sights n scents of an Indian spring

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a free tatting pattern

I had just finished my Block Heart patterns in early Feb when Georgia threw me a hint about thinking ahead towards spring, ITD, etc. (groan !!!)

Coincidentally, earlier that week the advent of spring had been celebrated in India . Having already tatted an an impressionistic collage for the end-of-spring celebrations called Holi, I looked up some details of the former. 

The beginning of spring ‘basant’/‘vasant’ season is heralded by a burst of flowers and celebrated in large parts of India as Vasant Panchmi, with floral tributes, religious ceremonies, joyous singing, dancing, kite flying,…

You know how I love tatting flowers – what better than a garland incorporating some of that joyous spirit in an Indian leitmotif. 

This pattern (and the mustard fields) is going to be shared with the Online Tatting Class on Monday, and length of post was unavoidable due to pics ...

Spring Garland

a tatted floral veni/jadai

UPDATE (Apr 21, 2017) : Spring Garland pattern is now in pdf here.

This is my attempt to capture a few of the colours and spirit of this spring festival with attached symbolism – auspiciousness of marigold flowers, the swaying yellow fields of mustard, and the fragrant white jasmines – as a garland around neck or as a ‘veni’ worn by women in their hair. (pronounced ‘waynee’. A broad floral garland also called ‘jadai’ in Southern India and worn by brides)

Before I dive into the pattern details, I urge all tatters to please check out this video on flower veni making – the first few minutes will reveal something I'd never noticed before. I’ve seen many methods, but not this !   

The scents !!!! Pure floral essence or attars and an exquisitely hand-carved sandalwood box.

I have already shared the 3 stand-alone patterns. Here, they are joined to create a broader garland. 

Marigold braid acts as the foundation row ;

Mustard fields acts as a filler middle row ; and

Jasmine braid tops the ensemble. 

Recommended thread size : between 30 to 50. The tatted model is worked mostly in vintage 40 which is equivalent to size 50. The measurements work out to :

Marigolds : ½ inch wide; 3 flowers = 1 inch

Mustard : ¾ inch wide (~ 4½” long)

Jasmine : ½ inch wide; 8 buds = 1 inch

Row 1 : Marigold Garland

UPDATE : Marigold Necklace pattern is now in pdf here

This row is tatted exactly as per pattern shared here, for desired length.
The first flower was mistakenly left unattached (see "Oops" below). 

Part of this length is for the main body, the rest for a tail or tie.

One fully loaded bobbin is sufficient for the 23 flowers in size 50, and a bit less for the green.

Row 2 : Mustard Fields

Attach thread to any of the marigold flowers and work a fabric of these single-shuttle picot flowers as per pattern & instructions here. This row is worked from right to left overall, but in a to an fro fashion as seen in next pic ...

The work grows from side to side as seen in the marked sequence – this is only a guide. 
There could've been a couple more flowers at the beginning (see "Oops" below)

On one side, the flower is attached, using a normal picot join, to the row 1 marigolds before returning back to the other side. But leave some slack on the joining loop to resemble a picot, as described in pattern.

To keep the 'open' edge relatively straight, I initially used grid paper – place your work on the grid, and see that the work is aligned to desired width.

Continue for desired width and length.

One fully loaded shuttle (size 50 thread) sufficed for this 4½” long segment.

Since we are working with a single shuttle and flowers are randomly arranged, some bare thread is required, old-style, to span the distance between 2 flowers. This, however, stays hidden on the wrong side. (a wrongside view of garland is shared below).

For a dense effect, keep the flowers close, and bare thread minimal. The texture & feel in fine thread is quite exquisite !

Row 3 : Jasmine Braid

Attach threads to a marigold nearest to the edge of body. The first ring is joined to an adjacent picot after closing, to anchor the braid well.
Basic pattern, shared here, remains the same, except that the left column of flowers is attached to previous row of mustards as follows ...
SR (on left)  : 8 + 2 p 6 vsp 2 / 2ushs p 1 p 1 .
SR (on right): 10 p 6 vsp 2 / 2ushs p 1 p 1.

