Tatting- a new craft for me

I'm rather excited to have just started learning a brand new craft- tatting.  Unlike many other crafts I've tried over the years, I'm actually doing a class to learn the basics.  Two hours a week for the next four weeks.

Today was just learning the basic knot and loop.  It's really fiddly and hard when you first try this!  Trying to work out what thread should be where and what the tension should be and such.  But by the end of the class I was going great guns.  You can see my increase in skill as you follow the loops along the thread below (top left is the first successful loop)

First loop- top left, then follow the thread to find my increase in skill/practice

Still, it was a bit of a bummer that the speed of the group meant that that was all I could do by the end of the class- the instructor was busy with the others in the class who were struggling to get the right knot*.  So when I got home I stole borrowed a few books from my Mum who had tried to get the hang of tatting years ago and good old google.

So far all I've managed are picots (little loopy bits) and a join (and I think I'm doing something funny with my joins, they seem to be a little twisted?).  Still, this looks like proper lacy stuff, don't you think?

Anyone know of any simple patterns that are good for a beginner to practice with?  I don't want to try anything involving two shuttles or chains yet until I'm in the presence of a professional with scissors to cut me free in case of emergency :P


*I've discovered in tatting that knots are easy- very, very, very easy!  It is the right sort of knot that is tricky.