another colour dilemma

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A situation arose where I needed to start an edging with a picot on a chain.

No problem – go CTM and leave picot space with or without a holder (eg. paperclip)!

But I was interested in making that edging in 2 colours and CTM was not an option. All the tutorials/videos known to me start with continuous thread and there is no mention of another colour.

So here’s my solution to ….

Starting with a Chain (and starter picot)

in 2-Colour Tatting

Download the stepwise pdf here

Ø       Unwind a tail from ball/shuttle 2 (this acts like CTM) to finger-tat the chain;

Ø       Make a starter picot if required (with or without a holder),

Ø       Then add the other color for ring.

Ø       Tat over tails to hide.

With this solution, I don’t need to start with any messy knots, colour blips, or bulk (hiding 2 tails under one chain, making it 4 threads!).

And it is great for block tatting when we use 2 colours and have to start with a picot on chain!

I converted it into a stepwise pictorial pdf (with introduction & links to a few resources) for relative beginners.

This tiny motif was made as I went along, for anybody interested in tatting along.

There was another reason why this solution was needed. Here is a scan of the edging in 2 colours. 

BUT I made the leaves in same colour as stem whichmeant I couldn’t have the purple showing up at the starter and joining picots. More about that in a future post.

This method also works if the chain is tatted in reverse stitch (unflipped stitches as in a split ring) ! But here, instead of ball, we will need a 2^nd shuttle, because the tail acts as core, wrapped taut on our hand, and the shuttle makes the larkshead knots or reverse stitches.

Ninetta is my “Hiding Lady” partly because of her numerous solutions to hiding ends! She gave me valuable and instant feedback on the draft I sent her. With her stamp of approval, I’m sure there is some merit to this solution J  Grazie mille, Nin !

happy tatting in every situation :-)

Related posts :

starting dead end chains

Tatting over tails frontside and backside

tatting over tails - the middle path pdf

more tutorial links

undulating with one shuttle

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single shuttle medallions with tatting pattern

Thought I’d take a mini break from the project I’m working on (forgot to ask permission for sharing, so we’ll have to wait a while longer) to keep my blog alive ;-D

These were done earlier in the month, continuing with the theme of single shuttle medallions.

Undulating !

single  shuttle  medallions

There are 2 versions, with more to come – there is so much scope in the basic idea. What I showcase as Version 2 was really tatted first, but the pink one is pretty generic with huge potential, as seen in the montage below ....

version 1  prototype

This is a simple braid of half closed or half rings (HR), each of 15 stitches.

In size 20 thread, I used a picot gauge of ⅜ inch for bare thread space of half-closed rings.

Reverse work (RW) after each half ring so that alternate rings face in opposite directions.

8 half rings can be joined back into a square.

10 half rings can be joined back into a star or flower.

… and so on.

Add picots for securing the inner rings, and decorative picots on outer rings.

A pearl in the center of each half ring would look pretty for jewelry.

version 2  prototype

This is made in 2 continuous rounds, with a rosette center and half rings (HR) around. A single shuttle split ring (SSSR) is used to climb out.

Leave a tail at the start in order to secure the last SSSR*.

Rosette (worked in clockwise direction from front)

Ring1  : 3 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 3 DNRW

Ring2  : 3 + 5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 3 DNRW

Ring3  : 3 + 5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 3 DNRW

SSSR4 : 3 + 5 – 5 / 5 – 5 + 3 . Pass tail through the loop before closing ring. DNRW

Outer round of half rings (worked clockwise from front)

[HR1 : 15 RW    (⅜ inch bare thread space in each half ring)

HR2 : 15 LJ , RW] x 4

* The last SSSR has to be joined to first ring, and I chose to do it Takeda-style, passing the starting tail through the SSSR loop before closing it finally. 
Tug on tail and then sew it under caps of ring to hide. 

One can use Dora Young’s split ring technique, too. Some SSSR tutorial links are listed here.

Add decorative picots or beads as desired. These can probably make nice pendants & earrings ?

I was hoping to make many more variations of the above, and more versions. But all that is taking a backseat.

Okay I’ve had my rest, unwinded a bit, and some of the blocked pieces must’ve long dried. Back to my secret project, then…

More from single shuttle medallion challenge - PART 1 ; PART 2

Happy Tatting !

the middle path mantra

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Tatting over tails is a common method of hiding ends when we start a project or when we add new thread.

Continuing from the previous post where stepwise and comparative visuals demonstrated where to leave off the tail when hiding it within double stitches.

Part 2 demonstrates the same principle but in case of directional tatting, when we are working stitches from backside – where half stitches are in reverse order or sequence.

Since tail was hidden in a ring in Part 1, this time we show it on a chain.

Tatting over Tails - the middle path - 

download complete pdf here (Parts 1 & 2)

RW – reverse work

DS – double stitch ;

FHS – first half stitch ;

SHS – second half stitch.

RODS – reverse order DS, where sequence of half stitches is reversed. 

Tatting over Tails

Part 2 - backside 

This time I chose to tat a chain, working from the backside with RODS (reverse order of stitch). Here, SHS is made first, then FHS
1RODS = (1SHS,1FHS)

RW after ring made previously. We are now working from the back/wrong side.

1. Joining new thread (green/blue).

2. Start chain. 2 stitches (RODS) already made, encapsulating the tail.

Starting the 3^rd stitch with a SHS.

Notice the position of tail – it lies to the ‘front’ of the stitch being formed.

3. SHS snugged

4. FHS being made. Notice position of tail – it tends to lie ‘behind’ the half stitch

5. FHS snugged.

3 RODS completed

6. Continue till 4 RODS and 1 SHS made. Then leave tail and tat 1FHS normally.

7. Continue chain - more stitches made after leaving the tail

This is how it looks from the backside of work

8. View from the frontside of work

9. Snip the extra tail lengths as close to work as possible. Arrows show where each tail was snipped

NOTE : It is advisable to defer this step till a few more elements have been worked. Then pull the tails one last time and snip.

10. Tatting over tails frontside for ring and backside for chain, and leaving the tail in middle of a stitch, completed. 

So, here is the simple mantra to remember ...

the  middle path mantra

leave tail in the middle of a stitch !

Stop tatting over tail between 1^st & 2^nd half stitch when tatting a double stitch 

(frontside tatting);

Stop tatting over tail between 2^nd & 1^st stitch when working a reverse order double stitch (backside tatting).

This mantra also holds true for the reverse stitch (unflipped),  

as in 2^nd side of a split ring or direct tatting.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Tatting over Tails - the middle path - download complete pdf here

happy tatting always J