Lock Stitch Chain Fandango

If you've been following Jane's blog, you know she has been making lots of variations on her Fandango pattern.  Most recent was a little heart, excellent for a quick tat or emptying shuttles. The pattern is HERE.  Since Jane so often uses lock stitch chains to such good effect, I thought this little pattern was calling out for some, and I gave it a try.  They could use a little blocking to help with the symmetry, but over all, I am pleased.  I used 10 lock stitches for the chains at the bottom and omitted the joins to the bottom ring. Also, I began with SR2, since I don't like trying to work in ends in a lock stitch chain.  I think Jane is working up her own version of this idea, so keep an eye on her blog for further developments.

Catching up on Tat-Alongs (Challenge Motif 7)

A few weeks ago, Umi&Tsuru issued a challenge to tat a design from Ruth Scharf's book, Occhi. Since this is one of those books I have been meaning to take off the shelf and use for a long time, this seemed just the thing for my current motif challenge. I decided to go for a very traditional approach and chose this ecru thread. I regretted that at times, when I saw the wide variety of colors shown by other bloggers accepting the challenge. I also decided to make all the lock joins down into the base of the rings as in the original pattern. I think it's a very interesting effect, though it was a bit tricky getting the tension just right.

If you don't have the book, you can still join in, because she had permission to post the flower and leaf patterns.



Also, we recently had Jane's Tat It and See surprise pattern, which turned out to be a goat!

Eeek! Spider!

Jane recently posted instructions for a new method for tatting a floating chain, with this spider pattern to try it out. Floating chains are really fiddly for me, (think split chain with one end that won't stay put) so I thought this was worth a try.

Well, the tatting part goes pretty easy, but when I pull the thread end back through the stitches, I have a terrible time with the thread twisting and tangling. Those of you who don't tat as tightly as I do (ie, almost everyone) may not have so much of a problem. Anyway, it was a fun exercise, and a potentially useful new technique.