squirreling away gapsosis

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how to avoid gapsosis in thrown rings and birdhouse squirrel !

Nothing new here for experienced tatters but do scroll down for the latter. 

Avoiding  gapsosis  in  thrown  ring clusters

Newer learners often face a problem of gapsosis in case of thrown rings and especially thrown ring clusters such as trefoils and clovers. 

Ungainly bare threads can be avoided with these 2 simple steps : 

1. fold the last ring of cluster over the earlier rings and hold in pinch ;

2. tat 1 ds as close to the base of the last ring as possible WITHOUT removing from pinch ;

voilà, now you can release from the pinch, unfold and continue with chain tatting normally – the gapsosis has been avoided and the thrown rings will sit close upon the chain.

NOTE : this same fold, pinch, and tat is equally effective with trefoils and clovers when a normal chain follows it after RW (reverse work). 

A pictorial on how to avoid gapsosis

If required, wiggle the knotting thread a bit till you can feel it flush against the last ring, 

with no core thread left.

 Release the pinch and unfold Only After 1 full double stitch has been made .

In case there is still a gap, untat the 1ds and do over.

This works for me. There may be other equally effective ways, too.

A few previous posts about gapsosis – how to avoid and also when/how it can be useful.

I will talk more about this snowflake in next post, in response to a tatter’s dilemma.

Our  birdhouse  owner !

And here is our birdhouse resident for this season. Not a bird, but a squirrel !!!

(click on pics to enlarge)

Notice how it has stuffed the house with rags n ‘riches’ ;-P

S/he does not take kindly to guests ! After a few moments of glaring motionless at each other, the ‘owner’ jumped at the intruder and it squirreled away. Our guest went back to resting on the rooftop J

We've had this birdhouse for over 2 decades and except for the first couple of years, no bird has made it's nest. Squirrels, do stash their pickings before winter, using it as a storehouse. But this time we have an actual resident for the last few weeks and can see it sprawling on the roof every evening !

These pics were taken through out French door glass. Hope to take a few more with doors open, and a closer view. 

happy tatting while bird , errr , squirrel watching  :-)

Gapsosis can be good !

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Common Threads IV - Gapsosis can be good

Did anyone think I’d repeat it so soon ? Well, I didn't, but ... call me high maintenance ;-)

In the earlier working, I followed the tatted model. After all was done, on the desktop large screen, I noticed the stitchcount for the inner rings at the base, in the diagram. Thought I’d give it try & this time use a lighter colour for the rings with picots so that I could see them ! 

1½” x 1½” in Anchor size 40 Art 4054 (0131 blue & 0300 cream)

I like how this turned out. But take a look at the process (this might be just me ?) ; the spiraling route that it takes & how the coils need to be coaxed & literally pulled into shape. The same thing happened in earlier model, but to a slightly lesser degree. 

Why did this coiling occur ?! 

The bare thread spaces seen between upper rings in final pieces emerged due to the pulling . Hence, for this pattern, I think the rings need a bit of space between them. Yes, Gapsosis can be Good !!!

Gapsosis can be good 

… sometimes !

We struggle to keep gaps away. But following are a few scenarios/patterns where a bit of gap/bare thread space is welcome & desired.

A few scenarios : 

1. When making a rings-only central ‘flower’ (as in pic below). Leave tiniest bit of space between 1^st & 2^nd ring – just enough to Span the double stitch distance !!! 

I was always wondering why my adjacent rings sometimes ‘turned’ a bit at the base even though I made sure there was no gap before starting next ring. That’s when it dawned on my slow brain that thread & stitch occupy space. If one closes the gap completely, there is no space for the next ring stitches to abut neatly & get squished. Leaving a space equal to the ‘height’ of a ds will ensure a close & ‘gap-free’ arrangement of rings.

2. In this vintage pattern & pictorial tip shared by Marilee … 

3. In this 2-coloured edging using floating/thrown off rings. This is a pattern commonly tatted in single colour or by simply following the shuttle, such that the colour shows up respectively. This gives a split of colour along the length. But I wanted the floating Josephine Rings to have one colour & the chains to have another. Another consideration was to keep colour blips from showing and to stabilize the floating rings.

After a lot of experimentation & heartburn, this is the best I could come up with (it is still on my to continue-with-experiment list! At the time I tatted this, I was working against a deadline).

Leave a tiny space of thread before starting the JR. Make the ring & close. Then …

TIP : Bring the ring thread around the ring like a little knot & tighten at the base of ring. This generally hides colour switches, stabilizes the rings And makes them lie flat & even as can be clearly seen in the 2 strands. Compare the Before & After rings.

