2D solid tatting

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 Carolyn Craig's journey of 3D solid tatting started with a flat 2D fabric which she first made and shared publicly in 2020.

This was the piece. In her words -

"My first piece of solid tatting was for a tapestry purse in 2020. I tatted a flat piece of solid tatting for tube at the bottom of the purse for a scarf or umbrella."

This is what the 2D solid tatting fabric looks like without the appliqued tatted letters. It is worked continuously in to and fro rows with a shuttle and ball. Thus we work from the front from left to right, turn work and go back from right to left in continuous succession and repetition.

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Above is my first attempt when she privately discussed her process with me. I chose to start with a ring and worked in continuous chains around it.  It is worked all from the front and the joins are made through the waistband of each double stitch (she calls this LFW - lock join front waistband) of the previous round.

My mistake was to use knitting cotton size 10. This is not as firm as crochet cotton. Also I couldn't always make out the joining point and probably fudged.

Nevertheless it gave me enough of an idea of how Carolyn worked her solid tatting.

One can continue this piece and end up with a 3D model but more on that in the next post.

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Meanwhile Carolyn has created a PDF with her pictorial on flat or 2D solid tatting. She graciouslygave me permission to share her work here. I like the applications she included towards the end. 

2-D Solid Tatting with Carolyn Craig April, 2026 PDF - 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12-ti9Ut7j9KXvrubxncW1mK3lnhvRnFE/view

The tutorial starts with a foundation chain rather than a ring and I followed along ....

 

Her tip about using a marker or pin is Really helpful. 

This time I used Anchor crochet cotton size 20 in single colour and worked off a ball with single shuttle.There were some errors and I had to re-tat the 3rd row ... practice will make it neater.

This is how it looks from the back - like knitting!!! Seed stitch as some members said.

TIP: In a square or rectangular piece where we alternate between working rows from the front and the back, all joins are made through the 'hidden picot' since we are not deliberately making any picot.  Carolyn terms this the LBW (Lock join to back waistband), 

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Carolyn pointed out that while some pinholes are fine in a flat piece, if we wish to use it for 3D, the space should be as minimal as possible to avoid any stuffing from being visible. So I continued with tighter stitches ....

You can see the difference between the upper and lower halves. 

Texturally, too, the upper half is stiff. Although I do like the lower one - it feels more cloth-like when handled. Each has its use.

The same sampler from the back. The seed stitch pattern is more obvious in the lower half than the upper one, though it could be my own fault.

At present this is set aside. Oh by the way, I used 7 double stitches per row and am certain there was some fudging at some of the turns.  

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So far, when worked in ROWS of 1DS chains, it is nothing different than Dora Young's patterns. The difference is merely in design; in the combination of dense and open areas. And she deliberately made 'picots' at each lock join. 

Since I last posted, this is how far my Dora Young's Round Pinwheel Doily from her 'All New Knotless Tatting Designs' (2nd ed) has reached.  As of 5th Oct 2025, it is 14 cms or 5.5 inches in diameter. The dense pinwheel is complete and only the open chain rounds are left. However, I ran out of thread and couldn't decide on how to proceed. 

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To recap, 

Solid Tatting is simply dense area(s) in any tatted lace. Usually the dense is interspersed with lighter/airier portions in interesting designs. Solid tatting also includes tatted formations such as blocks, coils, tallies, onion rings, etc. Remember how many of Eleonore Endrucks'  patterns have broad and diversely shaped blocks interspersed with more open areas? Die Schiffchen-Spitzen, 1920 -https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LEVftXweztBIOWh4sL4BB7bX65ssoOsOn4oXIgCepY/view. The difference is that she uses longer chain segments as well as segmented blocks rather than single DS chains. Even before Endrucks. we come across a couple of projects in Lady Hoare's book (1910) where continuous rounds of tiered chains provide a dense highlight to patterns.

UPDATE: Double Chains also offer a solid design option, however they require a minimum of Three threads - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/09/pleasure-and-pondering.html

However solid tatting can also be applied to 3D models as we shall see in the next post. 

Many many thanks to Carolyn .... the best is yet to come! 

Happy Tatting

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A very happy International  Tatting Day to all tatters! 

While I will be tatting and also gobble up some chocolate today, what I am sharing here is a coaster or mat I worked on recently. It is a tessellation pattern by Karen Bovard from her 2013 book, 'MORE Fun With Split Ring Tatting'. 

It is made by joining individual houndstooth motifs on the go and there are slight differences in the motif depending on where it is positioned - whether in the main body or on a side, etc. The tails in the above piece are hidden but not trimmed. These acted as markers for my own comfort.

While the tatting itself is easy if you are comfortable with split rings, the arrangement of where each motif is attached needs careful attention. At least I needed that and had to cut off or retro-tat a few times.

