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 !

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 ….

I’ve got you covered!

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And just in time, phew!!! What an exciting range of projects to start off this month’s task of covering a cabone ring. I want to make each and every one of them someday. It was Renata’s turn to choose this time – Summer in Circle.

This is my April submission for 'I Love Tatting' –

Royal Wave Bangle

 with free pattern directions

I didn’t have any hollow ring except for my loads of now neglected bangles which are unfortunately all circular. And I wasn’t confident with a glass bangle, so went with this metallic one despite the golden knobs projecting along the circumference. They made covering it more difficult and despite my diligence, the green peeps out at places.

Turns out I’d forgotten and had to consult tutorials on cabone tatting. This was a good refresher after my first bangle. 

But this time I wanted to use 2 colours alternately as a personal challenge. I chose thread colours to complement the lovely beads Usha sent me. These are vintage threads and closer to a size 50 or finer than the Anchor size 40 they claim to be ;-P

TIP : The thread not in use is encapsulated/hidden within the visible colour. The trick is simple. Keep the ‘not-in-use’ shuttle dangling and encapsulation becomes easy. The thread tends to stay alongside the bangle. Merely ensure that you pull the thread taut before switching colours.

I used scraps of the purple thread and had to join new thread at least 3 times, using a simple weaver’s knot and then encapsulating all tails within the next few stitches. This tiny knot is not visible.

Basic Pattern is simple and can be adjusted to any bangle size. I didn't have any specific pattern in mind - just let my shuttles take the lead.

Round 1 - covering the bangle (cabone tatting)

ROUND 1 : 2 shuttles each with different colour

2 vsp 4 vsp 2, switch colour and repeat, till end.

Carry the previous colour along the bangle, encapsulated within the stitches.

I ended up with 18 repeats of each colour.

Round 2A - Rollicking Waves - overlapping/interlaced chains 

ROUND 2A : Rollicking Waves

Next I strung beads to the 2 balls and joined these to the 2 shuttles to continue the next round. This round is all chains with beads on picots. Chains are interlaced/overlapping, so before making a lock join, ensure the threads are in the right position.

Chain1 : 2 B 2 B 2 B 2 B 2 B 2. switch shuttle.

Start next chain behind.

Chain2 : 2 B 2 B 2 B 2 B 2 B 2. SS

Lock join Chain1 to nearest picot, and Chain2 to next picot, ensuring the under/over overlap.

Repeat to end.

Round 2B - Frolicking Waves- undulating, overlapping chains 

ROUND 2B - Frolicking Waves

I tried something different ¾^th of the way around to change the shape of the 'waves'. Made the chains longer and twirled them around the bangle, joining to a picot above. The overlap continued as before.

There are between 6-8 beads in each chain before joining. And both shuttle & ball need to be passed through the bangle.

Finished off with 2 strings of beads and a teardrop at the end.

Hubby was rolling his eyes when I was choosing a bangle, wondering what I’m going to do with them after so many years - I stopped wearing them ages ago but still have a huge stash. Gradually, as the tatting started taking shape (including the simple covering without beads), he was all excited and ideated… how I could make earrings, and so on. Yeah, he’s finally ‘getting’ tatting – I’ve got him covered ;-P

I can’t thank Usha enough for her lovely seed beads. They are a delight to work with!

Do check out the beautiful projects (and tutorial links) lined up for

April’s I Love Tatting challenge here.

Thank you Renata, for another inspiring challenge :-)

tatting brings in joyful waves of creativity and togetherness

All in chains

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free chains-only tatting pattern and prototypes

Numerous circumstances have ensured that the last couple of months were fairly unproductive for me. I haven’t touched a shuttle for the major part of this duration. Even presentation and working at the desktop was limited. Well, backlog is about to suffocate me, but things are finally settling down ;-P

Hence, deviating from my usual style, I have decided to start sharing the patterns that were meant for Set II of the TWoT series, while I continue to work on the latter at an intermittent pace. I was so hoping to get all snowflakes & other patterns up before the holiday season, but the Grinch is at play; so proper pdfs may have to wait for a bit.  

Bangle Enchained pattern is final & written on the picture itself for sharing at this point. 

