Snow Doily - 2

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Two-Colour, One Pass Strategies

Renulek’s Snow Doily*

Round 5 and a pdf download*

Faced some dilemmas in this round ...

Round 5 consists of 3 separate motifs, joined to each other & to previous round.

{ Motif 5A is a snowflake ; 5B is a starlet ; 5C is a leaf clover for stability.}

Next there was the problem of colours – which colours to use, how to show them up at the right places, how to hide a particular colour, and so on.

And of course, the problem of hiding multiple ends!

I tried to balance practicality with pleasure, trying to be as precise as I could.

I would’ve liked to make at least the snowflakes ahead, & join as I tatted Round 4. But the all-cream snowflake (shown in previous post) did not appeal, hence shelved the idea. And I think it was a wise decision – the completion of rounds 1-4 gave me a better perspective on choice & placement of colours. Pretty happy with the outcome … wouldn’t you agree ? :-)

AND I got to learn a new technique, which Always generates immense interest & excitement !

List of abbreviations at end

* Click on titles/coloured font for links and pdf

Round 5.  A – Snowflakes

A 2-round snowflake that can be tatted in one pass by using split chain.

Techniques required : 2-shuttle tatting for outer round; Floating/Thrown ring.

Techniques I used : FS/BS (RODS) tatting ; Floating Ring ; SSSR ; LJ .

Row 1 (yellow) – Made them all together. For 1^st few, I hid the tail ends using Frivole’s finishing on a chain method. But since I was still sewing in the remaining tails under a few sts, I decided to simply go traditional (& practical). Knotted the tails, then sewed them under to hide. With size 40, knots are not discernible , Yay !

TIP : I tend to leave part of the tail ends visible till the motifs are completed & attached. It helps to easily identify the front & back sides of the motif. 

Snowflake motif measures 2" in size 40 thread

Row 2 (cream) – Ended with an SSSR for one tail. For other tail, I made a LJ to base for security & evenness ; then sewed under the chain caps. (the tiny telltale tail-ends are visible in above close-up pic)

TIP : One can use tiny picots at base of the thrown rings, to anchor them. However, considering that all 6 of these are joined to some part or other, I dismissed the idea. Would’ve been even pretty fiddly, too. Practicality ruled.

Ditto for the long chains – these could use a very small picot join at base (1ds away). But I kinda liked the flowery freedom & precision was discarded for pleasure :-)

Round 5. B – Starlets  ; C – Three-Leaf Clovers 

These are very tiny motifs, especially in size 40, for me. Hence when these came up, I tried to use a little brainpower – surely they could be tatted together ?! Easy with single colour, but with 2 colours, in predetermined positions ?

There’s always a solution in our WonderTATland, isn’t there ;-)

I tatted the 2 parts together using Brown in SH1 & yellow in SH2.

It can be started from either end ( I tried one starting with clovers, followed by starlet) but I preferred starting with starlet & ending with clover leaves.

Learned & applied Double Core Single Shuttle Split Ring* to hide the brown in the yellow ring, when moving from starlet to clover (main steps indicated in pics below).

Part of the Starlet is complete, joined to snowflake. 

Now trying to hide brown within a yellow ring.

 Instead of SSSR, one can continue with SH2 to complete the ring normally ! 

Then cut & hide yellow thread.

If one opts for a normal double core ring, then make a Lock Join with SH1 

& start clover motif 

Starlet, in size 40, is 1" long & less than ½” wide

(Alternate Method - Double Core Ring shown below)

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1st ring of clover motif is SSSR. I added anchoring vsp (9vsp1/1vsp9) 

Yellow tail can be hidden within this ring or to previous yellow ring.

2nd ring of clover is normal, joined to adjoining vsp & then to Row 4 

3rd ring is also normal. Cut thread & pass through centre to bring it to the back

Hide threads. Motifs 5B & C complete

3-Leaf Clover, in size 40, is ½”across

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Techniques required : 2-shuttle tatting; Floating/Thrown rings; Onion Ring join ; Lock Join.

