Tatting update and simple lace pattern to try

Second tatting class was last Friday and we started making a simple lace edge for a white handkerchief.  This is a very simple pattern- a variation of it was in one of Mum's tatting books that I tried as one of my first practice pieces.  If you are a beginner then this is a great one to start with- simple enough to remember and also easy to keep track of where you are so you can pick it up and put it down as a project without having to spend 10 minutes working out where you are up too.  And as you might guess, the plan is to attach the lace to the hankie after making it.  And no, the safety pin attachment plan is not my permanent solution, I just wanted to make sure I didn't twist the lace when joining the the end back to the start!

I'm writing this using what I think is the most common  current tatting notation (some very old patterns write things out in full- cor!) but feel free to leave a comment to ask any questions or correct my mistakes!  For beginners like me, numbers refer to double stitches needed with dashes meaning you need to add a picot (unless otherwise indicated in a pattern just do whatever size looks right for you- and try to be consistent as you go!).

Simple tatted lace edge
Use one shuttle
Ring 1:  5-5-5-5, close ring
*Leave a gap of about a 1 cm (or approximately the diameter of your first ring) and start the second ring: 5, join to 3rd picot of previous ring, 5-5-5, close ring.

Repeat from * for as long as you like for the straight part of the lace. 

For corners, form the corner ring don't leave a gap between the previous ring but form the ring hard up against it.  Form the ring the same way (5, join to 3rd picot of previous ring, 5-5-5) or make picot as below for a more decorative look. For the next ring (straight part again), again form this ring hard against the previous corner ring.  By not leaving the gap on either side of the corner rings, you'll find your lace will form a natural right angle corner.

Variation for corners (or use this for all rings is you like!).  Note, -- means to make one picot that is larger than normal.
Ring: 5, join to 3rd picot of previous ring, 5-1--1-5-5, close ring

Alice wristees

When browsing my ravelry queue in search of something to make, I came upon the wonderful White Rabbit wristees (think something similar to a glove with no thumb and no fingers- it covers your thumb and palm).  Despite the fact I am technically not allowed to buy wool, I had to make these- which meant I had to buy two balls of Rowan kidsilk haze.  Wonderful wool (totally unbelievably soft and fuzzy) and the colours work together brilliantly.  All I have to do is find a few pretty little buttons to add to finish them off.


So a few tips if you are planning on making it yourself:

• Make sure your cast on and off are nice and loose.  I used a long tail cast on but for the first wristee I made was a bit too tight, the second one I made looser and it's much easier to pull that one on.
• I might also make it a bit longer (so further down the wrist) if I made it again- just work another inch before doing the increase. This is a personal taste/ hand size thing so you may or may not want to follow this advice!
• And finally, don't make these at the start of summer, where ever you are, since I'm going to have to pack them away for cool weather *sigh*

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.

Sometimes the yarn just isn't right

I'm having delayed buyer's remorse.  Many years ago I bought some yarn because I was just getting into knitted lace.  I found some Moda Vera Celinda, a blended yarn (there are FOUR different materials according to the tag- and that doesn't count the glitter).  It felt lovely and soft and the glitter in it sparkled in a way that said 'you know you want me...'  (all knitters will recognise this voice from yarn shops!)

Many balls found their way home- enough for a full shawl.  But I had other things going at the time, including a large knitted shawl, so the balls went into the stash.  Years pass and I occasionally pulled one out for a pat but then decide to do something else so put them back.

Then came the stash-busting season of 2011.  After completing my car blanket I was on the prowl for something else to do using the stash and thought lace might be a plan.  Since much of my lace weight stuff is still in skeins and the swift and ball winder I bought on ebay is still in transit, that ruled out much of the stash contents.  But then a glimmer of light caught my eye- this could be Celinda's time to shine (or sparkle).  I pulled out a ball, spent several hours prowling patterns and finally decided to christen the book 'Victorian Lace Today' by Jane Sowerby, a gorgeous book with many lovely pattern as well as some history and brilliant design tips and instructions.  The scarf is a simple diamond lace for the middle, followed by a knitted lace edge.

The invisible cast on was the first hurdle, but youtube eventually sorted me out in that regard and I was off and away.  Now, 15 cm into the scarf body and I'm not loving the results.


The lace is lovely (possibly a bit wide for a scarf- the width is 30 cm without the edge or blocking) but it is the yarn that is the issue.  The camera can't pick up glitter well but there is a lot of it- instead of a tasteful hint here and there, like fairy dust glimmering, it sparkles garishly as if a hyperactive three year old had found her crafting mother's glitter stash.  The yarn is also horrible to use- the two strands that make it up split constantly and bunch up.


You can see in the photo the yarn thread splitting- now imagine that under tiny differences in tension as you knit resulting in ugly thread bunches in the fabric.

All in all, this is a project that will never be completed and will instead go to the frog pond, with a dose of charity shop for the yarn.  There is bound to be someone out there who loves this yarn but that person is not me.

Julliette update

I spent much of today working on my Julliette scarf.  It is basically made of lots of little granny squares of different sizes made from DMC Perle Coton that are then sewn together.  I made quite a few more squares and I also spent some time sewing some of those squares together- you can see from the picture below that leaving all the sewing to last would not be a fun idea.

Besides, this way I can see how the progress is going and can see and appreciate all the pretty colours.  If I make the scarf to the original pattern size, it is currently about 20% complete. Looks like I have a lot more squares to crochet!