So, we approached the well-known tatting teacher, Jaquie Teal and asked her to develop bracelets for the tatter.  And, with her usual enthusiasm, she has produced three excellent patterns which we are now able to make available to you.

We think you will react in the same way as we did – “Wow, that’s great” – and won’t wait long to get started !

You have a choice of patterns, with or without the frame, for the shuttle or needle tatter and you may buy additional bangle frames at any time.

We look forward to seeing you wearing one next time we meet at a tatting event.

All tatters will welcome the the recent addition of six new and very attractive variegated shades to the deservedly popular Lizbeth range of tatting and crochet thread.  This thread is now a firm favourite for its excellent texture and wide range of colours – now in 76 variegated and  88 solid shades. Roseground stocks the full range in size 20 and a many of them – and growing all the time – in size 40.

Established tatters should take a look at two new booklets from popular designer, Jon Yusoff  which have followed her popular snowflake book – now ‘Elegant Tatting Gems‘ continues the theme and ‘Tatting With Rings‘ includes the plastic ring as a design element. Those who like to work attractive, wearable projects should check-out ‘Tatted Jewelry‘, an attractively produced booklet by Marilee Rockley (shown above). And everyone should take a look at the Lizbeth thread holder,  designed to keep your thread safe from dust, spills and curious pets while you are tatting   – and which comes complete with a free sample ball of Lizbeth thread !

And, for those who wish to get started, our starter kit provides an inexpensive way to have a try.  This is great value and  is available with a choice of the ever-popular ‘how-to’ sheet or a small pattern book, both by  Rosemarie Peel.  Or, take a look at a more recent addition to our range, ‘Learn to Tat‘ by Janette Baker which provides step-by-step instruction supported by a DVD.

There really is no excuse not to be part of this old-established craft which is being re-discovered by more people each day !

Ulrike’s books are always eagerly awaited and never disappoint. Each one is produced in meticulous detail with copious and very clear photographs, prickings and line drawings – colour assisted where needed – and thorough instructional text in  English and German.

This time, Ulrike has taken a different approach to the physical format of the publication by supplying it as a set of loose pages, punched for holding in a loose-leaf binder of your choosing. We like this idea and we think you will too – it avoids the increasingly expensive cost of binding and allows for greater flexibility in use – for instance, individual prickings may be copied easily.  And, as Ulrike will be following up with other sections, the binder can eventually keep them all together.

The future parts, which will be available for additional purchase, will build on this first part – ‘Explore’ (expected late 2012) will add larger prickings and ‘Master’ (expected during 2013) will deepen a knowledge of Torchon even further.

In the meantime, whether or not you choose to add these extra sections as they appear, this first part stands alone and  provides a very comprehensive manual for a popular and flexible lace form. Highly recommended !

Some of us will remember vividly that cold February day in 1952 when the young Queen returned as Monarch, from Kenya. She had arrived there just days earlier as the first stop in a Commonwealth tour with her husband, Prince Philip and it was there that she received the news that her father, King George VI, had died and that she had therefore acceded to the throne.

It was one of those days when people remember exactly what they were doing. Pat Hallam was in a cookery lesson when the caretaker, holding his cap across his chest in respect, entered and informed the teacher that the King had died. It was moment that has  remained vividly in her memory and all around the country, similar memories would establish themselves in personal memories.

It had been some five years earlier, in a broadcast on her 21st birthday that the then Princess Elizabeth had said, movingly and firmly,  ’I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong’. This is a promise that she has certainly kept since and today, fittingly, she has renewed that pledge of service.

Those of us who have lived through these 60 years of her reign have found that our lives have changed beyond all imagination – but, one constant has always been there, our Queen has simply continued to serve the Country and the Commonwealth.  Her Majesty has, of course, also needed to respond to the changes we have all experienced, but this has always been in a careful and measured way. Long may she reign !

In celebration of the Diamond Jubilee , Roseground has produced a commemorative bobbin – designed by our popular painter, Amanda D – which many will wish to have on their pillow. It is available now, in a choice of wood or bone, and may be seen and ordered here.

And, for something extra special to mark the occasion, take a look at our inscribed bone bobbin, inset with two Zirconia stones – a  superb bobbin to remember this wonderful celebration year.

Roseground has always made sure that it serves the needs of the tatter. We stock the largest range of specialist tatting books in the UK and a wide range of shuttles and accessories to suit every taste and need.  Recently too, we have brought several exciting new products which have been welcomed by tatters – from the beginner to the most experienced .

