Gapsosis can be good !

Common Threads IV - Gapsosis can be good

Did anyone think I’d repeat it so soon ? Well, I didn't, but ... call me high maintenance ;-)

In the earlier working, I followed the tatted model. After all was done, on the desktop large screen, I noticed the stitchcount for the inner rings at the base, in the diagram. Thought I’d give it try & this time use a lighter colour for the rings with picots so that I could see them ! 

1½” x 1½” in Anchor size 40 Art 4054 (0131 blue & 0300 cream)

I like how this turned out. But take a look at the process (this might be just me ?) ; the spiraling route that it takes & how the coils need to be coaxed & literally pulled into shape. The same thing happened in earlier model, but to a slightly lesser degree. 

Why did this coiling occur ?! 

The bare thread spaces seen between upper rings in final pieces emerged due to the pulling . Hence, for this pattern, I think the rings need a bit of space between them. Yes, Gapsosis can be Good !!!

Gapsosis can be good 

… sometimes !

We struggle to keep gaps away. But following are a few scenarios/patterns where a bit of gap/bare thread space is welcome & desired.

A few scenarios : 

1. When making a rings-only central ‘flower’ (as in pic below). Leave tiniest bit of space between 1^st & 2^nd ring – just enough to Span the double stitch distance !!! 

I was always wondering why my adjacent rings sometimes ‘turned’ a bit at the base even though I made sure there was no gap before starting next ring. That’s when it dawned on my slow brain that thread & stitch occupy space. If one closes the gap completely, there is no space for the next ring stitches to abut neatly & get squished. Leaving a space equal to the ‘height’ of a ds will ensure a close & ‘gap-free’ arrangement of rings.

2. In this vintage pattern & pictorial tip shared by Marilee … 

3. In this 2-coloured edging using floating/thrown off rings. This is a pattern commonly tatted in single colour or by simply following the shuttle, such that the colour shows up respectively. This gives a split of colour along the length. But I wanted the floating Josephine Rings to have one colour & the chains to have another. Another consideration was to keep colour blips from showing and to stabilize the floating rings.

After a lot of experimentation & heartburn, this is the best I could come up with (it is still on my to continue-with-experiment list! At the time I tatted this, I was working against a deadline).

Leave a tiny space of thread before starting the JR. Make the ring & close. Then …

TIP : Bring the ring thread around the ring like a little knot & tighten at the base of ring. This generally hides colour switches, stabilizes the rings And makes them lie flat & even as can be clearly seen in the 2 strands. Compare the Before & After rings.

All this was possible firstly because of gapsosis, & then a kind of slip knot noose at the base.

This edging was made about 2 years back when I used to snug the chain stitches closely. Since then I have realized that the chains should not have been tensioned so much; one should allow them to curve naturally. I am getting a bit better at handling chains ;-)

4. And last but not least, the layered rings in above pattern.

Rings have a curvature that is broad at the top & narrow at base. One should account for this width, such that adjacent rings lie neatly side-by-side rather than overlapping or loosing shape. Clearly some gapsosis is called for.

In conclusion, factoring for individual differences, one can use gapsosis judiciously when certain patterns or design elements call for it.

What has been your experience ?

happy tatting :-)