trials and jubilation !

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Trials can cause tribulation; perseverance & practice can turn those trials into jubilation !

Ikuta’s Picots

When Georgia posted the May 2nd class material online, I immediately wanted to try out the 3rd Method of Ikuta’s Picots. These are from Mituko Ikuta’s book “Shuttle Lace - Tatting & Bead Tatting 3” published in the late 1990s. 

The 3rd method has a beautiful overlapping & interweaving of picots along the edge. But it took me over an hour of trials & tribulations to figure out how ! That called for some jubilation.

We have a review class this Monday, based on the pictorial I prepared. As usual, once I start, it is difficult to stop – from the main road, diverging on to alternate paths & by-lanes. Well, one needn’t make the entire journey; or one can make it at one’s convenience. The main pictorial is just about 3 pages, rest includes the by-lanes. 

Here is my pdf link for free download : Ikuta Picot Method 3 Pictorial .

Ninetta shared a couple of pics and a beautiful butterfly using these picots (also included in the pdf). She will be sharing the pattern soon – keep an eye out :-)

Ikuta’s Picots – Method 3 Pictorial

1. The pictorial is based on this pattern here :  This is a 6-ring pattern without any joins.

Pattern for each ring : 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3

(blue numbers indicate ring segments & SH1 picots; pink indicate chain segments & SH2 picots)

2. Requires 2 shuttles.
3. Effect is more visible when using 2 colours.
4. The tatting is broken into alternating segments as seen in the 2 colours that show up :

ring segment worked with main shuttle as a normal ring , and

chain segment worked with 2 shuttles as a chain.

5. The chain segment can be worked either as normal Double Stitches ( Sec I of pdf ) or by using Reverse Stitch (unflipped/wrapped stitches) but ensuring that the caps align with the previous segment ( Sec II p4).
   
6. One can start (& end) by hiding the tails in different ways, as depicted in Sec III pages 5 & 6.
7. The need for 2 shuttles arises because 2^nd shuttle has to be posted through the ring in order to achieve interwoven picots. These picots can be interwoven either Under-Over or Over-Under based on their visible overlap. The former are covered in Sec I & II ; the latter are explained in Sec IV on p7.
8. In the pattern, the 2^nd shuttle thread can perform the function of joining adjacent rings (as seen between rings in lead pic) or become a decorative bridging ‘faux picot’ (Sec IV p7). This faux picot has been used to excellent advantage by Ninetta as antennae for the butterfly !
9. An easier spin-off is the “Layered” picot (Sec V p8). By keeping 2^nd shuttle to the left at all times, the picots formed do not intertwine, but do overlap in a layered effect. One does not need to post the shuttle in this formation.
10. I haven’t tried it at the time of making the pdf,  but these picots can be tatted on a chain too. Scroll down for details & sampler. 

There has been a suggestion that the process of tatting Ikuta Picots on a ring is the same as the Shuttle Brothers’ Alternate Thread Ring (ATR or AT Ring) from their 2003 book - "Tatting Alternate Threads". 
I later came across Gina Butler’s video inspired by the ATR technique. The way she wraps the threads is same/similar to what I figured out. 
As for the picots themselves, from my internet search, Ikuta’s picots overlap differently from those of the ATR. I do not have any of the books, so cannot make a conclusive statement. Hopefully it will be discussed in class.
I tend to agree with Nina Libin that if one knows the AT tatting method, then making these picots is a simple variation of effect rather than technique. I have no idea of the process Ikuta herself followed.
Some stunning effects can be created by stringing along beads !!! Nina shared pics of her Beanile pieces using ATR technique and probably Ikuta’s picots. 

The same interwoven picots effect is possible on a chain. Here is my quick trial. It first reminded me of Jane Eborall's Double Chain ( sampler #27 here ) because 3 threads are needed. However, they are different. More about that in some future post.

Here's how to get the method 3 effect on a chain :
Use at least 1 shuttle which acts as the core thread (red in pic) throughout. 2 more auxiliary threads are required (yellow & green in pic) which make the alternating double stitch segments. Leave sufficient length of picot space before starting each segment. Both types of overlap (under-over & over-under) are possible by bringing the necessary auxiliary thread forward. It is very quick to tat up & can make pretty braids, outlines, decorative elements, etc. 