The diagram was for a rectangle but I cut it short to a square. Which meant eliminating a row in the main body. To mark my place I marked the finished motifs in the diagram.

While I like the shape as is, it is not practical to use with all the arms sticking out. Hence I will be filling in the gaps, following Karen's pattern, but also outline it. Trouble is I can't decide the colour! Hubby suggested black or brown (the dark shade here is purple, not black) but I haven't made up my mind. Do you have any suggestions?
 

I had bought this book almost a decade back and so glad to have finally tatted something from it. The instructions at the beginning are very clear and detailed and make it easy to read the diagram-only patterns. There are myriad possible arrangements using some basic motifs as blocks or tiles and their niched arrangement in several patterns reminds one of MC Escher's tessellations. Of course, Karen has a lot of other designs, too as evident in the book covers. There are several I would love to try.

Karen even has a tip about making the split rings more circular. Huh, it just confirms why my own ring was circular too! (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2026/02/who-knew.html)

However, the spine of the book did not allow the book to remain open at the desired page. Hence I scanned and printed out the necessary pages and consulted them. 

UPDATE: (April 2, 2026) Karen has a new site which unfortunately does not show up in my feed. All the material from her old blog are also included in this new site. And she has some great tatting memes going ... looking forward to more. Here's the link - http://www.theshuttlesmith.com/

And I submit this as the 3rd piece for Natalie Rogers' PICOT Bingo 2026 Level 2 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/happy-new-year-147124370). Only one box to cross this time, though this too is a rings-only pattern, viz.,

• Tat from a diagram

flower in flesh in thread

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This post has been waiting to be written for almost a fortnight .... I just couldn't form the words. While I miss chatting through my blog and through comments on other blogs, I was just not in that phase. While I read up most of the blogs during this time, sometimes I simply scrolled through the pics. I hope you will excuse and forgive me for being a lurker.

One morning my hubby brought me this portulaca flower from his garden. Can't say how it looks online, nevertheless it is a beautiful soft pink with dense layers - almost like a carnation! We usually allow these blooms to remain on the plant since they wither very quickly if not in water (unlike the jasmines I posted recently which remained in bloom even after 14 hours without any water). Of the two plants he has, one has already died away 'for no rhyme or reason' but this other one is flourishing quite nicely. We're hoping the number of blooms will keep increasing.

Pic was taken on 30th August 2025 as was the one below.

I had been engaged in doing up a block tatting pictorial in answer to a specific doubt. It spiralled into a virtual ready reckoner of various effects, methods, etc., etc. Had to shelve it for a while but will be back on it in a couple of days. Anyways, my dear friend surprised me with this pattern of Dora Young's Round Pinwheel Doily from her 'All New Knotless Tatting Designs' (2nd ed)! I just had to tat it!

Worked with Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8, ball and shuttle. I had started with grey in shuttle and a yellow ball. It dawned on me that a variegated or tinted thread should work well in such a pattern so I switched to this. 

This pic, taken on the 5th of this month has 17 picot-round completed. Since then I have added more rounds - I'm probably on the 21 picot round (amidst other Endrucks-related behind the scene stuff). 

The green scrap thread is a marker for the start of the round. It's not really required since the pattern is extremely simple and spirals around almost mindlessly. Haven't had to retro-tat even once. 

Not using a picot gauge - I prefer to eye ball picots as much as possible and while I know they are not all even here, it still seems to turn out fine.

The doily is so well-constructed, so well-designed, that it lays flat throughout. The frequent joins in the dense portions give it a nice texture. And it is exactly the type of patterns I enjoy working on -- tatted all from the front!

DAL 2025 challenge

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 Well, I wanted to show some techniques/effects for glossary entries and decided to create a motif to incorporate them. It resulted in a very simple motif, nothing fancy. It may not even be original though I did not refer to or look for any patterns. and it's still a work in progress. 

I kind of like how it looks so far and it could very well be the starting center for a larger motif, if you wish to participate in yet another Design Along (DAL). Tat this two-round motif and then design as many rounds as you wish around it. Sharing your stitch count/pattern is highly appreciated. All will be shared in my blog.

NOTE: I started with a single-shuttle rosette with the intention to cut away later rounds and reuse it for other samples, hence I cut off the thread and hid tails. However, you are free to climb out by making the 6th ring a split ring. Remember to use two shuttles for continuous tatting.

Muskaan's DAL 2025 Challenge

Round 1 - Rosette - one shuttle or two shuttles, continuous thread
ringA: 5-6-6-5. do not reverse work

ringB: 5+6-6-5. do not reverse work

Repeat ringB till you have a total of 6 rings, joining the 6th ring to the first ring.

