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

variant tatting

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At the end of May I received this lovely cheerful version of my Just So Coaster tatted by Vani Kattoju. She designed a variation on the last round based on my original. 

Notice how she used Lousie Uteg' stacked rings but shifted their placement for a less dense round than mine. Alternating with these clusters is lower motif with a thrown Josephine knot/ring for a cute point.

At my request, she quickly and graciously shared her pattern ...

Round 6 counts are inked on the model above. It is best to use 2 shuttles, ctm, to throw off the JK neatly. 

Find the complete pattern here - 

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/04/just-so-tatting.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/comfort-tatting.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/stop-tatting.html

And Padma's version here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/identity-tatting.html

Many many thanks, Vani, for being a real trooper!

stop tatting

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Not literally, of course! But do read on for the full story ...

I didn't want to bore you with the continuing saga of my Just So Coaster, but it is one of the few pieces of tatting I can show at present; one of the very few that doesn't need too much effort to present. 

After round 5 the only thing I was sure about was to bring back the cream shade from round 3. After rejecting several design ideas, when I finally zeroed in on what felt good, I started second-guessing my choice of the shade. Asked hubby (all cream or cream rings with pink chains) and he said go ahead with all cream cautioning me that I would need to add another round with the dark pink shade outlining the piece. No problem, it was intended!

This is another scroll round with a slight difference. That is Not gapsosis you see between the triad rings. It is a deliberate design element and a version of stacked rings. Last year Anita Barry reworked a doily from the 1970s (by L. Uteg) which had 7 or more such contiguous rings with bare thread deliberately left at the base to maintain the curvature of the round and also act as a picot for joining future elements/rounds.

I only used three rings per set so it is essentially a trefoil here with overlapping rings.

ROUND 6: A scroll with stacked ring sets.

Start with the 1st ring and move counterclockwise.

Each ring has 14 stitches and is joined in the middle to a picot on Round 5.

Chain counts are inked in the model above, with a lock join to Round 5.

TIP: For the mirror-image sets, each subsequent ring is worked or positioned 'above' the other. In the right set, leave a bit of bare thread space (yes, gapsosis!) between each ring and while joining to the previous round, position it behind the previous ring.

In size 10 Anchor Knitting Cotton, and after 6 rounds, the coaster now measures 15.5cms in diameter.

Sadly the pics don't do justice to how beautiful it really looks on my glass dining table. Anyways, when I showed hubby the coaster, he said stop tatting! It looks complete and beautiful just as it is, Just So! 

Yes, I agreed. I will certainly stop with this piece since I wouldn't know what to do with this thick 'hot pad?' when it grows larger.

However, I'm not done designing. I still feel the urge to continue with more rounds. The only way out is to start afresh with size 20 or 40 crochet cottons. Let's see ....

Related Posts
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/04/just-so-tatting.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/comfort-tatting.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/identity-tatting.html

identity tatting

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 It was called a coaster, and coaster it shall be!

Padma Madayam surprised me with her Rounds 1 to 4 of my Just So Coaster soon after I had posted the pattern last month! However it escaped her notice that I was using size 10 knitting cotton which is a pretty thick thread. Worked in size 20 crochet cotton, her 'coaster' turned out to be too small for a coaster! And after my coaxing, she embarked on a journey to make her coaster a coaster! This is the beauty that emerged ....

Her coaster now measures 15.5 cms after the addition of two more rounds designed by her and which she has kindly shared with us. No more identity crisis ;-D

This is her first four rounds following my pattern here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/04/just-so-tatting.html

And following is her pattern for rounds 5 & 6, inked in the image as well as written notations ...

ROUND 5 (designed by Padma Mandayam) - a scroll with rings facing outwards.  This can be worked with a ball and shuttle, continuous thread, if working as separate round.  See NOTE for continuous tatting ... 

  Ring1: 4 - 3 - 3 - 4. RW

Chain1: 5 + 2 + 2 + 5, RW

  Ring2: 4 - 3 - 4 - 4. RW

Chain2: 5 + 1 + 5, RW

Repeat all around. Join last chain to base of first ring, tie, cut, hide ends. 

 

ROUND 6 (designed by Padma Mandayam) - this scroll round has trefoils and all rings face inwards (towards the center).  This can be worked with a ball and shuttle, continuous thread, if working as separate round.

  Ring1: 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3. do not RW

  Ring2: 3 +(to ring1) 3 - 3 +(to round5 ring) 3 - 3 - 3. do not RW

  Ring3: 3 +(to ring2) 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3. RW

Chain1: 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3, RW

  Ring4: 5 +(to ring3) 5 - 5 - 5. RW

Chain2: 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3, RW 

Repeat all around. joining Ring1 to Ring4, and final Ring4 to first Ring1. Join last chain to base of 1st ring. Tie, cut, hide ends. 

