TWoT 2 : Back to Basics !

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That’s exactly how it felt ! I don’t remember tatting many rings-only patterns when I first learned, especially not with bare thread space. This time it was different – it felt like I was starting from the basics of tatting design.  I have learned (and am still learning) a lot while working on this series.

The This Way or Tat? series starred with a Preface – Quo vadis ;

then an Introduction with practice patterns (pdf here)

Continuing from where we left off in the Introduction, here is the first set - diagrams for Rings Only scenarios.

UPDATE (Oct 15, 2016) : In case the link does not work, here is an updated, revised pdf with new link --- TWoT? Set I Rings Only updated

This Set was taught in Georgia's Online Tatting Class On Oct 10, 2016

This Way or Tat? Set I - Rings Only Updated

This part consists of a guide to read the diagrams ; many small but graded (difficulty level) patterns for practice and exercise ; and questions scattered throughout the document.

Answers will be shared in the next post.

I am grateful to Rachael Mohler & Eliz Davis for graciously & enthusiastically sharing their patterns, 

and to Renata who equally enthusiastically permits me to share her doily links for this series.

I hope you have tremendous fun playing with the patterns, while keeping a close eye on the whats and whys.

I will share my own thoughts, pics and working of the wreath and square motif patterns in next post, along with some links and answers.

My own practice patterns are pretty basic, while incorporating some application of the diagrams.

These 3 patterns constitute this collage-in-the-making called …

Ring In The Bouquet !

The bouquet comprises of rings-only patterns worked with a single shuttle in size 20 thread.…

Wiggly Flowers

Forgot to join the picots in the 5-petalled yellow flower, making it fidgety. Noticed only when I started to work on the pics at my desktop. Hence the name. Maroon flower is the prototype.

Butterfly Liberated

I have struggled to design a simple butterfly. This time, it wasn’t that difficult! Hence this name.

The maroon one in topmost pic was the prototype where I deliberately left out picots.

Laurel Leaf

 Shape of this leaf had always appealed to me....

 but I joined the leaflets a bit differently, to create that mesh-like effect.

I can’t believe these or similar ones haven’t been done before; even so, I created them from scratch. 

Wiggly Flowers were easy. 

Butterfly Liberated took 1 trial. 

Laurel Leaf took 3 trials. 

When I started to design and tatted a prototype of leaf and butterfly, I searched Google, Craftree & Pinterest. The way I worked them is a bit different from the ones I found. I will willingly give credit to any designer if you can guide me....

These patterns are deliberately shared only as diagrams in this file. However, I will upload all patterns to My Patterns page, properly formatted, with written notations. These are all free to use, even if one does not want to follow the exercise.

download pdf here :  This Way of Tat? Set 1 - Rings Only UPDATED pdf

pdf for pattern only : Ring in the Bouquet

All feedback and criticism is appreciated and welcome – it will help me improve on the next diagram sets.

Inchies 

While comparing the Set diagrams to practice patterns, I wondered if I could design a square using outward facing rings. These 2 Inchies (yes they are exactly 1” squares!) are the result of a quick tat. The right (pink) one was made first, then the beige one. These are prototypes, and I need to better them … but I like the potential of these simple airy square medallions that can be joined into a larger fabric. 

Meanwhile, I am thrilled to see at least 3 tatters working this series (3, or at least 2 More than I had anticipated,since Eliz had committed to it :-D !) 

Read Eliz’s excellent observations and applications of the previous exercise and how Ninetta has applied the exercise to her current doily project with curled rings !!! Mama Martin left a nice comment here, on how it helped her.

Set II comprises of Chains Only diagrams. But I doubt there will be these many practice patterns ;-) Hope to share it in about 10 days ...

happy tatting always, whichever direction you take :-) 

Related Posts : Preface – Quo vadis

Introduction

UPDATE (Oct 8) : Left-handed tatting by Eliz Davis
My working of the Hen n Chicks Square Motif & Ring Only Wreath

UPDATE (April 2021): While I try to find the time and focus to complete this series, please check out these links:

TWoT posts and TWoT Notes.

Practice patterns: 

Chains-only: https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2016/12/all-in-chains.html & Rosette Enchained snowflake 

Rings & Chains: Minarets in the Sky; Aspiration snowflake; Hidden Rose Snowflake (rings & chains) - 

 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r4OmXX_c5LjFebMN2UbSNiYqXYETLmoridK0X1YIQco/view 

Mark Myer's Luster Snowflake  Paths/choices when climbing out with a split ring . pictorial pdf.

Lock Join Plus series - several methods that can result in change of direction, colour, etc. including when climbing out. https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2020/07/lock-join-plus.html

from pin to pin

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Confession : This month I did not work on any project specifically for the pinterest challenge.

Yes, I did make a start with my personal challenge of 2D tatting design, but this post will not talk about that.

Instead, I will fall back upon a few things I have been doing ever since I saw them on pinterest. Please excuse the quality of pics – they were taken back in 2013 (when I was still new to photography) & I don’t even have the unmarked stock pics. I urge you to check out the original posts for the great pics and instructions. Mine don’t do any justice to them, although it has become part of my life.