Cut and hide ends OR climb out with the last ring as a split ring.

Round 2 - Curled Rings  (CR)- one shuttle and ball or continue with two shuttles.
CR: 10-10. Curl around any rosette ring. 
Chain: 2 (-2)×9. Repeat all around. 

NOTE: Picots are 3.5mm high or open picot is 7mm long. [My motif is worked in Anchor size 20, which is similar to Lizbeth size 10).

Hope you like the motif and would be interested in designing and tatting more rounds. Leave a comment or contact/tag me on Facebook or Instagram.

Take it away, friends!

My next round is already decided which is why I have all those picots in the 2nd round. Will share when it is finished. 

Some of my previous DALs can be found here -  https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search/label/DAL

And tutorials/videos for all techniques can be found here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/p/tatting-resources.html

UPDATE (12th March 2025) - the first batch of lovelies! -- https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/03/colour-me-happy.html

the power of 15

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 Technically, the power of a single motif extracted from Endrucks' pattern #15 (E15). Over time several patterns from her book have created a vast range of derivatives, eg., E1, E3, E12, E17, E31, E37, to name a few. E15 falls under the same category!

I've been having tremendous fun tatting up small doodles over the past few weeks. While it means I have side-lined my book editing (which I will take up in earnest again in 2024), I can't feel guilty over the brimming ideas and my largely neglected shuttles trying to give them form. Some pattern pdfs have already been shared with our FB group for the Dec game; others are in the works.

It all started when I spotted a ready-made tree motif in Endrucks' pattern #15 which Ninetta has updated with diagram and written pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hl1EuK-E7tChkL4OsohWjtGLafhp7hcY/view

I quickly tatted up a prototype with size 10 thread and as you can see there isn't much room for change, right! 

Model #2 in metallic cotton size 20. I had started this just like in the prototype, from the lower side ring on the right. This is an easier pathway to tat since the two sides remain unattached till you reach the trunk part. Later I strung beads to brighten it up.

Model #3 - Here I wanted to avoid hiding ends and also make it a tree ornament. Hence started at the top inner ring and ended with a split ring at the tip.

The same with a star to showcase an idea.

E15 TREE DOODLE Pattern PDF : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oq9kkuSN2e0Qnh0N1fUr00MT8HrZ7-cz/view

Hubby saw a bell in the tree! So out came more thread (size 10) and this stylised bell pendant or ornament was born.

The same but this time in metallic thread size 40.

A comparison of the sizes. Hubby wanted an inward curve at the bottom for a more realistic look. Another version for a future project ....

E15  BELL  DOODLE Pattern PDF : 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17m9gxw2vG1oS_mrawfmZI27PpLZ9xFhK/view

Inverted, the bell looked like the bodice of a lady's gown or the torso of an angel. Rough sketch to tackle in the future.

If the sides were brought closer together, the motif would work as a flame!

 

Tatted with one shuttle and the two threads combined.

Flame needs a candle (or a diya), and these were my first trials

E15 Candle version 1 using block tatting. Can be done with ball and shuttle.

It was Ninetta's idea to add a little base ring to the flame.

E15 CANDLE. MOTIF pattern PDF :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tMBmMzvFzvWqYYxcyuGI_edZePXyfaFC/view

Version 2 of the candle is worked alternately with treble stitch chains and double stitch chains. This is still incomplete as I got sidetracked with other motifs 😁

My objective was to create a slight slant in the block tatted chains, but I couldn't achieve it. It will take more experience than I have to get the chains to tilt.

However, my 3rd version is going to use Helix tatting - not only will I get the spiraling effect, it will also be 3D!

Meanwhile, leaves cropped up, too! This is the first model with a mock chain acting as the central vein, and ending with a Josephine chain stalk. 

This is how it looked fresh off the shuttles. However, it flattened after blocking and has stayed flat, although I like the 3D option.

E15 Leaf Doodle #2 using two types of twisted picots - one for the tip and one for the stalk.

The 3rd model started off with a different idea but midways I let my shuttles take over and ended with this. Lock chains make up the vein and stalk. I don't like the picots here!

All 3 together, and I still have so many ideas I'd like to tat!

What are leaves without a flower and its the season for Poinsettias - a no-brainer.

After the first layer of 3 petals, I continued with a lower layer of slightly larger petals. This is still a WIP where I need to add the yellow center, etc. 

QUESTION: Are 6 petals enough or should I add one more large petal below? I don't want it to look too symmetrical and adding another petal will move them slightly. 

I value your opinion.

After tatting the first 2 petals of the poinsettia, they looked like a great idea to tweak into a Butterfly or wings for an angel!

