Auld is gold

Snowflake #15 in Land of Laces’ 25 Snowflake Project

Wreath Snowflake

(& possible ice drop)

This is a prototype using Rhoda Auld’s bobble technique, based on Ninetta Caruso’s pictorial and can be worked in one pass.

The colours, texture, and central hollow create a wreath-like effect that can be inserted over a bauble or a candle. It can be suspended as a tree ornament or add bling for earrings or pendant. We can also continue on the back with a ring/chain round to encase a gem for an ice drop.

Model tatted with Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8 measures a tad over 1¾”. The glass gem has a diameter of just over ¾”

A rings-only pattern using 2 shuttles to stack them facing opposite directions (ring as fish). If it is your first time using Auld’s bobble, I recommend first trying Ninetta’s pictorial and then making one motif (repeat) of this pattern with scrap threads before attempting the actual flake.

Abbreviations and Notes :

Sh = shuttle. R = ring . SS = switch shuttle. JR = Josephine ring (half stitches)

Sh1 – green ; Sh2 – red

I tatted over tails at the start, hiding under respective rings.

Θ -  Rhoda Auld's method to join stacked rings, as shown by Ninetta. It basically captures the other shuttle thread within the open ring, between 2 stitches.

For odd rings (green here), follow Ninetta’s method. Pass Sh2 through ring from behind, and over the shuttle (core) thread.

For even rings (red here), do the opposite : pass Sh1 over Sh2 core from above and down through ring loop.

Always keep previous work to the left.

RW = reverse work. I started off without any reverse work as in the tutorial, but found that the thread emerged on the ‘wrong’ side of ring. For some reason, RW made it easier to manage the bare thread space! Hence, it is better to RW after each ring in this pattern. 

bts – Sh2 (red) bare thread space about 1ds wide on the outer edge of both sides of the odd rings, ie. a total of 2 or 2½ ds wide bts

Do not leave any bts before starting green odd rings.

Pattern : 

Sh1 : R1: 3 Θ 3. rw, SS

Sh2 : R2: bts, 6 Θ 6. rw, SS rotate

Sh1 : R3: 9 Θ 9. rw, SS rotate

Sh2 : R4: bts, 12 Θ 12. rotate

         JR: 10. rw, SS  Capture with overhand tie to center the floating ring.

Sh1 : R5: 9 Θ 9. rw, SS

Sh2 : R6: bts, 6 Θ 6. rw, SS

This completes the first motif. Repeat 5 more times, joining back in a circle.

Do not cut thread. Continue around the inner margin with a lock chain. (I had already cut off threads when the idea occurred, hence you see a green lock chain).

Lock Chain : [5 +(space after R1)]x6.

Cut and tie and hide ends.

OR continue with the lock chain to make a loop for tree ornament.

OR continue at the back with rings and chains to encase a cabochon for ice drop.

I am not happy with my Josephine rings. Pearl cotton is not a good thread for tiny rings or JRs. Perhaps next time I will use beads instead.

My initial idea was to use stacked rings only as a central round, adding more round(s) on the outside. But I like the shape and didn’t feel like disturbing it. The idea for outlining the Inside, came to me suddenly a couple of hours back, and I made the lock chain.

Another idea alongside, was to make David’s Star in the negative space using interwoven lock chains.

What do you think? Your opinion and suggestions are valuable, so please speak freely.

TõTõT

Have I told you yet? Since mid-2017, I haven’t uploaded any pics to my pattern page – it is already so crowded!!! Then I had this idea and started a few months back - listing all my patterns in Google Doc files, category-wise. It is easy to update and see at a glance. The Snowflake patterns are all up to date with a photo and links. Even if a pattern has a pdf file, I request you to go to the respective blog post since that is where I may post more tips, and updates. And comments often offer a lot of ideas J

 ËÌËÌË happy deepavali  ËÌËÌË