tat a beaded rope

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I wasn't to be distracted - everybody knew. But with friends like this, who needs enemies ;-P
This evil genius sweetly invited a few of us on facebook to put Sue’s suggestion to thread. She’s evil for distracting me, but genius for doing me a favour … I Finally got around to trying my layered/stacked SR bracelet/Kadaa - a first trial I shared in 2015, and it's Christmas tree trunk pattern here.

It took me one entire day of fiddling around (and experimenting), trying to refresh my memory and convert the pattern into a beaded cord. Problem wasn’t in the pattern but the mismatch between beads, crochet hooks/threaders, beading needles, threads, etc. etc. I had started off with finer thread and smaller beads; finally only these larger bicone crystals worked with the size 20 crochet cotton, and a #12 crochet hook. Now it is going smoothly & I’ve found my rhythm. However, Ninetta will be testing it first.

UPDATE : Pattern is shared here. But look out for more on Ninetta's blog.

It did give me a whole new admiration for all the bead-heavy work crafters do. Reminded me of Jane McLellan's numerous crochet beaded ropes that she seems to belt out at such rapid pace.  

A few Experiments and NOTES - 

• I tried putting beads on the core thread, but they face inside the hollow with thread showing on the outside.
• I also tried pre-stringing beads. This worked if alternated with picots where rings needed to be attached.  If I had beads on a picot, it was difficult to join since the picot/thread ran horizontal through the bead hole - so a join would become skewed.
• In the pictured version, I loaded 2 shuttles with only brown crystals (half on each shuttle); the rest were loaded over long picots at the time of joining. This is more practical – no pre-stringing loads of beads, no large shuttle required. However, working a SR can become a bit impractical till one gets a hang of it.

Last night I made a short video of the start.

I haven't tried Ninetta's single shuttle method yet, or the other numerous ways including chains. For another day. But following are a few of my thoughts ....

  

Comparing stacked rings and the layered/stacked split rings –

• Single thread/shuttle versus 2 shuttles
• Difficulty level - simple rings versus split rings.
• Pre-stringing beads versus few pre-strung beads (most are loaded on long picot at time of joining).
• For long project, large shuttle required versus regular shuttles.
• The cord twists on itself, like a double helix versus beads spiralling around while cord remains ‘straight’.
• The subsequent rings are ‘rotated’ slightly before being joined below versus emerging out of a split ring with a phase shift.

It will be interesting to try out other methods. In fact there is a lot of evolution these methods might incur. Time, experimenting, and testing will reveal ….

layering effects

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I’ve been revisiting a few techniques – both using layered or stacked rings - to refresh my memory.

Ninetta’s modern adaptation using a floating layered ring was my first stop. I converted it into a flower pattern. DH thought it looked like a lotus! Lotus motif is a fairly common sight in temple architecture, decorative ceilings in buildings/rooms, Jaipur-style paintings, etc. That settled the name ....

Lotus Medallion

(prototype)

In Anchor size 20, the finished flower measures 6cms across.

The inner medallion uses the same stitchcount and process as Dillmont’s original motif. Except that I made 6 rings instead of 4 – which meant I had to add 2 more picots to the floating ring. All details here. This center can be made with a single shuttle and a long tail pulled out to work the floating ring and 2ds of split ring.
This is a modern variation of the rosette or enclosed space medallion.

I hadn’t planned anything specific. But this looked so forlorn that I had to do something to cheer it up ;-P

I continued with the layering theme, this time with chains. When did I last use 4 shuttles? Time to set them up :-D Tried out my idea with some scraps and ran out of the red at this stage. 

Starting again, I used light and dark shades of the same colour - this contributes to the 3D effect. 

Yes, those are dot picots in a diamond arrangement! Can't stay away from experimenting ;-P Here's how I worked it ... Dot Picot tutorial links here

Work a string of 3 dot picots with shuttle 2, and 1 dot picot with shuttle 1.