NOTE: For continuous tatting of rounds 5 & 6, use 2 shuttles, CTM: Make last ring of round 5 a split ring to climb out, and climb in to round 6 with a split ring for Ring2. Adjust tatting sequence accordingly, ending the round with Ring1. 

If you visit her timeline in Facebook, Padma makes superb beaded jewellery including beaded crochet ropes, besides tatting and crochet. She sent me two pics sharing her crochet and tatted coaster sets (six each). An accomplished lady for sure. Padma has also worked on several Endrucksian derivatives despite having joined recently, and participated in my DALs!

Many many thanks, Padma, for sharing this beautiful version of a properly-sized coaster :-))))

Related Posts 

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/comfort-tatting.html  (my round 5)

comfort tatting

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 Wonder why I find this my go-to for comfort?! Is it because it increases in girth so fast, the knitting cotton being a size 10? Perhaps, because it is easy on my eyes when working late into the night and secondly I have been so involved with sample tatting that I couldn't take time out to tat larger doilies. And since my resolution is to keep the design simple, each round tats up real quick.

This is how I started Round 5, but noticed that the previous round started to cup. Tried tugging on the new round, but realised it wouldn't work and the stitch count needed to be modified.

Snipped off the core thread in each chain but left the rings there. Two advantages - 

1. I saved the knotting thread (maroon) [Jane McLellan's tip - https://janemactats.blogspot.com/2015/03/snip-rings-not-chains.html ]

 and more importantly

2. when flattened, it was easier to work out the increase in stitches to avoid cupping.

And here's the pattern inked on the pic! Another scroll round.

Round 5 of the Just So Coaster

There are enough picots in this round to add a 6th round when I need some comfort tatting ;-D I have no idea how it will progress though. I only know that the cream will be back! 

It measures 12.5 cms across BUT remember I am tatting with thick thread (Anchor knitting cotton, size 10). Your model might be much smaller in tatting cotton. Nevertheless, feel free to design your own next round and share.

Pattern for the previous 4 rounds is shared here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/04/just-so-tatting.html

TIP: If you wish to work the coaster in one pass, ensure the last chain in Round 4 is worked as a split chain, followed by a mock or false picot and then a split ring.

just so tatting

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Over the past few weeks I had been receiving versions of the DAL 2025 challenge and I was feeling very inspired and motivated, itching to design/tat. While I couldn't focus on adding another round for my own DAL version, I picked up a motif I had worked for the glossary and decided to tat around it. My aim was to keep it simple.

For many samples I have been using Anchor knitting cotton size 10. This is very thick but smooth and a bit loosely twisted. Sometimes it is necessary to be attentive while tensioning the stitches to keep them uniform. Nevertheless, I do enjoy tatting with it. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to use such thick pieces in SOUP tatting. So I am happy that this has now become a good size for a coaster (9cms across).

Sharing the pattern for the Just So Coaster if anybody is interested. I was simply winging it but it lays flat.

• It can be worked continuously in one pass by climbing out with mock picots, split chains and split ring. Trace the path before you start. Otherwise, enjoy working as individual rounds and play with colours. 2 shuttles are required only if you wish to tat it in one pass. 
• Count for each round is marked in a different colour.
• It starts with a central ring with long picots, followed by two rounds of chains lock joined below.
• The 3rd round is a scroll with rings and chains. I wanted the smaller rings to overlap a wee bit but they ended up only squished together. Both small rings are joined to the same picot of previous round while the large ring is joined to the hidden picot above the lock join.
• Again a chains-only round with medium sized picots. 

There are pics for individual rounds - WIP and/or completed. However, I doubt they are needed and would take too much time to notate. Hence I hope the inked count along with my notes will suffice. 

• And if working as separate rounds, it is a beginner pattern with only rings, chains, picots, picot joins and lock joins and each round can be worked with a ball and one shuttle, CTM.

I deliberately have picots on the last round in the event I feel like adding one or more rounds. 

Feel free to extend the design to more rounds, if you wish, but do share it with me. All my contact details are on the top right panel of my blog.

****

UPDATE (3rd May, 2025): Round 5 is shared here https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2025/05/comfort-tatting.html and end Round 4 with a split chain for continuous tatting. 

****

I hadn't intended for the scroll round to be so overwhelmingly ecru. So it lay around for some inspiration. It was a happy coincidence that I bought new threads from a 'new to me' online store. I needed more contrasting colours in this knitting cotton to work on the samplers and as soon as the package was delivered my mind was made up with this maroon shade! 

