Friday 10 July 2015

Tail of 2 Bookmarks

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Tale of 2 Bookmarks or Bookmark of 2 Tails ?!
( all coloured bold fonts are direct links to site/blog/post)

Jane’s Bookmark
Designer : Jane  McLellan



Now here’s a pattern that I have adored & has been on my to-tat list for like ages !
Yesterday dawned with a refreshing monsoon shower & as we lazed on the balcony, I finally got around to tatting this. I also got the opportunity to tat with this new colourway – it was lying in my stash for many months now. The pics don’t do justice to the colourway …

This pattern can be downloaded from Jane McLellan’s site , & also from Jane Eborall’s Pattern pages (it was first published here).
Thread : Bliss size 7 (?)
The finished bookmark measures just under 7” in length ; 1” wide.

My  Notes :

  • FS/BS tatting all through. 
  • I made alternate Split Rings with the other shuttle, in order to consume the same length of thread from both shuttles, as well as keep the colourway even. This called for backside tatting of every alternate SR. Here’s how I tackle it : 
FS/BS  tatting  in  a  Split  Ring

Abbreviations : FS/BS – frontside/backside tatting ; SR – split ring ; fhs – first half stitch ; shs – second half stitch ; ufhs – unflipped fhs ; ushs – unflipped shs ; RODS – reverse order double stitch ; RORS – reverse order reverse stitch

SR  tatted  from  Frontside :
This is the normal way .
1st half of SR is made with normal Double Stitch (fhs, shs) ;
2nd half of SR with Reverse Stitch (unflipped hitches in reverse order) ie. (ushs, ufhs)

SR  tatted  from  Backside :
1st half of SR is made with RODS (reverse order double stitch) ie. (shs,fhs) ;
2nd half of SR is made with RORS (reverse order reverse stitch) ie. (ufhs, ushs). In other words, the 2nd half of SR is tatted with unflipped hitches, but the order is that of a ds.

This SR, when viewed from the front side, will appear ‘normal’, with complete double stitches throughout. 

  • In order to add a tassel, I made one extra small ring at the end. It was a SSSR (single shuttle split ring) with the thread ends hidden within. Nothing to tie & sew, since the threads that emerged from the SSSR were mingled with the tassel threads.
I enjoyed Jane's Bookmark so much ! It is so easy & quick to tat up :-)
Could I resist doing another ? No (sheepish grin)

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Double Charm Bookmark 
 pattern : Jane's Bookmark Cross by Grace Tan

This time I tried Grace Tan’s stitchcount  Along with Annie’s Granny’s triangular ‘faux pas’ (she’s made a Square, too) in size 20 thread (Anchor MC 4054-0020 maroon)

Looks like a tail with 2 charms …. I will be using these as charms (especially the short straight sections) for future bookmarks, as well !

Thank you, Jane, for such a fun & versatile pattern :-)
Check out Jane’s other clever, creative patterns at her site here!

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Robin’s  Frauberger  Bookmark


I had finished tatting the tails & charms to Robin’s Frauberger Bookmark soon after posting the bookmark , but was going to show them along with a post on Cluny Tatting. Turns out that post is going to be fairly long (as usual !), with lots of pics.
I added 2 tails to the bookmark. I’ve done this earlier with Gina Brummet’s Spiral Bookmark, here.


So, Why  Does  a  bookmark  need  TWO  Tails ?!

Here are the choices :
  1. Playful fun 
  2. Whimsical quirk ?
  3. Aesthetical proportions ?
  4. Practical functionality ?
All of the above or None of the above ?

For the Spiral bookmark, it seemed like a fun, quirky idea to use up the 2 small shuttle shaped motifs as charms.
And then there was the practical aspect – when using a bookmark in a reference book, one can bookmark Three places at the same time !
For instance, Nicholl’s book (in the photo) has the text on one page & the images/Plates on some distant other. It can be quite a chore to frequently flip from one page to that other. The 2 tails, with charms helps me keep track, without disrupting my reading ! And each time I stop/pick up the book again, the places are already marked.

For the Double Charm Bookmark above, it was again bit of a fanciful flight !

For the Frauberger Bookmark, it was proportionality. The body is broad (2”) & a single tail in the same size 40 thread seemed disproportionate. A 2nd tail filled up that ‘space’. And I really needed to practice making tallies/clunies. Despite that, each tally has it’s own Tale to tell ;-P!

UPDATE : This is how it looked with a single tail & charm. It just Had to have 2 tails !

And this bookmark goes into my knitting book … how many times have I needed multiple bookmarks/page holders when trying to choose patterns ?! Two tails ? Hey, more than 2 tails would be even better ;-D   This is also a note to self to make more 2-tailed bookmarks for my other pattern books !

Tail & Charm  for  Frauberger  Bookmark :

  • Tally/cluny leaf alternating with a Split Ring (8/8) in size 40 thread.
  • I didn’t keep count of weaves in the cluny … to much concentration was required just to get the shape okay. Each tally was eye-balled to an approximation.
  • Charms follow the same pattern as the bookmark. The only addition/tweak I made, was to add a very small anchoring picot at base of chain & trefoil on either side. This prevents the trefoil from possible flopping.

Books  in  Photo :
The Country Diary Book of Knitting by Annette Mitchell
The Stories of English by David Crystal
Tatting Technique & History by Elgiva Nicholls

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While checking the motif number, I noticed that my 2nd round of the 25 Motif Challenge comes to an end ! How time flies when one is having fun ! Most of my inclusions involved getting out of my comfort zone by learning something new, applying it, tweaking something,  or creating my own pattern. Time to start the 3rd round ? :-D

Motif # 25/II for 25 Motif Challenge 

My sincere thanks to All designers mentioned in the post
We have all gained due to your sharing 





24 comments:

  1. I love your bookmarks! And the multiple tails. The little crown at the end is fabulous! Yes, it is good to be able to keep more than one place in a book.