Note : When making this dot picot with shuttle 1, leave a very tiny bit of thread on both sides.

In order to make the make the single picot clearly visible, 

I used the Floating Beads with tatted rings method, tying an overhand knot around the base of the dot picot. 

The faux bead now rests at a slight distance from the chain.

Now start the chain close to the faux beads. 

When the chain is tensioned, the 4 dot picots form a kind of diamond shape. 

If one is using beads instead of dot picots, this round can be worked with 2 shuttles attached to respective balls. Pre-string 18 seed beads in each ball, and 6 seed beads in each shuttle.

Chains on either side of the faux beads have 10 stitches each. But this can be changed to suit one's taste.  

Chains are lock joined to the picots on inner medallion. But remember to overlap the new chain Before making a lock join with the previous one. Also keep the overlap direction consistent throughout. An under/over overlap as in the model helps when making the final chains and joins.

If using single colour throughout, one can climb out of the inner round with a split ring.

So what's your verdict ? And suggestions ? Colour choices? 

Once I have your opinion I will work another model and present the final pattern. 

happy tatting always J

Tatting Tutorial : Layered Rings Part 2 and sneak peek

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Ninetta’s Layered Rings in Modern Tatting Part 2

Original Pattern : Thérèse de Dillmont  Plate V, Fig25.  (click for pattern details)

 

Many paths to the same destination, as Ninetta wisely said.

The way I interpreted her diagram was not what she had intended or done. But it worked! Later, when making the Part 1 tut, I followed the basic pædogogical principle : from easy to difficult, from simple to complex, so that tatters at any skill level would benefit. Hence, I started with reverse work in 1^st motif & later introduced the all-frontside tatting in 2^nd motif. But here’s the catch :

Ninetta’s method is the Simplest !!! I do apologize for the muddling up of sequence ;-P

In any experiment or trial, one should change one factor at a time, keeping all others constant. That is what I have done here, too : threads same, shuttles same, pattern same. The only factor to change is the method !

Please refer back to my previous tutorial here, for more stepwise pictures, if required.

Ninetta’s Method

(along with her Tips)

UPDATE : This involves tatting from front/top side only ! The entire motif can be accomplished with frontside tatting, without any need to reverse or turn work. (except when joining 1st petal to central floating ring).

 

“The mock picot between FR and SR should be of the same size of picots in FR. Then, when you join the first time, take care that the mock picot doesn't twist. It also depends on if you take the first or the last picot of the FR, I took the last.” 

 

 

“No matter if you start tatting front side or back side, if join one picot or two together, the result is quite the same I see.”

 

 

Additional tip: The FR size can be altered. If one wants to increase each segment of FR from 3 to 4, then the ‘hidden’ part of the petals (at start & end of petal ring) will also increase by 1 ie; from 2 to 3, before the petals are joined to FR. And so on.

Thus the central Floating ring segments should have 1 ds more than the petal.

Thank you, Ninetta, for sharing your tips, techniques, and expertise :-)

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Using Two Colours as a design element

So far, I used 2 colours in order to make the progression & sequence of working this pattern, clear. Now here is how 2 colours can be used as a design element in the same pattern.

Again, I am demonstrating only One of the ways, as an idea towards what can be accomplished … 

 

 

 

I think my petal picots should’ve been a tad longer to have the petals lay completely flat & avoid that slight upward/outward cupping or bulge in the centre. When I paid heed to it, you can see the difference in a flatter 2nd ring as compared to the first slightly bulging one.

If one continues, switching colours/shuttles for subsequent motifs along entire length, one will get a nice undulating braid effect. This would look good as an edging, insertion, on a doily round…

The same concept can be used to create other shapes including a square, circle, rectangle, hexagon, & so on. Eg. For a Square motif, one can use one colour on the inner half & the 2^nd colour on the outer half, thus giving a square-within-square effect.