UPDATE : For beginners,  it may be a good idea to start with the picots on a chain ; then try the 'layered' effect, before moving on to the actual Method 3 with interwoven picots.

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

Method 2 of Ikuta’s Picots 

This is also very interesting, especially if one adds beads to the long picots, or one interweaves them. It is something I had tried a couple of years back, inspired by an image, not knowing the name of the picot then. . These are simple long picots that are joined to the adjacent ring. We know them as Double Picots when they are joined back to the same ring. 

My practice piece of 2014 varies from the original image in the use of 2 colours to highlight the overlap between picots. Hmmm, I now notice that these have an over-under overlap ! 

The lesson shared goes a few steps further : There are 4 long picots in each ring, 2 of which are joined to the adjacent ring, creating a lot of overlap. I had to abort it, though, because the stated picot length of 1" (or 2" when open) turned out to be too short for the effect to show, as can be seen in the collage. 

Secondly, the instructions said to join picots 1 & 3 of each ring to 1st & 3rd positions in next ring. However the tatted model shows that picot 1 of ring 1 is joined to 2nd picot position of ring 2; and 3rd of ring 1 to 4th of ring 2. 
I chose to follow the image, but added an interweave. But another trial with at least a 1.5 to 2" long picots will show the effects.
Can't celebrate yet; just happy to be on the right track ....

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

And before I leave the topic of picots, here's a reminder of my Double Daisy Flowers - love the picot effect here !

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Ninetta's Bracelets Capriccio 

I’m sure you remember my tribulation during Ninetta’s small Curled Rings trials here. I needed to redeem myself as well as gain confidence that indeed I have understood it. Hence here is another sampler I tatted that includes 3 versions of her Bracelet Capriccio. Her videos were a great help ! All her videos can be accessed on Georgia Seitz's Online Advanced Class Videos 

Still not there, but I do think I can celebrate a bit ... the tatting went very quickly this time, with minor mistakes.

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

And the latest from this amazing designer : Mediterranean Tatting Diet ! A tat-along bookmark !! I had time to tat only one strawberry in size 40 thread. The calyx is in shaded silk thread, doubled up.

ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ

Many thanks to all the wonderful tatters named in this post !

happy tatting :-)

Related Posts :  Daisy Picot flowers

trials and tribulations

Chains in Shuttle Tatting

Part 2 present and past

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continued from Part 1 - Ikuta's Picots on a Chain

Here is the second part of the tat-along exercise on Method 3 of Ikuta’s Picots.

But besides this, there is something wonderfully interesting at the end !

After the 1^st exercise, we now have some understanding of how each picot effect looks (layered and overlapping) and how it is constructed on a chain. The same basic principle follows for the ring.

IKUTA’S PICOT EFFECTS ON RINGS

PART 2 of tat-along exercise

A ring, unlike the chain, is a closed loop, increasing the difficulty a bit. Yet, we can still identify the commonalities between the chain and ring arrangement, as shown in the combined picture below. 

On the left is the chain which we have already made ; on the right is how the elements for a ring will be laid out.

In the ring,

1. think of the ring loop as the blue scrap thread of chain
2. yellow scrap thread remains the same - a chain thread
3. the blue shuttle thread in ring replaces the red core/shuttle thread in chain

For the sake of continuity, clarity, and comparison, the same 2 visible colours have been used. 
The red core thread of chain has been replaced by the SH1 blue thread.

ALL TATTING IS DONE BY THE BLUE SHUTTLE 1 THREAD, ALTERNATING BETWEEN THE RING LOOP (blue) AND THE CHAIN THREAD (yellow)

The above picture shows how we can loop and hold the threads taut. Holding the threads in this manner, we can work alternately on the ring loop and the chain thread without having to drop & pick repeatedly.  

Personally, I had to drop the ring loop when making the yellow stitches, since I am used to wrapping chain thread very loosely once around the pinkie. So, do whatever is comfortable. (Please read related discussion on how to construct below)

To start each part of this tutorial, make a ring loop with SH1 blue thread, 

and attach SH2 yellow thread to the base.   

We will follow the same sequence as in Part 1, starting with the easier layered effect.
Download my previous pictorial on Ikuta's Picots (Method 3) for tips and suggestions on how to start & end a ring, how to connect, and much more.  

