ConcentriCITY pattern

Snowflake #21 in Land of Laces’ 25 Snowflake Project

All Snowflake Patterns in Google Docs.

List of Tatting Tutorials with links.

This time I decided to go simple. Trouble with ‘simple’ is the constant fear that it’s already been done! Which is perhaps one of the reasons I did a 2^nd round. A quick search did not throw up anything like this, and if there is, I haven’t seen or copied it.

I’ve used Kathleen Minniti’s captured adaptation of Aurora Lozada’s Onion Rings method. I find it ‘simpler’ and easier to remember, with great results. Kathleen captures the 1^st/innermost ring in the first half stitch (within the loop after flipping the stitch) and proceeds with the 2^nd half stitch. The rings stay snug.

In the 2^nd round, where I worked the 2^nd ring backside (RODS), I captured the inner ring in the 2^nd half stitch (see pictorial below).

Both rounds are worked from front, clockwise....

ConcentriCITY snowflake

Small / Round 1 pattern

Worked in both Anchor Pearl (size 8, white) and Lizbeth (size 20), it is <4½ cms. As a hexagon, the side is 2cms.

Ball and shuttle, continuous thread. Start with the innermost ring (A) of onion ring. 

Choose your favourite method to make the onion rings.

I used Georgia Seitz’s Onion Ring or ball thread join.

Then work the chain. Note that the chain picots are NOT linked to each other. They remain free, and are slightly longer.

ConcentriCITY snowflake

Medium / Round 2 pattern

Worked in Anchor Pearl (size 8, white), it is 8 cms. As a hexagon, the side is 4cms.

2 shuttles, continuous thread.

Join to the 2 free picots on adjacent chains. I used a normal lock join, pulling up a loop simultaneously through both.

Check out this explorative study by Eliz Davis of how different ways of joining 2 picots together can be visually different. She tried Consecutive vs Simultaneous Joins. 

Start with the chain, going clockwise.

Lock join to the center picot. Make the 2 inner onion rings. Outer one is a chain, with a thrown ring. Join chain to middle ring, leave some picot space and make thrown ring. Leave equal space after closing ring, and continue chain. Lock join to same picot and continue chain, again making a join to the double picots simultaneously.

Repeat all around.

NOTE: I often have to tweak the stitches - adding half or full stitch in onion rings. Hence, depending on your tension, make the necessary adjustments.

PICTORIAL (with FRONTSIDE/BACKSIDE TATTING) 

The following pictorial shows how I worked one repeat, in directional or frontside/backside tatting. Red is shuttle1 & yellow is shuttle2.

1. After making the chain, make innermost ring with Sh1.

 2. Turn work and start next ring backside. Capturing the inner ring in 2^nd half stitch.

 3. Close ring. Both shuttles are now in position to start chain.

 4. Make chain around the onion rings. Make onion ring join or lock join. Switch shuttle to tat a thrown ring, leaving mock picot space. Switch shuttle, and continue chain back on other side. Lock join to base. [see inset].   

 5. Make chain. Put hook through both picots of previous round to pull up a loop and make a lock join.

 6. Continue chain

 7. Make lock join and repeat from 1.

8. Snowflake complete.

 Round 3 TRIALS

I tried a 3^rd round. These are the 3 repeats with tweaks in each (from 1 to 3). I couldn’t decide whether to go through with it or not, but feedback on facebook seems to be in favour of making a 3^rd round.

I have a couple of questions, though –

• Should there be a small ring (as in 1 & 2) or 2 picots (as in 2 & 3) between chains?
• Should the outermost onion ring round be normal (1 & 2) or Victorian Set (as in 3)?
• Anything else?

This will require making the entire snowflake afresh to make the picots the right size and avoid stretching. Hence it will be counted as a new snowflake for the project – I have 4 more to design/tat before the 25^th, so I’m taking this lifeline ;-P

UPDATE: Pattern for Round 3 - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2019/12/gotham-towers.html