the hedgehog turns !

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The Hedgehog Turns !

(tatted on July 28, 2015)

While deep into the Cluny Tatting series I posted last year, some relaxation & distraction was in line. 

It came in the form of this cute hedgehog pattern that I first saw on Craftree, here . What drew me to the pattern was the use of Reverse Ring (RR) . I hadn’t done this since my first time in Teri’s Dandelion ChainLink Bookmark ! High time I tried it again. (In 1998, Teri called it the Split Quadruple Directional Ring (SQDR).

And sure enough I had forgotten ! SQDR or RR is tatted all from the front, including the thrown rings that emerge from it. But I used reverse order stitches in the thrown rings. That’s how the hedgehog turned !!!

RainBeau the 2009 Appalachian Festival Hedgehog *

Ruth Perry (Rozella Linden) 

Materials :
Anchor Mercer Crochet Cotton Size 20. Shade White w/ Tan 4054-1218

2-shuttles CTM.

It measures approx. 3”x 1½” 

Techniques used : 

SQDR or RR, fs/bs tatting (RODS), decorative picots, thrown/floating rings, padded double stitch, SLT (or turn work/folded chain or direct tatting) , split ring, lock join.

Abbreviations :

CTM - continuous thread method of winding 2 shuttles

LTROR – loop-tatted ring on ring

pds- padded double stitch

RODS – reverse order double stitch (as in frontside/backside tatting)

RR – reverse ring

SCMR – self-closing mock ring

SQDR - split quadruple directional ring

My Notes

The central ring can be tatted in at least 3 different ways:

i.         SQDR / RR (remember to tat from front only & post shuttle 2 before closing ring)

ii.       Mock Ring ( preferrably SCMR) with thrown rings

iii.      LTROR (loop-tatted ring on ring) 

We are quite spoiled for choices :-)

As mentioned above, I tatted the thrown rings in RODS. Decided to continue with RODS in chains, resulting in a hedgehog that faces the opposite direction to the one in the pattern ! This pic shows the hedgehog from the back side.

Added more picots for a fuller spinier back. At one point I thought of making twisted picots (floating) but wasn’t in mood to do the twist. 

I most probably skipped the SLT for snout. Either made a folded chain (vsp, 2 half stitches) to turn the chain; or I may have switched shuttles for direct tatting (reverse stitch). I don't quite remember after 1 full year.

Used padded double stitch for tail : 1pds(3,3), 1pds(3,2), 1pds(2,2), 1pds(2,1). Tie & cut.

Basically, 4 padded ds with decreasing number of wraps .

I could’ve added a black seed bead for eye. (shown in the pic is a painted black eye).

The piece is unblocked - fresh off the shuttles.

Many thanks to Ruth, for sharing this cute & fun pattern

happy tatting :-)

I'm on a tatting-free break for the past week in order to recharge my batteries. Yes, there is a whole backlog of posts (projects, tat-alongs, tutorials) & tatting to accomplish, but it was getting stressful & slow-paced. I am, however, taking this opportunity to upload some such old projects & reduce the backlog a tad.

update : 
This segment is in response to a question in the comments below.
It is a quick post, & limited to my understanding at this point in time. Hope there are no errors !

common threads - SET II 

Ring with thrown rings

I have included 5 techniques by which we can have thrown rings on a ring : SQDR, RR, SCMR, LTROR.

What is Split Quadruple Directional Ring (Teri Dusenbury) 

or Reverse Ring (Ruth Perry) ?

(( Direct tatting aka reverse stitch, wrapped stitch, unflipped stitch, hitch, encapsulation, 2nd half of split ring stitch. ))

• I learned Split Quadruple Directional Ring SQDR from Teri’s instructions & diagrams which form part of her bookmark pattern. Can perhaps be called Split Ring with thrown rings or Rings off Split Rings. 
• I don’t have Ruth’s tutorial or instructions for Reverse Ring (RR). But her RainBeau hedgehog pattern instructions/diagram seemed to suggest that it was very similar to SQDR.
• So what is SQDR or RR ? It is a ring worked with direct tatting or like the 2nd half of a split ring.
• We start with a loop of SH1, but use SH2 to make the unflipped stitches, thus moving in a counterclockwise direction.
• Rings can be thrown off this central ring, using SH2.
• The entire central ring can be completed in this fashion & it will be a RR, as in the hedgehog above.
• The central ring can be started as a split ring (SR) & then worked in direct tatting, making it a SQDR. (in this case, rings can also be thrown off with SH1 on the 1^st side of SR), as in the Dandelion ChainLink bookmark pattern where the first part of central ring starts with a single double stitch. The rest of the pattern is worked as a reverse ring with thrown rings.
• In both cases, we are tatting True Rings.
• We need to remember to post the shuttle through ring before closing it.

This video of Rings off Split Rings by Karen Cabrera will give a very good idea of how to work such rings, and the possibilities can be visualized.

• We can get the same effect using SCMR, which is perhaps easier if one is not used to direct tatting. In Self Closing Mock Ring, the central ring is a Mock Ring - a chain, from which rings can be thrown off. It is worked in clockwise direction, with normal Double Stitches. And we need to post the shuttle through the loop left at the beginning, before tensioning it. 
• In SCMR, all thrown rings are limited to SH2 (as in RR).

• Another technique where we can throw rings off a ring is Loop-Tatted Ring on Ring (LTROR). 

I came across this term & tutorial/diagram from  Anastasija P.Yelisejeva

In relation to the above : It is a True Ring. The thrown rings are also true rings, tatted using a loop pulled out from the ring loop itself. Tatting follows a clockwise direction. 

