gratitude

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 Over the past year or more I have been in touch with several tatters be they domain experts, designers, originators, tatting teachers/mentors. They have helped to explain nuances or clarify concepts, particular techniques, which in turn has aided me in hopefully improving the presentation and authenticity of information in the Glossary (and an occasional chapter item) for the book, 'Six T's of Shuttle Tatting' by Net Best which I have the pleasure of editing (I will write a separate post giving more details about the book). 

I will tender a formal thanks with each name when the book is complete (including in the book itself). Yet stepping into this new year it just feels right to acknowledge their general contribution and gracious and prompt help. To date not a single person refused to share their knowledge and understanding and each of them has been prompt in responding. Some have graciously sent me pic(s) of their work which is now included in the book. 

There are a few who I have pestered more frequently, though. Obviously my dear friends Ninetta Caruso and Anita Barry but also Judith Connors whose expert guidance is always welcome.

Angela Edwards is the late author's friend who is doing all the formatting, proofing, and compiling the master copy for the book. She has been a constant and enthusiastic companion in this journey, even acting as a sounding board and converting my UK English, LOL. Without her help it would've become too overwhelming.  

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Bit of a visual treat before I proceed ... above is Barbara Arango's method of making Overlapping Split Rings. She tends to join them (where I had left them unattached ; and a snowflake) and has used them beautifully in several of her designs. Look for her in the FB group, Just-Tatting. 

Above left was my first trial and I enjoyed it so much that I kept going till I got this ring, joining back to the first. I want to add some beads but haven't been able to yet .... will post again when I finish.

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Laurel McFarlane noticed that several links in my past posts no longer worked, especially from Georgia's classes. She volunteered to send me the correct links, often delving into the wayback machine, etc., and diligently compiled them over several months! I am ashamed to say that except for a few I haven't been able to update them all yet. So in the interim, if you come across any, please ask. 

Of course Ninetta has been a huge support with the Endrucks 1920 Project and words fail to express how much I can rely on her and her friendship. I had the good fortune to make several new friends through this project even during 2024.

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During the year, I was also humbled by several gifts during the year, some of which I blogged about, but some slipped by. These included tatted coasters from Bandini, books from Ninetta & Lilas Lace, newsletters/bulletins from Ring of Tatters, IOLI, and a surprise from Judith - their last printed newsletter, another surprise pattern gifted by Edda Guastalla, and threads from Madhur. 

All these goodies do not diminish the joy (and some trials) from learning 'new' tatting techniques, comparing and contrasting them, sharing pictorials, and taking up challenges. In fact my next two posts include my pictorials and explorations. Stay tuned .... what is a blog without readers, huh?!

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A Huge Thanks to all! 

complimentary

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 Two complimentary copies arrived a few days apart!

The IOLI Bulletin Summer 2024 - Volume 44 Number 4. It has a spectacular display of vintage laces from various museums and places! I just sat ogling at their intricate beauty. 

And tatted lace was represented by a sole article - SOUPing the Cards by yours truly.

Long time readers of my blog might remember that I often sew or use tatted motifs in different ways. Once such is on greeting cards which I shared in the article along with a few tips and notes. 

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search/label/tatting%20SOUP

  

And then this arrived!!! Lilas Joublet's, who we fondly know as Lilas Lace, new book 'Cluny Tatting Experiences'. In mid-August she contacted me for my address which came as a complete surprise. It seems she had referred to my Cluny tatting tutorials/pictorials and wished to send me a copy as  acknowledgement! She also included a lovely handwritten message with her name 💗

I love the layout of her bi-lingual book. I have already watched a few of her videos (through QR codes) and am eager to try out a few of her lovely patterns. She has written the book as a kind of log or diary of her experiences with her entire Cluny tatting journey. 

https://lilas-lace.fr/

Many many thanks to Liz and Lilas - these complimentary copies brighten up my tatting corner and my tatting-filled heart!

UPDATE: Please be careful while buying a book! Read why here - https://lilas-lace.fr/blog/2024/10/12/dont-buy-just-any-tatting-book/

rosettes

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 In tatting, we often come across different names for the same technique/effect and the same name for different techniques! (jot it down to various reasons - historical, linguistic, ignorance, non-standardization, ....).  One example of the latter is Rosette. This historical term refers to at least three different styles as evident in the collage below!

Our newest game in the Endrucks 1920 Project FB group involves the third motif and it seemed a good opportunity to address this situation and refresh my knowledge.

They are arranged along evolutionary lines -

1. Single ring with picots aka central ring. Tatted with a single thread. This was a common starting medallion in numerous antique patterns, and the thread was tied and cut after each! Now, we climb out with a mock picot or if possible, we work it as a thrown ring for continuous tatting.

2. Outward facing rings, often called a daisy or flower. Again, tatted with a single thread and the rings are joined to each other to create beautiful medallions. It helps that joining on the go was discovered. The number of rings can determine the shape and size.