Since it was my first time with this store, I bought single balls/sets of different types of threads/brands so that I know what to expect in future, except for the six knitting cotton shades. And I am very happy with the quality and service and will definitely be going back for encores ;-D It was nice to see they stocked size 40 threads too, albeit in Red Heart, since Anchor has stopped manufacturing it. The other balls are all Anchor - size 20, perle, etc. More about the 'cone' threads later.

So this is my knitting cotton palette for now. Bottom row are the 4 shades I have had for a very long time (there are at least 6 more balls of ecru, bought from my local shop at least 10+ years back). I have already used all shades in my recent samplers, giving new life, energy, and colours!

Happy Tatting! Thank you for inspiring me!

done

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 Done for now, to be clear. And not because I've tired of it. Au contraire, it is just too enticing, distracting, and addictive. I want to simply sit and tat this, and ignore all other tasks, including a couple with deadlines. So, done for now, threads unwound from shuttles and back in their respective boxes. And my apologies to my tatting buddy Anita, for leaving it here. I do hope to pick it up again some time next year.

In Anchor Pearl cotton size 8, it measures about 7cms across.

This was completed several days back. It's taken me this long to take pics and prepare a post.

At this stage I am calling it my Sunflower version. Going forward, it might become a dahlia or chrysanthemum with more colours being added.

I followed Patty's diagram again, alternating the 2nd join between the inner scallops. Later realised that the original doily throughout had a single join between the inner scallops, not alternate. By then I had already completed 2 whole repeats (4 scallops each), hence went ahead as before. Not that it shows either way at least in my version. 

How does it Always happen?! The one slice I chose for the close-up is the one where I missed a join in round 1, LOL. I missed a join in round 2, too, and also a 2ds chain segment. However, it was easy to ignore the first and for the second, I inserted a fine hook through the 'hidden picot' (viz, through the stitch) for a join. Can't even locate where this all happened. Dr Downplay zindabad!

  

I wish there was more of the chrome yellow rather than the yellow ochre in this model, but I was going from a light to dark shade using whatever I had in my stash. And the brown could've been a a couple of shades lighter if only I had enough.

My intention is to use two shades of orange then two shades of red for the remaining four rounds. I could repeat the same yellows, but that would become kind of boring ;-P

What do you think of the colour scheme?

Oh and I had updated my previous post with the completed round 1, but here's the pic again in case you missed it - 

Many thanks to Jon Yusoff for hosting the TAL. Don't know when I'll be back to complete this.

This mini-doily or coaster is my October submission to splocik's Small Decorations game. Only two months left and I still have so many ideas/projects I could submit! It's been a fun game for sure and will definitely look forward to joining again if splocik hosts it in 2025.

Check out the range of creativity and crafts for September here -https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/10/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria-wrzesniowa.html

January in July

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 Yes, it's July, but the delay in blogging is from my end. It completely slipped my mind to share this lovely January Snowflake creation by Sally Biggers with you here. Never too late ... or should I say a bit early, LOL.

We've had a few tatters who have combined or rearranged parts from two of Endrucks' patterns to create a hybrid design. This model is one such - a combo of E34 and E43. Sally set out with the specific dual aims of  combining two motifs/patterns and creating a six-sided snowflake. 

E34, from which the center is adapted, is actually an 8-repeat pattern. It was reworked and shared by Marina Mad Jar tatting - https://drive.google.com/file/d/11iVy2KdXkEJKW_4Hc_E4G4P29RuD1b9O/view

For the radiating arms, she chose E43 which was reworked and shared by Maria Grazia and Ninetta Caruso - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JRu7OggaSna0eXDRA2P18dRu6uE4-1J7/view

The original patterns are from Eleonore Endrucks' 1920 book, ‘Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’ which has been trsnslated and reworked in the Endrucks 1920 Project.

It was while tatting this E43 (my 3D flower adaptation) for the pattern of the month game, that my memory neurons finally connected and nudged me into blogging.

Sally has clearly succeeded! Her use of different threads, including metallic, gives a beautiful finish. She explains her process in more detail in the pdf and graciously shares her pattern... 

E34+E43 January Snowflake by Sally Biggers - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f4_Yo56bSduuO14473kMhcQ9wE-gVbEz/view

❆❄❅❄❆

While this is definitely on my to-tat list, Ninetta beat me to it! Following is her version which she tatted in April.

A vibrant play with two colours! It would serve well as a coaster, too. Or how about joining/tiling them for a larger piece.

