Thanks Ninetta

Thanks to Ninetta we have a new tatting stitch called the treble double stitch (tds)!  Today I'm practicing rings and chains with the treble double stitch.  Its a fun challenge to play with the tds.  Thank you Ninetta for sharing this idea!

Lucky Penny!

I made a lot of these lucky pennies at Christmas.  The pattern is by Carolyn Craig and available in the Ice Drop Facebook group.  The only thing I altered was to make dot picots instead of the center chains. 
Pennies are not in circulation in Canada but my aunt Penny has been collecting pennies in a jar for years.  When she sold her house she gave the jar to my sister.  Jessica gave me a bunch of pennies so I could make them into lucky pennies.
Just fyi there are over 107 ice drop patterns in the group files!

Tat-a-long finished project

Brenda Spears kindly sent me a picture of her finished tat-a-long project!  Its so much fun to do something like this and see the finished projects.  I love the bead in the center.  Thanks Brenda for participating and sending the pic!

On another note I want to wish everyone a Happy Independance Day!

A Very Canadian Tat-A-Long- BONUS Pattern!!!!

It is so very Canadian to remember our neighbors to the south!

 Pattern can be found here, or on the Fringe Elements Tatting Group and the Beginners Tatting Chat Group on Facebook.

Materials

Size 20 thread in red, white and blue

Tatting shuttle or needle

Crochet hook

Terms

C- Chain

p- Picot

mp- mock picot.  Leave a space on both threads to make an imitation picot.  In this pattern it’s a vsp you are imitating and you only need a small space.

R- ring

vsp- very small picot

lj- lock join.  Make a lock join by using a crochet hook to pull shuttle thread through the joining space.  This creates a loop and you pass the shuttle through the loop then tighten to remove excess thread.  In these patterns a lock join is often joined to the space between chains.  Where to do the lj is indicated in brackets. 

LS- lock stitch, I do first half unflipped and 2^nd flipped but you can do the opposite and it will work.   Number beside indicates how many you to make.  Needle tatters there is a note below on how to make a lock stitch.

SCMR- self closing mock ring.  See http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/SCMR.pdf for instructions.

Round 1

 

Wind 1 yard of white thread on shuttle CTM with ball

Needle tatters blue thread on needle of choice. 

R         6 vsp 6 vsp 6 vsp 6 vsp 6

C         mp 4 vsp 4 vsp 4 lj (1^st p)

*C       4 vsp 4 vsp 4 lj (next p)*

Repeat from * to * around r and end by joining to the mp.

Cut and hide ends

Round 2

 

Wind 1 yard of blue thread on shuttle CTM with ball

Start at last picot made in Round 1 by joining the thread to the picot

*C                   3 p 3 lj (next picot)

C                     6

SCMR                        4 p 4

C                     3 p 3 lj (next picot)*

Repeat from * to * around Round 1

Join back to beginning and hide ends.

At this point you have 2 choices- 

1. You can stop now and add a red and white fringe to the picots on the SCMR then fray them

2.  Make the “fireworks” using a bangle

BANGLE Fireworks

For theme you will be using red and white thread.  If you have any pieces left over from the Very Canadian Tat-A-Long this is a great opportunity to use up the ends.

*You will start by joining to a picot on the tip of the star.

LS       4 (you may need a few more and don’t worry if the lockstitch chain bends a bit…they’re fireworks.  You are aiming for the star to sit in the middle of the bangle)

Now you will pass one thread in from of the bangle and one thread behind the bangle (this is called an alligator join)

LS       3 

Cut ends and fray with a pin.*  Don’t worry, the lockstitch will not unravel but if you are worried you can always add a dab of clear glue. 

Repeat from * to * adding fireworks at each picot.  In the sample I alternated red and white and made 3 sets of fireworks at each picot. 

NEEDLE TATTERS!

To make a lockstitch chain you will make the first half on the needle, slide it off and do your closing stitch.  It seems awkward at first but you will get into a rhythm. The lock stitch chain will be a little annoying but so worth it! 

A Very Canadian Tat-A-Long Day 3!

Happy Canada Day!

We have arrived at Day 3 of the Tat-a-long!
Just a reminder that there will be a bonus pattern posted tomorrow.
If you are a relatively new tatter I encourage you to be brave and try tatting around the bangle.  I have provided you with a couple links to help.
You can download the file here or find it at the Fringe Elements Tatting Facebook page and the Beginner's Tatting Facebook Group.

Day 3

For today you need 2 yards of white thread wound CTM on a shuttle. 

Start at first ring left of the stem.