All this was possible firstly because of gapsosis, & then a kind of slip knot noose at the base.

This edging was made about 2 years back when I used to snug the chain stitches closely. Since then I have realized that the chains should not have been tensioned so much; one should allow them to curve naturally. I am getting a bit better at handling chains ;-)

4. And last but not least, the layered rings in above pattern.

Rings have a curvature that is broad at the top & narrow at base. One should account for this width, such that adjacent rings lie neatly side-by-side rather than overlapping or loosing shape. Clearly some gapsosis is called for.

In conclusion, factoring for individual differences, one can use gapsosis judiciously when certain patterns or design elements call for it.

What has been your experience ?

happy tatting :-)

states of matter - 2

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following from my previous post on the states of H₂O …

Ripples !

Thirteenth Day of December Snowflake

Lene Björn

from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting

for 2016 Snowflake Challenge on Craftree

Clearly, this is the liquid form of water. I went for an ombré ripple effect. There's no white foam that one encounters if the ripples were closer to the shore, so perhaps the ripples are never-ending ☺  

Techniques : lock join, graduated picots.

Rnd 1 – >¼” ; Rnd 2 – ~1¾” ; Rnd 3 – >2½” ; Rnd 4 – 3¼” ; Rnd 5 – 4”

All embroidery threads (Art 4625 Anchor), 3 strands each.

I find that it is much easier to tame long chains in embroidery thread than in crochet cottons. Probably friction between the fibers prevents stretchability in the former ?

I didn't use split chains to climb out. However core thread from previous round was continued into the next round; only the chain thread was changed. This carry-over masked the lock joins (no colour blips).

Complete frontside tatting in clockwise direction.

The tatting went very quickly. It was separating the strands that took all the time ! Even got my DH to chip in – he held the skein, while I wound 2 cards simultaneously (one in each hand – quite a circus performer !!!).

I chose one card (acting like a ball), joined the thread to the work and continued to tat the round.

After round was complete, I wound the leftover thread on to a shuttle to use as core thread for next round. I now had less thread to wind J

TIP – gapsosis in adjacent chains – midway along the chain ‘stem’ in round 2, I should’ve added a vsp to join adjacent chain, thus avoiding the gaps seen between a couple of the chain ‘stems’.

Future Idea : offset the graduated picots in each chain arch to create a swirling spiraling effect !
Or go 3D - smaller, with closer concentric chains, only 4 or 5 repeats, the right colours - voila a tuberose or some such!

ßßßßßßß

A question to all you experienced tatters :

When can a working be termed an “adaptation” of another designer’s pattern ?

1. If only different colours are used or beads are added ?
2. If techniques are changed but not the stitchcount ?
3. If both are altered ?
4. If something ‘different’ in appearance is created ?
5. Any other ____

eg. I doubt the above Ripples would be termed an adaptation, right ? But could the Poinsettia be an adaptation ?

I would really appreciate your thoughts and answers to clear the confusion in my head ...

 happy tatting always  

ßßßßßßß

Related posts :

Gapsosis can be good !

in silent mode

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The Eleventh Day of December Snowflake

Lene Björn

from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting 

 for 2016 Snowflake Challenge on Craftree

Playing with colours and floral effect

Round 1 – Anchor Mercer size 40 black. ¾”

Used scrap black threads. Single shuttle & ball.  Ring 1 – normal, then added ball thread and next 4 rings are SCMR, last ring either SSSR to hide ends or normal ring.

TIP : Gapsosis helps

Round 2 – Anchor embroidery cotton, 3 strands. 3¼” 

SH1 : magenta/plum 069

SH2 : variegated  1305

TIP : Fold trefoil when starting chain, to keep the chain flush.

Other techniques : All normal picots. Directional tatting. Picot Joins (up & down)


Related Posts : Gapsosis can be good
Day 1 , Day 2 , Day 3 , Days 4 & 5 , Day 6

thrown, floating and 8 rings

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Please note that the post and pdf have been updated on 30th August 2021. In case you already downloaded the pdf, kindly click on the link to refresh the document.

Tatting with an international community throws up interesting facts and ideas. All patterns in Endrucks' (1920) book use 2 shuttles and has plenty of rings made by switching the shuttle in hand - you guessed it - thrown rings! However, as Ninetta pointed out, a lot of Italian tatters have mastered the art of tatting with a single shuttle and ball, and adapting any pattern to suit this. It got me thinking about all the various ways in which we throw off a ring and here is the result of that exploration/stream of thought.