Healthier Butter

Adapted from Jillee’s One Good Thing by Jillee

It all started with Jillee’s post on how to make your own herb butter.

For daily application, herb butter wouldn’t be accepted in my home, so I skipped the herbs and mixed only butter and olive oil – almost equal amounts.

Mix normal Butter with desired amount of Olive Oil 

(I used approximately equal amounts - 50gm butter + ~50ml olive oil). 

Mix with fork if quantity is less, as in this case, or pulse in blender as Jillee did.  

Olive oil has blended with the butter. Refrigerate and use as normal

I use a stainless steel container with tight lid. This small container easily fits into the bread box sitting cozily beside the bread.

And due to the oil, the refrigerated butter quickly 'thaws' to room temperature when taken out & kept on the kitchen counter. No longer need to Remember to take the butter out earlier !

Besides toast and sandwiches, I sometimes use it for grilling, too – oil gives it the fat, and butter the colour.

Works great in baking too - I use this for cookies, muffins & cake....

Eggless Cake using healthier butter

Basic recipe : Sharmi’s Passions

This was my first attempt at baking an Eggless cake & it wasn't As spongy as my usual cakes (with eggs) although the taste was great. It had a slightly denser feel, which I remedied the next time. I used Sharmi's Chocolate chip cupcake recipe (sans the chocolate chips)  

This pic was taken a few days After the cake was baked – more than half had already been consumed and the remaining pieces relocated into a smaller container. When I remembered, I just took the container out of the fridge and immediately took a pic. Hence the dry, crumbly look.

I have since used the healthy butter in muffins and cupcakes as well. They all bake fine.

Tear Drop Eggless Shortbread Cookies

Recipe adapted from Sharmi’s Passions

I chose a slightly healthier version

1. A mix of APF & whole wheat flour (3:1)

2. A mix of butter & olive oil (the healthy butter above)

3. Only about 75-80 g of the butter & oil mixture.

Frosting would've improved the look, but added calories, hence not applied ;-)

As the visual show, baking is not my forté . My cakes and muffins come out great in taste, but cookies & biscuits have a love-hate relationship with me.

That’s it for this month.

I did overcome a personal challenge by finally being comfortable with designing 2D tatting patterns. Simple and small for now, but I felt the barrier lift. This month will always remain very special to me – my shuttles are actively tatting up little medallions and motifs, yay!

To see some really special stuff, though, let’s all hop over to our talented group (you are welcome to join in any time; simply pick a monthly pin from pinterest !) :

Suzanne

Margaret

Carollyn

Imoshen

Margaret II

happy pinning :-)

Related Posts : my previous pinterest challenges 

TWoT-1

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So, here we go ! The TWoT series begins !

This Way or Tat?

Introduction

Read the Preface here.

Download the Introduction to ‘This Way or Tat?’ here.

The Introduction consists of : bullet points to give an overview ; snowflake patterns (2 versions) as a practice or baseline piece ; and a worksheet or table to jot down your observations.

These Dotted Snowflakes have been designed specifically for this series to establish a sort of personal baseline. You can choose to tat any version or continue to tat whatever you have on your shuttles. Just be mindful of the way in which tatting is progressing at each step.

The table will give you an idea of what to look out for. This is a prototype table. You can use, alter, adapt it as you wish. 

I think the table itself , or a modification thereof, can be used by tatters & designers to keep track of any new project. I know I’ll be using it for my future designing !!!

These and future patterns for this series will be fairly small, simple, quick to tat.

Any resemblance to known patterns is purely coincidental and unintentional. I have not referred to any pattern, any stitch count, but one can never be sure of the subliminal influences and inspirations that seep in. 

Both are tatted in Anchor size 40 thread and measure 2½”

This 2-round pattern can be tatted in one pass.

In Round 1, the starting ring has a ¼” picot to which the 5 rings will be joined.

How to Estimate the Length of a Central Picot ?

Thread size, tatting tension, etc. make it difficult to standardize the length, despite a designer's best efforts. 

A thumb rule has emerged (but needs more confirmation). 

TIP :    length of central picot = 1DS span/width for each future ring.

Make the picot loop and fold back along the first part of ring. Going along, if 5 more rings need to be attached, the folded loop should span at least 6 DS ie. it should be 6DS wide. 

Similarly, if there are to be 8 rings around a central picot, the picot loop (doubled) should span at least 8-9 DS.

If you are tatting these snowflakes or any similar medallion, what has been your experience ? I would love for you to experiment and confirm or reject. Please do share.

In Round 2, I have deliberately used both dots & Josephine rings in this pattern. Interestingly, they have the same total half-stitch count, yet the JR is larger than the dot, as I had discovered here ! Dots are very small rings with normal double stitches. Now you know why the snowflakes got their name! Perhaps 'Dotty' would've been more appropriate ;-)

Both versions stacked together :

Love the way the 2 snowflakes stack up! Idea for a new version, using both ?!!

Download the complete pdf of Introduction to ‘This Way or Tat?’ here.

Set 1 (Rings Only) will be uploaded in a week's time. 

Feel free to ask any questions. Your feedback, criticism & inputs can benefit us all. Please take a moment to share your thoughts and observations. 

happy tatting :-)

Related Posts :

Preface to This Way or Tat?

Dots