R         3 + (p on first ring left of the stem) 3

C         8 p 8 p 8

R         3 + (p on next ring) 3

C         6 p 6 p 6

R         3 + (p on next ring) 3

C         7 p 7 p 7 lj (p on next ring) 7 p 7 p 7

R         3 + (p on next ring) 3

C         6 p 6 p 6

R         3 + (p on next ring) 3

C         8 p 8 p 8

R         3 + (p on next ring) 3

C         7 p 7 p 7 lj (p on next ring) 7 p 7 p 7

Join back to the beginning

If you have a bangle:

Fill a shuttle with thread and cut from ball. You will catch the picots at the same time that you are tatting around the bangle, see the Tatsaway link provided for help on catching the picots.  If you are not comfortable with making the rings then just tat around the bangle

(remember that W= wrap) http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/CoveringCaboneRing.pdf

https://tatsaway.blogspot.com/2007/09/wrapping-plastic-ring-with-double.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TofWCMBcT0I

I find it easiest to start with a ring.

*R       4 lp 4

Make the first wrap include a picot

W        6

R         4 + (lp) 4

W        6*

Repeat from * to * around bangle picking up the picots from the center motif as you go.   Add extra stitches as needed.

Please note that the bangle is not in the diagram

A Very Canadian Tat-a-long Day 2

I had a little scare last night when my computer decided to start an update and was still doing it at 2 am.  I was afraid we were going to have to delay until the computer was done doing its mysterious update.  Fortunately when I woke up this morning it was all done!  

I hope you are not shocked by today's shape.  Tomorrow you will need 2 yards of white thread wound CTM with the ball.  You will also need a bangle. I know I originally said that was for the bonus pattern but once I start with bangles its seems I can't stop.  For the bangle portion of tomorrow you will need a shuttle full of white thread.  To prepare for tomorrow you can look up covering a plastic ring (or bangle) on Jane Eborall's Techniques pages http://janeeborall.freeservers.com/TipsAssorted.html.  (Thanks to Jane for setting up those pages to help all of us in the tatting world)

You can find the pdf for today's post here or if that fails the files are also posted in the Fringe Element Tatter's Facebook Group and the Beginner Tatters Facebook Group.

Day 2

 

Terms

C- chain

R- ring

vsp- very small picot

lj- lock join.  Make a lock join by using a crochet hook to pull shuttle thread through the joining space.  This creates a loop and you pass the shuttle through the loop then tighten to remove excess thread.  In these patterns a lock join is often joined to the space between chains.  Where to do the lj is indicated in brackets.  For example lj (C2 & 3) means a lj in the space between the 2^nd and 3^rd chain.

rw- reverse work; turn the tatting towards you to change the direction the chain is facing

SCMR- self closing mock ring.  See http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/SCMR.pdf for instructions.

Round 2

Continue from where you stopped yesterday

C                     4

SCMR                        4 vsp 4

C                     4 lj (1^st p)  6

SCMR                        4 vsp 4

C                     7 lj (next p) 6

SCMR                        4 vsp 4

C                     4

R                     3 +(next p) 3

C                     6

SCMR                        4 vsp 4

C                     6

R                     3 +(next p) 3

C                     4

SCMR                        4 vsp 4

C                     6 lj(next p) 7

SCMR                        4 vsp 4

C                     6 lj (next p) 4

SCMR                        4 vsp 4

C                     4 lj (space above 3^rd lock join of round 1)

C                     3 lj (next p)  4

R                     3 vsp 3

Hide ends and cut.

A very Canadian tat-a-long, Day 1

Okay everyone, I hope you are ready!  Just a note that its not the end of the world if you don't have red and white...it may not surprise you that my alternative sugestion for colors is green, gold, orange, yellow....

There is a pdf at the bottom of the page for those of you who prefer to print off patterns.

Terms

 C- chain

R- ring

vsp- very small picot

lj- lock join.  Make a lock join by using a crochet hook to pull shuttle thread through the joining space.  This creates a loop and you pass the shuttle through the loop then tighten to remove excess thread.  In these patterns a lock join is often joined to the space between chains.  Where to do the lj is indicated in brackets.  For example lj(C2 & 3) means a lj in the space between the 2^nd and 3^rd chain.

rw- reverse work; turn the tatting towards you to change the direction the chain is facing

SCMR- self closing mock ring.  See http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/SCMR.pdf for instructions.

Wind 2 yards on a shuttle CTM with ball

R         6 vsp 6 vsp 6 vsp 6

C         6 vsp 6 lj (vsp on ring)

C         4 vsp 4 vsp 4 vsp 4 vsp 4 lj (next vsp on ring)

C         6 vsp 6 lj (next vsp on ring)

C         3 vsp 3 lj (beginning of round)

DO NOT CUT. 

We will continue from here tomorrow…

What?  Too quick?  For those of you that are super ambitious you can make a 2^nd more exciting by adding a 6mm bead to the middle of the ring...

http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/BeadRing.pdf

You can download a pdf here.
UPDATE...we've exceeded the limit of downloading for my Keep and Share files so I am posting it on the Fringe Element Tatters facebook group and in the Beginer Tatter Facebook Group.