In response to some confusion about direction of 3rd ring, I have drawn a diagram : 

Download pdf of Jasmine braid pattern with diagram 

To turn the corner : after tatting the right-side ring (numbered 1 in above pic), tat another ring without turning work. This ring 2 is joined to the vsp of ring 1. After closing, lock join to the vsp of previous left-side ring, and without turning work, tat ring 3.

 Ring 3 is lock joined to the picot of previous left-side ring as shown by the + sign. 
(see "Oops" below)

Now turn work and tat a regular left-side ring, joining to previous row and continue to desired length.

A gauge from the practice piece : It was not always easy to gauge where to attach the jasmine ring. A short practice piece of 5-8 flowers was very helpful in correct attachment! When it came time to join, I placed the gauge over the braid, matching the flowers, and knew which picot on row 2 would be needed.

When it was time to join, I placed the gauge over the braid, matching the flowers, and knew which picot on row 2 would be needed (crochet hook used as an indicator here).

TIP : If one does not want a straight-ish edging, join the jasmine at any stitch along the 10 stitches instead of after 8.

Only 2 instead of 3 continuous jasmine rings would've sufficed to turn this corner. The first ring actually got hidden under the previous right-side ring ! But 3 rings would work for a full turn.

 The jasmine braid is continued unattached to form a tail or tie. 

as seen from the wrong side.

I deliberately went with a different braid at each end in order to showcase them separately and also to keep a bit of freestyling. Obviously, the tatter is at liberty to use any combination of braids, or repeats of the same braid, to create many variations !

By altering the row widths, and combination/placement/addition of beads, or changing the thread colours, the pattern can become a necklace, a bracelet, anklet, belt, etc. or individual flowers/groups can be used as appliqué, brooch, and so on. How about a floral henna for a bride's hand ?!  

I am going to use it as a bookmark, hence no beads.

Oops !

Parts of this garland were tatted on the go, and a few mistakes crept in. Here is a listing to quell any confusion, hopefully :

1. Marigolds – the first flower is not joined. It was a mistake which I incorporated as a design modification in order to get the curve.

Since I did not know how long a tail was needed, the wip pics show 2 threads of this row at right end where I left the shuttles ‘dangling’, and completely the unattached braid tail at the end.

2. Mustard – the first few flowers are not as closely situated as the rest. I could’ve added a few with scrap thread later, but have left it for now.

3. Jasmine – the given pattern & diagrammed pdf starts with the first ring on the left, which is how I started the row initially. 

 

But it left an unseemly gap on the right side. Hence, for this garland, the first ring is on the right, BUT it is tatted backside just as in pattern. 

Close-up pics in Jasmine braid show that I did not keep the green thread at back of work while starting the next ring, thus the bare thread is visible on top.

Corner : For an gentle angle, instead of 3 continuous rings, 2 would suffice. The first of these is now hidden behind a previous ring on that side – one tatted & joined as usual, the next joined to the long picot of right side flower, and then turn work and tat the right side flower as usual.

Okay, I think I need a break from all these long posts, as do you my dear readers :-) 

Dear hubby misses my company due to the long hours spent daily in front of this PC ;-P

Hope you are enjoying fair weather and happily tatting away :-) 

see you in class !

yellow is the colour of spring

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3rd of 3 spring garlands.
the first 2 can be found here : Marigold toran and Jasmine gajra
UPDATE (April 10) : the complete Spring Garland

Spring Garland 3 –

The Mustard Fields !

Northwest India turns a bright yellow with advent of spring. It is the best time to take a drive down through the states of Punjab and around – bright yellow as far as the eye can see. Many communities make it a point to wear yellow on Basant Panchami to emulate and celebrate these yellow mustard flowers !