I used LTROR for part of Iris Niebach's doily It has an added advantage of being naturally blipfree, unlike a SCMR.

Another advantage : these can be worked with a single shuttle.

Karen's video for LTROR

To Summarize :

1. In all the above 4 methods, multiple rings can be thrown all around the central ring. And when the central ring if finally closed, the thread(s) emerge at the base/start. 
2. SQDR & RR are worked in counterclockwise direction, and we need to tat the thrown rings from the backside of the work ; LTROR & SCMR are worked all from the front, in clockwise direction.
3. SQDR, RR, SCMR require 2 shuttles ; LTROR can be done with single shuttle & finger tatting.
4. SQDR, RR, LTROR are true rings ; SCMR has a central mock ring.

Which technique one chooses will be determined by ...

• colour placement, when working with 2 colours 
• skill level, 
• pattern requirement, 
• number of shuttles used, etc.

Related Posts : Dandelion ChainLink bookmark using SQDR

all about the padded double stitch
LTROR in Niebach doily, with notes
SSSR with thrown rings in Sunshine Snowflake Lace
Common threads Set I

Kitty with an Auxiliary Tale

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A blue-eyed Tortoiseshell Kitty !

“Kitty Face”

Designer : L Shelby *

This kitty face was designed & shared by Lavenderbard, here, as a Halloween piece. She shares the pattern on her site, and is in the process of preparing a pdf too.

I got a bit muddled up on my first test trial. Sometimes I focus too little, sometimes too much :-( Or was my long-term Eleonore’s Angels Project messing up my neurons ? Whatever it was, the 1^st trial was left unfinished because of a mistake that needed untatting or snipping, I decided to start afresh. This first attempt, though, did help me get a clearer picture ; and the experience was applied to tat it my way (I always have to challenge myself, why?!). 

Fur colour choice was inspired by Ginny's working of this adorable cat, here , and without realizing, mine turned out to be a  blue-eyed Tortoiseshell cat ! Thanks Grace & Lavenderbard - didn't know it was a "tortie" :-)

Techniques (including those I used) : starting chain with vsp, Split Ring, very small joining picots, Lock Join, CTM, Turn Work (I used Fold/Turn Chain instead), auxiliary thread tatting, Single Shuttle Split Ring, Catherine Wheel Join,.

Thread : Anchor Mercer Crochet Cotton, size 20.

Variegated fur -1218 ; Blue eyes – 0131 ; black ears & nostrils. 

I loaded 2 shuttles, CTM, with variegated thread. Since both shuttles had same thread, I did not have to worry about colour blips, etc.

A study of the pattern showed that the 2 other colours were required in Rings, & each ring was anchored. So, auxiliary threads should work well, I reasoned. Here’s how I did the rings using short lengths of auxiliary thread ...AND  NO  KNOTS !

UPDATE :

I was given to understand that the following is a bit technical.  That made me realise that I hadn't set it down logically or rationally. So let me try to explain .....
When we use auxiliary thread,  ie., a 3rd thread, one of the 3 threads is usually Encapsulated or hidden within, and carried along to the point where it is made visible again; and at that time, one of the other threads/colour may become encapsulated.  Encapsulation requires Unflipped or Reverse Stitches.

What I attempted was simply to add a 3rd thread of desired colour at a given point, tat 'normally' (without encapsulation) , and then continue along with original 2 threads. No need to carry a 3rd colour for any distance, hidden.  Simply bring in where necessary....

Moreover,  I didn’t have to use knots anywhere. Also, the resin why the blue/auxiliary thread was not joined at base of ring right at beginning,  was so I could get the final SSSR loop to become anchored, since the ring is not a 'free' ring - it is joined to the chain picot .

I hope this brings some more clarity ? Thank you so so much for the feedback !

I have not shared stitch counts & other details ... For that please refer to the pattern at L Shelby's site (direct link given above).

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

For Eyes & Ears  

1. 1^st eye made. One can see the cut blue tail ends. 

I’ve now reached the point where 2^nd eye needs to be made.  

2. Start the ring ‘separately’, hiding the tail within first few stitches; 

and join to the picot on left.

 3. Continue & complete the ring as an SSSR. Close ring. But before pulling the lower loop, pass SH2 through the loop, to anchor/lock the SSSR.

4. Then pull the loop tight, having encapsulated SH2 thread.

5. The ring is now anchored at base (as if it had started right there). Cut the blue tail end (or if you prefer to sew it in …) and continue tatting with the 2 main shuttles.

[ After completing this right eye (Ring C),  I made a CWJ to join to the central nose ring (Ring B). That is the only place it was used.]

Similarly, add black auxiliary thread twice for ears (again SSSRs).

There was one hitch, though. The tip of the ear has a 1ds, picot, 1ds join, which became tricky with the SSSR. So, I had to skip that part & continue, thus making the ears more pointy. But I’m still happy with the result.

For Nostrils 

The lower nostrils are Split Rings, and include a chain in black. Hence, for this, one can cut off SH2 thread before starting with the SR (or leave the SH2 thread dangling, & cut it off right at the end & hide).

Make SR in 2 colours, using black auxiliary thread, continue with chain above, in black (with SH1 core thread), climb down through the right 2-coloured SR, and then continue with black as core thread & beige stitches showing in the chin. Join to starting picot & tie & cut & hide.

L Shelby has done a tremendous job of diagramming & writing out the pattern in detail. Love her quirky kitty-ear-shaped picot notations in the text :-)

One can use this face as a little mask on a stuffed toy/ornament, by blocking over a curved surface ! Finished face measures 2”x 2¼” in size 20

I haven’t blocked the piece – my laziness got to me again :-(

happy tatting :-)

Motif #11/III for 25 Motif Challenge