Thrown Ring Methods - a Ready Reckoner. click this link to download the complete document - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PhXhtq9K-WiUbys0dwwZuOIat10hGlB0/view which contains pictorials for each method as well as patterns to practice. Included at the end is a list of Needle tatting resources. 

For several of the patterns, despite having a pdf, I had to give the link to the blog post because the pdf link just wouldn't work the moment I converted this doc into a pdf. Probably some formatting glitch.

 

Following is a limited glimpse into each method. 

Gapsosis - A frequently asked question is how to avoid any bare thread/gap between the chain and the thrown ring. Above is an old pictorial I had done in response to this very question, where we have a trefoil instead of a single ring thrown off the chain - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2017/05/squirreling-away-gapsosis.html. 

1. Using 2 shuttles. I prefer this method except when I want to create a point in the chain where the ring is.

A thrown ring does not necessarily have to be floating above a chain or ring! It can lie above a join, between 2 chains, and can also face inwards.....

While this 8-ring appearance may not use the term thrown ring, the blue ring is made exactly according to any of the TR methods (in above case, with 2nd shuttle). 

Several other effects can be seen in the above model. Can you identify the thrown ring(s) in each?

NOTE: Although not shown in the pictorials, the pink ring need not be alone. We can have 2,3,or more rings below, with 1 or more TRs above!

All the rest of the methods are made with one shuttle and ball. Compare the colour of the TR and the chain curvature between each method. It is very important that chain stitches are snugged properly before attempting the TR.

2.A. Flipped-Up ring is simply a normal ring that is turned upwards before continuing with the chain.

2.B. Since I didn't like the way it sat, I tweaked it by stabilising and centering the TR with on overhand tie and keeping the ball in front of the work.

3. Loop Tatted Ring can be used to throw off a ring as well.

4. We all know that the Self-Closing Mock Ring is often used to deliberately create a pointed chain - whether it is a 1ds SCMR or a larger thrown ring.

Direct Tatting. In certain cases, it is easy direct tat a chain and throw off a ring, using single shuttle and ball. Tatting will move from right to left, but the shuttle will be in position to make a thrown ring.

Even if the shuttle is not in position, it can be brought to where we need it, by the following 2 methods -

5.A. Twist Work - I start by making an unflipped half-stitch but instead of snugging. I pull the shuttle upwards (or downwards, if required) such that the threads now switch position and I have the shuttle where I need it. I had explained it here to switch threads after a lock join - 

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nRj_48VHK2LjhcxdQnirXBVweKO6h2ow/view 

5.B. Shoe Lace Trick - we all know this, but I avoid it and prefer other repositioning methods, including twist work. Jon Yusoff has explained this method very nicely here (wish I could get my SLT to behave so well!) - https://tatsaway.blogspot.com/2010/05/sometimes-you-dont-need-two-shuttles.html  

6. Changing Course - When another row/round follows the one with thrown rings, one can choose to shift the rings to the next row/round and make them normal rings. Obviously the direction of the rings will change, and sometimes it may cause ruffling/cupping/distortion. However, it worked fine in the above version - those purple rings were supposed to be thrown rings from the previous round, but I wanted this colour here, hence.... https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2019/06/valley-of-flowers.html 

I tatted this twice! My intention was merely to showcase the different effects when using each of the methods (lower scroll). But then somebody asked whether I had a tutorial actually showing how to do a thrown SCMR. So, I started over, taking stepwise pics for each method. 

And now I'm calling it a Ready Reckoner (RR), because as far as possible, I have included everything we'd want to know about Thrown or Floating Rings. I would love to get your feedback on this format and exercise. I already have another RR on the way that was started in July in response to a friend's request for help. 

Click to download complete pdf - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PhXhtq9K-WiUbys0dwwZuOIat10hGlB0/view 

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

Tatting Tutorial : Closing the Gaps -I-

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Closing the Gaps in Shuttle Tatting : 

"OTM" : Overlap, Tug & Manoeuvre Technique 

Annoyed at 'gaps' between tatting elements ?

Can't get the elements lined up closely ?

Suffer from gapsosis ?

We have All faced this problem, especially when learning to tat with a shuttle ! With practice, conscious effort, & individual inventiveness, this can be overcome for the most part. But it can still sneak up on us if we let our guard down for those brief moments !!! 

