Need Advice from Tatting Public

Remember this really ugly first draft?  I'm still working on it, and now I've tatted myself into a corner.

Lately, I've gotten into the habit of numbering the rings in a pattern (R1, R2, etc) with the idea this helps keep your place and helps with refering back and forth between the text and the diagram. This beastie has grown from its inauspicious beginning to an ungainly 135 rings, worked in one pass, which is way too big a number, especially for fitting numbers into the diagram.

What should I do?  If you were trying to work a pattern, which of these approaches would you prefer:

• Leave off the ring numbering altogether
• Number the rings up to 50, which would get you past the tricky parts
• At a certain place in the pattern, reset the numbering back to 1, which at least keeps it down to double digits
• Keep the numbers in the text pattern, even though it's a bit ungainly looking on the page, but only periodically place the ring numbers on the diagram after ring 50.

Thanks for your help!

Broomstick Lace Tatting

There's been some talk of broomstick lace tatting on Facebook lately, so I dug around and found this pattern to show how.

 

 

 

 

“Broomstick” Tatted Bookmark

© 2010  Martha Ess

 

 

 

This bookmark features large swirly picots, reminiscent of the look of broomstick lace.

 

Materials:  Thread, size 20 or perle 8 recommended, 1 shuttle.  Use a picot gauge ½” wide, held horizontally; or a gauge 1” wide, held vertically to make the long picots.

Pattern:  Wind 1 shuttle CTM with ball, do not cut.

 

Step 1:

R:        12 vsp 12 clr RW

Ch:      3--2--2--2--2--3 +LJ (to vsp of R) RW.  (These are all long picots, ½” high)

 

Repeat for desired length. 

Do not RW after last Ch.

 

Step 2:

Working down other side, make

Ch:      3--2--2--2--2--3 +LJ (to vsp of R).   (These are all long picots, ½” high)

 

Repeat back to beginning ending with +LJ to base of first R, then RW, SLT
 

Step 3:  Note:  Except for the first and last chain of 16 ds, do not over tighten the chains; let them lie flat rather than curved.

 

Ch:      16, RW SLT

Ch:      1 + (join to all 5 LPs) 2 + (join to same 5 LPs) 2 + (join to same 5 LPs)

*Ch:    6 + (join to next 5 LPs) 2 + (join to same 5 LPs) 2 + (join to same 5 LPs)

 

Repeat from * to end of first side

 

Ch:     1 RW SLT 16 +LJ (to LJ at end of Step 1) 16 RW SLT

Ch:      1 + (join to all 5 LPs) 2 + (join to same 5 LPs) 2 + (join to same 5 LPs)

**Ch:  6 + (join to next 5 LPs) 2 + (join to same 5 LPs) 2 + (join to same 5 LPs)

Repeat from ** to end of second side

 

Ch:      1 RW SLT 16.  Tie to base.  Work in ends or hide them in a tassel.

 

First Drafts

Most tatters would be aghast at producing something that looks like this.  For me as a designer, it is an excellent first draft. I've tried a few ways to make a curved set of rings, and two ways to make the feet.  I can take what I've learned here and use it to make the next draft, and repeat the process until I've got it right.

I hear some folks can make a drawing or a diagram of exactly what they want and tat it right up.  Not me though.  My drawing isn't so great, and I need to visualize things in the thread.  For me, being a designer means being willing to do a lot of tatting that will be thrown away.

Now then, as first drafts go, this is awful.  Truly, truly awful.

Weekend Outing

We decided we were ready for a little weekend outing, not too far away, to the New Bern and Beaufort, NC area.

The view from the deck at Front Street Grill in Beaufort.  Sunday brunch with a view is one of my favorite luxuries.

This is Fort Macon, (NC State Park) built in the 1800's  It's hard to tell from the picture, but the fort is built up inside a huge pit.  Easier to defend I think.  It's a very nice park with lots of historic displays.

Inside Fort Macon

In New Bern is Tryon Palace, rebuilt on the original foundations.  It was the first government official building and residence before the capitol was moved to Raleigh.  No photos allowed inside, sigh.  A very pleasant outing in all.

Tryon Palace, New Bern, NC

Tryon Palace gardens

Back home, I find myself surrounded by baby dragons.