Been making cats and bats but no things that go bump in the night (at least so far -- what IS it that goes bump in the night?). They're all size 20, but that black stuff is thinner or something. I think black dye eats part of the thread or compacts it.
All the cats are Mark Myers' "Cat on a Broom" without the broom. It's a fun pattern, but I made the arched chain which forms the inside of the legs with double-double (or balanced double) stitches because I pull chains too tight and the legs of the first one I made don't arch, they circle! {I just figured out that I'm doing half-double-double stitches, if that makes sense. I've been doubling the first half stitch, but not the second. It worked for me, made the chain heavier and more stable, but it still curved instead of circled.} The orange cat was made with the what was left on the shuttles after making pumpkins, but I rather like it.
The bats are just something I thought about for a minute then tatted. After all, bats are a pretty basic shape if you just want simple ones. The first one is the one on the bottom. After it was done, I decided the top of the wing needed more arch, so the next two have more stitches. They were also blocked and starched so the "fingers" and toes looked more claw-like instead of being rounded picots. My niece is afraid I am going to give them all away, and she wants one. I am going to give them away -- but, I'll make her one, as well. If you want to make one, here's the pattern. (Keep in mind, I DON'T write patterns, I did this without tatting it at the same time, and it's never been test tatted. Hey, it's free -- you get what you pay for! -- Ahem, I have to amend that. You get what you pay for when it's free from me. You get much more than you pay for when it's free from really good pattern writers like Jane Eborall. ;) )
REALLY! Goofy pattern. I've removed it -- look at the next post, because I fixed it.
Really -- how dare someone post such a piece of unmitigated garbage? I tatted the bat last night and discovered that I didn't do what I thought I did at all. So, I fixed the pattern. This one really IS what I do.This time I used the double-double stitch -- the whole thing -- on the wings. The little bat is so much more substantial and looks better to me. Of course, I still pinned them out on the starch board so I could stretch those little fingers and toes into claws. This is better though, much better. Anybody that printed out the other pattern, please throw it away!
