Thursday 27 January 2022

bridging gaps

Pin It now! I have some great news! Our Endrucks 1920 Project will be featured in the February issue of ‘Talking Tatting’ issue 50! Along with a short bio of Frau Endrucks and the doily #28 pattern (modernised version), all by Judith Connors. This is a quarterly newsletter of Queensland Tatters, Australia.

While this doily has already been tatted by several others, they referred to the diagram rather than the text. Hence it was left to Judith to point out a couple of errors, which are now corrected in an updated pdf.

Impeccable tatting from the inspiring teacher, researcher, and historian who was honoured with the Order of Australia Medal last year! And as you can see, she has managed to retain the octagonal shape of the doily after blocking.

We discovered that my tatting tension is way too tight! Worked in Coats No 40 cotton, Judith’s doily is 9cms in diameter to my 7cms in Anchor No 40 (which is also a Coats subsidiary).

My tension varied from yours in places. I managed the fluting, and when I blocked the mat it turned out to be quite octagonal.” – Judith

Alternate Path: “I worked it completely from the front side, not as you have suggested for Rounds 5 and 6. This means that the small rings of Round 5 were tatted in RODS (with a posting of the shuttle before closure).” – Judith

While enlarging the pic for posting, I noticed another thing about Round 5 in Judith’s doily. It appears the chains on either side of the ring are 8ds each instead of 5ds, creating a graceful arch instead of a flattish line.

Bridging/Mock Chain and Split Chain: Several ways to climb out of rounds for continuous tatting are indicated in this pattern pdf. However, Judith pointed out that what I termed split chain to climb out of round 4 is actually a bridging chain (b-Ch) and I should use this as a “teachable moment”. Got me thinking and this is how I see it:

The technique was invented by Dora Young for rings and then applied to chains – the knotless method (km or KM). Decades later, the term split chain caught on and became more popular. But the stitch and movements are the same in both – mock stitches or tied/manoeuvred stitches.

A Bridging or Mock Chain is functionally and structurally the same as a Split Chain. Each chain spans a space and emerges at a point to the left instead of the far right, and is made over a bridging or foundation thread. 

The difference lies in the Where the threads emerge/exit or where the point of climbing out is. A bridging chain is made completely of mock stitches and threads emerge at the ‘beginning’ of the chain. A split chain, as the name suggests, is split - partially made of double stitches and partially of mock stitches. Thus, the threads in this ‘hybrid’ chain exit somewhere along the length of the chain, not at the start.

Among the several beautiful versions of this doily tatted by enthusiastic lacers, I would like to show Stella Marina’s version in lovely metallic threads because it is yet another example of how we can alter our path. In a moment of distraction, Stella forgot to tat the 2 large twin thrown rings in Round 3. Instead of cutting back, she continued. She then tatted them as normal rings, facing inward, in Round 4! This happened by accident, but could easily have been a deliberate choice to make the rings red instead of silver. Planning ahead gives us so many bridges to cross smoothly!

Now I want to tat the doily again and bridge all my gaps!

Many many thanks to Judith and Stella - keep inspiring!

Related Posts/Resources –
For more tutorials and details scroll down to Techniques & Effects » CHAINS » Split Chain/Dora Young Knotless/Bridging https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/tatting-resources.html
Knotless Method in split SCMR - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/10/scrappy-doily-and-scmr.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2021/07/continuous-paths.html

15 comments:

  1. Wonderful project and worth getting to Talking Tatting’ issue 50.
    I need to read a little more about what you do.

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    1. Thanks, Maria, this project has been quite intensive through almost an entire year 😍

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  2. Beautiful tatting by Judith!
    Thank you for the explanation, but I would have left the SCh, they're fuctionally the same, your pattern was already very clear and the term is standard.

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    1. I agree, Nin, however, it is always better to be accurate 😁🧡

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  3. How wonderful that the impact of the project will be spread even further by the newsletter.

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    1. The word is spreading slowly and steadily and more adaptations continue to come in, Jane 😍🧡

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  4. Talking Tatting is an Aussie production, with a few OS subscribers. We like to keep up-to-date on tatted lace around the world.

    Re 'bridging': Dora Young (the originator) used a bridging chain to complete her original 'knotless method ring'. Bridges can be made in tatting without there being a split chain in sight. The second half of a split chains is actually a 'bridge' (over and back) but this move has been overlooked with the introduction of the term 'split chain'. Dora Young never used this term in her work in 1975.

    Thanks Muskaan.

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    1. Thank you, Judith, for stretching our boundaries. There's always a 'learning moment' with you 🧡😍

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    2. Oh, and this was a quick pointer, Judith. I intend on adding pics and a more detailed post on bridging, etc., when I can.

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  5. Well done what a lovely achievement to get your work published

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    1. Thanks Margaret, the community, and new patterns, is growing 🤩

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