Christmas Spiral - Second Try

Here's a picture of my second Christmas Spiral, before stiffening. I used metallic thread for the gimp, but it doesn't show well in this picture. I hope it will sparkle a bit when it hangs in a tree.

I used the first pattern on the left (pricking here) for this spiral. It alternates a cloth stitch diamond with a Honeycomb diamond. I substituted a small spider for the cloth stitch diamond, and am pretty pleased that it worked out so well.

I'm not sure which one I will bring to the Ornament Exchange. I like the first one better, and may keep that for my own tree. There's enough time I can try again, but I'm not one to repeat the same pattern again and again.

Christmas Spiral - Done!

Here's my first Christmas Spiral. I hung it from the light fixture of my plant stand to get a good picture. I'll keep this one for our tree and make another for the ornament exchange. I wound the bobbins last night.

Today I'm going to find some metallic thread to use for a sparkly gimp. I have metallic thread on a spool, but it is very fine and I don't want to use it doubled. I may add a metallic passive at the edges. I will probably buy gold and silver, but I personally think of silver when I think of icicles.

This wasn't terrible difficult to do, although I haven't done anything with gimp since my lessons in 2003. I thought the size 80 thread would be too fine, but with some spray starch the lace holds its spiral very well. In fact, I'll be more careful when I wind the spiral on the dowel, I think it needs to spread out to show off the design.

Christmas Spiral

The West Michigan Lace Group has an ornament exchange for their December meeting, and I decided I should start my ornament early. I usually tat a snowflake or an angel, adding beads if I have the patience. This year I thought I would try a spiral. I found the pattern on the Poole Bobbin Lace Circle web site last year. If this one works, I have enough time to buy some sparkly thread for gimp and make a sparkly one for the exchange. I had some trouble getting started, and I think I'm doing my edge wrong. It's hard to tell from the pictures, and there no real instructions. I'll have to look it over when I'm done and decide if I want to do the next one differently. I'm using #80 tatting cotton and #5 perle cotton for the gimp. I haven't done gimp since I took lessons in 2003, and had to read my books before I decided how to do it. November is the busiest month of the year for our family, I have 2 birthdays and Thanksgiving to take care of. My pillow with the Milanese sampler will have to be moved out of the dining room to make way for our turkey dinner. If we get some sunny days, I plan to do a little in December, just so I don't forget what I'm doing.