quick tatting

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 I first shared a pic of my Fan Palm motif or pendant here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/bead-tatting.html . Now I have the pattern ready --- 

Fan Palm Motif/Pendant by Muskaan (March2025) pattern PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16amEUnVT7ERSySRJqbMsj0af0Xu_MFsP/view

It is a simple motif that can be worked with a ball and shuttle and the beads are not pre-strung. 

It is a prototype I made to show beads over/on a picot. These beads are slipped over the long measured picots at the time of joining. Or they can be slipped over the picot while it is being formed, and held with a paper clip or marker. I prefer the former to avoid beads and clips getting in the way of smooth tatting. 

Measuring the Picot (including using beads as a picot gauge) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kk6rtyIUvo5JFA5u3vE3ruU2Z7zQ9fuq/view

I deliberately chose to do a mock ring since I did not know how big I wanted it. And then made an under-over or alligator join across the start of the chain. There are several ways to make the under-over join (alligator join is only one of them). Refer to my pictorials here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/05/mock-rings-1-under-and-over-join.html  and https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/05/mock-rings-1-u-o-join-continued.html

The diagram in the PDF is simply a guide. You can choose to tat with two shuttles if you wish to empty them of leftover threads. You can even work the mock ring as a true ring and without need for an under-over join. 

For a plain, flat leaf, avoid any beads on the picots. 

I used 4mm beads, but you can choose smaller ones and adjust their number accordingly. Oh dear, I've been so flaky lately that I forgot to take a pic of this on a chain. Hmm, not too difficult to imagine, right?

This is such a quick tat, really, and easily adaptable to any thread and bead size. Or go all around for a floral motif! Hope you enjoy the pattern. 

a simple solution

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 A month back, Ines-Carmen Wischniewski asked for help in a FB group. She wanted to load seed beads on an existing picot but her crochet hook was too large for the small beads. She received answers and finally this is what she came up with.... Sharing with her gracious permission.

1. The Objective - To add seed beads on the long chain picots (in the lace below). 

2. The Dilemma - Size mismatch or tools lacking. Beads are smaller or thread is thicker. 

I use the following methods whichever works for the project in hand --

• My go-to is using a fine crochet hook obviously.
• If possible, I use this threader which I showed here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/07/productive-designs.html
•  And when both these fail, I use the finest tapestry needle threaded with sewing thread. After inserting the needle through the picot, I tie the thread in a simple, slim knot. Then needle the beads and pass them over the picot. Then snip off the thread near the knot and reuse. This is very effective, but a bit cumbersome. Hence you can imagine my excitement at seeing this easy threader hack!

3. The Hacked Threader - Ines-Carmen solved her dilemma by cutting the wire threader on one side. In the photo 3 beads are loaded on the wire.

4. The Hook - The cut portion of the wire acts like a crochet hook to snag the picot. The beads are moved over this 'hook' towards the picot.

5. The Transfer - The 3 beads are then transferred on to the picot, leaving the threader 'hook' free to be removed.

6. Continue - The join is made to the beaded picot and tatting continues. Notice the hacked threader lying on the side.

I remember buying a beading wire with some findings a few years back, hoping to use it to thread beads. It turned out to be too thick for the purpose. Threader wires are fine, hence work nicely. 

The Backstory - This is where it all started. A simple insertion which Ines-Carmen thought to convert to 3D. But there were no picots. So she had this idea to sew the edges at intervals and cover the thread with bead(s). Since it worked, she decided to tat a real model but encountered the above dilemma and then found the solution! 

See the transformation into 3D earrings in this mini video - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HmAwUzaskmukA3_gxsYVSAPjplm2NV66/view

There is always a new or different way to do things! You never know what might work or be a better option. I have a couple of projects lined up where I can use this in the near future. Also, it does not necessarily have to be beads on a picot. We can use it to add a free bead wherever required during the work in progress. 

Many many thanks to Ines-Carmen for sharing