Monday 9 January 2017

states of matter - 1

Pin It now!

is how I visualized and rationalize my choice of colours in the next two flakes - the 3 states of H2O.

Fourteenth Day of December Snowflake
Lene Björn

Right off, I am very unhappy with my working of the chains. In an effort to keep the silver thread from fraying, I was making the stitches a bit loose. But they are too loose and the chains are floppy and well, you can see for yourself. Lesson learned, is all I can console myself with.

3 strands each of the embroidery threads (Art 4625) are used, and the white is size 40 Anchor cotton
This 3-round pattern was split into 4 rounds due to placement of colours without having to resort to shoelace trick (SLT). After rounds 1 & 2, using 2 shuttles loaded with blue, I snipped away one blue thread, and added the silver thread for chains, with core remaining blue. Last round was worked with 2 shuttles in size 40 white.

Besides colours, I wanted to see if I could tat split rings (SR) in a way that their orientation still appeared to be like normal rings and the teardrop shape faced ‘correctly’. Except for the large ring, all others are split rings. If the silver chains had been tatted correctly, the SR experiment would’ve worked much better.

TIP : A teardrop split ring : the trick lies in closing. While closing, manipulate ring into desired shape, then hold in pinch, and close but don't snug too tight. Check to see that the shape holds and 'fiddle' till it is 'right'. Then, if required, tension further.
For the single split ring on chains, the teardrop point can be emphasized by using a lock join with SH2  (refer : 1.3.c Joins in shuttle tatting ) rather than the usual split ring join (refer 1.3.a) .

Msts : Rnd 1 - > 1"  ;  Rnd 2 - 1.25"  ;  Rnd 3 - 3" approx.  ;  Rnd 4  - 4.25"
Techniques – SR, LJ, LJ with SH2

Not much of a ta-da here, but Great News --- I have Completed this challenge !!! All 24 snowflakes finished, with a few additional ones (adapted versions or left halfway). Phew, just in time for Jane's 2017 TIAS . I didn't join last year & am thinking of doing both 2016 & 2017 simultaneously.

In keeping with my resolve to be less wordy, I will share the other state-of-matter snowflake in the next post ….
till then, 
happy tatting & stay warm ã

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13 comments:

  1. Long chains are so difficult for me. Congratulations on completing your challenge!

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    1. Me, too, Diane ! Never know how much to tension the stitches on long chains :-(

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  2. I pull long chains snug, to start, then measure the next couple and then fold depending on how many completed to compare length (so I don't have to keep picking up the ruler) this really helps hone my skills and helps me on larger projects when you set things down and go back to it too. It really helps for that perfect look. Wonder if she is still doing the challenge this year for the snowflakes?

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    1. Carollyn, that is a very useful tip. My main 'problem' is estimating how much the designer has snugged, and only at the very very end, did I realise that Lene's diagrams are mostly to scale, if tatted with size 40 thread !!!!!! Baah, too late.

      As for another challenge - yes, Monica (soyloquesoy) has proposed another for 2017 - choose Any 2 snowflakes from anywhere (or design your own) and tat 2 per month. But I am not participating this year.

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  3. P. S. I do love the snowflake and colors too🌸❤️🌸and pinning it out (with stiffener) will make the weak chains appear taught. Happy new year 😄🌹😄

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  4. Thanks for the information, on the challenge stuff, sorry miss understood the other stuff :)

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    1. Carollyn, Every tip counts - if not for the present then somewhere in the future one may recall and use it ! I always enjoy reading tips :-)
      Will you take up the snowflake challenge this year ?

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  5. Lovely snowflake, I like the use of silver in the chains, using two different threads can change the stiffness of the piece. Looks good

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  6. I used similar thread to tat bee wings so I can vouch that it's not easy to work with. Well done on completing the challenge!

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  7. Your snowflake looks nice and wintery in those colors!! :)

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  8. Thanks, everybody :-)
    Good point, Margaret ! Embroidery thread is the softest of all, and here I have metallic as well as crochet cotton ;-P

    Jane, I kept fearing if I tightened my stitches, the white core of the silver thread would show ;-P

    Glad you think it looks wintery, Sue ! My water, shimmering 'steam', and snow visualization is successful then :-)

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  9. Your snowflakes are lovely (I'm catching up on reading).

    I'll have to try your suggestion about the split rings. I don't like having them point the wrong way - it just looks wrong.

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    1. I still haven't been able to make my split rings behave properly all the time. But try, try, and you will succeed ;-P

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