Sunday 7 July 2019

dream castles

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Happy International Lace Day !

Snowflake #4 in Land of Laces25 Snowflake Project on facebook & instagram

Minarets in the Sky Snowflake
November 2016 was when I first uploaded a collaged image of a snowflake I was working on.

I had worked a sample that September as part of the This Way of Tat? (TWoT) series – in fact it was meant as the final practice pattern since there can be a lot of directional changes depending on various factors. Well, that series is still in limbo, but I’m gradually sharing the patterns.
What I like best about this design is the dome shape created by changing the direction of chains. However, this is also the biggest ‘flaw’ in the design. It causes ruffling when tatting, and has to be blocked for flatness.
(In Lizbeth 20, this measures 2½” as a hexagon side) 
It is something I tried very hard to rectify, through numerous small tweaks in many trials but was unsuccessful. I will be extremely pleased if you wish to try your hand or leave suggestions.

There is hardly any ruffling in the beaded version where the small base rings are removed. However, the domes tend to overlap slightly.
The beaded version is quicker to tat as well and can be worked with one shuttle and ball if short chain lengths are done with unflipped (reverse) stitches.
UPDATE TIP : Instead of direct tatting, one can make a SLT and reverse work to tat the tapering chain segment, making requisite adjustments to bead, etc.
For the large gold bead on top, I tried using my Floating Beads method, but it does not give a snug and stable finish. After trying a couple of the usual methods, I finally settled on threading the beads as and when required and using the transparent seed bead as an anchoring bead.
I later added this Swarovski crystal in the center, although it can be worked in during tatting by holding it on a long picot in the first ring and joining across later.

While the white one reminds me of marble domes as in the Taj Mahal, the yellow & gold is for the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It is surrounded by water, though here the central blue is for sky with little stars.
Again, patterns for both versions are included in the pdf.
download Minarets in the Sky Snowflake pattern here

UPDATE : An adapted version is shared by Grace Atkinson where the overlap is removed and the flake lays fairly flat. Find the pattern and models in her facebook timeline or here  - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2021/03/minarets-take-time.html 

22 comments:

  1. Wow, lovely snowflakes. I like the beaded version best, but then look at the other and think I like the unusual shapes.

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    1. Thanks, Jane 😍 To me these have a very Oriental shape -- common in the Middle East and Islamic architecture.
      Do check out the Golden Temple, though, when you can .... I'll add a link.

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    2. Unusual in tatting though! Thanks for link.

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    3. I agree, Jane, which is why I think this has an Indianness about it. Jon Yusoff's patterns are the closest, perhaps the only ones, I find incorporating an Oriental motif, besides the names she chooses :-)

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  2. HÚHA::: de gyönyörű!Nem is tudom melyik tetszik jobban4 A fehér valóban hópihe!

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  3. I love the elegant curves to the domes; I'll be working this one for my family Christmas gifts this year!

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    1. What an honour, Kathleen!!! Have fun :-)

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  4. The domes are beautiful - such graceful curves. I wonder....did you use 2 shuttles for any of these? Perhaps switching shuttles would eliminate all or most of the ruffling when changing the chain direction? Just an idea. It might not work....or maybe it WILL work. ;) Lovely snowflake.
    StephanieW

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    1. The white one is worked with 2 shuttles, Stephanie. I think the ruffling is a trade-off between shape and logistics. Without the tiny base rings in coloured one, the ruffling is minimal, though there is some overlap between elements. But after so many trials (forgot to take a pic) I let it go - the dome shape was more important ;-P

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  5. You have been designing such pretty snowflakes! I like the white version more, with the slimmer domes. I guess this is another one on the to do list... I hope someone gives it a go and tries to fix the ruffling, although it looks pretty good after blocking.

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    1. My inspiration for the yellow domes is the Golden Temple, hence they are not as high/slim, Lavi :-)) I hope so, too, coz fixing the ruffling in this one is beyond my ken ;-D Enjoy

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  6. I love this pattern! I will be tucking shuttles into a bag to try it whenever I have a few moments. If I have shuttles empty!

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    1. I'll help you empty the shuttles, Mel, so you can get on with the business of working this pattern ;-D

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  7. Biała jest piękna, ale i kolorowa też daje śliczny efekt.
    Pozdrawiam ciepło.

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    1. That is so true, splocik ! Dziękuję Ci bardzo :-)))

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