cupping hearts

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Over a year back, I struggled with cupping in this doily pattern and expert tatters offered several solutions and valuable advice. But I left it on the sidelines and only took it up again a week or so back. This is pattern #37 from Eleonore Endrucks-Leichtenstern’s German book ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitszen’,1920.

After tweaking some of the stitch counts in outer chains, it finally lays flat.... 

....but above is the fallout of my several attempts, without including all the retro-tatting and indecision that went on.

This was the crucial round (Round 4) which I just Had to get right and others would fall into place more easily. While weighing the numerous options, I hit upon my own solution which I bet you won't be able to identify! 

The above combo shows Endrucks' original model with my modified one. Can you guess the difference? 

HINT: It lies within the square/diamond motif.

Now I have tons to share about that motif, some of which is already written about/hinted at here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2020/11/arranging-motifs.html

I had started to diagram the motifs to show the different paths, but this last week I haven't been able to allot time or focus to anything other than some actual tatting for an hour or 2 daily. So the pattern itself will also take time to be presented. My apologies for this inordinate delay, that will spill into 2022.

So what do you think? does the modified model look okay? I tried to keep the tweaks minimal, without disturbing the original shape as far as possible.

The doily is worked in Anchor pearl cotton, size 8 and measures just under 10.5 cms across from the extreme tips. Perle cotton is flexible to work with. But would the tweaks hold up in mercerised cotton? Only one way to find out - tat one more doily in size 40. 

But look what I discovered ... 3 possible heart patterns!  I Spy Hearts, as Anita would say! Here's what she wrote when I showed these to her - “Each heart design can be an individual heart, a row of hearts made into an edging, implemented into a design, etc. So much fun.”

Heart #1 - after round 5 ;

Heart #2 - after round 6 ; and,

Heart #3 - after round 8. the final round. I figured out a way to work it in one pass through a rough sketch.

Something to look forward to for the 2022 heart season in February ;-D

All links and details, including all modernised patterns can be found in the Endrucks 1920 Project document here -

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LEVftXweztBIOWh4sL4BB7bX65ssoOsOn4oXIgCepY/view