V. Layered Picots on a Ring

As the term suggests, the picots are in two distinct layers, just as we saw in the chains in Part 1 of the tat-along. This is in Section V (page 8) of my pictorial pdf 

These picots do not require a 2^nd shuttle (unless using 2 colours) and can be replaced with a ball and single shuttle, without cutting off the thread, ie. by continuous thread method.  

Start as shown in Pic 21, and make 3DS on the ring loop with the blue SH1. 

Leave yellow picot space & make 3DS chain with yellow stitches. 

(this was termed 'chain segment' in my pdf) 

Keep yellow SH2 to the left, pick up the ring loop, leave blue picot space & tat 3DS . 

(this was termed ring segment in my pdf)

Again wrap yellow SH2 thread around pinkie, leave picot space & tat 3DS , as in pic 22.

Repeat these alternate blue and yellow segments till end. Close ring.

Notice the placement/layering of picots : each picot is separate, but yellow picots lie in front or above, and the blue picots lie behind throughout the ring.

These colours can be switched. So how about a bit of homework before we proceed further ?

homework : 
For practice, make another ring, but this time have blue SH1 picots lie above & the yellow SH2 picots lie below. Compare with previous ring. 

And for the sake of interest, let’s turn the previous ring over to see how it looks from the back side ....

The colours are switched ! But the homework is to tat this colour effect so that it lies in front.

Just playing around .... the central ring has only 1DS separating the picots. 

Thinking of an aster, in the right colours, of course ?! So many tatted flowers are possible !!!

And here, all I've done is added a normal picot in the center of each segment. 

Each segment between the overlapping picots is [2DS,p,2DS].

I will continue and conclude this tutorial with the overlapping picots (Method 3) with both over-under & under-over overlapping picots. There will also be a comparison with Daisy Picots.

DISCUSSION

Techniques

how to construct ?

With reference to the wrapping of the ring & chain threads, this paragraph was included on p9 :

"Some experienced tatters have compared Ikuta Picots with Shuttle Brothers’ Alternate Thread tatting or AT Rings technique from their book “Tatting Alternate Threads”. Gina Butler’s video for Alternate Thread Wrap is inspired by this technique & is a practical way of holding both threads in position : 

Mituko Ikuta’s book “Shuttle Lace - Tatting & Bead Tatting 3” was published in the late 1990s & 

Shuttle Brothers’ published their book in 2009.

I do not possess either book, hence am not qualified to determine."

BUT , instructions for this construction have been around for a century and a half !!!   Mlle Riego, in her 1868 book "Raised Tatting Book", details how to use the ring and chain thread to make layered picots, all facing the same side (p10). She has a beautiful star insertion pattern (pp10-12) using picots of differing lengths. 

This is my first practice trial, following her instructions only for the ring. The lower flower is seen from the back side. I will be tatting the entire pattern as a sampler.


is this pearl tatting ? 

Instead of a direct answer to the question asked in Part 1, to which a few answers have been ventured, let me first delineate what I consider the characteristics of Pearl Tatting.

As I understand it, pearl (perle) tatting has 5 main characteristics :

1. picots or perles or pearls
2. multiple threads
3. core thread slides freely
4. double-sided tatting ("double pearl")
5. encapsulation (implied in #2) usually with reverse stitch (direct tatting/wrapped/unflipped stitches)

Some of these conditions are essential and basic to pearl tatting, while others are merely a ‘by-lane’ - one of many paths to reach the destination. It is these by-lanes that lead to variations (& confusion !).

Let us examine each characteristic in relation to the layered picots ... 

# 1 - yes, picots are definitely present.
# 2 - In a chain we were clearly using 3 threads. And as the comparison picture (2nd pic from top) shows, the same reasoning can be applied when tatting the ring. So yes, we are tatting over 2 threads.
# 3 - yes, the core thread slides freely.
# 4 - no, all stitches and picots face the same direction - all are on one side. 