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    1. Now I'm wondering how many tails is too many , hehehehe !
      I had fun with all these bookmarks. And I get to use them too :-)
      Thanks again, for a lovely pattern with so much potential ... it can be used effectively as a headband, bracelet, etc. !

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  2. Great tips on bookmarks. I enjoy making bookmarks, they are fast and very useful. I look forward to your notes and tips on tally / cluny leaf as this is something I have yet to try.

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    1. Totally agree with you, Bernice ! I hope to someday replace all the paper bookmarks in my book collection, with tatted ones. Huge project, but good excuse to keep tatting new patterns. ;-)

      The Cluny Tatting post is 3rd in line - while I work on it, I will be posting about the Wiosna

      Hope you don't mind, I've deleted the earlier duplicate comments (loved your enthusiasm, though ;-P )

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  3. Great tips, as there're bookmarks in my next future. One thing more on tassels: I love tassels! Unuseful but lovely :) I added an extra simple ring to block all threads in the middle, then another series of simple rings around all threads folded to create a decorative effect. Something else could be added vertically too. That could be an alternative and it looks like a vintage tassel.

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    1. Ninetta, your bookmarks are all so inspiring & beautiful, with something new in them always !
      I love tassels, too, in bookmarks only.
      Love what you've explained, about the ring & decorative rings ! If I've understood it correctly, I now have something more to try out ! Am so excited ... hunting of the next pattern commences, so that I can make a decorative tassel :-))

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  4. Oh Muskaan, you always have a tail to tail and this is a good one :) I love book marks and tassels like Ninetta, another favorite is ribbons mixed with tatted bookmarks. I love the multiple ends, for many times I flip back and forth. I also see the triangle too :) like it great post!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. ;-P
      For the first time, I used a ribbon in one of the bookmarks recently (yet to post because diagramming & pattern-writing is in slow progress). It had more of a utility purpose - to span the large gaps in the pattern ; but I liked the look & effect, & definitely repeatable.

      Anita's triangle came out much better than mine & I now realise my mistake . How ironic is that ?!

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  5. Thanks muskaan for sharing :). They are great tips :). The bookmarks are gorgeous :). Robin’s Frauberger Bookmark is on my to tat list :). Must find time :). Looking forward to your post about tally/cluny leaf :).

    Congrats on finishing the 25 Motif Challenge for the second time :).

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thank you so much, Jenn ... now to see if I can complete the 3rd round within this year !

      Judith's loom helped a lot. I am no longer making the tallies on my fingers, because the reason for learning the finger loom is accomplished. The card loom helps better manipulation & grip, etc. Will post as soon as I can, although the pics are already posted on Craftree. :-)

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  6. I love your bookmarks - and your tips! Thank you. Jane's bookmark is one of my favorites to tat, as well as the spiral bookmark. Now I will have to try that Frauberger one as well! Love the multiple tails, though I haven't done that yet. Clunies continue to elude me :(

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    1. Thanks, Cindy :-) I really can't have enough of bookmarks & there are So many patterns still to tat ! I'm having my good & bad days with clunies - loads of practice needed.

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  7. Quelles merveilles ! J'adore la fin du marque page alternant split ring et cluny, c'est ravissant. Ca me fait penser que j'ai un ras du cou en cours avec le modèle de Jane Eborall, il n'avance pas depuis 6 mois...

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Merci, merci beaucoup, Emilie :-D
      Hope you get around to completing the edging - we would love to see it .
      This morning, I was asked to write down the pattern for the SR & tally/Cluny tail . Am working on it & will share it soon :-)
      And that's about all the French I can remember from my High School days ;-P

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  8. I've been so busy lately it's left little time for tatting, blogging, or commenting! Just wanted to pop in to say all the bookmarks turned out wonderfully and I really love your use of the tail on the Frauberger bookmark. I had not thought of making a double tail before, very creative!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thanks, Robin :-D You did a great job on the bookmark pattern - made it so easy for us to tat !

      I've made 2 tails for the Spiral bookmark earlier, but this time it was mainly because the single tail looked incongruous (thin & puny ;-P) compared to the width of the Frauberger bookmark. Hence .... But multiple tails are so functional, too .

      I have just completed the pattern pdf for the tails & charm & will update the post . Here is the link for anyone who may be interested : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5MqI5ByadI4N1NnS1dYOENhTnNaSTlXTTRDaVVpc3VZdlBJ/view?usp=sharing

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  9. These designs are lovely!! You do such beautiful work Muskaan. I have to admit that iI havent tatted for a month or so now because of a crazy busy summer but iI have a few ideas in mind for a bit later on. Thank you for sharing these!! :-D

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    1. Thanks, Carrie :-D
      I'm sure you had a great time with the ladies, even if it was super busy :-)
      Hope you can squeeze in some time to tat ... would love to see your new patterns . And you know who to ask if you want a test tatter ;-P

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  10. Ah, I hadn't noticed that you tried out Jane's Bookmark and my Jane's Bookmark Cross! They look great.

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    1. Thanks, Grace :-) I enjoyed tatting both versions ; just wish I hadn't used the thick thread !

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  11. The tails are brilliant! I do a lot of other thread based things than tatting, like knitting, spinning, bobbin lace, etc. and I often need to refer to more than one page at a time. I'll definitely be using this!

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    1. Thanks, Gina :-) My latest has 3 tails - the Hauck snowflake rescue one and yet I could do with more ! You'll find it in Jan 2017 under 'patchwork tatting' post

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