floating in air !

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Here's a peek into what I've been up to; why the Quatrefoil series is on hold... 

Floating Beads 

UPDATE : This pattern is now in pdf format, Click to download

I'm working on a necklace set with a smattering of beads and crystals in tatting.

It started out as trying to hang a large crystal bead inside a ring - a thrown/floating ring. Couldn't find any tutorials to create that effect.  

Tempted to ask my beading friends, but forced myself into figuring out a solution. Many attempts later, here's a pic of a couple of the 'uncut' or unraveled trials - the ones on the left show how the chain distorts. Then success (the 3rd from right) !!! 

This has been tested by Georgia, Eliz, Usha, Stephanie. Their valuable feedback will be included in the pictorial.

Gradually the floating beads method evolved. It works not only in thrown rings, but regular rings, (I snipped off the pink thread by mistake, hence couldn't complete the outer ring properly.)

and even a string of beads inside the ring !

And another idea struck - how about using the string as as a central picot ? 

I’m not sure whether this has/has not been done. Also one doesn’t need the exact floating bead method – it can be made with a simple long loop. But I’m merely showing how my brain worked at finding new applications/effects.

Then I wondered about using it on normal chains. Here I loaded the crystal teardrop on a picot, attached right back before proceeding. The inset shows it attached using the floating beads method. While the former is kind of flush against the chain, the latter is held at a slight distance as if on a shank. Instead of single crystal, a string of beads can be used.

While I haven't tried it on a mock ring or an SCMR, I don't see why it shouldn't work.

And whether you want to or not, I will bore you further with pictorials on how to do it ;-D Fair warning ? Patterns will follow much later, though.

I’m just so excited that I could figure out some beading for myself – getting the hang of it ;-P

UPDATE : All Floating Beads effects and pictorials are listed here.

Second reason for floating in air was the exciting attachment I got in my inbox. One of my patterns has been published in a Dutch magazine De Frivolité(k)ring alongside very talented and experienced tatters and designers. The booklet, published twice a year, is distributed among the Dutch tatting circle - Frivolité(k)ring Nederland. It’s in Dutch. I had asked for the pdf version, not the physical booklet.

Mari-jan had contacted me many months back but I had no idea which pattern they had chosen. Turns out it is the Curly Cross Pendant – the one I never got around to writing/diagramming a proper pattern for. And they’ve actually posted beautiful step-wise pics (without beads) with written pattern.

many many thanks to all I've named here. 

You make tatting so much more pleasurbale

twice the pleasure, double the twirls ….

happy happy dance !!!