The 2 motifs are tatted separately in original pattern.

Techniques I used : FS/BS (RODS) tatting ; Floating Rings ; SSSR ; CWJ (for onion ring join) ; LJ ; Double core SSSR and later, Double core Ring ; Reverse Join.
I tatted the 2 motifs in one pass, using 2 colours.

I have prepared a diagram, with instructions, to show how I did this motif. Click to download file.

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Double core SSSR – quite a mouthful, right?! And if one really deconstructs it, this is only partially applicable.
1. the double core is for part of the ring only

2. the ring starts by using Two shuttles to tat !  And

3. one can complete the ring as a normal ring with the visible colour, as in this case.

This technique allows us to tat the complete ring in a single colour, while hiding one colour And positioning both threads as required. So in a SSSR, both threads emerge together at 'opposite' end, as in a split ring. But if one completes the ring as a normal ring, then the hidden colour emerges at one end, while the visible colour comes back to the base of ring !

It hit me almost towards the end, that for this particular pattern, why was I using SSSR after double core half ?! I could so easily avoid loop tatting by doing a normal ring for the 2nd half. The last few motifs were done in this manner :
Double core Ring

This also gives me more options to hide/sew in the yellow tail ! 

Notice where the yellow thread is emerging in this picture : it is at the base of ring... 

unlike in the double core SSSR, where the yellow thread emerges at opposite end, along with brown.

* I learned this technique by watching Karen's video (Lesson 43)

However, before posting here, I decided to do some more hunting. The first place to look is always Jane Eborall’s blog & sure enough there was the tutorial on Double Core SSSR with Two Colours Or how to crawl out of a round while using 2 colours and keep the SSSR one colour! 

And that also revealed that this technique was originally conceived by TattingChic in 2009. Read all about that interesting experiment & process (with pics) in her blogpost titled “A Tale of Two Split Rings” . 

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I like how the brown clovers form a defined outline for previous round - almost like a large flower !

 

Measures around 11" in size 40, after round 5

Abbreviations used :

SH – shuttle

SSSR – single shuttle split ring

fhs – first half stitch

RODS – reverse order double stitch for frontside/backside tatting.

LJ – lock join

CWJ – Catherine Wheel Join
ds - double stitch

 

The brown doesn't quite show up against the blue background ; but colours get muted against the pale b/g !

Motif #4/III for 25 Motif Challenge 

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In Conversation ...

What I considered to be ‘routine’ repetitive rounds after Round 5, have suddenly perked up my interest.

As I was looking for the stitchcount in Rnd 6, something sprung up that I’d missed earlier. Rounds 2 & 3 have the side rings facing in one direction, while rounds 7 & 8  face the opposite direction ! And I think my round 2 & 3 rings face the ‘wrong’ direction ;-P

And the very latest includes new learning again – Join to Smooth Side by Anne Dyer. 

More about these in next post .

Till then, happy tatting :-)

Related Posts : Snow Doily Rounds 1-4

Hiding Ends sans sewing

Rounds 5 B and C in one pass

Renulek's Snow Doily - 1

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Been a long time since I posted. Blogging took a backseat, but not tatting.

I think this little verse says it all ……

TATIFICATION !

With tatting in my hand

Life will never be bland .
With threads well-stored
Who can ever be bored ?!
With patterns galore
I still collect more more more.

With shuttles by my side

Thru’ troubles I will glide .
Tat-chatting & tatters
What else matters ?!
Tutorials at a click
Make my shuttles tick.

With tatting in my hand

How can Life ever be bland ?!
Oooh yeah, my ecosystem has been tatified !

                                 muskaan, Sept 2015

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Astral  Fireworks !!!

Renulek’s Snow Doily is a 9-row/round doily that has snowflake & star medallions/motifs to justify the Snow doily theme ! Part of the reason I chose to make this doily, even though I Really like her Honey Napkin, is because it combines many patterns that I have wanted to make – the side-ring ‘clovers’, the long ‘wheel spokes’, & the snowflake! So instead of tatting them separately, it’s nice to have them all in one project.