The other two are prototype doodles, with the pathway and main details notated. The stitch count can be personalized.

The last is an old prototype which I never got around to reworking again (hope to soon).

There are many personal firsts here !!!

Bangle Enchained

My first attempt at Tatting over a ring/bangle and embellished jewellery. Marie's (West Pine Creations) excellent Embellishment Tatting tutorial gave me the immediate impetus to overcome my dithering.

My design process - I had started with the blue one, but didn't like it. 

Materials :

2 shuttles

Bangle

Gold Metallic seed beads – 10 per repeat

Anchor Mercer Crochet size 20 – 4054 00046 (red)

Anchor Embroidery Thread – 3 strands of M101 (gold!)

(Well, it’s supposed to be gold & my old skein is definitely golden. But these new 2016 skeins are closer to copper!)

Techniques:

Lock Join 

SLT (shoelace trick) or Reverse Join 

covering  plastic (cabone) ring with tatting – Jennifer Williams & Jane Eborall 

Block tatting – you can choose your favorite method of block tatting.

I covered the bangle with tatting - it was quite mesmerizing! There are tiny picots for the next round to join to. Covering is optional - one can join directly on to the bangle/ring as one tats, as seen in the design process pic.

I think the abbreviations are self-explanatory or can be referenced from the tatting model. In case of any difficulty, free free to ask.

To get the Oriental arch/curve in the block instead of a well-defined angular block, I used a combination of Julie Patterson’s and Patty Dowden’s methods of block tatting.

The only changes made to Julie’s instructions: instead of a 1 double stitch (or reverse stitch) riser before each chain, I used 2 half stitches

(two unflipped second half stitches when starting red chain ;

two first half stitches when starting gold chain)

Two similar half stitches causes the chain to fold slightly, thus decreasing the sharp edge of a block.

TIP : After the 3 beads are brought forward in the block, and lock joined, make SLT in order to switch shuttles IF working with 2 colours. In single colour, this step is not necessary.

Moreover, instead of (lock join & SLT), one can make a Reverse Join which is basically encapsulating the other thread when making a lock join. This automatically switches threads. It is what I used for my tatting.

Second shuttle was joined after covering the bangle. 

The 3 strands of metallic embroidery thread tend to show a white inner core at times. Hence care needs to be taken when tatting.

I think this might look fine as a tree ornament,  if suspended ?

Block Leaf (a prototype)

Recently I did a comparative & exploratory study of block tatting, and this leaf form emerged from it. It starts out as a regular 5-chain block of 6 stitches each, then moves down & around in a broadening V-shaped block, with CWJ at center. The stitch count increases as required. Reworking of stitch count is required to bring a few loose chains lie more compactly. The short stem is a chain folded twice using same half stitches.

Pathway is indicated with numbers & arrows on the picture of the tatted model, and the 2 colours used. After joining the 5^th chain normally, it continues down in the V shape …. I followed Martha Ess' excellent notes for the increase.

Snail Doodle (a prototype)

This coil is another first for me. Oh, I’ve made (and love) curlicues/dead end chains, but to make a closed coil using the CWJ and without any picots, was a first. Coils are also known as Catherine Wheels (and a gruesome story behind it), hence the name of join – Catherine Wheel Join. Other names for the same join – Dora Young Join, onion ring join.

I had fun making it in size 20.

Heart Block Doodle (a prototype)

Here’s a little puzzle for those interested … trace the pathway of this tiny Heart block doodle. I had tatted this back in 2014 – my 3^rd block ever (the first 2 are seen on the left side; I was following Jane Eborall’s tutorial) & when I was asked for the pattern recently it took me while to confirm what/how. Reworking & pattern will have to wait till I can pick up my shuttles, though I did find the starting stitchcount & diagram !
I had designed this for a very specific purpose - it was meant for the I Love Tatting doodle. Later changed it to a dimpled heart.

FYI – I got stuck during the process of changing my patterns & design page . Please consider a work still in progress. I had decided to change it in order to make space to accommodate all the patterns that will be included. I’m trying to make the pics thumbnails. Any help & advice is highly valued !

That's it for the present ... more soon :-)

happy tatting always :-)