I have been tatting solo ever since I learned how to tat - about 3 decades ago! Consequently, I had to develop my own ways & means to improve & keep pace with the pattern. Over the years, I successfully conquered this nagging gap issue by my "OTM" method (I've coined the term especially for this post!). 

I never thought much of it, until I came across a query on InTatters about inadvertent space left between elements when tatting with a shuttle. Experienced tatters have chipped in with tips, advice, & tutorials. I thought I'd add my 2-bits as well, captured in photographs. Verbal explanation is not always enough! I'd have preferred to upload a video, but working alone, I could manage only snapshots. Hope it will be of some help at least to beginners. 

Now, for my well-entrenched & personally successful technique - I think I'll call it 
"The Overlap, Tug & Manoeuvre " or "OTM" !

I have tried to show how to close the gaps in 3 situations :
1. when making a chain after a ring
2. when making a ring after a chain
3. when making a ring after a ring.
(please excuse the quality of pics & the horribly intrusive thumbnail!):

I . From Ring to Chain :

Image I-A : After making the ring (in blue #20), the work is reversed (RW) & one is ready to make a chain using a contrast color thread (peach #20).

I-A. Starting a Chain after Ring

Images I-B & C : Make the first half of ds (FHS), extremely close to base of ring, almost overlapping the thread to the ring. ( Unable to show in still photograph, but the chain thread of FHS can be held in an overlap position in a pinch & the threads pulled - tugged & manoeuvred till the FHS is in place )
Then carefully, & slowly, pull the thread tight to close the FHS. If required, fidget with the shuttle (blue) thread to bring the half ds Flush against the ring - as close as possible!
When you are satisfied, pinch this half stitch & ring base tightly between your thumb & finger before you continue, so that the position is stabilized & maintained.

I-B. Manoeuvre FHS to base of ring

I-C. Tug, position, pinch/hold

                   

                       

Images I - D & E :
Now make the second half of the ds (SHS) & bring it close to the first half without messing with the position. ie. keep a tight pinch till the second half is extremely close to the first half, the 'close' & tighten it. Remember, tighten Only After you feel it is in the right position & the earlier half has not moved at all.
This explanation may seem more complex than the actual working; and with a little practice, it becomes second nature !

I-D. Complete the ds

I-E. Chain after ring with no gap!

II. From Chain to Ring :

II-A. Overlap Ring thread to Chain End

I think this is much much easier.
Once the chain is made & tightened, one can start the loop of the ring from the very tip, overlapping the
chain slightly. Then start with the first half of the ds over this 'overlapping' loop.
Make it loosely, position it Flush against the chain (keep tugging & manoeuvring till you feel that the ds has reached the end of chain & has no more place to move). Only then, tighten the FHS; keep a firm grip over this
half ds between thumb & finger, & make the SHS, thus completing 1 ds of  ring. Remember, tighten Only when in position.

II-B. Start ring with overlapping the chain

II-C. Flush FHS against chain & hold tight

  

 
                                          

II-D. Make SHS, position & tighten.

II-E. No gap between Ch & R

TIP : Whenever one tats, it is extremely important to keep the yarn from twisting. If yarn twists, it becomes difficult to close a ring properly or to make the stitches correctly/neatly. The simplest way to untwist the yarn is to suspend the shuttle by the thread till it stops twirling around.

III. From Ring to Ring 

In the next post, since this is way too long already ! 
(Tatting Tutorial : Closing the Gaps -II - )  .... I will add the link later.

Now, a few more tips & links to what some other truly Experienced tatters have already done / shown / said in the same InTatters' Closing-the-gaps thread or elsewhere 
[Please note that there may be many more tips on other sites, but these are what I've come across so far. Feel free to add more links & tips in Comments] :

• One superb tutorial is from Jon who coined the adorable & very apt term 'gapsosis'. I have been using this technique very successfully, for clovers, & larger rings or between continuous rings. It is truly ideal for clovers, etc.  (However, when working with a smaller & single ring & switching to a chain, I find this a bit difficult to apply. eg in my Waves edging. Instead, I fall back on my own method detailed below)

• Through pinterest, I stumbled upon another great pictorial comparison of frontside/backside tatting . If one is just beginning, this, too, will prove a valuable experience.

• Making an 'extra' half ds before continuing with the pattern. (I like this tip & will definitely try it out next time)

• Closing the ring very tight can cause a gap to appear in the next element. Hence avoid a tight close. ( I am sometimes guilty of this tight close. Must watch out !)

How do You tackle this issue ?