bunch of pattern updates

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There are quite a few updates I need to share. I will be updating the respective posts, too. This is the reason I suggest going through the related blog post even if there is a pdf, since it is easy to add updates :-D.

1. Vintage Snowflake

Recently I realized that the pattern link was corrupted and irretrievable. This gave me a chance to add the Patchwork bookmark pic.

Here’s the new link : Snowflake (6-pointed motif) pattern

2. Repetition Doily (pattern link)

This doily has long measured picots which are Functional. I worked the doily in Anchor size 40, but what if one wants to use a different thread size?

I worked a short chain with same thread and found that a 7mm picot is equal to the width of 7 double stitches! And so on. Easy to remember and convert.

Just substitute 1mm tall picot with 1ds width.

For how to measure – see IV-B on page 5 of Measuring the Picot.

3. DRR - Hexaflower Doily

You may remember that this is the round robin doily which Coretta had started. She graciously accepted to share the pattern link. It is a Google Docs link and the pattern presentation is a mix of 4 different styles, but will take time to clean up. 

Coretta also invites you to a new round of designing – continuing from the 5^th round onwards. If interested, please leave a comment here or on her blog here (or on facebook or Craftree)

Here’s the pattern link : Hexaflower Doily pattern 

4. Minarets In The Sky (pattern link)

In the beaded version of this snowflake, there is another way to work with ball and shuttle, if you do not wish to use direct tatting (unflipped stitches). Simply make a SLT & reverse work to tat that chain segment. However, you may have to pre-string the large bead on to the shuttle thread, instead of unwinding. Many paths, but be vigilant.

I added the tip the next day, but blame the oversight squarely on my lack of focus due to fever.

And what's a post without some visual masala?! So here's some unfinished work.

Intertwining Bracelet - Anastasiya (Hobby Point)

Inspired by Aliona Racu’s bracelet in facebook several weeks back, I started this Ankars/Celtic  bracelet in June. 

For the pink pieces, I loaded one bobbin, then kept pulling out a length of thread to work the chains. Thus I got ctm with a single shuttle and fewer ends to hide. 
I’ve had all these pieces ready but need to continue watching the video to assemble them. And I just haven’t been in the mood – what with being consumed designing snowflakes et al ;-P

Boxy Maple Leaf – Vicki Clarke

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.

Like last year, Vicki again did a very Canadian tat-along which I started immediately - twice in fact (the one on left is in size 40, the one on right is pearl cotton size 8). But somewhere along the way, I lost the will to continue. I didn’t like my colours, I didn’t like my tatting, and I couldn’t focus. I still haven’t cut off the threads, so I might get around to completing it someday. My apologies to Vicki for my bad outcome.

She then shared a 4^th of July tat-along pattern – Rockets Red, in 3 stages, which turned into a lovely flower! Saving it for a future date.

On a happier note, though, I have done my trial for the next snowflake - well it turned into a star - and just need to work out the center. So stay tuned :-D

patchwork tatting

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A tatting SOUP bookmark from snowflakes.

What do you do with practice pieces or tatting leftovers ?

You may remember my tatting SOUP (Sewing On / Using Pieces) where I try to put my tatting to functional or decorative use – be it as appliqués or on ribbon bookmarks, envelopes, cards, and so on. It was time for these vintage snowflake motifs to get working!

I’m calling it the ...

Patchwork Bookmark

 using 6-Pointed Motifs by Louise Hauck

pdf of modern format with diagram 

update Jan 18,2017 in order to change the blogfeed photo, I am adding this single pic ...

... because it is made by piecing together not just the snowflakes, but also filler bits, tails, tassels, all using short lengths of leftover thread .

I chose to place them one tip into another trough – it looked better than attaching each at 2 tips. This results in an alternating symmetry, being 6-pointed. I sewed the adjoining edges, weaving through stitches to reach the next joining point/picot.

Filler motifs : Yet, there was something missing – they didn’t form a cohesive unit. (refer to the center image in collage). That’s when the idea of fillers hit me, using a motif from the pattern itself ! 4 bits were added, shown by arrows in pic.

With so many options for hiding ends, I didn’t mind weaving in the tails in the filler bits (each started CTM).

Overcoming woes of 2 colours : The coloured snowflake at the end stood out like a sore thumb (it would’ve worked better as a charm). But I liked the tapering effect.

The tails, too, taper with decrease in ring stitches. But it is very subtle.

