New pattern, new thread , new shuttle

I decided to try a new pattern. It is called Spiral Heart Duo by Debbie Arnold. Her pattern is available in her Etsy shop DebbieArnoldDesigns.

Beware of a few tricky joins in this pattern. The larger heart on left measures just over 3 inches and the smaller on the right measures over 2 inches. 

So I began to search my stash for a suitable thread. I chose a thread I had purchased last summer from A Twisted Picot (formerly BlackSheep Fiber Emporium) It is an Anchor Mercer Crochet 100% cotton size 20 made in Hungary. A smooth thread with just enough stiffness to make it excellent for tatting. It holds a stitch nicely and required very little blocking. It is color 48 a soft pink and a 50 gram ball. 

The shuttle below is also from Hungary and available on Etsy from Banyek. I saw a social media post where someone had tried them and decided that they were not for them so posted for sale. 

I purchased the shuttle and found it easy to wind and tat with. The shuttle has mother of pearl inlay on both sides and is very light. The hook came in handy but it is so small that it sometimes split the ply. I would recommend it for finer threads like size 40 to 80. Of course these are the thread sizes I prefer.  

This was a fun little project and a great distraction, now back to my unfinished projects.