It is going to be part of a thank-you gift set along with the Craftree Mystery Doily. This, besides the fact that at the time of starting this doily, I had a limited size 40 colour stash, has determined my choice of colours. But the placement of colours was determined by my conceptualization that led to the term ‘Astral Fireworks’ . Why ? I will explain in the concluding part , when I complete the doily … a little mystery never hurt anyone ;-)

Thread : Anchor Mercer Crochet Cotton size 40.

Cream : 4054-0386

Chrome Yellow : 0302

Brown : 4054-0355

Techniques used in Rounds 1-4 :

♥ FS/BS (RODS) tatting, ♥ 2 shuttles, ♥ Slope & Roll join, ♥ Long Picot, ♥ Graduated/decorative picots, ♥ Shoe Lace trick (SLT).

Notes / Jottings

v      Round 1-4 can be done with one shuttle & ball. But I used 2 shuttles. Now that I know how to easily & quickly load bobbins (thanks to Frivolé & Kathy), I no longer shy away from it ;-P 

v      Arrangement of colours in Rnds 2 & 3 was inspired by Elfiona’s doily (post #125) . The tiny rings looked like little stars !

v      I used Slope & Roll join for Rnds 2 & 3 to hide the colour blip. In size 40, it works fine !

v      Graduated Picots for the rings in Rnds 2 & 3 are in keeping with the Mystery Doily. (not perfect without use of gauge, but “enjoyment even at the cost of precision” is tatting my excuse,… errrr… motto :-) ).

v      Rnd 4 required a Long picot in 1^st of the 4 ring sets; and SLT (shoe lace trick) to switch colours.

v      Except for an initial hiccup when starting Rnd 4 (orientation-wise), it went very smoothly. At end of this round, the doily measures just under 8” (19.5 cms).

TIP : It might be a good idea to start Rnd 4 with an outer ring. This will help when closing out the round in the end.

v      I wanted to make the individual motifs of Rnd 5 first & join as I tatted Rnd 4, thus working two rounds together as I did in the Wiosna here. However, the all-cream snowflake looked out of place. So I have held back till I get a better feel for what colour combination & placement to use for the snowflakes, starlets & clovers that make up Rnd 5. Now that Rnd 4 is complete, I have been trying out a few combos & think I know what I want …

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click on each caption for direct link to pattern

Rounds 1 & 2 

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5 part 1 

                                     

I have rejected this monotone snowflake. Working on something better (finalized last night !)

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In Conversation ...
It is very difficult to photograph this … no background except the binder cover seems to do some justice to the colours (yet leaves out the lovely sheen in the threads). And the next rounds will no longer fit within the blue confines … hmm…

My blog-trotting has taken a backseat as well. What with loads to do on the side, chatting on Craftree, & most importantly a moody server, I can't leave comments on posts as I used to. But I do try to follow along as much as possible. I hope the situation normalizes. Till then, 

happy tatting :-)))

Related Posts :  Spring Doily Part II

Snow Doily Part 2

Unlocking the Lock Join

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A Tutorial 

Lock Join in shuttle tatting, is both a boon and a bane .

It is a secure join, made with the core thread shuttle. It stops the previous stitches from sliding over the core thread, thus holding them in check. It is a go-to join when one needs to join to a picot that is below the working segment ; it can be done with 1 shuttle and in one smooth motion .

But …

It is so secure that once made, it becomes difficult to undo. Hence one always sees this statutory warning in Lock Join tutorials : snug the stitches properly ; make sure all are in the right place ; Then tighten the join knot because it is difficult to undo. Yes, that’s exactly what it is : a Knot !

Yet …

We tatters know how often we have to retrace our steps, lock join or no lock join. So I pulled a few strings, literally, to make it easy to unlock ;-P

So …

Follows a pictorial with instructions on which strings to pull when & in which direction … I have broken it down into nano steps ; in practice, it can be quite a smooth movement – try it.