Tried to bring it all together by making 2 tails and intermixing the 2 colours. Not too happy with it, but ….

My first time trying to fray tassels !

Frayed tassels : Aqua tassel : I tried with toothbrush and also pin . Hardly made any dent.

Then I held the pin horizontal and 'scraped' over the threads - it worked like a charm (pun intended ;-p) !

White tassel : this time I untwisted each thread between fingers. Then used the pin horizontally. Much better and quicker.

I then brushed both tassels with the toothbrush. Beware - don't overdo it ‘coz fibers accumulate in the brush. This is visible in the whitened tips of the aqua tassel.

I was fearful of spoiling the tassel while blocking. But it actually helped!

I’m much more confident now, and may fray picots in a pattern, too. 

This book arrived just last week and I won’t be able to start it till I finish reading my current book …may take a month at least. But this bookmark goes perfectly with both the colours and the title of the book ! A bookmark made with snowflakes for ‘Winter Garden’ by Kristin Hannah

˜l˜happy tatting come snow or shine !  ˜l˜

antique pattern, modern presentation

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A couple of weeks back, Georgia asked if anyone could check for supposed errors in her modern notation of this vintage snowflake pattern. That very evening, I sat down to test tat it, making my own errors in adding wrong threads, but finally ending with a diagram, written pattern & a pictorial, alongside 3 tatted models ! Yes, I need to get a life beyond tatting ;-P

Snowflake (Six-Pointed Motif) *

Louise Hauck ©1915 in ‘Tatting of To-day’

*free pdf d/l of the modernized pattern with diagram

I like the pattern, especially how the arms are filled in - a breezy center with dense middle !

It is a 2 shuttle, 4 round pattern, all done in a single pass using mock picots to climb out to next round !!!
Except for one small bit (chain), all tatting is done from the frontside, moving in clockwise direction.

This is the diagram, with colour-coding of each round. To download the complete 3-page pdf which includes written notation, diagram & a pictorial, click here.
The pictorial collage in the pdf has fewer pictures. Hence, I am sharing pics of each round here, indicating major points of each round alongside.

Pictorial of Snowflake

In Georgia's pattern, each round is notated in letters (A-D), which was kept the same ...

Climbing out with a mock picot. The long picots in this round were made with a ⅜ inch gauge held horizontally/parallel to core thread.
TIP : When starting the chain after mock picot, I did not make any unflipped half stitch. Instead, start tatting normally after leaving picot space, and while snugging the chain stitches, simply ensure that the core thread retains the picot length (see pic below). This is especially useful when working chain in another colour - no colour blip will show !

The picot at the tip of chain is a small picot, but the one at the base (after the lock join) is a normal picot. The difference in picot lengths helps to bridge the next round so that the short chains lie neatly. If the base picot is small, the chain tends to turn.

2 thrown rings spanned by a chain. This is the only time when we Reverse Work (RW) in the entire pattern; otherwise, it is all tatted from the front. Of course, this chain can be worked in Direct Tatting using unflipped/reverse stitch.

I used a Catherine Wheel Join to bring continuity to the chain, but it is optional & can be substituted with a lock join. The CWJ is not included in the stitch-count of the chains. Consider it a way to span the distance.
The snowflake ruffles a bit, but is easily flattened with fingers. Picot lengths/sizes play a role in this piece.

The Trefoil is thrown off the chains. Hence, to anchor each ring, as well as the trefoil, in place, I used very small picots keeping the overall stitch-count same.

These tat up very quickly & most of the thread used is from shuttle 2 since it is mostly chains & thrown rings!
I used Anchor crochet cotton size 20 (white - model #2) & size 40 (white model #1 & 4054-0185 for model #3).
It measures 3" in size 20 & 2" in size 40.

It was Rakshabandhan on the day I completed tatting, so how could I not play around, especially since my resolve to put up a rakhi bracelet pattern this year did not materialize. So here's a pic of how 2 snowflakes in different sizes, topped with a long-picoted ring, would work as a possible rakhi centre ... we cord/twine attached under. Of course, the colours are too 'icy', but the idea is use-able, don't you think ?

So, here's hoping you like the modern presentation & download the Snowflake pdf for this Christmas :-)

happy tatting :-)

UPDATE (Jan 2017) : Check out what I did with the 3 snowflakes here
UPDATE (Jul 2019) : FYI. Since the pdf link got corrupted, there is now a new workable link in place.