# 5 - encapsulation exists, but so far in the tutorial direct tatting or reverse stitch (RS) is not used. However, in the overlapping picots to be tackled in Part 3 (which are the "real" method 3 of Ikuta's Picots), we Can use direct tatting in the chain segments. Refer to Sec II - Using DS-RS & under-over picots on p.4 of my pictorial pdf. 
On the other hand, Mlle Riego also does not use direct tatting in her 1867 "Pearl Tatting Book". She works pearl tatting (or pearl beading) by reversing work for each segment worked with the extra shuttle(s) or worked on the other multiple thread(s).
So this direct tatting feature of pearl tatting can easily be considered as "optional".

Based on the above, is this form of one-sided or "single pearl" not a variation of pearl tatting, with picots & stitches all facing the same direction instead of opposite directions ?
Your verdict ?

For those who do not attend Georgia's Online Tatting Class, I will talk a bit about how the name "Ikuta's Picots" came about. 

Many thanks 

to Eliz Davis for her valuable feedback on the comparison pic ;

to Judith Connors for patiently guiding me, which includes leading me 

to the wonderful world of Mlle Riego's tatting ; 

to Georgia Seitz for introducing me to these beautiful picot effects ;

and to all tatters who have shown an interest in this tutorial.

to be continued

Related posts : Part 1 - Ikuta's Picots on a Chain

Ikuta's Picots Method 3 Pictorial

The first post

SOUP catcher

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I haven't touched my shuttles for almost 3 weeks now, but I needed a small decoration for splocik's monthly game. So, I did a quick search in my stash and found motifs I had tatted in September. I hastily put these together to create some kind of ornament. It resembles a dreamcatcher somewhat, but could just as well be a suncatcher, a window decoration or a tree ornament. And overall, it could've been better! This will have to do for now since only a few hours remain of November.

Being made of pieces in my stash and with no clear identity, I was tempted to call it my SOUP* catcher! Remember what SOUP stands for? - Sewing On / Using Pieces of tatting. However a few of my friends say it does look like a dreamcatcher. And these are the component pieces ....

Motif #1 Mituko Ikuta's 1994 book 'Shuttle Lace: Tatting and Beads 1' has several picot effects which became popular as 'Ikuta Picots' through Georgia Seitz's tribute to the designer. The above motif is from Ikuta Picots Diagrams 1  by Georgia Seitz (https://www.theonlinetattingclass.com/technique-tools). Worked in Lizbeth size 20.

Motif #2 And this is from Diagram 2 same link as above. In the first motif the long picots appear like adjoining or continuous picots, being joined at the same distance. These are double picots and the two threads can be arranged to better resemble them - I did not. Worked in Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8.

In this 2nd motif the very long picots are joined to adjoining elements (rings here) and form overlapping layers with careful interweaving.

This time I pinned the long picots in 2nd motif while blocking in order to achieve the points. I like this better since it opened up the picots - what about you?

My pictorials for her overlapping picots effect - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/search?q=Ikuta+picots

Motif #3 I was inspired by Corina Meyfeldt's beautiful Sakura pattern (https://cmhandmade.blogspot.com/2014/11/pattern-sakura.html). I had started out to tat the sakura, but pre-stringing the beaded picots (notice I put 3 yellow beads at the tips?) was quite time-consuming so I went freeform with only 5 stamens. Worked in Anchor Pearl Cotton size 8.

There's a backstory to this. When I did the post about Tatted Fringe (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/08/on-fringes.html) Stephanie W told me about her beaded fringe which she made using Nina Libin's 'single file beaded picot' and even sent me a pic! It reminded me of Corina's Sakura which had been taught in Georgia's class. The method is exactly the same, though for a fringe the picots would likely be longer.

Motif #4 The large mustard 4-petalled motif in the center of the bangle is an adaptation of Eliz Davis' motif (https://tatknot.blogspot.com/2016/05/mock-ring-by-joining-chain-back-to.html) which I made before in blue (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2016/05/of-long-chains-large-rings.html). After everything was assembled, I realised I hadn't taken a pic of the motif separately. Worked in Anchor size 20 (¬size 10).

Motif #5 There was a prominent negative space in the 4th motif so I sewed in the Fringe Star 

(pattern https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/08/starburst-fringe.html) 

I wanted to take a short video of the SOUP dreamcatcher but it wasn't to be. 

How fast this year has slipped by! Only one more month left, one last submission left. Do check out the range of October entries in splocik's 'Small Decorations' game - https://splocik2.blogspot.com/2024/11/male-dekoracje-2024-galeria.html

Many many thanks to all mentioned in this post!  

