Sunday 18 June 2017

another colour dilemma

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A situation arose where I needed to start an edging with a picot on a chain.
No problem – go CTM and leave picot space with or without a holder (eg. paperclip)!
But I was interested in making that edging in 2 colours and CTM was not an option. All the tutorials/videos known to me start with continuous thread and there is no mention of another colour.

So here’s my solution to ….
Starting with a Chain (and starter picot)
in 2-Colour Tatting

Ø       Unwind a tail from ball/shuttle 2 (this acts like CTM) to finger-tat the chain;
Ø       Make a starter picot if required (with or without a holder),
Ø       Then add the other color for ring.
Ø       Tat over tails to hide.

With this solution, I don’t need to start with any messy knots, colour blips, or bulk (hiding 2 tails under one chain, making it 4 threads!).
And it is great for block tatting when we use 2 colours and have to start with a picot on chain!

I converted it into a stepwise pictorial pdf (with introduction & links to a few resources) for relative beginners.
This tiny motif was made as I went along, for anybody interested in tatting along.

There was another reason why this solution was needed. Here is a scan of the edging in 2 colours. 
BUT I made the leaves in same colour as stem whichmeant I couldn’t have the purple showing up at the starter and joining picots. More about that in a future post.


This method also works if the chain is tatted in reverse stitch (unflipped stitches as in a split ring) ! But here, instead of ball, we will need a 2nd shuttle, because the tail acts as core, wrapped taut on our hand, and the shuttle makes the larkshead knots or reverse stitches.

Ninetta is my “Hiding Lady” partly because of her numerous solutions to hiding ends! She gave me valuable and instant feedback on the draft I sent her. With her stamp of approval, I’m sure there is some merit to this solution J  Grazie mille, Nin !

happy tatting in every situation :-)

Related posts :
more tutorial links

8 comments:

  1. Very clever! I haven't run in to that problem, probably because I tend to choose one color for most of my tatting. Maybe I'll be more adventurous in the future. :-)

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    Replies
    1. I guess I just like to make my tatting life as complicated as possible, Diane ;-P

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  2. Thank you, someday it will be useful :)

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  3. Interesting! :) And your edging is pretty!! :)

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  4. Thank you Anetta, Renata & Sue :-)
    Yes, I do hope it will be useful when such situations arise.
    Have a great day !

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