Joining Long Picots, Butterfly Bookmark

Recently, there have been discussions in the Facebook Tatting Group asking how to join long picots to each other .  I remembered I had done this years ago with the bookmark pictured above.

I used Ball Thread Joins to attach to picots tip to tip so they wouldn't overlap.  Pretty cool, huh?  In fact, I did this so long ago, that I thought I had invented the ball thread join, silly me.

I thought I had given this pattern to Georgia for the Online Class at the time, but maybe I never got around to it since I can't find it in the old lesson index.

I've added the pattern to the Free Pattern Page of this blog, see the link at the top of the page. (Note to self, the new website is way behind schedule, get back to work.)

The butterflies are based on a pattern from Butterick's Tatting and Netting from 1896.  Free downloads are available from Georgia's Archive of Tatting Books in the Public Domain (scroll down about halfway), and from the Antique Pattern Library's Tatting list (scroll almost to the bottom of the page).  I think it was also reprinted by Lacis under a different title, but I can't verify that right now.

Update: I originally did not have the pattern file properly set to share publicly, sorry.  It should work now.

Back to the Challenge with an Old Friend and Split Rings

I recently had a nice email chat with an old friend, Karen Bovard Sayre.  We hadn't talked for along time since she hasn't made it to Palmetto for a couple of years.  Not too long ago, she got married and had a honeymoon in eastern Europe. How cool is that!  She has a new blog now, and recent entries include some free patterns and pictures of lace she saw on her trip.  She has a new book coming out soon, and on her website, http://www.theshuttlesmith.com/ she shares lots of useful information she learned about self-publishing books, plus some articles on the history of split ring tatting and more.

All this reminded me that I hadn't made any of the designs from her first book yet, and my personal 25 Motif Challenge is to get those unused books off the shelf.  So here is a cross from Fun with Split Ring Tatting, with tail added to make it a bookmark.  All the patterns are in diagram form, and very easy to read.

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.

 

Introducing Mary's Traveling Book

Mary Konior was one of the greatest tatting designers of all time. Her book Tatting with Visual Patterns is available from several online tatting shops. (If you don’t own a copy, you should get one.) Her earlier books are out of print and becoming increasingly rare and expensive.

Since these books may be beyond the reach of many tatters, and inspired by Fox’s generosity in offering Angeline’s Traveling Book, I propose to launch Mary’s Traveling Book, using her Tatting in Lace. I will send this out on loan, for each person to use for up to a month and then mail to the next person. Before mailing, I ask that you contact the next person in line to confirm their mailing address. Since I am moving soon myself, I am somewhat preoccupied with the notion of changing addresses :)

If you would like to be included, please email me with your mailing address. If the link won't work, just send to essm at bellsouth dot net


By the way, I think I have remembered the origin of the little heart motif from the last post. (I have a mind like a steel seive.) Back around 2001, I participated in a tatted heart round robin, one of many organized by Maus. For each member, I designed a heart motif and a pair of coordinating earrings. These patterns eventually made their way into my book, Tat's Amoré, except for one set. The month I had surgery, I did not design a heart from scratch, but rather made one adapted from Mary Konior's Maid of Honour edging. I think this little heart was a draft for the accompanying earrings. So, mystery solved, and everyone who was reminded of Mary Konior was correct.

More Challenge Motifs

I've been tatting up a storm lately. Here are a handful of projects in no particular order. (That's because I can't remember the sequence I made them...)

This bookmark is Pamela Kite's "Christina Edging" from Georgia's Tatting Online book. The threads are Lizbeth variegated #130 and Raspberry Pink #623. I got samples of these through the Thread Exchange Blog. I know people love or hate Lizbeth thread. Well, I love this variegate, and it's on my list to buy. Instead of trying to use an entire exchange sample for a project, I just wound a shuttleful of both, so I have some left over for something else.

This is Anne B's Seahorse Dragon, adapted from a pattern by Deb Arnold. This is a wonderful pattern (and so is the original seahorse). Anne has great designs and we both love dragons. The threads are a handpainted thread by Karey Solomon and a silver/grey Lizbeth. I love Karey's threads because of the way the colors flow at random. Click here for Jane's recent interview with Karey about her threads.

This one is theBlooming Trellis Bookmark by Eliz (Tatknot). This is worked in assorted vintage size 70/80. Most Celtic type designs are worked in three parts, but her takes just two.

This last one is Lauren Snyder's "Pearl Tatted Bookmark", also from the Tatting Online book edited by Georgia. I always thought this one looked intimidating, but I finally gave it a try. (Sorry the picture isn't great. I've lost my pale blue paper that I liked to use as a background for white.)

I think this makes Motifs 21-24 for my 25 Motif Challenge.

More Thread Exchange Projects

As I've said before, the Thread Exchange Blog is a fun way to trade samples of thread. Typically, the samples are 12 yards (11 meters).

Then comes the question of choosing a project you can complete with the sample. Motifs and bookmarks work great. Here are two of mine.

This one is a bookmark of Mary Konior's Duet pattern, made with size 20 Lizbeth #125 Seascape. I looove this color on the ball, but in this particular bookmark, not so much. Perhaps the back and forth rings were not a good choice for this thread. It looks better on Isdihara's blog.




I also used an exchange thread to perfect my koala bear pattern. I think this is Lizbeth 691 Mocha Brown Medium. It's a nice shade, a bit warmer than the similar Cebelia I had been using.

I've wound my shuttles with more exchange threads, so watch this space....

