Pattern Notations

Having a pattern doesn't do you much good if you can't read it! There are several "notations" used in tatting patterns, all which are variations of longhand or shorthand, and in addtion there are visual patterns.

Longhand of the above tattage would be something like:

Do six double stitches, then a picot, then do six double stitches, then a picot, then do six double stitches, then a picot, then do six double stitches, then a picot, then do six double stitches, then a picot, and finally do six double stitches

Or something equally ridiculous. You can tell I don't like longhand notation. I read literature, not patterns!

A shorter notation would be

(Do 6 DS, Picot) 5 times, 6 DS.

Or

(6 DS,P) 5 times (6 DS)

Or

6-6-6-6-6-6

Or

(6x6)

This last one is my favorite. it just makes more sense to me. It means do 6 double stitches, 6 times, and each group of 6 DS is separated by a picot. I hate to count minus signs, it hurts my eyes.

Furthermore,

(R 3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3) or (R 3DS, P nine times, 3 DS)

Can be written as

R (3x10)

Meaning 10 sets of 3 double stitches, separated by picots. (total of 9 picots)

And something like

(Ch 5+3-3-3-3-5) or (Ch 5DS, Join, 3 DS, P, 3DS, P, 3DS, P, 3DS, P,5DS)

would be

Ch 5+(3x4)-5

It might take some getting used to, but it was the first shorthand I could easily understand at a glance. I learned it from Tatting Patterns and Designs - by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson. I found it was easier because I didn't have to stop and count the dashes (picots). My eyes just can't focus on it, esp'y when it is tiny typeface. It works great in particular along with a visual diagram - I take Mary Koniors visual patterns book and jot this short-shorthand on a post-it-note and stick it to the diagram!