I am posting this because I could not find any tutorial, tip, or instruction on how to undo the LJ. If such exists, please share. I am only sharing what works for me.

In images, the blue-green is the shuttle/core thread, and yellow is ball/working thread, both in size 20. Using 2 colours in a pictorial/tutorial makes it easier to identify steps, sequence, etc.

Henceforth, Lock Join will be referred to as LJ ….

CWJ : Catherine Wheel Join

How to UnLock the Lock Join

 1. In order to make a LJ, one pulls a loop of the core thread Up through picot, then passes the shuttle through this loop, and tightens the knot securely in place.

Keep in mind (for later comparison) the position & directional movement of shuttle & loop , because we will have to come back through this path to undo the LJ.

2.  Two LJs made. As you can see, both are equally tensioned. But we are now going to undo the 2^nd LJ.

3. Hold the stitches on the left (yellow) in your pinch & give a slight tug. Immediately, a part of core thread appears on the left side of the picot !

4. Gently, but persistently, keep pulling in same direction, away from the knot. The thread seems to unwrap itself gradually. The bare thread space starts to increase, and as seen in this extreme close-up, the knot has already loosened up a bit.

But, if you look carefully, the loop that emerges is on the ‘wrong’ side from where we made it initially ! It is pulled back behind the picot, rather than in front of it. Compare with 1^st pic. 

5. Now simply give a quick sharp tug with the shuttle thread in opposite direction. This will pull the loop through the picot, bringing it in the front. And with a slight ‘pop’ for pleasurable satisfaction (remember the ‘pop’ in the CWJ!)

Voila! The loop has emerged through the picot ! You can see the loop in front of picot, with the shuttle thread neatly within. Compare with previous pic.

Pull this loop (shown in inset, with crochet hook within) open further either with your fingers or with a shuttle hook/tip.

 6. Now that the loop is large enough, pass the core thread shuttle through it (front to back) to reverse/retrace the very first step.

7. See, the shuttle is now free from the LJ loop. There is only a bare loop left. Pull shuttle further till even this loop is pulled away from the picot.

8. The Lock join has been unlocked !!!

Yes, it is That simple :-)

Quick Recap 

Pull chain segment towards left of LJ to open up a long bare thread space (of core thread).

Pull shuttle thread towards right of LJ till it 'pops' to the front.

Pull this loop out & pass shuttle through it to unravel the LJ.

That’s it – just 2 strings to pull ;-)

This works superbly for both size 20 & size 40 threads. As you know, I can’t count beyond that 😭 

But I’d love to know whether it works for the finer threads too. 

A few factoids :

Lock join aka Shuttle Join

LJs can be made either by pulling shuttle thread up through picot or by pulling shuttle thread down through the picot. (Note : If doing the latter, the final steps of unlocking the LJ will become the opposite of those shown in images)

Quick to make and in a contiguous motion.

When making a LJ, avoid pulling on the ball/working shuttle thread.  Once the LJ is made, continue with the next stitch. The reason becomes self-evident from the above pictorial!

It causes a slight dip in the chain and this arc can be used beautifully.

Limitations of LJ & Comparison with CWJ

In 2-colour tatting, LJ leaves a tiny blip of colour. This can be avoided by a CWJ where core thread is enclosed/encapsulated within the join.

LJ locks in the core thread. In CWJ, the core thread is free to slip along.

LJ gives a slight dip in a chain edge. CWJ keeps the outer edge of chain contiguous, since a full ds is made.
But CWJ needs 2 shuttles to work it, and it can also hamper the tatting rhythm,  since it has to be made with Shuttle 2.

Miranda has an Excellent comparative account of 3 joins (LJ, CWJ, Slope & Roll Join) along with actual tatting samplers. A must-read.

There is also a wealth of knowledge in terms of Joins, their characteristics, etc. in a discussion thread started by Judith Connors on Dora Young Knot here

I first learned the S&R & CWJ from the excellent diagrams here  (scroll to the bottom of page) 

There are many many more resources including videos.

happy tatting J