Hope you enjoy this pattern and let us know about it. UPDATE: I just found Sally's blog and you can read about this snowflake here - https://myartbarn.blogspot.com/2024/02/havent-created-post-here-in-quite-while.html

For more such patterns and other details - EP Links - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view

A very special thanks to Sally, and to all who made this journey possible

Related Posts -

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2021/10/when-time-flies.html
https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2021/10/a-personal-touch.html   

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/07/what-heart-wants.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/07/so-many.html

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!

string of inspiration

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 You never know when, where, how, from whom inspiration will strike. Which is one of the reasons I like to blog about all my baked and half-baked ideas, hoping it will catch somebody's imagination.

Stephanie Wilson was inspired by the beautiful Zinnia Flower - an Endrucks' pattern #10 derivation by Ninetta Caruso, from my previous post. Not merely the beauty of the design, but the clever picot join at the start of a ring (read her comment) , and also the of variegated colourway. 

Here's what she says -

"Abandoned all my other projects and when I had time to tat, I worked on this one until it was finished. My color choice wasn’t the best, but I wanted to use the variegated thread….with a pink solid color, except I HAD the ‘right’ pink….but in the wrong size thread. So it’s a variegated ‘heavy’ weight quilting thread that’s about the same size as DMC 80 (but it was discontinued several years ago, unfortunately) and white Lizbeth size 80."

And look at the pretty flower that blossomed through her shuttles! She chose to tat Anna Tedesco's variation where the dimpled rings are substituted by normal rings. 

And since we're on the topic, let me share Lyn Clements' version that inspired my own use of the best variegated fit I could find in my stash.

Isn't is just such a happy flower! Unfortunately she ran out of the colourway at this stage and hasn't been able to complete it. 

However it is great to see inspiration flowing from one to the other!

Mind you, there are several other beautiful versions using two solid colours. We'll blog about those later.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Have you noticed the tiny pics are back?!!!! Yes, blogspot has restored the blog feed with those thumb-size pics from each blog we follow, yay! It was a dismal feed with only the text and no accompanying pic.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Many many thanks to all you wonderful inspirers!

awakened

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 The curious student, researcher, and teacher in me was awakened about 4 days back! My shuttles have been lying idle for several weeks, except perhaps a sampler here and there. But last month Ninetta posted a beautiful derivative pattern and some tatters were kind of stumped despite their best intentions and efforts. Some persevered, and some sailed through. Anyways, I was curious why some gave up, and loaded my shuttles for a stepwise pictorial after taking Ninetta's permission. The teacher in me beckoned!

This is Ninetta's Zinnia Flower derived from Endrucks' pattern #10 (from 'Die Schiffchen-Spitzen’,1920, by Frau Eleonore Endrucks-Leichtenstern).

I was privy to the development of this beautiful design back since April. There was cupping initially and through trials and tweaks, she finally had it laying flat. However I did not have any time to test tat.

Anna Tedesco stepped in and even created her own slightly tweaked version without dimpled rings (on the right)! It was Anna who suggested the name Zinnia.

Pattern (for both versions) of E10 Zinnia Flower by Ninetta Caruso ---

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmGlBbn1z7khele2a6g-djMlVZ8oRBFw/view

And as so often happens with Endrucks' derivatives, we have tertiary extracts or 'grandchildren' as Anna and Paola B like to joke! These are Anna's Zinnia Petals earrings.

Pattern for E10 Zinnia Petals earrings by Anna Tedesco ---

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wjm5jpwgu7hCDNopJUxOtHY5xQXSKM-C/view

I worked my model in Red Rose size 20. The variegated was inspired by Lyn Clements' model; not as cheerful as her's, it was the closest I could find in this size. For pictorials, it is best to use thicker thread for clarity.

Pictorial for Ninetta Caruso's E10 Zinnia Flower by Muskaan ---

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13vIapAG6XSvBgOeWJr32PxvpoOIr-I_5/view

I love the way Ninetta joined the ring right at the beginning with a normal picot join! We would probably have made a lock join after the chain, RW, and then start the ring....

However, this method of joining is almost seamless and so smooth! However I fond it easier to do the join. remove slack, and then start the ring by pulling out the loop behind. 

I don't remember doing this before; always something to learn!

UPDATE (Dec2024): This is Patty Dowden's Ring on Picot method ... video- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LmMxIBrDpRI

The entire pattern is worked in one pass, moving inwards and outwards. Right up to the stage shown above, the work moves clockwise and remains free. Only this final 6th inner ring starts the process of joining the last repeat to the first.

Another view of my model. It measures 9.5 cms tip-wise and 5 cms as side of hexagon.

A collective of Anna's models worked in metallic threads. 

As Ninetta writes in her pdf, Zinnias symbolize friendship. This motif again reinforces the collaboration between friends and tatters which is the cornerstone of the Endrucks 1920 Project!

Many many thanks to Ninetta, Anna and our enthusiastic Endrucksians ... 

we inspire each other!