I have tried not to miss out any tip or step. But am struggling with keeping my concentration (down with a viral infection). Hence, please don’t hesitate to point out any discrepancies or errors in the above.

And the pdf of these tuts will have to wait a while (“Again?!”, you say, “so what’s new” ;-P) till I am satisfied with the layout, etc.

***************

A peek into the next post(s) before I start Ninetta's Curled Rings tutorial series :

Extending the Pattern ...

Extending the Idea

with patterns to share !

*******************

Happy Tatting :-))

Related Posts : Layered Rings tutorial Part 1

Tatting Tutorial : Layered Rings Part 1

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Ninetta’s Layered Rings in Modern Tatting

Original Pattern : Thérèse de Dillmont  Plate V, Fig25.  (click for pattern details)

UPDATE: 'Tatting' (DMC Library) by Therese de Dillmont - https://add1400f-c919-4c57-8d2d-40880bc5b080.usrfiles.com/ugd/add140_b134098f74ed483f9bf91602d8e69fd4.pdf 

(pamphlet, 1956. Courtesy TOTC)

This tutorial has turned out to be quite in keeping with the term ‘Layered’. As I went about organizing tatting & taking pics , & then sharing the pdf with Ninetta, she realized that I was doing it differently than what She had diagrammed/done ! So it turned out that this modern method can be accomplished in more ways than one ! Yup, layers upon layers …

I have not been able to make & photograph Ninetta’s method yet (will do so in the next post ; it includes joining 2 picots at same time & some tips from her). But in order to avoid more delays, I will share how I understood / interpreted her diagrams especially for tutorial purposes & made the motifs through step-by-step pics. While making the 2^nd motif repeat, I have shared another method (all front-side tatting that I used in my earlier trials here ). I have tried to incorporate as much as possible within the stepwise pics itself, with notations. I will also include & upload pdf versions to all methods in the next post.

  

Here, then, are step-by-step instructions on how to tat Dillmont’s Layered Rings 

by applying modern techniques to a vintage pattern, & doing it all in one pass.

Techniques Used :

2-shuttle tatting

“Floating Ring” variation that converts to a Layered Ring

Mock Picot

Split Ring

Normal Join/Down Join (optional or as required)

I have deliberately used 2 colours so that the progression & split rings can be easily identified. Some pics show both back & front views in order to show comparison, etc.; these have been indicated in the pics to avoid confusion.  Done in size 20 Anchor Mercer Crochet Cotton.

TIP : Make the central/floating ring picots longer than normal. This space is what lifts up the centre from the petals nicely & visibly. For clarity, picots are labeled A-D

 

Ring 1 is a Split Ring

 

 

 

 

                          

 

When making the 1st SR of each subsequent motif, it is easier to 'split' the working into 3 parts (Figs13-16): 

1. Start with Sh1 1st half 6-4.
2. Make complete 2nd half of SR with Sh2, including the FR, and the last 2ds.
3. Go back to 1st half - join with FR and make the last 2ds. Close ring. 

 

 

 Figs 18-21 show another method of making & attaching the layered rings. This involves tatting from front/top side only ! The entire motif can be accomplished with frontside tatting, without any need to reverse or turn work. 

 

                          

 

Can you begin to see the many possibilities of just this One pattern ?! Just playing with colours & the climbing-out Split rings can give you a wealth of options – linear, squares, rectangles, hexagons, zig-zags, etc. etc. (Fig 25 below, may give some idea. Numbers indicate which ring followed which one ....)

One can alternate colours of central ring as well as petals !

The Floating Rings can be shifted to Between Petals to get 2 layers/rounds of petals simultaneously – a layered flower !

Thank you, Ninetta, for your excellent adaptation of vintage to modern, 

for sharing the same, & for permitting me to share too :-)

Also in the works :

Ninetta’s method for making the Layered Rings And

her innovative Curled Rings with many options

UPDATE : Part 2 of Layered Rings tutorial - Ninetta's method