Rosace is a term used by several non-English speaking tatters, to address this formation. eg. Maria Papia's earrings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbqLn8xTaGU) and Lilas Lace's pictorial of Edwige Renaudin's Double Rosace (https://lilas-lace.fr/blog/2014/02/28/diy-a-double-rosace-diy-une-rosade-a-double-rangee-danneaux/)

3. Concentric chains around a central ring. Each chain segment is joined to the picot below from the previous round. The entire medallion is worked continuously, but requires two threads. Obviously this came into existence after the discovery of tatted chains.

In the sample above, the consecutive chain rounds are niched closely into a compact circle - like a dartboard. However, if the chains are made slightly longer, with more of an arch on each chain, it gives the appearance of a flower - a Rose or wild rose as Sharon Briggs calls it (https://sharonstattedlace.blogspot.com/2008/05/tatting-wild-rose.html).

This is all I have. Have you encountered the term for another formation? Please do share.

My main references for the above, besides online resources already listed (including Craftree), are - Elgiva Nicholls' 'Tatting: Technique & History' 1984, and Judith Connors' 'An Illustrated Dictionary of Tatting'. And all three tatted samples above are from derivatives of Endrucks' (1920) patterns 42, 20, and 37.

UPDATE: (9th Oct 2023) - Perhaps I should've spoken about the origin of the word rosette, etc. But here's a comment by Stéphanie Mc (Tattimic) on my FB post and quoted here ---

I'm pretty sure it comes from French.
In French, the word "rosette" can take about 10 different meanings. It usually refers to something circular with a circle in the middle, but not necessarily.
Also, when the suffix "-ette" is added to a noun - let's say "rose", haha-, it refers to a smaller version of that noun. So a "rosette" is supposed to mean "a small rose", at least in some interpretation of the word, of course.

 Well, she is absolutely right! 

My sincerest thanks to all mentioned!

who gobbled the sun?

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A mini video – please disregard the static. It’s actually the sound of the fan last night!

A few days back, Lilas Lace started a Celtic earring tat-along on facebook, which she has now posted in her blog here. From a bit of Googling, I find that it is a variant of the 4-leaf clover symbol.

It was a small project, broken into extremely tiny steps, And it was true Celtic interlacing unlike the ‘faux’ Celtic I’ve attempted so far. 

I chose Bliss variegated thread because it brings out the interweaving clearly. At the end, the motif is inserted within a 3cm ring which I did not have. This was the other reason I chose a thick thread (size 3 or 5), to mount on a bangle. 

The weaving itself took a long time! Pinning it down helped me keep track. After many trials, I reached this stage, where a part of it is still wrong. Took a pic to refer and remember. Then it was easy to undo and redo the last bit correctly...

TIP : Always remember that each chain/line goes over-under repeatedly. After choosing to keep the chain left of each ring above (over), at the next intersection it should be below (under), then again over and under meeting up with the next ring.

Final measurement – 2 inch square.

Pretty happy with it.

Now to make a suncatcher out of it - my very first. Chose a bangle with 2½” inner diameter and scurried over to the Queen of Suncatchers – Sue’s (His Kid) blog! 

• Before starting, I tacked the overlapping chains at 4 points - peer closely to see white sewing thread knots in pic below. And notice all the tools I needed?!

Gold metallic thread to shine through the transparent crystals.

I first sewed crystals through the 8 tiny picots, rolling the thread around the bangle frame. I don’t how she does it … I had a tough time keeping the crystals in place.

Wasn’t satisfied with the look, hence added more crystals, along with small green bicone crystals. This time I simply tied and cut each thread! Easier to handle the sequence as well. Yeah, I’m still not comfortable sequencing the beads correctly for pre-stringing.

ecided to snip off the first round of crystals and continued with the rest. Huh, this looked much better. So that was it!

Now how to hide the little ends? Tatting over the bangle using a single shuttle, and hiding all ends within. (cover a cabone/plastic ring - scroll down to #5 for tut links). I enjoy this process as can be seen in my previous bangle projects.  

The air pollution has been so high, that it has gobbled up the sun. It’s dreary and difficult to breathe even inside the house. This is the best we could do this morning. Soon we will be literally caged in - next week we're going to put up toughened glass in the balcony, sigh. Sliding, yet not the same. 

Many thanks Lilas Lace & Sue !

a wee bit bold

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…ummm, perhaps? perhaps not.

Next leg of the design journey from mistaken round to snood-in-the-making which I now think can hold it’s own as a doily.

Continuing from where I left off last -

The outermost beige round ended with 45 repeats. That’s 15 more than the 30 in central beige round. And it measures about 6¾” in Anchor size 40.

The main dilemma was connecting it to the previous round. 

I set 2 guidelines –

1. it should be in brown ;

2. it should be fairly open and airy, yet durable.

That’s when I remembered this post by Lilas Lace – those intertwined/interlaced double picots had caught my eye. She herself has since used the effect in her own doily here.

