Tatting Techniques : Doodles

  (all bold, coloured portions are active links to respective pages/sites)

I’ve been on a learning spree these past couple of days. Totally immersed in Inkscape, diagramming the Neemiss Snowflake for starters. I am ever so grateful to Robin, for her Inkscape Diagramming tutorial series, without which, I would’ve still been groping my way through the maze & gotten disillusioned soon. Her tatting-specific/related instructions have been of tremendous help. Three cheers for Robin , my techno-guru :-D

Thus, productively inching closer towards the pdfs as resolved . 

Learning from Karen Cabrera

On the tatting front, have been watching Karen Cabrera’s videos (list of all her tuts) & trying my hand at some stuff – just little doodles. I used to dislike videos because I needed extra concentration to overcome the tatting style, the basic stitch formation, the hand/thread movement, as well as the long nails (I am continually amazed at how quick & flawless the tatting is, despite the long nails – shows the level of accomplishment & skill). Anyways, as I watched the videos, I suddenly realized that that Extra effort to blot out certain movements was no longer required ! I had conquered my own limitations & could Easily focus on the new technique being demonstrated. Who said practice does not count – be it viewing or doing ?! 

So here are a few “doodles” I am sharing, along with the answer to the question in the previous post :

 2-Color Rings

 

The technique in this heart/acorn ( I like Sue’s suggestion of acorn ) is 2-Color Rings. Lesson 138 

This was merely something I was doing with 2 scrap threads, no design/pattern in mind. After making the central 2-coloured ring, I continued on with an outer round of chains only, joining with a Slope & Roll join at every segment, & switching colours. It kind of gives a Celtic feel to the uni-dimensional structure, I think.

 

The very same day, I came across Kathleen’s (Happy Kat) Tiny Turtle sketch that she shared with stitch count. Perfect, I thought, for this technique ! So this is what emerged, with some additional stitches – a tiny Turtle Pendant ;-))

Another fun finding : if I finger the brown rings, they convert into 3-D, & the turtle comes to life & walks away !!!

I have another, more elaborate pattern in the works (half-done). Will share eventually. At present, too immersed in learning exercises, etc.

Vapor Picot 

Oh, I Love the effect of this technique demonstrated in Lesson 131 (Please watch video till the end, for the Gorgeous effects). I wanted to have at least 6-8 wraps (“rounds”) per ‘picot’, so that it got the bullion stitch look; but the size 10 thread proved to be damper – it kept untwisting. So had to be satisfied with 4 wraps. 
This technique will Definitely go into my future tatting.

Single Shuttle Split Chain 

or Floating Chain

Lesson 38

This is for the curlicue (blue, in above composition) , and don’t you just love the possibilities for freeform tatting using this technique ! When I first tried to make the curlicues using long chains, in this Coiled Comfort bookmark here,  I was left with the problem of either cutting after each chain or finding ‘loopholes’ to continue without cutting every time.

If I’d known of this technique, the tatting would’ve been a breeze, And much more satisfying & elegant.

Still, never too late ...

Although Karen starts with a ring & continues with the SSSCh, I started with a tiny space of thread held in a clip & did a Lock Stitch while simultaneously tugging at the core thread. This locks the start, & one can continue with the chain. However, the stitches are Reverse Stitches, in Reverse Order (ie. unflipped, & 2^nd half stitch first).

Ruffled or Layered Picots 

(Floral Picots)

Lesson 99

This technique is also known as Floral Picots by Ring of Tatters, here . I had learned & applied it last year in my Tiny Heart Poppy . 

The pink flower in the above doodle has these picots, giving a layered effect. If one makes each alternate picot larger , then one can get a clear 2-layered ring of picots as in flowers !!!

There are many more picot styles/techniques on her videos, that I have watched. Have still to get down to actually doodling.

Thank you, Karen, for all the wonderful techniques you have uploaded !!!

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And before I take your leave, here is Carrie Neahring’s pdf download link for her Aislyn’s Bookmark. I will update the post, as well. Do take a look at her bookmark – adorable colours & gorgeous tassel ! Hope you enjoy making it :-) She has uploaded it on Craftree here, & kindly accepted to share it through my blog as well, for anybody interested.  

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Thanks, also, to Happy Kat & Carrie, for sharing their patterns :-)

Motif # 14 / II for 25 Motif Challenge