Lizbeth thread, specially developed for crochet and tatting has been exceptionally well received by tatters all around the world. Quite simply, they have fallen in love with it ! And, it’s easy to see why – it has the texture and qualities that tatters look for, a wide and ever-growing range of solid and variegated shades and is available from Roseground in both size 20 and 40.   If you haven’t already done so,  give it a try – we think you won’t look back

Traditionally, the skill of tatting was often passed from mother to daughter and many tatters treasure their mother’s or grandmother’s shuttle – but, of course, there is always room for a new addition. This year has seen some of the old favourites reappear with a makeover and at modest prices. Check out the new ‘Aero’ Style bobbin shuttle, the Lacis Shuttle, and arriving any day now, the Starlite Shuttle with a long pick end. And, they all come in a range of bright colours – check them out !

Rieko Tamura, a Japanese lacemaker, and her students live in western Japan which was undamaged but they were, of course, deeply shocked by the tragedy and were determined to do what they could for the victims.  They thought, “What can we do as lacemakers ?”.  Now, after approaching the Lace Guild and obtaining permission, Rieko has redrawn the patterns from the CD of the Rose Family Sample Book and 25 of her students have worked the samples and produced this well presented booklet of 30 Bedfordshire edging and insertion patterns. They are donating all their profits to the Japanese Red Cross Society which is working with the victims.

This is an excellent opportunity for lacemakers to obtain an excellent collection of  patterns  - and to support this very worthy cause at the same time.

It is now over three years since we invited Amanda D to paint lace bobbins for Roseground and in that time her work – sometimes quirky, often more formal, but always interesting and stylish – has become a firm favorite with lacemakers around the world.  So,  for Christmas 2011,  we simply asked her to continue the good work – and we think you will like what she has produced.

Our Snowman , a  happy character, with traditional carrot nose and warm red scarf , is the ideal shape to decorate the body of the bobbin .  And too,  this design can be supplied on ebony (centre right) – as an alternative to the universally available  lemonwood (centre left) and bone (centre) options – which some will find contrasts well with the snowy scene.

Equally attractive – perhaps to those who prefer a more subtle decoration –  are the traditional Christmas Pudding design (far left), complete with sprigs of holly and mistletoe,  and the Pine Cones design (far right), featuring cones, a sprig of holly in a snowy setting.

Amanda D bobbins are supplied with a matching spangle which feature a painted bottom bead which, for this Christmas range, adds to the festive feel of these attractive commemoratives.

We believe that Lizbeth tatting thread meets all these requirements and more – and we know that more and more tatters are agreeing with that. They just love the way it works – its super-combed, gas-singed qualities mean that it works smoothly and  is  much less likely to tangle and the inherent strength of the six-cord cordonnet mean  that the work will have a lovely lustre which will continue to look good, even after repeated washings.

And, with over 125 colours, including both solid and hand-dyed variegated shades –  and the range continues to grow – there are endless combinations to choose  and, with the matching guide that is provided, planning a project is so easy. You’ll really enjoy mixing the colours  and you’ll just love the finished result.

Roseground stocks the full range of Lizbeth shades in size 20 and a growing number of shades in Lizbeth size 40. Of course, its great for tatting but also for crochet and other crafts too !

It probably started with Jane Atkinson’s beautiful book on modern lace, Contemporary Lace For You – a book packed with ideas and supported by superb photography, taken on location in Dorset.  Anyone with even the slightest inclination towards experimenting with modern designs is sure to be inspired with this one.

Then came Invisible, mentioned in an earlier post, in which Martina Wolter-Kampmann describes in excellent detail, her techniques for achieving invisible starts and finishes – even supplying a DVD to support the very thorough text.

We have been used to – and in awe of –  major works from Ulrike Voelcker which seem to appear almost annually. This year,  however, there is no large hardback but her many fans should not despair, as they can settle perhaps  - just this time ! – for her latest booklet,  Jewelry with Beads which is packed with patterns for earrings, hair clips and brooches – enjoy !

Hinojosa Lace, a Spanish braid lace, was developed in the early part of the last century in a small village of that name, in south-west Spain. For several decades it provided work and an income for most of the women there but, as demand declined, the skills within the population were soon also in decline. For some time now there has been a renewed interest  in the lace techniques and now, after years of research, Marina Regueiro has produced Hinojosa Lace – History & Technique (shown above), an impressive and attractive work that is sure to be popular.

And, don’t let us forget the tatters !  For several years now we have seen a stream of immaculately produced books from Japan which have provided new inspiration to tatters around the world. Although we have sometimes been confused by the use of the same title –  ’Tatting Lace’ – for all of the different books in the series, we have only too happy to live with the confusion to have the pleasure of these wonderful books – yes, they are written in the Japanese language but the illustrations and diagrams are superb and most experienced tatters  soon find themselves happily working the patterns. The latest is by Sumi Fujishige and its available from Roseground now.

So plenty of interest already and, we hear, more in the pipeline. One thing for sure, you will find all that is new at Roseground !

And, we think you will like the bolder, clear-cut screens, guidance about related products, and pointers to what’s popular right now.

We do hope you like it and look forward to hearing from you if you have a few moments to let us know what you think.