a humble request

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You know how I love hearing from you even privately,  and responding to all your queries asap! I have been trying to keep pace with the emails and projects, and will get around to replying to them. All I ask is a bit more patience especially since I may not have sufficient time for the next week or so. I will still be blogging but will prioritise my correspondence.  Please bear with me and stick around ;-D
Love
muskaan :-)

first leg of tatting adventure

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Sometimes one stumbles upon an old, neglected blog and their blog list takes you to contemporary blogs. Always fun scrolling through them!

Over a year back I came across Natalie Rogers’ Tat Your Own Adventure and thought it was a brilliant and fun designing idea! I saved it to try out privately but guess what, she has started a new round on facebook! Of course, I am participating, and this is my first motif - 

I’ve never played poker, but I do believe I’ve been dealt a Superb hand! (Should I take it up professionally? ;-p).

The 2nd card with a ‘?’ is like a joker – I can choose any stitch count. 

And the ‘7’ is the last card can be turned around to make it a ‘2’ if desired. So my options have multiplied.

Anyway, I only had energy to tat this little freeform piece last night. Will continue tonight and post the final. I have a few ideas for a flat symmetrical motif, too.

Worked in Lizbeth size 80, it measures 4½ cms high and 1 cm across.

I started with three 7ds rings (picot after every stitch), followed by two 5ds rings, and two 1ds rings, all separated with bare thread space. Turn back with the same number of rings, but I made a lock join to the bts between rings, encapsulating green thread within, since I wanted a touch of green in the inflorescence.

The stem is a Josephine chain (15-15), followed by 2 chains of 11 folded over, followed by another JCh. I left a paperclip on core thread after the first JCh. After completing the leaf, I made a join on this inward picot before continuing the remaining stem.

This is a great way to overcome designer’s block or for budding designers to take a semi-structured fun journey.

Onemadtatter came up with another creative option translating chemical notations into tatting stitches! Read how she saw tatting notations in valence electron configurations and actually tatted a Krypton motif!

Aren’t we richer for the options shared by creative tatters and designers?!

My adventure will continue – this is only the first leg and I am already having fun! 
Come travel with us !!!  

Thanks, Natalie J

Click to see a few of my own design processes.

double trouble motif

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So, here’s what I did with the treble arches (from previous post) to showcase their gracefulness! And despite the title of this post, I found it very relaxing and enjoyable ;-D Perhaps you would like to give it a go as a practice piece?

I started with the same first round rosette as in the snowflake since I wanted to check on something. It can be made smaller, of course, and the next rounds adjusted accordingly.

Treble  Arches  Flower  Motif pattern

muskaan © May 2020

Abbreviations : ctm = continuous thread method ; SCMR = self-closing mock ring ; 

rw = reverse work ; tds = treble tat stitch

NOTATION for Graduated or Variable Treble Tat Stitch (tds)  :

The original tds is made by pulling 2 loops consecutively for 1^st part, and 3 rolls/wraps in 2^nd part. In order to create a relatively smooth gradient, both halves of the tds have been tweaked. A notation that can convey this clearly was needed. I find the following notation (similar to the pds) easiest to indicate the range of variability.

I followed this pictorial and this explanation. Here is Ninetta's summary and links to tds posts.

Following the above logic, a normal tds would be notated as tds(2,3) where 2 loops are pulled and 3 wraps/rolls are made. However, tds is retained in instructions. 

The following tds variations have been used in this pattern :

tds(1,2) = 1 loop pulled, 2 wraps/rolls made.

tds(3,4) = 3 loops pulled, 4 wraps/rolls made.

tds(4,5) = 4 loops pulled, 5 wraps/rolls made.

tds(5,7) = 5 loops pulled, 7 wraps/rolls made.

A single tds is tatted each time, hence, no number is indicated on the left in this pattern.

All rounds are tatted using a single shuttle and ball, without cutting the thread between them (ctm). Shuttles require only short lengths.

Round 1 : Red ball and shuttle, ctm

SCMR: 4 ± 4 ± 8 – 8 – 4 – 4. close. rw

Chain: 1

Repeat this 5 more times, joining to previous ring and last ring to first ring.

I direct-tatted the chain using reverse stitch. See details here.

Round 2 : yellow ball and shuttle, ctm

Note: Each arch starts and ends with 2 double stitches.

Attach thread to 2^nd picot on Round1.

Chain: 2, tds(1,2), tds, tds(3,4), tds(4,5), tds(5,7), tds(4,5), tds(3,4), tds, tds(1,2), 2, lock join. Repeat 5 more times.
One can stop after this round.

Round 3 : mustard yellow ball and shuttle, ctm

Attach thread to free picot on Round1, from the back.

Repeat Round 2 all around.

Possible variations –

• Overlap the arches of 3^rd round with previous round.
• Add more rounds/layers.
• Instead of blocking flat, keep the petals raised in 3D effect – in the right colours one could make a water lily or lotus surrounded by leaves!
• Add beads and findings to convert into earrings or pendant.

Measurements when worked in Anchor size 20 - 

Round 1: <4cms (with picot)

Round 2: >5cms. (3 cms as a hexagon side)

Round 3: 5½ cms (3½ cms as a hexagon side)

So what do you think? Are the instructions and notations clear? If you can suggest an alternate or better notation, please do share. 

happy tatting :-)