Tatting a Doily - I

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      Renulek's 2014 Spring Doily/Napkin - My Work

Renulek started posting her pattern for the 2014 Spring Napkin/doily from February 10 onward. I got to know of it a week later & when I saw the photo with 3 rounds, I immediately liked the pattern & decided to follow along. 

My Interpretation / Conceptualization :

The major hurdle starts right at the beginning !!! What colors to use , where, when, ... which elements/rounds to highlight, which should go into relief.... Yeah, the traditionalists had it easy - with single white/ecru tatting all over :-))) Anyway, so all this went into how I chose & applied colors. To me, Rnds 2 & 3 looked like little flowers or petals going all around a central circlet of stigma & anthers. Hence the napkin began taking the form of a large Pink Chrysanthemum (read 'Peach') , intertwined with leaves, vines, stems .... I hope that has come through ...

Threads used, with Shade number

             

Note : Round 3, here, is circular. But one of the popular pins on my pinterest board, has the very same pattern (I haven't checked the stitch count yet) as a  Straight Edging / Bookmark  !!!

            

                   

TIP : I'd like to share a great tip I got on InTatters (Comments #94 & 94) about why it is better to "tat the rings as true rings with the same thread used to tat the chains.... to keep the nice chain arches it works best if the core thread is a continuous uninterrupted thread that slips in the chain to adjust the tension. If it is rerouted up into the ring you loose that ability and it also breaks the continuous chain..." .     

                           

I stopped at Round 8 for the present.

Reasons : 
1. Totally ran out of the peach color & this color is out of stock in the e-stores I checked. And if the official Shade Card is updated, then this shade is no longer being produced :-(

2. Didn’t know what to do with the doily. The size thus far, is something that can be sewn on to fabric, used as a table centerpiece, (or gifted) … & I can always continue in future.

3. I learned my lessons in these 8 rounds & wanted to get back to learning & familiarizing myself with tons of other techniques & tutorials

However, the doily, till Round 12 (& just one last round to go) looks so beautiful that I Am itching to continue….

I have tabulated my entire experience, with remarks & jottings, links to pattern for each round, etc. etc. in my previous post . It will be a kind of ready-reference for the future, just in case.