(UPDATE April 18, 2017: now that the entire spring garland is shared, I can show you the mustard fields in size 50 thread above)

This is a playful pattern where simple flowers create a fabric as broad and as long as we desire, and where we can romp carefree in any direction as in a field of yellow mustard !

The pictorial is lengthy, though pattern is simply one picoted ring, in order to show alternatives. 

It is quicker to tat than to explain/photograph :-)

Materials : 1 shuttle fully loaded with size 40 or 50 thread. (For the pictorial, I have used size 20 thread to better capture the steps)

Techniques : Ring on picot* , long picots , bare thread space , mock picot (optional) , lock join (optional) , beads (optional).

Measurement : ¾ inch wide in size 50 – between 3 to 4 flowers. Length as required.       

Please review :

*Patty Dowden’s video for How to work a ring on the picot of another ring : 

(I did not have to post the shuttle back before closing ring. Hence it is advisable to practice a few flowers with scrap thread before working the final piece)

Beads can be strung on shuttle thread or added on loop/picot, depending on effect desired.

Basic Pattern :

Ring : 1ds, (p, 1ds) 7 times.

The next ring is started at a distance equal to the picot.

In order to keep symmetry of first ring, one can use the tail to make a mock picot, and ...

... tat over the tail in next ring to hide end.


RING ON PICOT METHOD :

Start ring on a picot of previous ring using Patty's method. Pull up loop through any picot ...

pass shuttle from below to front, ...

and tat the ring.
Note : you may or may not need to post the shuttle back through the top before closing.

3 rings made.


LOCK JOIN METHOD :
Alternatively, one can lock join to any picot of previous ring and commence ring from that point :

pull up a loop through any picot and pass shuttle through it ...

... and tension it. Make certain there is some bare thread left under to span the distance between base of ring and picot.

Ring 4 made after the lock join.

Ring 5 started using the Ring on Picot method. This is the preferred method I used for most of the rings.

Continue in this fashion, creating a broad fabric of 3-4 flowers along the width


A  ZIGZAG  MEANDERING  PATHWAY :

Sometimes, one can start a 'free' unattached flower at a distance (notice the bare thread at beginning of ring) ....

and then lock join to any picot of an earlier flower.
Notice the arrows showing sequence of flowers . The work progresses from left to right and back to left and so on....
With the lock join just made,

take the thread back from below and bring up a loop through any picot of a previous flower or even through the bare thread we left in pic #12, and start another flower using the ring on picot method
We are now moving back towards the left for another row of flowers !


FINAL NOTES :

• The ring pattern remains constant, though it may be necessary to join to another ring to cover gaps. In that case, maintain a picot length for the join, resembling other picots.
• Try to keep as many picots free in each ring as possible for textural effect.
• The pathway/sequence is zigzag but freeform. Let your shuttle free !
• The entire pattern is worked from the front, hence there may be bare threads spanning rings on the underside. Try to keep them as short as possible, making the rings close to each other.
• The picots in this pictorial should've been longer to cover up any gaps.
• Beads can be loaded on to shuttle and brought forward between rings, or loose beads can be inserted over a loop pulled between rings. 

This piece was tatted in size 20 for purposes of the pictorial only. It looks much better in smaller thread as seen in the collage (top left & prototype in center which used split rings & beads on picots initially, till I decided to go freeform) . The beads in above piece were chosen to represent spots of green foliage peeping through the lushness of flowers, and golden rays reflected back.  

This fabric can take any shape one wants - straight, curved, or circular !
It can even be used as a filler, adding a lacy texture. Or simply make a small posy of flowers (I used the ring on picot technique to make a 3D carnation).
With beads, this broad fabric can be used as a bracelet, necklace, anklets, sewed on to a belt or headband,....


I have one last post to reveal the final Spring Garland with all it's floral fragrances. Hope you join me again.

till then, happy tatting always :-)

This pattern shared with the Online Tatting Class in April, 2017