Clunies!

I'm so exited, look what I did today!

I made cluny leaves! This string of leaves is actually my third attempt. First I tried to follow this tutorial, and I ended up with this:

The weaving is not too bad, it actually looks like a leaf, but I didn't get the loom right and I ended up with an extra loop at the bottom. Beginning the weaving wasn't easy either,  I think my shuttle was in the wrong place, hence the lumpy mess... The top of the leaf was fine until I pulled on the wrong thread when I tried to close that last loop, then the top became just one long knot :/ I cut the thread and tried again, and this time the leaf looked even more promising:

But, somehow I ended up with a loop on the outside of the leaf, a thread going from the top of the leaf to the bottom. Other then that, it was perfect. I really like that the color changes in the middle :)

Finally I started a third time, and this time I looked at the directions in The Complete Book of Tatting. I started with an ordinary ring to have something to hold onto in the hope that it would help, but sadly I got the same results as the second try... Then I suddenly remembered to check on YouTube, and I found this great tutorial, and then it all made sense :) The last three leaves are made following the video:

But I wonder if that lady's loom is different than the others? When I close the loops the leaf sort of bends and becomes more compact on one side. The ball thread is one of the outer loom threads - is it supposed to be in the middle?

Well, that's all I've done today. I have a pain in my wrists and have been ordered to rest as much as possible. Therefore I probably won't post much new tatting in the near future, but some "old" pieces might show up :) By the way, if you want to see what I feel is the cause of  my pain, check out this post on my other blog :)