heart to heart to heart to ...

... and soon we have a bracelet !

Presenting the free pattern and a pictorial for my

Y Block  Heart  Bracelet Y

Click here to download pattern

Who would've thought a little heart in the corner of a collage would make it's way to so many hearts ! A journey that started in 2014 ends here. 

Georgia has graciously published this pattern in the latest Bellaonline Newsletter and has included it in her Feb 13th Online Tatting Class ! 

It is difficult to include every little detail in a pattern. Through a pictorial, I can include my reasoning, alternatives, and tips. You are free to choose your favorite method of block tatting and hiding ends.

materials required

a knotless start :
1. ‘wrap’ the 2 threads around each other

2. tat over shuttle 2 tail, hiding it in the starting ring.

3. close ring & snip off extra tail later. (this ring is smaller – only for pictorial purposes)

4. start Block I, tatting over shuttle 2 tail.

5. leave a very small picot at the start of row 1

6. complete row 1 and continue. Don’t pull too tightly on the tail end yet. 

7. begin row 2 with a very small picot, 1DS, another vsp
    NOTE : I like to use 2 fhs at the beginning of even (DS) rows, instead of 1DS.

8. 2 picots seen at beginning of row 2

9. lock join (LJ) to row 1 and continue with row 3
    NOTE : all DS rows worked from left to right, end in a lock join.

10. row 3 is tatted with reverse stitch. After LJ, make 1 RS, vsp.

      NOTE : I make 2 unflipped 2nd half stitch (ushs)

      Now tug at the shuttle1 tail from #3 and snip off the excess. Both tails hidden !!!

11. At end of row 3, I make a “block/ball” join (BJ) (UPDATE: this is the same as ball thread join in onion rings)

      NOTE : all RS rows worked from right to left, end in a "block/ball" join

12. block I completed  

13. start Block II with a DS row

14. working the block

15. a BJ at end of row 7 (UPDATE: this is reverse join)
     COMPARE #11 & #15 : the loop that is pulled up through the picot will determine which colour is visible at the end of that row.

16. snug the BJ

17 Make another BJ (reverse join) in vsp of row 4

18. depending on which colour you want to highlight, choose the loop from that thread. The difference is visible in #22 below : on left both loops were from light colour ; on right pic, the BJ to row 4 was made with darker colour thread,  thus giving a dark center.

19. block III starts with a RS row

20. BJ to the free vsp on block I

21. Catherine wheel join (CWJ) on vsp of row 11

 22. one heart complete. Now to make a split ring with bead in center.

23. start first half of split ring (SR), joining to chain below.

24. hold bead in picot

25. complete second half of SR, joining to the bead picot.

      NOTE : the number of stitches on either half of SR will depend on the bead size being used.

I still don't have bracelet findings. Hence I strung more pearl beads through both threads and made a simple knot. Keep them a bit loose.

Then I joined a metallic split ring and wove the thread tails back into the beads to hide.

The bead tail can be inserted through the starting ring and the length of bracelet altered to suit any wrist. Marie tested this for me, wearing it for quite a while and she confirms that it works.

I've read/seen a tip somewhere - insert a hair pin through the split ring ; then insert through the tatted ring and pull the beads through. No need to ask anybody for help ;-P

 Y  Block  Heart  Brooch/Pendant  Y

                                                                                (WIP)

The heart motif pattern is generic. As long as block I is a square and the number of rows is even, the heart can be enlarged to any extent, while still keeping shape. The above model is tatted in size 3 or 5 thread. It has 8 stitches per row and 6 rows per block.  

I am halfway through adorning it. Will share that pic in another post or upload here, too.

UPDATE : Completed pattern (pdf soon) - Spring is in my Heart pendant

UPDATE : published in De Frivolite(k)ring 2018 #1 (35)

Sorry for not keeping my promise of short posts ;-D But hopefully a stepwise pictorial will help some of the beginners. Enjoy Valentine's Day !

YA grateful thanks to Georgia, Melanie, Marie, Ninetta, Corina for their invaluable contribution in terms of feedback, suggestions, and test tatting. 

I was equally touched when my other friends offered to set aside their own work if I needed their help. What’s not to love about Tat Land ?! 

Y happy tatting J Y