6. Made the shorter brown round with 30 repeats. All chains.

Ch1  : 5 lp (8mm) 5 lp 5, lock join

Ch2  : [ 5 + 5 lp 5, lj ] x28

Ch30: 5 + 5 + 5, lj

The long picots (lp) are 8mm tall.

7. That round went fairly easily, but designing the next to fit in nicely took a lot of trials. I had 15 extra points to take care of!

This pic (sorry about the quality - it was taken with my tablet) shows the 1^st and 3^rd trials; the 2^nd trial has already been snipped off since it didn't work at all.

This round is a mix of rings and chains.

Ring: [ 7 + 7. rw

Ch   : 5 lp (1cm) 7, lj ,

         7 + (interlaced) 5 lp 7, lj,

         7 + (interlaced) 5. rw ] x15

The long picots (lp) are 1cm tall.

I like how it finally turned out.

Meanwhile I have completed the final outermost round, but will share only after filling in the center.

It was while answering Emily’s comment that I finally hit on the name – Repetition Doily/snood. It is a reminder to the original Repetition Mat (in 'Mastering Tatting') - the round which ended up in the center later. It is also a reference to the alternately  repeating rounds of clovers v/s chains. This is a common theme of Lyndsay Rogers' book where the objective is to take the tatter through simple to complex using simple techniques. 
All rounds in this doily, too, can be worked with one shuttle and ball,  except for the construction sequence. 

Now my question is –

Considering the numerous additions I’ve made, can I share the stitch count for Lyndsay’s round as well?

picking on picots

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I’ve sensed this for a long time & this medallion confirms it. Anchor Crochet Cotton that is made in India by Madura Coats is thicker than the size 20s & 40s (of any brand) that I see you tatters using. In fact, it is thicker now than the old thread I have ! Makes it very difficult to follow a pattern with long picots.

Elizabeth 

(aka Woven Center Flower)

Robina Melville
first published in Ring of Tatters Newsletter #72, Spring 2016

OTC Special Class Aug 15, 2016

This is such an elegant pattern !

Materials : Anchor Cotton size 20, Art. 4054. Golden yellow – 0307 ; red – 046

2 shuttles ; picot gauge : 2.5cm & 3 cms

Techniques I used : long picots, woven picots, split rings, thrown rings, lock join, SSSR to climb out.

Round 1 : 1⅛”

My first attempt failed, as I had sensed, due to difference in thread brand :-( The last ring didn’t even have any space to fit in (top right in pic) !

Increased the picot sizes & the 2^nd attempt worked.

TIP : I used a threaded tapestry needle to easily weave the picots, otherwise it was a bit fiddly in the cramped centre.

Climbing Out

For my own recollection, there many ways 2 colours can be used in 1^st round & still climb out to next round without tying & cutting both threads.

1. Climb out with a SSSR in red, while hiding the yellow tail in first half of the SSSR.

I had to do this, because I didn’t think ahead & I wasn’t sure what colour(s) I wanted for next round.

2. Wind 3 shuttles : Sh1 with yellow; and 2 shuttles wound CTM with red. Thus while climbing out, we hide the yellow within a split ring. This is what I could’ve done.

3. Double Core SSSR to hide the yellow within & keep the SSSR red. This, in fact, gives us the option to continue with both colours for next rounds, yet keeping the ring a single colour – either red or yellow. I had tried this for the first time here, with a slight adaptation.

Round 2 : 2¼”

Round 3 : 3” 

I absolutely Love this medallion & enjoyed tatting it. Hey, even my long chains behaved !

Although, I did make a mistake – a picot in one of the outer chains – an expected outcome of trying to watch the Olympics & tat. Noticed too late, so folded the picot behind & glued it. Will sew it in later.

Flashback to May 2014

My very first attempt at woven picots was when I saw these lovely earrings by Lilas Lace. I was going through a phase of learning different picots & effects - the net kept throwing up such gorgeous tatting ! 

So these earrings both inspired & intrigued me & using her basic idea, I attempted to tat it.

The stitchcount is my own & I included 2 colours & Josephine Rings. Didn't have findings/hooks... This can work as a pendant, too.

This is the 'before' pic. More practice with picot gauge was needed then, but blocking the piece now has helped a bit. 

and this one is for Michelle !

Interlocking Picots

Remember this, Michelle ? A while back I had tried to duplicate the look of that tatted model in pinterest that you shared. Tried a few things in size 40, but don’t know where I’ve misplaced them. Will turn up some day. 

Before posting, I usually do another round of online research for resources. And guess what - Karen already Has a video of these !!! They are called Interlocking Picots (why do the tutorials turn up After I've gone through the grime ?! I need better perception & recognition).

Had some thread left on the shuttles after the medallion, and quickly tatted another for this post before I forget again. 

Many thanks to Robina & Georgia, 

to Lilas, & to Karen

happy tatting :-)

Related Posts : Snow Doily