Later...by the way, I can claim this as Motif 20 in my current 25 Motif Challenge.

More Critters -- Now on Sale!

I am pleased to announce that More Critters on the Block is now on sale.


I will, of course, be bringing plenty of copies with me to the Palmetto TatDays conference.


The book is digest size, 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches, and has 32 pages plus cover. There are 23 patterns in all: hummingbird, dolphin, koala, skunk, butterfly, ferret, dachshund, elephant, raccoon, turtle, sheep, lamb, rhinoceros, hornet, owl, giraffe, gecko, whale, bluebird, grasshopper, fox, alligator, and pig.


Here are a handful of the designs.



Despite the recession, we decided to keep the price at $10.00 plus shipping, like my other block tatting books. You can go to my site here for links to buy a single copy through PayPal. If you would like more than one book, email me and I can send you an invoice for reduced combined shipping. There is an address there too, for snail mail check or money order payment.

I would like to thank my test tatters, Jane, Heather, Pamela, Stephanie, and Sherry for all their help.

Whooo Can't Count?

Erm, that would be me.

Keep in mind that a digest size booklet is made of letter size paper folded in half so each sheet of paper makes 4 pages. So a booklet needs a multiple-of-four pages. A while back, I thought I had a book's worth of patterns, but when I pasted them together, I counted 29 pages. Rather than cut out one page, I thought I had plenty of time to make up three more patterns for a 32 page book. I went merrily on my way until last weekend when I did the book layout again, and came up with.....31 pages! One short! What went wrong?

I bet some of you see where this is going. In a booklet, that first sheet of paper with the title page also has the final page on it as well. On my first layout, "Page 29" was supposed to be the other half of the first sheet, but I forgot to move it there. I really should know better.

I had to turn out one more pattern. The process went something like this:


While I feel a bit silly that I couldn't count my pages right, those last four patterns were the fox, koala, weiner dog, and owl, so I'm glad it worked out that way.

By the way, that thread is Lizbeth Mocha Brown Dark. A lovely, warm brown perfect for bears, puppies, etc. I got a sample through the Thread Exchange Blog. I'm definitely going to get myself my own ball of this thread.

The Thread Exchange (Motif 19)

The Thread Exchange-Or-What Can You Do With 12 Yards?

Lately I've been sharing the fun on The Thread Exchange Blog. Fox from Tat-ology set this up as a place to swap samples of thread. Each person posts a list or picture of what they have to trade, and then others offer to make a deal. This is a no-frills exchange, just thread samples that fit in an average envelope. It's a good way to try out a type of thread to see if it is something you would like to buy.

The suggested amount to trade is 12 yards (11 meters). That gives rise to the question, how much can you do with that much thread? Quite a lot, actually.

One of the samples I have received so far is some size 50 Pear Glace' HDT made by Lady Shuttle Maker. I can tell you this is very nice thread and I recommend it. The picture doesn't do it justice. This is very pale, delicate shades of green and yellow. I wanted to make the most of this thread without wasting any, so I hunted around till I found this two shuttle insertion pattern in the book Tatting by Cathy Bryant. You switch shuttles regularly, so an equal amount of thread is used from each one, which meant there was no guesswork how much to allow for each one. I finished this bookmark with only a few inches of thread to spare. Not counting the tail, it's 4 inches by 1.5 inches. I like my bookmarks on the small side, so I'm very happy with this.

I've been neglecting my 25 Motif Challenge lately. This time around, I'm only counting patterns by other people, so I can claim this as Motif #19.

Coming Soon--More Critters on the Block

victats@gmail.com said...
All of your test tatters have been tormenting us with pictures of your new patterns...when is the new book comming out?

The answer is August. Definitely in time for the Palmetto conference. My team of test tatters is turning out critters at an amazing pace, though I am getting bogged down with perfecting the last few patterns. It always works OK out in the end, though.

Thank you to everyone who answered my earlier blog post with suggestions of critters to make. Before I knew it, I went from too few ideas to too many. There could be another critter book way down the road with the leftover ideas.

On a different note: when (if?) I get a little more caught up, I'll tell you about the new love of my life. Here's a pic:

Motif Four and a Challenge

My closet in my new apartment has room to add another storage drawer unit (those cheap Sterilite ones) so this weekend I was able to reorganize my thread. Well! I had more thread than I thought I did. I had thread I had forgotten about. I can't say I had any that I didn't recognize, but some of it went a long way down memory lane.

I started to make a new resolution for using the thread, but then I decided to make it a challenge for everyone. I call this challenge: "Exercise Your Stash". Do you have a ball/skein with just a little bit left? Use it up! Do you have some exotic type thread you brought home and put in a drawer and never picked up again? Wind some on your shuttles and take it for a test drive! Then show everyone your work. If it was an out of the ordinary thread, tell how it worked out. This should be fun.

If you prefer, another version of the challenge could be "Exercise Your Library". How many tatting books do you own that you have never worked a pattern from?

To start off, I found a little wad of Caron Wildflowers, a little more than four yards. This thread is a little like a matte finish perle cotton and little like HDT. Back when variegated tatting thread was hard to come by, I would get some of this at the local yarn shop. I still do occasionally when the colors call out to me. The pattern is Spring Flowers Bookmark by Julie Patterson, available on the Ring of Tatters site. Edging style bookmarks are good for using up thread since you can make a strip and stop when the thread runs out. With tassel, this is six inches long, a bit petite, but good for a paperback. This is a nice easy pattern but still visually interesting.