From: Suzann SWELKER@delphi.com
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 23:32:23 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Tatting help - joining rings
Welcome to the nutty world of tatting. My first suggestion is to make a copy of the page with the abbrevations on it. Put this in a plastic bag ( so you don't get the ink on your hands. Now you can keep the abbrevation list next to your pattern. After you have worked a few patterns in a book you will know what type of abbrevations that book is using.
Counting stitches.
If you count each stitch you make, then you will know that the odd numbers are the first half of the double stitch and the even numbers are the second half of the double stitch. So if you have to make 5 double stitches then you will be counting to 1 2, 3 4, 5 6, 7 8, 9 10. This is how I have my students count the stitches. After a while you will be able to tell if you have completed a stitch by looking at it. No matter how you count as you work, Always count all your completed stitches BEFORE you close a ring or Before you do a join. So much easier to add or a remove a stitch Before the ring is closed or joined to another.
Joins
99.9 percent of the time the join is made with the thread that is wrapped around your left hand. Bring the picot you are joining to over this thread and draw the a loop through the picot with a crochet hook or the tip of your shuttle. Draw the loop up big enough to pass the shuttle through. Pass the shuttle through the loop. Now spread the fingers of the left hand to close the loop. Keep your thumb over the join test to see if the stitches still slide. If not, try moving the shuttle thread a bit to see if you can get the join to slide into place. Once you can get the stitches to slide make the second half of the double stitch. Your join is made. In most patterns the join and the second half of the double stitch count as the first stitch of the next group. Clear as mud, huh. If your pattern said 3 double stitches join, 3 double stitches. That means that after the join you only have to make two more double stitches.
Reading Patterns
Tatting patterns are written using several different methods. For beginner tatters I would suggest that you keep away from reprints of old patterns. They so often contain old errors. What you want are clear directions good photos of the finished item and maybe a nice diagram. We can dream. As you work different patterns you will learn the differnt styles of
directions. Think how flexable your mind will become
R (ring) of (4ds,p) twice, 8ds Cl ring. Rw
Ok you are being directed to make a ring like this
R (ring) 4 ds p, 4 ds p, 8 ds Cl (close ring) Rw (reverse)
Ch (chain) 8 ds P(picot) 8ds, J (join) to second picot of Ring.
Make the ring, you should only have two picots. The first one is decorative so it can be a little larger then the second one. The second on is the one you will be joined to the chain. The chain will lay across the side of the ring without the picot. Pull the chain up firmly before joining it to the ring. Then make another ring, then another chain. Just keep doing this until you have all of this edging you want or are bored to tears. It looks like an eye with an eyebrow.
(O
(O
(O
(O
I can't put in the picots using the keyboard, but I am sure you get the idea.