Cracking “Picotgate”

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(all links at the end of this post)

Yes, “Picotgate” is what they’re calling the Ikuta Picots (Method 3) in class now, LOL!

Why? Probably because some tatters are still struggling to crack the effect – those picots seem to be in quite a conspiratorial underhanded deal against us :-)

So, here’s another post on the same topic. I don’t know the specific difficulties faced by tatters, but Deep Throat has learned a bit more since the first information was provided in the pictorial & the post, and is revealing it in a slightly different style – a tat-along exercise for the Woodwards & Bernsteins :-). Hopefully, some associations & connections might emerge from this little exercise in “doing is learning” .

We shall approach the picot effects through the chain route, going from simple to complex, so that beginners may take a shot at it too. I have taken all new photographs for a new perspective. 

IKUTA’S PICOT EFFECTS ON CHAINS
A tat-along exercise

For this tat-along exercise, we need only 1 shuttle, and 2 scrap threads, preferably in different colours. 

In my samples, red is the core/shuttle thread & blue & yellow are the ‘chain’ or scrap threads.

To start each part, I tied the 3 threads together & tatted a 3DS blue chain.

I. Layered Picots-1

Knot the 3 threads together & make 3 DS with blue thread.

After the chain segment is tatted, simply leave/drop the thread to the left.

3DS with yellow thread, leaving picot space at beginning.

I have only just noticed that 1 half stitch of yellow segment is missing – an inadvertent mistake; please ignore. 

Continue these segments. Notice how the yellow thread remains behind ....

... and the blue thread remains in front.

Notice the placement/layering of picots : each picot is separate, but one colour lies in front & the other behind throughout the chain. Also notice that the core thread remains the same throughout.

We can switch the colours if so desired (Part II of the exercise is optional) ...

II. Layered Picots-2 

Follow the same procedure as in I. But this time, keep the blue thread behind, to the left, after completing 3DS.

Compare with pics 7 & 8 with 4 & 5 above.

The final result is same as above, except that now the yellow picots lie in front & blue behind.

Pic 10 shows both the above effects together for easy comparison.

This style of layered picots was incidental ; not part of Ikuta’s Picots. But it helped me figure out how to overlap the picots to recreate Method 3. 

The 2 ways of overlapping are as follows - over-under overlap & under-over overlap , giving a sense of intertwined picots.

III. Over-Under Picots (Method 3)

In this overlap, the picot lies Over the arch of previous picot, but Under the arch of next picot. See inset in pic 15

Tie the 3 threads together & tat 3DS with blue , picot, 3DS yellow. 

Bring blue Behind yellow , leave picot space ...

& tat 3DS .

Repeat the same with yellow : bring yellow from Behind blue, leave picot space, & tat 3DS.

Continue in similar fashion for required length. (pic 15) 

Examine how the picots lie in relation to each other. They have an over-under overlap as explained earlier.

Now let's do the other overlap ...

IV. Under-Over Picots (Method 3)

As the name suggests, the left side of picot lies Under the previous picot & right end lies Over/above the next picot.

Make 3DS with blue ;

Bring yellow in front of the blue thread, leave picot space & tat 3DS. 

Bring blue in front of yellow, leave picot space & tat 3DS 

Repeat to required length. 

Examine how the picots lie in relation to each other. The woven appearance has an under-over overlap. 

The two overlaps shown together for easy comparison.

To refresh our memory & compare , all 4 chains are photographed together. 

Have you completed this exercise successfully ? Do the happy dance :-D

Do you feel confident of making the picots on a ring ? If yes, then we will continue our exercise on rings in the next post, along with a bit of conceptual input.

Before I sign out, here's something to ponder over :

IS THIS PEARL TATTING ? 

Can you give reason(s) for your answer ?

In case of Any difficulty or doubt please feel free to leave a comment or email me. Your input & feedback is also very valuable. I hope to get some answers to this question before I post the next part :-)

happy tatting :-)

(to be continued)

Related Links & Resources 

class material & logs for May 9, & May 16, 2016 (many thanks to Georgia Seitz)

pictorial pdf for Method 3

Outline of the pictorial & other notes