In my 40's I decided never to tat with anything finer than 20 and started a runner in 10 ( still a UFO!).
Now in my 60's I have varifocals I am gradually going to thinner threads and am happy with 60. 20 l=is beginning to look like rope!!
Varifocals took along time to get used to but I was determined to beat them. One tip is to get the best varifocal lens you can afford as there is less distortion at the edges.
Love your work! Thank you for the pattern.
Thank you for sharing the patterns. I've seen the earrings some times ago and I've tried to figured out the pattern my self...but I couldn't make them as pretty as yours. Now I can be more confidence about the pattern ^_^
Thank You
I'm way over 40, but I'm still going to make, and wear these..! So cute.., and thanks so much for the pattern. Adorable....
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