TIP: In all models I have deliberately used a self-closing mock ring (SCMR) at the tip for 2 reasons - 

1. in most cases the doodle or motif can be worked without the need for a 2nd shuttle;

2. more importantly, I find it sits much better than a thrown ring would have without anchoring picots at its sides.

I made a hitch (unflipped half-stitch) after closing the SCMR.

Meanwhile, one of our prolific members created a Star with the same motif! Ninetta and I quickly compiled a pattern pdf for it and included it in our Dec game. There are several more patterns to choose from in our game this month. Hopefully you will join us. All links in the side panel of my blog at the very top.

I will try to share the pattern for these remaining models, too.

flower party begins

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 I needed a bit of a break from all the compywork, reviewing, etc. - it kind of clogs one's brain. Mind you, I discovered a new technique and the 'inventor' graciously shared a lot. More on that in the future. 

So what better break than picking up ones shuttles and sneaking in a bit of tatting time!

Anetta had shared her Garden Party doily pattern a few months back and it was on my to-tat list. I finally succumbed to the temptation and started out....

Pattern: https://www.jamiolowo.blog/2023/07/frywolitkowy-wzor-garden-party.html

I truly love the soft pastels she uses in her tatting and tried to emulate her. This is a tinted shade from Red Rose size 20. 

The first 2 plus rounds measure 6.5 cms diagonally and 3.5cms along each side of the hexagon.

Isn't this a beautiful shape as is?!

I tweaked the sequence a bit in order to manage colour placement. The thrown rings at the tip are actually normal rings in Round 3 of the original pattern. I climbed out with 2 split rings, moving clockwise in the 2nd round.

I wasn't going to post anything till it was completed. But I just so love this shape and wanted to share my joy!

Anetta has also taken up the task of diagramming patterns from Tina Frauberger's 1919 book,  "Schiffchenspitze". https://www.jamiolowo.blog/2023/10/tina-frauberger-znana-i-nieznana.html. Something more to look forward to. It's always a pleasure to read her posts - there is so much beauty this talented lady creates in different crafts!

simple samplers

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 Like I said in my previous post, I'm trying to do a bit of everything so as to make progress on each simultaneously instead of letting one project get left behind totally. Following are samplers I did for Interlocking Picots. When one needs an extreme close-up of a model, the warts show up, LOL. So, try and try again! And use them as a SOUP idea.

I've done these before and even compared similar picot styles at least twice. See list of related post links below. Yet the interlocking this time didn't seem as obvious as before. 

Interlocking picots are picots made after every half-stitch in a Josephine ring and they should be within a certain length range for the interlocking to show up clearly.. 

Watch Karen Cabrera's video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7XbtXhpN-4

and my Measuring the Picot -

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kk6rtyIUvo5JFA5u3vE3ruU2Z7zQ9fuq/view

Anchor size 20 threads were used. I intend to glue them on a card, adding in some greens and perhaps a ribbon. They cannot be sewn down neatly because the lovely ornamental picots are easily pulled out of shape! These are certainly handle-with-care picots, for show only ;-D

Just wanted to say a quick 'Hi' and hopefully sneak in a few more posts before this month ends.

Related Posts

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2016/08/picking-on-picots.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-huff-puff-and-tuft.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/08/gauging-lie-of-land.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-picot-stands-tall.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2020/07/picoted-josephines.html

impressions

Pin It now! Another gapsosis in my blogging! However, this time I have been busy with editing, reviewing, proofing, pdf-isation, and yes, actual Tatting! I try to juggle both my time and my tasks to accommodate and make progress on each front.

This is what I am currently tatting, although there is a lot more to come.... I couldn't resist showing you a little peek. This month's game in our EP FB group was to use at least two colours in a select range of 7 edging patterns, where the motifs resembled a tree. 

I intended to add beads for additional colours and symbolism, but found they were mostly too large for the size 40 threads I chose.

However, I did use symbolism in terms of shades and picot numbers and sizes. 

All tatted with one shuttle (with green) and ball (brown), using reverse join or simple transposing of threads to keep the shuttle in play.

Can you identify the impression I am trying to convey here? Pretty straightforward I would think ;-P

Mind you there are mistakes in three of the motifs; only the topmost center is correct. I don't know what my issue was - eyesight, maths, or the chains. Thankfully trees don't have to be symmetrical and I doubt anybody can identify the mistakes at a glance.

Perhaps it is a phase I am going through, 'coz I miscounted the number of repeats in a doily/coaster I was test-tatting and reviewing for Ninetta! Fortunately the 7 repeats instead of 8 worked out fine, too, and it turned into a variation.

The above pattern is the modern reworking for Endrucks' pattern #14 by Ninetta Caruso and the pdf can be downloaded from the EP doc. She has done an excellent job of diagramming and writing the pattern, including a corner adaptation. (links on the right panel, top).